Updated Feb 20, 2026
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The week ahead
Defense-related conferences are being held this week. Congress is out. Monday President’s Day. Tuesday Executives from Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Leidos and other companies speak at the Citi 2026 Global Industrial Tech and Mobility conference. Wednesday The Microelectronics C
Editor's Note
In honor of the Presidents' Day holiday, there will be no updates to Inside Defense on February 16.
War, Energy Departments Team up to Advance Future of Nuclear Power, Military Base Energy Security
At March Air Reserve Base, Calif., a next-generation nuclear reactor was loaded aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for transport to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, ensuring greater energy security for the United States.
Rubio tries to reassure Europe that US is not about to sever transatlantic ties
America’s chief diplomat took aim at what he framed postwar “delusion” in the West and a mass migration “crisis” in Europe, echoing terms found in the National Security Strategy released last year.
DOD letter on FAR overhaul
Friday, February 13, 2026In a Feb. 10, 2026 letter to the defense industrial base and acquisition stakeholders, Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey announces "issuance of Revolutionary [Federal Acquisition regulation] Overhaul (RFO) Phase 1 class deviations and request[s] substantive input to
This Week in DOW: Arsenal of Freedom Tour Heads to New England, AI Integration, Protecting U.S. Farmland, Saving Recruits Cash
This week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth toured New England defense industrial base facilities, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Agriculture Department and participated in the Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference.
Pentagon, RTX work to prevent supplier strain amid munition build-up
Several defense primes and the Pentagon are working together to ensure lower-tier suppliers aren't overburdened with munitions production demands in the coming years, an RTX executive told Inside Defense. Officials are discussing boosting production in cycles instead of all at once to avoid straini
Belgium wants additional F-35 jets to be ‘as European as possible,’ says defense minister
A contract for the top-up order of the stealth aircraft will be signed “this year,” Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told Breaking Defense.
Robins Air Force Base Laser-Focused on Aircrew Eye Protection
The AFLCMC/ROU is working with its operations and support team at Robins Air Force Base on the Aircrew Laser Eye Protection – Technology Insertion program, which replaces and upgrades laser protection eyewear every five to seven years.
Pentagon Press Secretary Celebrates Air Force Leadership School Graduates at Nationals Park
Airmen and guardians celebrated their graduation from the Donald L. Harlow Airman Leadership School during a ceremony at Nationals Park in Washington that featured remarks from Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson.
Air Force planning $145M sole-source award to meet CENTCOM c-UAS needs
The Air Force plans to award BAE Systems $145 million for rocket upgrades for the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System in response to U.S. Central Command's needs for defeating drones, according to a justification and approval document for the sole-source purchase posted today. The APKWS’ rocket -
Inside the Navy - February 16, 2026
White House unveils Maritime Action Plan to bolster commercial, military shipbuildingPhelan: Navy likely to double ship request in FY-27 budget, as it focuses on new ship classes and unmanned vesselsCaudle: F/A-XX moving ahead, downselect still in the worksNavy pondering operational, acquisition con
FCAS may survive, but next-gen fighter negotiations all but dead: Industry source
The idea of a Franco-German-Spanish sixth-gen fighter is all but dead, an industry source said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Saab, Babcock bank on Arrowhead 120 design for Sweden’s next frigate
The partnership aims to bring together “a proven, export-ready design tailored to Sweden’s needs,” Saab’s spokesperson Ulrika Langels told Breaking Defense.
Georgia National Guard Soldiers Reunite Lost Puppy With Owner During D.C. Patrol
What began as a routine patrol at the Anacostia Metro station quickly turned into a heartwarming reunion when soldiers assigned to the 170th Military Police Battalion, Georgia Army National Guard, helped return a lost puppy to its grateful owner.
Lessons learned at Steel Knight 25: Operating within and as a kill web
Columnist Robbin Laird visited a major Marine exercise in December, and left with a few key impressions for the future of the Corps.
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