Navy Awards First Production Contract for MQ-25A Stingray

Sept. 15, 2026 | By Neil Lobeda, Unmanned Carrier Aviation |

The Navy awarded a fixed-price incentive contract valued at $562 million to the Boeing Company for Lot 1 of the low-rate initial production of the MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

The contract provides funds for three Lot 1 Stingrays and additional funding for the advanced acquisition of long-lead components to support three Lot 2 MQ-25As; initial deliveries from Lot 1 are expected to begin arriving in 2029.

"Awarding this first LRIP contract marks a pivotal transition from development to operational reality and is a testament to the focused effort of our joint government and industry teams," said Navy Capt. Daniel Fucito, the program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation. "MQ-25A will deliver the advanced reach, lethality and survivability our warfighters need to outpace evolving threats and dominate the future battle space."

In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced that the MQ-25A Stingray program received approval to move into the production and deployment phase.

The MQ-25A program of record comprises 76 air vehicles, including four engineering development and manufacturing and five system demonstration test articles. Currently, seven test aircraft are in production.

As the world's first fully integrated, carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle, the MQ-25A serves as the pathfinder for the future of unmanned carrier aviation. The Stingray will provide the carrier air wing with essential organic refueling, allowing more F/A-18 Super Hornets to focus on strike missions. This will expand the wing's operational reach while preserving the service life of the aircraft, improving readiness across the Super Hornet fleet. The Stingray is also at the forefront of integrating unmanned systems alongside manned platforms within the carrier air wing, setting the stage for future advancements in naval aviation.

Deputy Secretary of War Directs Actions to Foster One Strong Industrial Base

Sept. 15, 2026 |

Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg today signed a memorandum, Fostering One Strong Industrial Base, directing the Department of War to remove the accounting, audit, and compliance barriers that have separated the companies serving the warfighter from the rest of the American economy. The memorandum and its implementation appendix set deadlines for the Department's senior leaders to open competition, confine government-unique cost accounting to the narrow set of work that requires it, and rely on the financial controls and audits companies already maintain.

For decades, the Department walled the most dynamic economy on earth off from the industrial base that serves the warfighter. The wall was built from cost accounting rules, duplicative audits, and compliance obligations that attach to entire companies rather than the work procured. It was built to control contractor costs; instead it limited who competes and raised prices. The memorandum moves the Department from government-unique Cost Accounting Standards to the accounting every American company already uses – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles – and pushes those benefits to every tier of the supply chain.

"Selling to the Department of War should be a line of business, not a corporate identity. Our nation's greatest strength is its private sector, and our defense industry must harness and mimic it – unleashing industry first, and protecting taxpayers by confining our most burdensome oversight tools to the narrow set of work that genuinely demands them," said Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg. "Transparency and partnership runs both ways: the Department opens its buying to market forces, pays fair prices with honest margins, and in exchange industry shares, when asked, the cost and pricing information it already keeps."

The memorandum governs how the Department requests and uses contractor cost and pricing information and is the next step in the Warfighting Acquisition System reforms the Secretary of War directed on November 7, 2025. It implements Executive Order 14402, which makes fixed-price contracts the default and cost-reimbursement the exception, and carries forward the August 18, 2026 direction on supplier transparency so that contracting officers can see through the prime to its suppliers when needed – and connect those suppliers to Office of Strategic Capital loans, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funds, and the Department's business operators. Where there is a market – competition, comparable sales, reliable price history – the Department will rely on the market to set the price. Where no market exists, the Department will rely on cost, drawing on the cost and pricing information companies already keep, with no new accounting systems or special data formats required. Information industry provides is used only for authorized Government purposes and is never made available to another company for its own use.

Three objectives drive the change:

•     Compete continuously for speed and volume. Carry several performers to production, send real orders to those who deliver, and keep future opportunities open.

•     Attach rules to contracts, not companies. One award that carries an oversight regime must not force a company to remake itself. No company should be barred from this market, or trapped in it, by government-unique requirements.

•     Audit only what matters, only when risk exists, and never twice. Rely first on the independent audits companies already pay for; reserve government-unique oversight for high-risk work where the Department has no alternative.

Actions directed in the appendix include:

• a Department proposal to the Cost Accounting Standards Board to make exemption the default and confine coverage to cost-based development contracts awarded without adequate competition
• immediate use of the higher cost-accounting thresholds enacted in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act;
• senior-level approval before any acquisition strategy brings a new business unit under full coverage;
• commercial product and service determinations within 15 business days;
• simplified, commercial-aligned business-system criteria with acceptance of independent public accounting firm certification in place of separate government review;
• risk-based audit rules;
• expanded use of other transactions and advance market commitments;
• and profit policy under which negotiated margins reflect value delivered, risk carried, and private capital invested – not merely cost incurred.

