The U.S. Navy has awarded separate contracts to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to design and build competing prototypes to meet its requirement for an air-launched, air-breathing hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile. The Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) says the deals, which were formally inked on March 27, together have a total combined value of approximately $116 million, but it's unclear how much each company received. The Navy says the missile is key to addressing increasingly advanced naval threats in contested environments in future major conflicts, such as a potential one against China in the Pacific. While the service is aiming for an initial flight test in Fiscal Year 2026, it stresses that the weapon must be in service by Fiscal Year 2029.
Meanwhile, we took a look back at the rise of China’s J-10 medium-weight, multi-role fighter, which first flew 25 years ago on March 23, 1998. A revolutionary leap in China’s indigenous fighter production capability, the J-10 remains a staple of China’s air arms. Spurring innovation in Chinese domestic fighter jet engine technology as well as the country's domestically produced aircraft sensor and radar capabilities, the aircraft represents something of a watershed marking the rise of China's high-technology aviation sector as we know it today. You can read The War Zone’s recent feature on the J-10 and its impact here.
We are also continuing our rolling coverage of the conflict in Ukraine as it develops, which can be found at The War Zone. You can also check out highlights of all our coverage from the last week below. -- Oliver Parken The War Zone |