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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt promoted a viral story claiming U.S. operatives deployed sonic weapons and drone swarms to overwhelm Venezuelan forces, causing mass incapacitation. The unverified account describes troops bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood after a mysterious “intense sound wave” attack.
Russia conducted its second combat launch of the secretive Oreshnik IRBM, striking western Ukraine near Poland. Part of a massive barrage, the nuclear-capable missile’s use, justified by a disputed assassination attempt on Putin, marks a serious escalation and a direct geopolitical challenge to the West.
Kratos and Northrop Grumman are building a hybrid XQ-58 Valkyrie drone for the U.S. Marines that blends rocket-launch agility with runway-landing precision. This new variant, targeting a first flight in early 2026, aims to launch from concealed, distributed sites for surprise, then land conventionally for rapid reset, revolutionizing expeditionary warfare concepts.
China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, backed by AVIC, has unveiled new J-35 stealth fighters as it pledges to double production in three to five years. Fresh footage from Liaoning shows green-primed jets rolling off the line, pointing to serial manufacturing as China expands its aerospace footprint with the massive Shenyang Aerospace City project.
Chinese military analysts warn that Taiwan’s asymmetric “porcupine” strategy could seriously complicate a People’s Liberation Army assault. Writing in a mainland defence journal, they argue the PLA could respond with a decapitation strike, bypassing frontline resistance. The analysis comes after Taiwan’s biggest Han Kuang drill and a US$11.1 billion US arms package.
Northrop Grumman has won a $231.5 million contract to provide mission systems for the US Marine Corps’ operational XQ-58 Valkyrie drone. The deal, reported by Breaking Defense, adds the company’s Prism autonomy software and sensors to transform the stealth drone into a lethal Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace has secured a $20.3M US Navy contract to upgrade the strategic communications systems on the E-6B Mercury “doomsday” aircraft. The work, to be completed by June 2027, will enhance connectivity for national command authorities during a crisis.
Russia’s new Project 23700 “rescue ship,” the Voyevoda, boasts a range of 5,000 miles and luxury suites. Reported by Russian analysts, the $2.9 million “high-comfort” fit-out has led to widespread speculation that the Yantar-built vessel serves as a sanctions-proof yacht for President Vladimir Putin or state VIPs.
French company Exail won a €40 million ($46.8 million) deal to supply “several hundred” K-St er expendable underwater drones to multiple navies. The 50-kg vehicles are designed for one-way missions to destroy naval mines, enhancing crew safety.
Virginia startup Electra is marketing its EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft as the Pentagon’s “Sprinter van of the sky.” With a 3,000-pound capacity and runway-agnostic design, it aims to solve the military’s last-mile logistics puzzle for dispersed operations.
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