Thursday, October 8, 2026

France fires upgraded nuclear-capable missile from submarine for first time

PARIS — France test-fired an upgraded version of its M51 strategic ballistic missile from a submarine for the first time on Tuesday, a capability demonstration that President Emmanuel Macron called “very important” for the country’s strategic credibility and which he said would be monitored by allies and adversaries alike.The nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine Le Vigilant fired…

Pentagon names 4 directed-energy weapons for counter-drone program at US bases

The Pentagon on Monday named four directed-energy weapons for a homeland counter-drone pilot, the first systems the military will field and test at U.S. bases under a program ordered by Congress.The four systems selected are AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser, Epirus’ Leonidas high-powered microwave, Kord’s Firefly high-energy laser and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System, the Defense…

Anduril, US Navy invest $6.6 billion to boost submarine parts production

Defense tech firm Anduril said on Tuesday it will invest $3.7 billion to develop a new shipyard in Maryland to build critical components for the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines, as Washington seeks to bolster its maritime defense capabilities.Subsequently, the US Navy awarded Anduril a contract worth up to $2.9 billion to manufacture submarine components, with…

Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A CCA completes first fully autonomous flight

Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Collaborative Combat Aircraft recently completed its first fully autonomous flight.Talon Blue executed its first fully autonomous flight in Mojave, California, which included taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers and landing, according to a recent company release. The modular design, part of the defense company’s internally funded Project Talon portfolio, focuses on advancing…

Pentagon, FBI personnel-data breaches raise questions

A Pentagon breach that exposed sensitive personnel information for months is raising questions yet again about federal agencies' ability to detect unauthorized access to their records. Information about roughly 3 million people was potentially exposed from October 2025 to July 16, 2026, by a breach of a file-sharing system at the Defense Manpower Data Center, which maintains personnel information used…