No new organization or compliance framework will be created, and implementing guidance may not add requirements beyond the memorandum and applicable law.

The memorandum and its implementation appendix are available here. Information for companies seeking to do business with the Department is available at business.defense.gov.

Department of War Announces a $450 Million Investment in The Elmet Group to Secure America's Tungsten Supply Chain

Sept. 14, 2026 |

The Department of War's Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, in partnership with the Economic Defense Unit, announced today a $450 million redeemable preferred equity investment in The Elmet Group through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program. This strategic investment will strengthen domestic tungsten capacity, bolster U.S. industrial resilience and military readiness, and help secure an essential material for the defense industrial base.

"This investment reflects the Department's commitment to rebuilding critical industrial capacity in the United States," said assistant secretary of War for industrial base policy Hon. Mike Cadenazzi. "Expanding domestic tungsten processing will strengthen supply chain resilience, support high-quality manufacturing jobs, and reinforce the production base behind essential defense systems."

The Elmet Group is the only U.S.-owned, fully integrated producer of tungsten and molybdenum materials and components, supports more than 100 Department of War programs, including the F-35, Patriot PAC-3, Trident D5, NGI, PrSM, and Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. Tungsten is a foundational input for the defense industrial base, prized for its hardness, heat resistance, density, and durability, and used in critical components across missiles, munitions, aerospace, propulsion, naval, undersea, electronics, and industrial manufacturing applications.

"The Economic Defense Unit was created to identify critical industrial chokepoints before adversaries can exploit them and before they become battlefield risk," said George K. Kollitides II, director of the Economic Defense Unit. "Tungsten is essential to the systems that protect American warfighters and sustain deterrence, and this investment helps secure a domestic processing capability the United States cannot afford to leave exposed. By pairing targeted Department support with a disciplined preferred equity structure, we are strengthening the supply chain behind more than 100 defense programs while protecting taxpayers and delivering for the joint force."

The Department's investment into Elmet will also establish the only independent ammonium paratungstate facility in North America, which is a key step for tungsten processing and one of the largest chokepoints across the U.S. industrial base. By expanding U.S.-aligned refining and processing capacity, this investment will help reduce reliance on adversary-dominated supply chains in markets where China currently dominates global supply, including an estimated 85 percent of tungsten and 40 percent of molybdenum.

The Department's investment is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, including new high-tech jobs across Coldwater, Michigan, and Lewiston, Maine, preserving high-paying manufacturing jobs in Euclid, Ohio, and increasing demand for upstream mining jobs in Nevada.

It is also expected to support approximately 1,200 downstream jobs across manufacturing, engineering, and logistics networks tied to major defense suppliers.

The investment reflects the Department's broader strategy to secure critical industrial inputs, protect the defense supply chain, and ensure the United States can produce the materials required for sustained military advantage.

Department of War Issues Legal Waiver to Authorize Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosures to PURSUE

Sept. 14, 2026 |

In direct alignment with President Trump's mandate for comprehensive transparency on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the Department of War (DOW) today announced the issuance of a targeted legal waiver. This waiver establishes an authorized, legally protected disclosure mechanism for current and former personnel to provide UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) to designated representatives of the PURSUE effort.

Under this directive, all current and former DOW service members, civilian personnel, and contractors holding or previously granted access to UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) are authorized to disclose protected information directly to official PURSUE representatives. The waiver supersedes civil and administrative enforcement provisions contained within Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Program Indoctrination Agreements (SAPIAs) previously executed within the United States, strictly for communications directed to the PURSUE team.

This targeted legal relief establishes an authorized pipeline for systematic review, security evaluation, and potential declassification of historical and ongoing UAP data in furtherance of national mission objectives.

Historically, individuals with direct knowledge of UAP-related programs cited concerns regarding potential legal liability, loss of clearances, or administrative prosecution stemming from standard NDAs and SAP indoctrination terms.

This waiver removes those barriers by explicitly authorizing covered disclosures to PURSUE representatives without triggering breach-of-agreement penalties or standard NDA violations.

Rebuilding Defense Industrial Base Requires Skilled Labor

Sept. 8, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

To remain competitive, the United States must rebuild its defense industrial base — the private sector companies that provide the military with hardware and munitions — and that means more than just facilities and businesses.  

