DoD Report Shows Spike in Military Aircraft Accidents
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A Defense Department report reveals a spike in US military aircraft accidents, reports The Associated Press. The number of major accidents involving military aircraft spiked in 2024 and a series of aviation mishaps with deaths and the loss of aircraft in 2025 suggest the trend might be continuing. Across the services, the rate of severe accidents per 100,000 flight hours rose 55% in the 2024 budget year compared with four years earlier. The Marine Corps saw the highest increase, nearly tripling its rate over the same period.
The US State Department has approved Ukraine’s potential purchase of equipment to upgrade its Patriot air defense launchers, reports Military Times. The sale could be worth up to $105 million. The main contractors would be RTX Corp. and Lockheed Martin, which are the primary companies that build Patriot systems and missiles.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will speak to Donald Trump after the US presented Ukraine with a draft peace plan to end the war with Russia, reports BBC. The plan was reportedly drafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukraine’s involvement.
Belgium has devoted $58 million for the purchase of new counter-drone equipment, reports Defense News. The decision follows pressure to reinforce the country’s airspace, as authorities have wrestled to respond effectively to periodic air traffic interference in recent weeks. As part of the anti-drone investments, the Belgian government is looking to Latvia-based company Origin Robotics.
Ukrainian drone-maker Skyfall showed off its technology last week at the Dubai Airshow hoping to get the attention of the US military, reports Breaking Defense. The company’s Vampire bomber drone is a member of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS List. More Breaking Defense coverage of the 2025 Dubai Airshow can be found here.
MBDA UK won will supply the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy with the DragonFire drone-zapping laser in a $414 million deal, with the first of the direct-energy weapons for drone defense to be fitted on a navy destroyer by 2027, reports Defense News. DragonFire will be the first high-power laser capability to enter service from a European nation.
Army Times reports that a US arms deal with Vietnam has stalled. Despite talks in recent years of that country diversifying its predominantly Russian military arsenal and purchasing US-made weapons, no official announcements have been made on major items. The US sees Vietnam as a pivotal partner to countering China’s aggression in the South China Sea.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt is moving to close 13 buildings on its campus, reports Federal News Network. This will shrink the Goddard campus by 25%. Buildings marked for closure are to be emptied out by March 2026.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore addressing business leaders last week at a Greater Washington Board of Trade meeting said that Maryland, and the greater DC region, needs to diversify its economic bases, reports WTOP News. The state’s economy has been built on three things — education, the federal government, and health care. “The challenge is when you have one of those stools that has not just been altered, in many ways it’s been severed, how do you come up with new ways to focus on economic growth?” he said. Moore said he wants to make it simpler for businesses to come to Maryland, stay in Maryland, and grow industries that can provide long-term employment.
Six Democratic representatives released a video last week urging service members and intelligence officers to reject illegal orders amid ongoing US military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, reports Military Times. All of the lawmakers served in the military or intelligence community. To members of the military, the lawmakers said, “We need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.” The video was made by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO).
President Trump called the Democrats’ video “seditious behavior, punishable by death,” reports ABC News. House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was the Democrats who were acting “wildly inappropriate” by suggesting military members should disobey unlawful orders, reports Politico.
The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to rescind a January ruling approved by the Biden administration to require telecommunications carriers to bolster their cybersecurity defenses, reports PCMag. The initial ruling was aimed at protecting US telecom networks from Chinese hackers. This came after a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, dubbed Salt Typhoon, had collected data and listening in on calls from White House officials and politicians.
The Salt Typhoon campaign was revealed in 2024. It involved penetrating hacks into US telecom networks and others around the world. The hackers were reportedly able to target the communications of political figures and government officials, including then-candidate Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance, reports Federal News Network. Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner (D-VA) described it as “the worst telecommunications hack in our nation’s history.”
The US Coast Guard has a new policy addressing the display of hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses, reports Air Force Times. The new, firmer policy was announced hours after it was publicly revealed that the service made plans to describe them as “potentially divisive.” “Divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited,” reads the new policy, released late Thursday, which adds the category includes “a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups.”
DefSec Pete Hegseth said the US’s decision to designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terror organization gives the Pentagon “a bunch of new options,” reports The Hill. He said the classification, which takes effect today, Nov. 24, gives “more tools to our department to give options to the president to ultimately say our hemisphere will not be controlled by narco-terrorists.”
