“We just make other trade-offs, like against exquisite weapons and systems: How much of those are we willing to sacrifice in place of low-cost autonomous weapons,” Emil Michael said.

The Breaking Defense team wraps up the last day of the Berlin Air Show.

Boeing said the T-7A Red Hawk training jet they are producing for the Air Force doesn’t fulfill Navy requirements.

Two extra squadrons of F-35s would double the existing order, from 32 to 64.

“We found that these [civilian] officials can’t effectively carry out the office’s oversight responsibilities as they can’t always get access to relevant program information or meetings,” GAO said while listing three recommendations.

“It’s a game changer. It’s smaller, uses only 4kWh, can be connected to a vehicle, and is three to four times less expensive than current laser or microwave systems,” Erex Riahi, the CEO of Esh-Tech, said.

“The MQ-9B will be the first [unmanned] system we operate with it — the idea is to have those working closely with the aircraft, but step by step,” said Capt. Broder Nielsen, head of the German Naval Aviation Command.

A selection of photos from the Breaking Defense team on the ground in Berlin.

One of the use-cases envisaged for the platform could be to “fly at high-speed and low-level in order to penetrate deep into enemy territory,” Marco Marinoni, head of the AH-249 acquisition program in the Italian Army, said. 

Elbit said that the deal will include local manufacturing and assembly of the system with Diehl, to support “the development of sovereign capabilities and strengthening the German defense industry.” 

The F-35’s full mission capable rate fell to to 25 percent in FY25, the government watchdog found.

Jean-Brice Dumont, head of airpower at Airbus Defence and Space told reporters today that despite the FCAS fighter collapse, “we have not wasted our time,” stressing that technologies linked to the defunct plane can be reused.

The firms said a maritime launch demonstration is slated for 2027. 

Breaking Defense’s Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo cover Day 2 of the German aerospace expo.

SASC members voted the bill through committee in a 18-9 vote on Wednesday.