Inside Defense

The Defense Department would need to spend as much as $74 million to procure and install a layered counter-small unmanned aerial system to protect one military base, and as much as another $5 million each year in maintenance costs, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office . While not specific to any of the services, CBO’s analysis used a “benchmark scenario” in which it examined the key parts of a base, such as family housing and... Not a subscriber?

In a June 29, 2026 omnibus reprogramming request, the Defense Department proposes roughly $4.3 billion in offsets across the department, with much of the money redirected into military personnel accounts after the services exceeded their budgeted average end strength assumptions.

The Defense Innovation Unit, the Navy's Rapid Capabilities Office and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific plan to hold a new multiphase competition with a $5 million cash prize pool to speed the development and production of payloads for manned and unmanned surface vessels, culminating in an at-sea challenge demonstration.

The July 9, 2026 Congressional Budget Office report "describes current methods to detect and counter small unmanned aircraft systems and estimates it would cost about $74 million to outfit a typical military installation with a layered defense and at least $5 million a year to support it."

, from the award-winning family of newsletters, is the nation's best online news service for defense and aerospace professionals. We specialize in exclusive, hard-hitting news on Defense Department programs, procurement and policymaking.

This Thursday INSIDER Daily Digest has coverage of a multibillion-dollar omnibus reprogramming request obtained by Inside Defense and more.

The Space Force saved $40 million when it switched vendors for National Security Space Launches, according to a Defense Department reprogramming request obtained by Inside Defense. The savings, which DOD is asking Congress to shift into other budget lines for fiscal year 2026, come from the service’s decision to bench United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket and instead use SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for a launch in May. Vulcan was able to successfully place a Space Force satellite in orbit during a Feb.

Senate Dems' letter to Air Force, L3Harris on Qatari-gifted Air Force One

The Defense Department is using rapid contracting vehicles to speed up the process of getting directed-energy weapon capabilities into the hands of warfighters, awarding two Joint Laser Weapon Systems agreements worth $86 million to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight to develop production-ready platforms that can be rapidly fielded.

The Defense Innovation Unit, the Navy's Rapid Capabilities Office and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific plan to hold a new multiphase competition with a $5 million cash prize pool to speed the development and production of payloads for manned and unmanned surface vessels, culminating in an at-sea challenge demonstration.