The Dust Devils at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake paid one final homage to the AV-8B Harrier, reports Navy Times. The Dust Devils of the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-31) have been the operational backbone of the AV-8B Harrier series’ evolution, pushing vertical or short takeoff and landing, or V/STOL, innovation. The final sortie was flown by the squadron’s last remaining Harrier pilot, James “Jimbo” Coppersmith.
President Donald Trump is considering blocking state artificial intelligence laws, reports The Hill. An executive order would establish a task force focused on challenging state AI measures and seek to restrict some federal funding to states who pass laws that are deemed “onerous,” according to a draft obtained by The Hill. “To win, American AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation,” the draft reads. “But State legislatures have introduced over 1,000 AI bills that threaten to undermine that innovative culture.”
The National Transportation Safety Board found that a single loose wire caused the initial blackout aboard the container ship Dali that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, reports Maryland Matters, toppling its spans and killing six people. At a public meeting last week, NTSB officials said the small label on the ship’s wiring was placed when it was built roughly 10 years ago. The label was incorrectly placed on the wire’s metal ring, possibly preventing a good connection and causing it to lose power, officials said.
The delayed September 2025 jobs report, released Thursday, shows the economy added 119,000 jobs and unemployment ticked up to 4.4% that month, reports NPR. The report reflects what was happening before the federal government shutdown began.
Personal-finance company WalletHub has released its report on the Most Charitable States. Maryland ranks third overall
Contracts:
Network Management Resources Inc., Huntsville, Alabama is being awarded a $47,108,811 noncompetitive cost-plus-incentive modification (P00155) to the Research and Development for Enterprise Collaboration Services contract. Under this modification, the contractor will continue to provide video teleconferencing, audiovisual support, portal development and management, data and business automation services, and end-user training under the 8000 series contract line-item numbers. The work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Dahlgren, Virginia. The performance period is from November 2025 to October 2027. One offer was solicited, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,168,535 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the contracting activity HQ0796-18-C-0001. (Awarded Oct. 30, 2025)
Programs Management Analytics & Technologies Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded an $89,000,000, firm-fixed-price, cost, and cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for production, repairs, engineering services, installation, and integration of the Tactical Edge Nodes (TEN) system to include small tactical edge nodes, TENs, servers, cross domain solutions, workstations, and switches, as well as maintenance, training, travel, incidentals, and logistics product data in support of the Maritime Targeting Cell-Afloat/eXpeditionary, and Program Executive Office-Integrated Warfare Systems. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by November 2030. Fiscal 2026 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $23,245 will be obligated at time of award. This contract action was not competitively procured via the SAM.gov website pursuant of the signed determination and findings from the other transaction authority in accordance with 10 US Code 4022 (f)(2), that allows for the award of a follow-on production contract or other transaction without the use of competitive procedures when competitive procedures are utilized for selection of the parties to the prototype project other transaction and the participants in the transaction successfully completed the prototype project provided for in the other transaction. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016426DJW79).
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $68,711,261 cost-plus-fixed-fee, term, and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-25-C-6108) for systems engineering and integration on Navy submarines. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (68%); Waterford Connecticut (10%); Groton Connecticut (10%); Middletown, Rhode Island (7%); and Newport, Rhode Island (5%), and is expected to be completed by November 2026. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Systems Application & Technologies Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was awarded a $117,751,620 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for providing contractor support for field, chamber, laboratory, and range developmental and operational testing. The amount of this action is. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2032. Army Mission Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W51EW7-26-D-A001).
Amentum Services, Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $26,856,358 modification (P00062) to contract W58RGZ-25-C-0003 to provide global aviation maintenance services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $234,547,115. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2026. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $26,856,358 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Newport News, Virginia, was awarded a $60,000,000 cost-reimbursable, a $58,556,527 cost-plus-incentive-fee, a $20,924,993 fixed-price-incentive (firm target), and a $3,436,456 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contracts (N00024-15-C-2114) and (N00024-09-C-2116) to improve capability at ship delivery, to definitize unpriced change orders in support of Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 19, 2025)
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $31,550,329 cost plus award fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-21-C-2451) for the fitting out availabilities and post shakedown availabilities for amphibious transport ships USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28); USS Richard McCool Jr. (LPD 29); and Harrisburg (LPD 30). Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2026. Fiscal year 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,098,383 (75%); and fiscal year 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $715,358 (25%) will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $2,098,383 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
UPDATE: Dustoff Technologies LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, (SPE2D1-26-D-0003, $48,600,000) has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency Electronic Catalog, issued against solicitation SPE2DH-21-R-0002 and awarded Feb. 10, 2022. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
