Colton Jones

Colton Jones serves as Deputy Editor of Defence Blog, with a specialization in the U.S. defense industrial base. A former member of the United States Air Force, Colton brings firsthand military experience to his analysis of procurement, defense manufacturing, and Pentagon policy. He is one of the blog’s lead writers and most respected defense experts.
Aviation

Pentagon prepares F-35 for quantum computing threat

The F-35 Joint Program Office is preparing to modify the fighter's In-Line File Encryption Device software to support government-mandated quantum-resistant algorithms, according to a presolicitation notice published on May 6, 2026. The notice, issued through Naval Air Systems...
Aviation

DARPA complete first flight of XRQ-73 hybrid stealth drone

DARPA flew a hybrid-electric unmanned experimental aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in April 2026, marking the first flight milestone for a propulsion architecture the agency believes could fundamentally change how military aircraft are designed and what...
Aviation

Otto Aerospace validates laminar-flow drone design

Otto Aerospace has completed a flight-test campaign for an unmanned aircraft built around laminar-flow aerodynamics, validating in actual flight the drag-reduction performance the company has been modeling for years and generating data with direct implications for long-endurance...
Maritime Security

Peraton wins U.S. Navy deal to keep MK 18 underwater drones mission-ready

Peraton has landed a U.S. Navy contract worth up to $90.7 million to keep the MK 18 family of explosive ordnance disposal underwater drones operational across fleet commands at home and at key overseas locations, with work...
Aviation

First B-52H to arrive for engine upgrade later this year

The B-52 bomber is getting new engines, and the program just cleared the last major technical hurdle before physical modification work begins on the first aircraft. The B-52J Commercial Engine Replacement Program held its Critical Design Review at...
Army

U.S. Army orders closed-circuit wind tunnel

The U.S. Army is buying a precision wind tunnel for its primary measurement standards laboratory at Redstone Arsenal, a piece of scientific equipment whose specifications reveal exactly how seriously the service takes the accuracy of its own...
Maritime Security

U.S. Navy upgrades E-6B comms while its replacement takes shape

The U.S. Navy is upgrading the communications suite on the E-6B Mercury, an airborne nuclear relay aircraft, even as the service moves forward with the E-130J Phoenix II, the platform eventually set to replace it. Naval Air Systems...
Aviation

U.S. Air Force looks to keep Minuteman III guidance system running to 2050

The U.S. Air Force wants to keep the Minuteman III flying through 2050, and it's now looking for contractors who can help figure out how to do it. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center published a special notice...
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