The United States approved more than $16.5 billion in emergency defense sales for Kuwait, the UAE and Jordan as missile and drone threats in the Middle East continue to grow.

The US Air Force has issued two new requests for information to improve base defense against small drones, focusing on detection, tracking, and hard-kill defeat options. The effort is being led by the newly established Point Defense Battle Lab, with responses due by April 30, 2026.

The US military is preparing to accept new F-35s without the APG-85 radar due to delays in the system’s development, potentially limiting the aircrafts’ combat capability for a temporary period.

US officials say the threat posed by small unmanned aerial systems is set to become a greater security challenge than the roadside bombs seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington is rapidly expanding its counter-drone capacity to protect both domestic sites and overseas bases.

The US Navy has signed a $71 million robotics and artificial intelligence deal with Gecko Robotics to accelerate maintenance for ships and air platforms.

STM will enhance NATO’s INT-CORE project with new capabilities, advancing data analysis, situational awareness, and decision-support processes to a more effective operational level.

ASELSAN signed two contracts worth a combined $166.45 million with Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries and a domestic platform manufacturer. The agreements cover the supply of guidance systems and electro-optic systems.

Ukraine has positioned the development of an indigenous air defense system as its most urgent defense priority to protect its airspace more effectively against Russian attacks.