DEFENSE PULSE Weekly \\ 0060

Japan, UK, and Italy's defense ministers met November 25th to finalize the Global Combat Air Programme's first international contract between GIGO (the governmental authority) and Edgewing (the BAE-Leonardo-JAIEC joint venture), targeting completion by year-end. The move transitions GCAP from technology development into structured design, testing, and early production to preserve the 2035 in-service date. The fighter is being designed as a stealth network hub capable of carrying roughly double an F-35's internal weapons load, flying trans-Atlantic missions on internal fuel, and orchestrating drone swarms deep inside contested airspace while maintaining a kill chain independently.

The three-nation engine consortium (Rolls-Royce, IHI, Avio Aero) recently tested advanced combustors manufactured through additive layer manufacturing with complex cooling geometries that enable higher operating temperatures while reducing component wear. GCAP's tri-continental partnership and early export policy alignment set it apart from parallel sixth-gen programs (US NGAD, Franco-German FCAS), with flexible weapons bays designed to accept any NATO, US, or partner-nation munition to maximize supply chain flexibility during extended conflicts. The aircraft targets air-superiority, deep-strike, electronic warfare, and ISR roles without sacrificing stealth.

\\ Army Recognition

Defense Secretary Hegseth's acquisition reform directive accepts "85% solutions" now over waiting 1-2 years for perfection, with industry executives framing it as trading acquisition risk for operational risk against pacing threats. Shield AI's Gutierrez compared it to Silicon Valley's minimum viable product approach, field capable systems fast, iterate based on combat feedback, requiring Pentagon culture shift away from risk-averse, gold-plated requirements toward speed as strategy.

Aurora Flight Sciences' X-65 fuselage completes in January 2026, targeting late 2027 first flight after DARPA restructured the program with Aurora as co-investor following cost overruns. The 3175 kg demonstrator replaces every mechanical control surface with 14 air jets that manipulate airflow for steering, testing whether active flow control (AFC) can eliminate flaps, rudders, and ailerons entirely at operational scale (≈9 m wingspan, Mach 0.7). Success unlocks lighter structures, reduced drag, new aerodynamic configurations, and potential stealth gains by removing surface gaps and hinges. AFC could rewrite aircraft design rules that have stood since the Wright Brothers' 1903 wing-warping breakthrough.

Royal NLR and Lockheed Martin launched a six-year partnership to develop e-Pilot, a human-machine teaming agent that combines AI, biometric sensing, and advanced cockpit systems to predict pilot needs and autonomously provide corrections during flight. The digital twin augments cognitive and physiological limitations, assessing pilot condition states in real-time for both single-vehicle and multi-ship scenarios under the Dutch Industrial Participation Programme.

DoD published its first zero trust framework for operational technology (power grids, facility controls, weapon components) with 105 activities across seven pillars, 84 at minimum target level. The move extends "assume breach" posture beyond networks to physical systems controlling defense infrastructure and weapon platforms. The framework eventually integrates with enterprise IT zero trust for unified credentialing, threat detection, and asset management DoD-wide.

Leonardo unveiled Michelangelo, an AI-enabled multi-domain defense architecture designed to fuse sensor data across NATO forces and coordinate cross-domain responses against hypersonic missiles (5-7 minute flight times to European capitals), mass drone swarms, and cyber attacks faster than manual processing allows. The system shifts from linear kill chains to AI-supported kill webs where any sensor detects, AI evaluates, and the best effector engages at machine speed while operators retain final authority.. Leonardo positions the architecture as "Linux for defense," letting smaller NATO nations without F-35s or Patriots plug existing systems into a unified shield.

U.S. Army AH-64E Apaches achieved 13 kills out of 14 drone engagements during Operation Flyswatter live-fire tests. The Apache used its full weapons suite including cost-effective APKWS laser-guided rockets ($25,000-30,000 vs $215,000 for Hellfire missiles), AGM-179 JAGM, and 30mm cannon against targets detected by Longbow radar and electro-optical sensors. Army is now recommending Counter-UAS become a Mission Essential Task for Apache battalions, with new tactics and training being developed after the successful demonstration of engaging both small and large drones in poor weather and low-altitude conditions.

Two DARPA initiatives blend cells and robotics for battlefield survival: Smart-RBC modifies stem cells to create programmable red blood cells that sense, decide, and act (altering metabolism for up to 120 days), while MASH equips non-surgeon medics with autonomous robots to detect and treat internal abdominal bleeding via laparoscopic or endovascular approaches, addressing combat's hardest medical challenges without immediate surgical expertise.

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