Sunday, October 18, 2026

Lockheed Martin unveils baby Patriot missile to address urgent gap

With demand for Patriot PAC-3 interceptors sharpened by Russian and Iranian ballistic missile attacks, Lockheed Martin unveiled plans to build a smaller and cheaper, if less capable, version of the exquisite interceptor. The Adapted Capability Effector, or ACE, missile would use the PAC-3's launcher and command and control software, but a less expensive rocket motor,…

Anduril pitches a robot wingman for US Army helicopters

LONDON—One month after winning the U.S. Air Force’s drone wingman contract, Anduril announced plans to make an autonomous attack tiltrotor that the company hopes  the U.S. Army will pair with its helicopters for future missions. Nicknamed Thunder, the vertical-takeoff-and-landing rotorcraft is to be autonomous, heavily armed, hybrid-electric powered, and roughly group five-sized. It’s being designed…