“The U.S. continues to systematically state its commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia so I don’t think arms transfers in general will completely stop,” Yasmine Farouk, Middle East expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says.
By Chyrine MezherModernizing military simulation with open systems architecture
Best-of-breed common models and architecture enable virtual training and testing with the same data in a cyber-resilient posture.
“This is a new effort, as the expanded mission now goes beyond a strict MQ-9 replacement,” an AFLCMC spokesperson said. “This endeavor serves to explore concepts that address capability gaps of legacy platforms against increasingly sophisticated threats in denied, contested, and highly contested environments.”
By Theresa Hitchens
The Navy is standing up its first operational unmanned ship command, a big moment in the Pentagon’s move toward autonomy
By Paul McLeary
“I will tell you right now, the MQ-9 is still a very popular platform with the Combatant Commanders,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown admitted. “So, it’s not something we can just walk away from.”
By Theresa Hitchens
While the UAE government was silent on the Biden Administration’s pause on arms sales, social media reaction was harsh.
By Riad Kahwaji
Congress narrowly failed to block the controversial $23 billion deal the Trump administration forged with the UAE, and the Biden team has expressed skepticism, but the rush is on to wrap it up
By Paul McLeary
“I get asked if it’s possible, absolutely it’s possible,” Heidi Grant, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told reporters at the Pentagon Friday. But some in Congress are working to block the deal.
By Paul McLeary
BAE Systems’ LR-PGK: The Superior Anti-Jam Solution
Going the distance to defeat emerging jam threats.
BEIRUT: The United Arab Emirates has long sought advanced American armed drones. That day appears to be close. The US State Department has notified Congress it plans to sell 18 battle-ready MQ-9B drones worth an estimated $2.9 billion to the UAE as part of a bigger deal that includes up to 50 F-35 fighter jets, as…
By Chyrine Mezher
With the UAE turning to China for armed drones, policymakers in the Trump administration worry about Beijing’s efforts to gain influence in the Middle East.
By Riad Kahwaji and Paul McLeary
presented by
Take another look. The world’s workhorse unmanned aerial system (UAS) is adding a host of upgrades designed to win the fight now and bring the future faster.
By Breaking Defense The change would make available all Category I drones currently made by the US, including the long-loitering surveillance and armed systems which have played a key role in Washington’s counterterrorism fights.
By Paul McLeary
The Air Force should field several iterations of improved drones before 2030 — not just to replace the MQ-9 — but to do everything from ISR to strike to counter-air missions.
By Theresa Hitchens
WASHINGTON: House appropriators are worried that the Air Force’s latest try to replace the MQ-Reaper isn’t fully baked and might lead to a capability gap between the service’s planned divestiture of the venerable hunter/killer drone and any follow-on. “The Air Force’s fiscal year 2021 budget request proposes to terminate production of MQ–9 aircraft, citing an…
By Theresa Hitchens
The Air Force wants to cut its workhorse drone, the MQ-9 Reaper. The combatant commanders that use the MQ-9 don’t want to see that happen.
By David Deptula