Breaking Defense is reporting that the Pentagon wants to combine drone procurement and operations under a new command, though Congress will have a say in the matter. It said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans for a new four-star drone command among other initiatives, along with a new study group led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich.
Breaking Defense said the Navy and Raytheon have signed a $24.4 billion deal for SM-6 missiles. It said the agreement covers at least five years of production for an undisclosed number of missiles.
The outlet reported that the Defense Department has obligated $142 billion from last year's reconciliation bill before a deadline, leaving billions subject to cuts. It said any funding left unspent by the Pentagon suffers an 8.3 percent cut known as sequestration as fiscal 2027 begins. Breaking Defense also reported that more than 150 new military programs face delays under a continuing resolution, with the department operating under a CR until lawmakers pass a fiscal 2027 budget.
Breaking Defense said the U.S. has withdrawn its last remaining troops from Iraq. It quoted CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper saying that as forces step back and hand full primary responsibility for Iraq's security to the Government of Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces across the region will remain ready to respond to any ISIS threats.
The outlet also reported that a dozen vendors came to Yuma Proving Ground during Falcon Peak 26.2 to test counter-drone technology, aiming to win a Pentagon contract. It said the Defense Intelligence Agency adopted a new analytical framework to measure a military's "will to fight" after underestimating Ukraine's forces, and that a DC Circuit panel upheld the Pentagon's ban on Anthropic.