F-35 Mission Planning: The U.S. Navy is seeking industry input for a five-year redesign of the F-35 mission planning environment used to prep sorties and load data, a move aimed at improving next-gen ground architecture. Strategic AI for Doomsday Command: The U.S. Air Force added $12.09M to a Scale AI effort for agentic AI tied to the future E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center, boosting continuity of national command in crisis. Counter-Drone Integration: The U.S. Army is integrating Epirus’ Leonidas microwave weapon into a broader command-and-control chain for coordinated counter-UAS operations. Gulf Air Defense Reinforcement: The U.S. reportedly deployed two more Patriot batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to harden protection of oil and gas infrastructure amid Iran-linked threat concerns. Taiwan Fighter Delivery: Taiwan received the first two newly built F-16V Block 70 jets, starting a 66-aircraft reinforcement to counter growing cross-strait pressure. Drone Replacement Race: The U.S. Air Force shortlisted seven firms for the MQ-9 Reaper successor MMA program, targeting low-cost, long-range attritable combat drones. Defense Tech & Production: Czech Ray Service is preparing to manufacture F-35 cable systems for U.S. jets, with serial component production planned for next year. Cyber Threats: Microsoft’s 2026 report says Israel is the world’s second-most targeted country by cyberattacks, with ransomware up 21% since 2025. Rare Earths for Defense: CAMINUS signed a contract manufacturing deal with Amprius to expand domestic pouch-cell production for aviation, defense, and uncrewed systems. Quantum-Secure Comms: Airbus demonstrated quantum-secure tactical communications in live operations, combining post-quantum encryption and quantum key distribution across multiple nodes.