Airpower & Industry: The U.S. Air Force moved its semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft program into production, awarding contracts to General Atomics (FQ-42) and Anduril (FQ-44) for a fleet aimed at scaling fighter capacity by the end of the decade. Ukraine–Russia Drone War: Ukraine hit Moscow’s oil refinery again, with Russian air defenses claiming 555 drones downed and Moscow airports temporarily halting flights as fires and damage were reported. NATO Burden-Sharing: NATO chief Mark Rutte and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed Europe to lead more of its own defense, while acknowledging some countries still lag spending targets. Air Defense Support: Germany pledged $300M via PURL for U.S. weapons deliveries for Ukraine’s air defense and added $200M for PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems. Counter-UAS Market: DroneShield and Defenture signed a partnership to accelerate mobile counter-drone capability for layered, on-the-move air defense. Regional Security & Drones: Taiwan proposed a $6.6B six-year special budget to buy domestically produced drones and unmanned surface vessels. Defense Footprint: Poland approved steps toward a permanent U.S. base, with Washington showing interest in a long-term installation. South Asia Precision Strike: India’s DRDO successfully tested its Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, reinforcing its push toward stealthy, terrain-hugging precision weapons.