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A project on all things strategic and nuclear (as seen from Moscow) by Dmitry Stefanovich. Also on Substack, with (ir)regular newsletters: https://1dkv.substack.com/ stratdela.ru
Three of Britain’s four nuclear deterrent submarines put to sea
The deployment includes a м-t least one boat armed with nuclear warheads, while two others are understood to be carrying out routine sea trials
The Department of the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million contract for the production and fielding of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, Sept. 29, 2026. The contract was executed under the Department of War’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract to modernize America’s Arsenal of Freedom.
This milestone marks the formal transition of the boost-glide hypersonic missile program from prototyping and flight testing into production, solidifying the Air Force's commitment to fielding standoff, high-speed strike options.
"This is a turning point in our advanced weapons roadmap,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “By moving ARRW from test to production, we’re providing our combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike weapon capable of penetrating the most advanced anti-access and area-denial systems."
Designed to accelerate to speeds exceeding Mach 5 using a solid-fuel rocket booster before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle, ARRW will enable Air Force assets to strike time-sensitive, heavily defended and high-value targets from standoff ranges.
"Fielding ARRW enhances our ability to hold targets at risk anywhere around the world,” said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach. “This hypersonic weapon provides the Joint Force a flexible and rapid response option for highly contested environments.”
The U.S. Army’s recently activated a Guam-based air defense battalion meant to protect the island from increasingly advanced air and missile threats fielded by China and North Korea.
The 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, activated on Oct. 16, will inherit the defense of Guam responsibilities of Task Force Talon. The previous Army rotational mission began in 2013 to counter potential North Korean ballistic missile threats.
With the rise of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force in recent years, the mission has expanded its focus to defend against a barrage of Chinese missiles in a potential conflict. The Pentagon initiated plans for the Guam Defense System in 2023 to meet the requirements needed to defeat Beijing’s ballistic, cruise and hypersonic strikes.
“Guam’s strategic location makes it an important part of U.S. military operations throughout the region by supporting joint force operations while making air and missile defense a critical part of protecting the forces and infrastructure needed to support those missions,” reads the Army release on the battalion’s activation.
https://x.com/US_STRATCOM/status/2114744754730664304
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WASHINGTON — The Space Force has awarded what the service calls the first “operational” contracts under its still-nascent Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) initiative to six space monitoring firms, Space Systems Command (SSC) announced.
The contracts are short term and designed to test military demand while the command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) continues to wrestle with thorny legal issues that have bedeviled the program from its launch in 2023.
The six new contracts — issued to Australian firm EOS Space Systems, Canada’s NorthStar Earth and Space, InTrack Radar, Anduril (via its acquisition of ExoAnalytic), Slingshot Aerospace, and LeoLabs — are worth a total of $1.37 million, an SSC spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
CASR is the Space Force’s planned version of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) for leveraging commercial airlines to support military logistics operations when needed, managed by US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM). The concept is that commercial space firms could be called upon in wartime to surge delivery of satellite-derived capabilities.
According to SSC’s Thursday press release, the contracts were let through the “General Services Administration contract framework” used by the Joint Commercial Operations cell to buy commercial data and services. Industry sources who have received similar contracts from the JCO cell have said they tend to run for no more than six months.
#HYPERHYPE TIME!
https://1dkv.substack.com/p/stratdela-special-20
Denmark is set to acquire Anthem long-range strike weapons from U.S.-based defense startup Covenant, as well as Joint Strike Missile (JSM) cruise missiles from Norway’s Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace. The twin-track approach by the Nordic NATO member will give it all-new options for launching long-range strikes from the ground and air.
According to the text of the speech, the Inspector General sees a good complement between LCCM and conventional cruise missiles in the engagement of strategic targets. "Therefore, from the operational perspective of the Army, we believe the Typhon and Tomahawk are also appropriately positioned within our Army. This is especially true because the system achieves its greatest operational value precisely in synchronized use with low-cost cruise missiles. And because, in the pursuit of speed, we are well advised to command and operate from a single source," Freuding is quoted as saying.
As he clarified on the sidelines of the event in Erding in response to a question from hartpunkt, the Army also wants to operate Tomahawks, without excluding the Air Force. "There are, after all, weapon systems that all branches of the armed forces operate," Freuding stated. The Navy will also have a use for the Tomahawk. A decision on concrete procurement from the two potential LCCM suppliers could possibly be made in 2027, the Army Inspector General said.
