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.

India is evaluating participation in one of Europe’s two sixth-generation fighter jet consortiums as it moves to rapidly modernize its air power and secure access to next-generation combat capabilities.

The US Space Force has reassigned the launch of the final GPS III satellite from ULA to SpaceX due to technical issues affecting the Vulcan rocket. The satellite is now scheduled to be launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral by the end of April 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.

The Pentagon’s Space Data Network aims to deliver missile warning and tracking data to defensive systems in near real time. The network is expected to serve as a critical backbone for the Golden Dome missile defense architecture.

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.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that American firepower over Iran will be increased dramatically. CENTCOM also stated that nearly 200 targets across Iran have been struck in recent days.