Missile Defense

High-value airborne assets—including KC-46 and KC-135 tankers, C-5 and C-17 cargo aircraft, and P-8 maritime patrol platforms—form the backbone of U.S. military power projection. Yet these critical enablers face a growing threat from advanced adversaries deploying long-range weaponry that’s reshaping contested airspace. Traditionally, tankers and cargo aircraft operated in relative safety, far from engagement zones. But proliferation of sophisticated surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles by China and Russia is fundamentally changing the operational calculus. “We still need to perform aerial refueling and cargo transport missions,” explains Jared Belinsky, product line director of Integrated Survivability Solutions at BAE Systems. “But our tankers and cargo aircraft are going to be pushed farther away from their area of responsibility or they’re going to need protection—either electromagnetic or kinetic—to fly in contested spaces.”

Hypersonic weapons have emerged as the defining military technology of the 21st century, dominating defense headlines since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet beneath the sensational rhetoric lies a more complex reality: hypersonic flight itself is not new, ballistic missiles have exceeded Mach 5 since the 1960s, and recent conflicts have already revealed vulnerabilities in these supposedly unstoppable systems. At their core, hypersonic weapons are any systems traveling faster than Mach 5—roughly 3,800 miles per hour. This extreme speed offers genuine tactical advantages: compressed decision-making windows for defenders, rapid target coverage, and shortened warning times. However, the physics of hypersonic flight presents extraordinary challenges. Extreme air friction generates temperatures exceeding 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, threatening structural integrity and demanding innovative materials and thermal-management solutions.

The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has announced the first wave of contractors for its Golden Dome SHIELD program, selecting 1,014 companies from 2,463 proposals to participate in a contract vehicle valued at up to $151 billion. The awards, disclosed December 2, 2025, mark a significant step in implementing the Trump administration’s comprehensive missile defense modernization strategy. SHIELD—the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense program—serves as a primary procurement channel for Golden Dome, the administration’s $175 billion initiative to establish a layered defensive shield against advanced missile and cruise-missile threats from peer competitors including China and Russia.

WASHINGTON—The Missile Defense Agency has announced the selection of 1,014 qualifying offerors from 2,463 proposals for the Golden Dome contracting vehicle, marking a significant milestone in the Pent...

WASHINGTON — Sierra Nevada Corporation and Applied Intuition announced a strategic partnership today to develop autonomous weapon systems with a primary focus on air defense applications. The collaboration merges the software expertise of the Silicon Valley-based autonomy firm with SNC’s extensive experience in complex defense systems. Under the partnership, SNC’s Expeditionary Air Defense Systems will be integrated with Applied Intuition’s autonomous vehicle software to create mobile, unmanned air defense platforms capable of autonomous deployment and operation. According to the announcement, the systems would feature remote operator control capabilities and collaborative vehicle emplacement functionality, with all development proceeding in compliance with Department of Defense autonomous weapons regulations.

WASHINGTON - The Space Force has made its first awards for space-based interceptor (SBI) prototype development under the classified Golden Dome initiative, though the identities of winning contractors...

Northrop Grumman is accelerating production of its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), transitioning to full-rate manufacturing this month at its Enhanced Production Integration Center (EPIC) in Huntsville, Alabama. The move signals confidence in sustained global demand for the advanced command and control platform that has become central to modern air defense architectures across NATO. Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager of C2 and weapons integration at Northrop Grumman, announced the production milestone during the Berlin Security Conference, emphasizing the company’s capacity to scale output by two to four times current levels. This expansion reflects anticipated orders from international customers and reflects the strategic importance of IBCS in an evolving security environment.