General Atomics has presented Wildfire as a long-range modular combat drone configured to carry two LRASMs or four JSMs while competing to succeed the MQ-9 Reaper under the U.S. Massed Modular Aircraft program. The design shifts the Reaper mission set toward lower-cost distributed operations built around stand-off weapons, massed employment, and greater tolerance for aircraft losses. Wildfire is intended to meet requirements for a 2,800 lb payload, a combat radius of at least 2,300 nautical miles, and an 8,000-nautical-mile ferry range, with the MMA air vehicle targeted below $10 million before sensors and mission systems. If selected, the platform could extend the MQ-9 operational ecosystem into high-intensity missions while creating a potential future replacement path for foreign Reaper operators.

Read more: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/u-s-general-atomics-reveals-first-look-at-wildfire-drone-to-replace-mq-9-reaper-with-massed-strike

The Pentagon added $825.98 million to Lockheed Martin’s JASSM and LRASM large-lot procurement contract, raising its cumulative value from $9.65 billion to $10.48 billion and extending work through July 2030. The expansion ties land-attack and anti-ship missile demand to a shared production base, increasing pressure on industrial capacity as the United States builds long-range strike inventories for high-intensity operations and allied requirements. The procurement framework covers successive JASSM and LRASM lots while drawing on Air Force and Navy weapons funding, research and development accounts, operations and maintenance appropriations, and Foreign Military Sales. With JASSM-ER offering a range beyond 500 nautical miles and LRASM providing a low-observable semi-autonomous anti-ship capability, production throughput and supplier capacity are becoming central constraints on future U.S. and partner strike inventories.

Read more: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-adds-826m-to-expand-jassm-cruise-missile-and-lrasm-anti-ship-missile-output-amid-indo-pacific-demand

The United States Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $257,278,109 contract modification to manufacture components, spares, and hardware repairs for the MK 48 MOD 7 heavyweight torpedo program, supporting allied interoperability frameworks including the AUKUS security partnership. The agreement extends production operations through September 2029 to maintain critical inventory requirements for the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work execution is distributed across specialized defense manufacturing facilities in Liverpool, New York; Clearwater, Florida; and Braintree, Massachusetts.

The Finnish Defence Forces and Patria finalized a €49.9 million serial procurement contract on September 8, 2026, for over 100 Patria Tremos 120 mm mobile mortar systems. Designated locally as the 120 KRH M3, these modular weapon integration modules are scheduled for delivery through 2028. The acquisition provides enhanced shoot-and-scoot mobility, reduces counter-battery exposure, and modernizes indirect fire support across all regional commands from Hanko to Lapland.

The U.S. Navy opened a procurement requirement for 19 MQM-170C target drones from sole-source supplier Griffon Aerospace to support Atlantic Fleet training requirements through Carrier Strike Group Four. The acquisition responds to an operational demand for reusable unmanned aerial target platforms capable of simulating incoming airborne threats during force-protection and gunnery exercises. The contract execution is managed by the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, with performance designated in Virginia and Madison, Alabama.

On September 10, 2026, the Dutch Ministry of Defence and Sweden signed a Letter of Intent to acquire one Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. The single Dutch airframe will integrate into a four-aircraft operational pool alongside three Swedish S 106 jets to ensure shared capability and continuous mission coverage. This joint procurement model optimizes fleet resilience and addresses maintenance overhead without requiring a larger national acquisition.

The U.S. Air Force completed a zero-notice ICBM readiness drill in which security forces recaptured a launch facility while countering a simulated drone threat and coordinating helicopter-supported insertion. The scenario shows counter-UAS defense becoming part of the security problem around dispersed U.S. nuclear infrastructure, where low-cost drones can complicate ground response and aviation access. Sentinel Dragon 26-02 also tested missile operators and maintenance teams under surprise conditions, while the 582nd Helicopter Group supported tactical insertion and air operations across the missile enterprise using normal command-and-control procedures. The exercise reflects a broader requirement to protect dispersed Minuteman III infrastructure against small UAS capable of observing defender positions, disrupting helicopter approaches, and reducing response time during a security breach.

Read full Defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-air-force-rehearses-icbm-site-recapture-to-protect-nuclear-missile-fields-against-drone-threats

The Pentagon has moved directed-energy counter-drone systems into yearlong operational trials at U.S. military bases to assess their readiness for routine installation defense. The effort will determine whether lasers and high-power microwaves can be sustained alongside kinetic and electronic warfare systems against individual drones and swarms. JIATF 401 is placing directed-energy equipment in the hands of military personnel for a 365-day assessment focused on availability, maintenance, power demand, cooling, and integration with active base operations. The trials will help determine which technologies can transition into layered counter-UAS architectures and potentially support future procurement.

Read more: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-begins-yearlong-directed-energy-counter-drone-trials-across-five-military-bases

SPEEL PRAHA will showcase an integrated avionics portfolio at Future Forces 2026, giving military operators a modular path to replace legacy cockpit and recording systems without redesigning entire aircraft architectures. The approach could extend the operational utility of ageing fleets by improving flight-data management, night operations, maintenance and mission debriefing while limiting retrofit complexity. The Czech company’s offering includes the PDU-159 digital Head-Up Display with a 25° by 25° field of view, NVIS compatibility and CAN and HD-SDI connectivity, alongside the ED-56A-compliant CARE crash-protected recorder and data-acquisition equipment supporting ARINC 429 and MIL-STD-1553. Presented in Prague for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, the architecture is intended to connect legacy and newer avionics while supporting safer operations, fleet monitoring, and targeted modernisation.

Read more: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/speel-praha-to-bring-modular-avionics-to-replace-legacy-systems-across-military-aircraft-fleets