That was the message delivered by Michael Cadenazzi, the assistant secretary of war for industrial base policy, during a field hearing before the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee in Santa Clarita, California, Sept. 4. He noted that rebuilding the defense industrial base also means having the right people lining up to do the skilled work at those facilities, such as welding and machining.

"My focus here today is on the skilled tradespeople we need to rebuild and scale the [defense industrial base]: the engineers, the pipe fitters, the welders and those who make the world's finest weapons for our warfighters," Cadenazzi said. 

Through a variety of initiatives, the War Department has made it a priority to encourage young Americans to choose skilled trades to provide the workforce needed to rebuild America's industrial base. 

"Decades of government policy and societal pressure have driven millions of talented young Americans toward degrees, which haven't delivered the benefits they were promised, and have left defense manufacturers with few skilled workers waiting in the wings," Cadenazzi said. 

The secretary said there are some 400,000 unfilled skilled-trade jobs in the defense industrial base today, and that number could grow to 2.5 million over the next decade. 

Getting Americans into those jobs means convincing young people that skilled-trades work is good work, and meaningful; it is a tall order, he said. 

"We need to reach Americans in their living rooms and classrooms, break the stigma of blue-collar work and drive a massive influx of passionate, capable people into these programs," Cadenazzi said. 

The next workforce that will work in the trades and fill skilled labor positions, he said, is in grade school right now. Those young people need to be reached now to pique their interest. 

"Our approach is that if you don't get kids excited in elementary [and] middle school about the trades, by the time that they graduate high school, they're not actually interested," Cadenazzi said. "[Our] next generation of submarine builders is in middle school today ... so we've got to get them excited in the moment." 

He noted that one potential hurdle will be parents, who may be reluctant to encourage their children to choose a path other than continuing their education in college, because they may themselves be the first in their families to have attended. 

"The idea of their kid going to the trades needs to be something they consider," he said. "We need to help the parents understand that this is a great alternative for their children for the future."

Earlier this summer, the War Department launched the Build Freedom Initiative, which promotes and funds blue-collar careers. Through the initiative, coupled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's arsenal of freedom effort, the department aims to strengthen the nation by encouraging more Americans to choose the skilled-trade workforce. For the War Department, that means rebuilding the defense industrial base, including training more young Americans to build and repair ships, aircraft and munitions. 

"Build Freedom will act as a national hiring, training and awareness campaign to drive America's resurgence in defense manufacturing," Cadenazzi told lawmakers. "Build Freedom aligns more than 70 industrial-based analysis and sustainment, or IBAS, workforce projects under one campaign, ensuring that federally funded workforce opportunities reach the Americans they were designed to serve." 

The Build Freedom Initiative was initially launched in three states — Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania — and DOW plans to expand the program nationwide.  

"This national awareness will drive individuals to our new buildfreedom.us website, a one-stop shop where their interests can be converted into scholarships, training, credentials and job opportunities," Cadenazzi said. "Our goal with Build Freedom is to send a clear, compelling message to the American public: there are hundreds of thousands of good-paying, [artificial intelligence-proof] jobs available today in the [defense industrial base] and in other skilled trades."

Hegseth Attends First Space Academy Commission Meeting

Sept. 9, 2026 | By Matthew Olay, Pentagon News |

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to NASA's headquarters in Washington today where he attended the first meeting of the presidential commission on the U.S. Space Academy. 

President Donald J. Trump called for the development of a space academy via an Aug. 28 executive order. The order states that the space domain is critical to national security and that the nation must prepare the next generation of space professionals — including those in the military — in order to defend national interests. 

The commission, which is chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, brings together senior leaders from the War Department, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council. 

During his brief remarks at the meeting's outset, Hegseth praised Isaacman and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink — both of whom attended — as well as President Trump for their leadership in getting the counsel assembled and on the path toward developing a space academy. 

"We are full speed ahead on this partnership on the United States Space Academy and the need for it. The president's been a leader in this domain from the beginning: the Space Force in the first term, [the] Space Academy in the second term," Hegseth said. 

Trump established the Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force, Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was signed into law. 

Hegseth went on to say that space is a domain that the U.S. can't just be "good at." 

"We need to dominate [in space]; and it's not just what we do at the War Department — it's what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry, in collaboration at every echelon," he said. "And so, we see this academy as a key component of ensuring we don't just lead, but we dominate." 