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In his keynote address at the Defence TechDay, the general emphasized that the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) must give ample consideration to questions of the economics of war and not limit themselves solely to technological specifications. If a weapon costs the enemy many times more than the Bundeswehr's defense against it costs, this constitutes an economic and therefore also a military advantage. This makes deterrence credible because the enemy recognizes "that we can, in the truest sense of the word, be more predictable, last longer, and be more efficient. We therefore need tiered weapons," Freuding demanded. These include cost-effective interceptors where mass must be countered with mass, and high-quality effectors where they are required.
5.Safeguarding common security. States should adhere to the principle of indivisible security in outer space, reaffirm the interdependence of the security interests of all countries in outer space, and take into account the legitimate security concerns of other States in seeking their own security in outer space. It is important to uphold rules and order, take a comprehensive and holistic approach, maintain equilibrium of interests and exercise self-restraint, and in this spirit, build consensus through dialogue and cooperation, and foster a comprehensive governance framework for outer space security to maintain peace and stability in outer space.
6.Preventing armed conflicts. States should oppose offensive military policies in outer space and take all possible measures to prevent an arms race in outer space. The principle of refraining from threat or use of force in international relations and the prevention of the threat or use of force against outer space objects should be reaffirmed to avoid armed conflict in outer space. Support should be given for the conclusion of international legal instrument on arms control in outer space.
7.Reducing misunderstanding and misperception. Appropriate and feasible transparency and confidence-building measures should be adopted to enhance mutual trust and reduce misperception. States are encouraged to increase dialogue on outer space security, communicate and exchange information on their outer space strategic policies and activities, provide necessary notification of space launches, collision alerts, and reentry of space objects including space debris, and earnestly fulfill their international obligation regarding space objects registration. Crisis prevention and management should be strengthened.
8.Regulating commercial space activity. States, while encouraging the development of the outer space economy, should establish and improve a national regulatory regime that ensures commercial space activities are carried out in strict compliance with relevant national and international law, so as not to infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of other States and in particular, to avoid intervention in the armed conflicts and internal affairs of other States in an unlawful way.
Британский "Тайфун" на французских учениях с ядерными "Рафалями".
https://x.com/CaVautrin/status/2113571420852637882
Ground-Launched Rusty Dagger Low-Cost Cruise Missile Seen For The First Time
https://www.twz.com/sea/ground-launched-rusty-dagger-low-cost-cruise-missile-seen-for-the-first-time
U.S. Air Force Tests Cargo Pod for Future Rocket-Based Logistics
The test evaluated cargo equipment aboard SpaceX’s Starfall capsule as the U.S. Air Force continues researching commercial rocket-based logistics to enable rapid deliveries anywhere on the globe.
Story: https://theaviationist.com/2026/10/22/us-air-force-tests-rocket-cargo-pod/
Утренний арт-ковер из витрины в Пренцельберге, всем хорошего четверга.
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Despite the highly publicized struggles of Russia’s civilian space sector, Moscow has been consistently building up its military presence in space. Its co-orbital systems — those capable of closely trailing other satellites in orbit — are comfortably matching and possibly outperforming those operated by China and the U.S.
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Christopher Johnson, a space law researcher at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, told Supercluster that because the 1967 Outer Space Treaty fails to ban non-destructive proximity operations explicitly, Russia’s actions cannot technically be classified as illegal. However, the nations that host ICEYE operations—including Finland, the U.K., the U.S., and Poland—can use treaty mechanisms to demand that Russia cease intrusions.
“Based on the Outer Space Treaty, Article IX, the states where ICEYE has offices have a right to request consultations sovereign treaty right to request consultations about what Cosmos 2612 is up to,” Johnson said. “In turn, Russia has the sovereign treaty obligation to engage in those consultations.”
He added the ICEYE home states could go as far as imposing travel restrictions on diplomats and expelling them if Russia refused to cooperate.
“There was no talk of cislunar, and basically I was told, ‘Don’t talk about cislunar, and stop getting into it,’” Purdy said Oct. 21 at AFCEA’s Space Industry Days conference.
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The Space Force also has two requests for information it plans to release “imminently,” Purdy said. The first will call for existing commercial technology that can be ready to launch by 2029.
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The Space Force also has two requests for information it plans to release “imminently,” Purdy said. The first will call for existing commercial technology that can be ready to launch by 2029.
“We’re looking for existing commercial or near-commercial means, non-developmental solutions, hardware with actual relevant evidence behind it, software that doesn’t need a huge amount of work … and ground systems,” Purdy said. “This isn’t a four- or five-year science project. This is about getting capability out soon.”
