2026 • Page 478 of 572 • The Defense Post

Feb- 2026 -

17 February

Arms

Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah inspecting shells at a new ammunitions factory

Kuwait Opens First Domestic Plant for Light Ammunition

Kuwait has launched a light ammunition manufacturing facility, boosting the country’s self-reliance and domestic industrial base.

17 February

Drones - Latest News, Features & Expert Opinion

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tours SpaceX facilities with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as part of his Arsenal of Freedom Tour, Brownsville, Texas, Jan. 12, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

Rojoef Manuel

Elon Musk Firms Enter Secret Pentagon Challenge for Voice-Based Drone Swarming Tech

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its subsidiary xAI are joining a secretive US Department of Defense competition centered on a voice command and control tool that could deploy multiple autonomous systems.

17 February

Arms

A Polish Army Soldier gives insights into MANPADS Piorun to U.S. Army Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade during Exercise Shield 24 in Pula, Croatia, on April 9, 2024. This annual Croatian air defense drill enhances proficiency in countering low and medium-altitude threats. The exercise focuses on honing air defense tactics and live-fire engagements when collaborating with allies like the Slovenian and French Armed Forces. The 173rd Airborne Brigade remains poised as the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, ready to mobilize across various commands' areas of responsibility. (U.S. Army photo by Paolo Bovo)

Rojoef Manuel

Germany Signals ‘Preliminary Interest’ in Poland’s Piorun MANPADS

Germany is planning to acquire Poland’s homegrown Piorun man-portable air defense system.

17 February

Nuclear

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 452nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight at March Air Reserve Base, California, support loading operations of a next-generation nuclear reactor onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of Operation Windlord Feb. 15, 2026. The mission was conducted in coordination with Airmen from the 15th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, and the 62nd Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The aircraft transported the reactor to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in support of a Department of War and Department of Energy partnership focused on nuclear energy testing and evaluation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wendy Day)

Rojoef Manuel

Pentagon Airlifts Microreactor to Utah in First C-17 Nuclear Transport

The US Department of Defense has airlifted a compact nuclear reactor from California to Utah, marking the first time a C-17 military transport aircraft has transported a nuclear microreactor.

17 February

Technology

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. David Altman, 15th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flying crew chief, secures a U.S. Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed location, Southwest Asia, June 29, 2023. U.S. Air Forces Central uses the Globemaster III to support partners with a rapidly deployable airlift asset for combat operations across austere airfields to deter regional aggressors and to assure regional regional partners in the area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Emily Farnsworth)

Rojoef Manuel

Maris-Tech to Bolt AI Eyes Onto US Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Maris-Tech Ltd. just scored a US pilot deal to plug AI-powered situational awareness into an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, part of a broader push to modernize America’s armored fleet.

17 February

Technology

Soldiers surround a satellite network tied to the effort to boost JADC2

Bea Castañeda

Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2): Connecting the Modern Battlespace

This explainer shows how CJADC2 connects, coordinates, and empowers US and allied forces, transforming raw data into rapid decisions that give an edge in complex, multi-domain battlefields.

17 February

Africa