During his opening statement, Isaacson said that the U.S. is currently in another space race, namely with China and Russia, and that "success and failure comes down to months, not years." 

"This is why I think President Trump created the Space Force in his first term … and why now he has charged us to create the United States Space Academy: to make sure we have this training ground for the next generation of technicians, engineers, operators, pilots and astronauts to serve the needs of NASA, as well as the Space Force and other government agencies," he said. 

"Having an academy where we can train the next generation of space professionals — whether it be civilian or military — is just critically important," Meink said during his remarks. "So, we are really looking forward to working with [NASA] to make sure that happens, as well as just the increasing partnership we have [with] NASA across the board. ... I'm really looking forward to [the collaboration]."  

Per the executive order, the committee has until late December of this year to submit a report to the president proposing key details for the establishment of the academy.

Department of War Announces Navy's First Advanced Nuclear Microreactor Deployment at Naval Weapons Station Crane, Indiana

Sept. 9, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the planned installation of the State of Indiana's first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Crane no later than September 2028. This action implements President Donald J. Trump's Executive Orders, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, which advances a clear mandate to restore American nuclear leadership globally, remove barriers to innovation, and rebuild the domestic nuclear workforce.

The overall project is being executed jointly by the Army's Janus Program, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), and the State of Indiana. Together, these partners will secure continuous power for one of the Nation's most important defense technology and weapons installations, create highly skilled American jobs, strengthen the American nuclear supply chain, and rebuild the industrial capacity required for national defense.

The commercially owned and operated MMR at NWS Crane, one of the United States' premier warfighting innovation and capability development hubs, marks the first step in a larger, unified Department-wide effort to deploy safe and secure nuclear power for national security. The MMR installation will provide reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions. As the first power-producing reactor installed in Indiana, this project expands the United States' power generation capacity and modernizes the energy infrastructure needed to serve local communities and advance missions critical to national security.

The MMR installation is being executed through the Army's Janus Program, in coordination with the Department of the Navy, the Department of War Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies (OASW(CT)). This cross-service effort brings together the Army's role as the Department's executive agent for installation nuclear energy, the Navy's operational mission at NWS Crane, DIU's access to commercial innovation, and the Department's critical technology enterprise.

"Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Department of War is rapidly fielding next-generation energy solutions for our warfighters," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. "We are unleashing the American nuclear industrial base to ensure our military installations possess the resilient infrastructure required to maintain uninterrupted operations."

OASW(CT) is leading the coordination of key stakeholders across the Department to integrate and execute the Crane project under the Janus Program. "At Critical Technologies, we start from a simple first principle: a technology matters only when it reaches the mission," said Mike Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies. "Our standard is to field and deploy capability within 24 months or less. President Trump's Executive Order gave the Department a clear mandate to move advanced nuclear power from promise to deployment. We turned that mandate into a focused sprint within our Contested Logistics Critical Technology Area to deliver this capability on time and on target, strengthen the American nuclear industrial base, and secure a decisive advantage for our warfighters."

"Janus was designed from the beginning to deliver capability beyond the Army," said the Honorable W. Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "This partnership demonstrates what is possible when we combine the Army's nuclear expertise and regulatory authorities with the operational installation requirements of our sister Services and the innovation of American industry. Together, we are building a pathway to resilient nuclear power that can strengthen mission assurance across the Joint Force."

"Energy security is warfighting capability. Hosting the Navy's first shore-based advanced microreactor at NWS Crane under the Janus Program underscores our commitment to hardening our shore infrastructure against evolving physical, cyber, and grid vulnerabilities," said the Honorable Brendan Rogers, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment. "Partnering with the Army and OASW(CT) allows us to move with speed, establish a resilient firm power backbone, and protect the vital research, development, and manufacturing our Fleet depends on every day."

This initiative builds on more than a year of close coordination between the Department of War and Indiana state leadership. Senator Jim Banks has been an indispensable partner in advancing the MMR initiative from concept to installation in the Hoosier State. His leadership, together with the direct support of Governor Mike Braun, Senator Todd Young, Representative Erin Houchin, and Representative Mark Messmer, has cleared the path for the Department to move with speed to secure our national defense infrastructure.

The Department will continue to work with Federal, state, and local partners throughout the required safety, environmental, regulatory, and installation processes. Nuclear safety, physical security, cybersecurity, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources will remain central at every stage. This project marks the first milestone of President Trump's mandate to revitalize the American nuclear industrial base and deploy next-generation energy technologies to secure an enduring advantage for the Joint Force.