The second request is for AI and autonomous processing capabilities for spacecraft operating in cislunar space. The goal is to have “a fully autonomous system out there at cislunar that’s able to handle all its hardware faults, all its processing, all the sensor activities,” Purdy said.
hasstef/arrw-for-the-usaf-bow-58cce0dcb597" rel="nofollow">https://medium.com/@hasstef/arrw-for-the-usaf-bow-58cce0dcb597
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https://x.com/Castelion/status/2114724008855740499?s=20
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▶️ Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bombers conducted a planned flight over neutral waters of the Bering and Chukchi Seas and carried out mid-air refueling, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.
“The flight lasted over 13 hours. The crews of Su-35S aircraft of the Aerospace Forces provided fighter support for the flight,” the ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia Expands Missile Production at al-Duwadimi - Foreign Policy Research Institute
https://www.fpri.org/article/2026/10/saudi-arabia-expands-missile-production-at-al-duwadimi/
This time of the year.
https://x.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/2114371349019861282?s=20
“The Space Force needs to program and plan for the fact that we will have attrition,” Gagnon said Oct. 22 at the AFCEA Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles. “We need to plan and budget for the fact that we will have attrition.”
Operational units don’t have enough equipment for sustained warfare, he said. “You need three times the amount of equipment to do your job when you start planning for attrition.”
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Gagnon compared the older Counter Communications System to a musket and Meadowlands to a Gatling gun, saying the upgrade had been “tremendously effective for operations in Central Command.”
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“Mass is important because it allows you to take losses and still be combat effective,” he said. That represents a different way of thinking about a military service whose space systems have historically been expensive, scarce and expected to remain in service for decades.
Poland wants to participate in nuclear sharing. It is also in talks with France.
Strengthening military cooperation with the United States is not just about the permanent presence of American troops in Poland. Warsaw is also seeking participation in the nuclear sharing program, which allows selected NATO countries to participate in a nuclear deterrent system using American weapons.
At the same time, Poland wants to develop cooperation with France, which offers its European partners a greater share in its nuclear deterrence system.
Participation in American nuclear sharing does not rule out building European relations with the French, Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized.
The minister noted that Poland intends to gradually increase its commitment to nuclear deterrence. However, he did not specify a timeframe for specific decisions, emphasizing that these require consultations with allies.
The U.S. Space Force is moving to acquire its first military capabilities designed for the vast reaches between Earth and the moon, setting a goal of fielding an initial system by late 2029 as Pentagon leaders describe cislunar space as a future battlefield.
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The initiative is unfolding as cislunar space moves into the Pentagon’s warfighting vocabulary.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday during a visit to Sierra Nevada Corp. in Dayton, Ohio, that “whoever controls subsea and cislunar is going to destroy and control the next fight.” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an Air & Space Forces Association conference last month that “today’s modern battlefield operates from the seabed to cislunar space.”
U.S. Strategic Command began its annual Global Thunder nuclear command and control exercise this morning.
Global Thunder 27 involves personnel throughout the strategic enterprise, including USSTRATCOM components and subordinate units. The purpose of GT27 is to enhance nuclear readiness and ensure a safe, secure, effective and credible strategic deterrent force.
This is an annual exercise and is not in response to actions by any nation, other actors or current world events.
As in previous years, Global Thunder 27 may include an increase in bomber and other aircraft flights throughout the exercise.
If plutonium aging is not an imminent threat to the present stockpile—and by extension to US nuclear deterrence—accelerated pit production therefore signals that the United States is dangerously hurtling toward renewed nuclear competition in contravention of its legal obligations as a state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Комментарии излишни.
https://www.axios.com/2026/10/22/space-weapons-russia-iceye-satellites
Last week, Russian satellite Cosmos 2612 manoeuvred into a close approach with ICEYE X36, a Finnish commercial SAR satellite. At closest approach the two were only a few kilometres apart, a very slim margin in orbit. Cosmos 2612 has since manoeuvred again to increase the distance between them.
The Spaceflux optical network has been routinely observing the pair. The image here is from our Chile site and shows both objects during the close approach. Events like this show why persistent, independent tracking of space activity matters, for commercial operators and governments alike.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took his Arsenal of Freedom tour to the swing states of Ohio and Wisconsin on Oct. 20, highlighting efforts to boost defense manufacturing before the midterm elections next month, including by visiting future E-4C “Doomsday” planes.
“We plan to spend even more in the future,” Hegseth said during a visit to the Sierra Nevada Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, where he praised President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican.
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Sierra Nevada purchased five Korean Air 747-8i jetliners and plans to convert at least four into the new E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center, or SAOC. Hegseth championed the company, which won a $13 billion contract to build America’s next-generation nuclear command-and-control aircraft over Boeing. Shield AI was recently awarded a contract to integrate artificial intelligence into aircraft. And there are signs the Air Force may choose to grow the fleet.