China has released new footage highlighting tests aboard its Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan, including the vessel’s first publicly disclosed live-fire launch of countermeasures and an electromagnetic catapult test using a dead load.

The Sichuan features a new propulsion system and an electromagnetic catapult designed to support future unmanned operations at sea, marking a step toward expanding China’s naval aviation capabilities beyond traditional carrier-based platforms. 

Military observers noted that the dead load test represents an early-stage evaluation carried out before full aircraft launch trials, helping validate the performance and reliability of the electromagnetic launch system.

Operational readiness with electromagnetic catapult trial

The successful completion of the electromagnetic catapult test during the construction phase of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship suggests that the system has reached an operational and reliable stage, according to military observers. 

The vessel has already completed multiple sea trials, fueling expectations that it could soon enter service. Observers also anticipate the future release of footage showing the ship conducting launches of actual carrier-based aircraft, which would provide further insight into its capabilities, Global Times reported.

Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping said the Type 076 amphibious assault ship marks a significant technological advance, introducing new possibilities for naval operations. Speaking to the Global Times on Saturday, he noted that the vessel addresses the challenge of deploying carrier-based aircraft from amphibious assault ships while also driving innovation in future maritime operational concepts.

The Type 076 combines technologies developed for China’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship and Type 003 aircraft carrier, bringing together existing systems to create a more advanced naval platform. According to Song, the integration of these technologies improvaes the ship’s overall capabilities and demonstrates China’s progress in electromagnetic catapult systems and related technologies.

Enabling longer-range drone missions with heavier payloads

The electromagnetic catapult system aboard the Type 076 is expected to expand the range of aircraft the ship can deploy, supporting both manned fighter jets and larger unmanned aircraft. According to Song, the technology could allow drones to operate with heavier payloads and greater endurance, enabling them to carry additional equipment or weapons for longer-range missions.

Launched in December 2024, the Sichuan began its first sea trials in November 2025, according to Xinhua News Agency. The vessel has a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 tons and features a twin-island superstructure, a full-length flight deck, and newly integrated electromagnetic catapult and arrestor systems.

These technologies are designed to improve aircraft launch and recovery capabilities while expanding the operational flexibility of the ship. Furthermore, the vessel is designed as a multi-role naval platform capable of supporting a range of operations, including the deployment of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and amphibious equipment. 

Chinese media note that the ship has successfully completed multiple rounds of sea trials, allowing engineers and naval crews to evaluate its systems, performance, and operational readiness ahead of its expected commissioning.

💾

The United States is moving to expand its domestic drone manufacturing base after Performance Drone Works (PDW) received a conditional loan commitment of up to $820 million from the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). Rather than focusing solely on producing more drones, the proposed funding aims is address one of the industry’s biggest vulnerabilities: reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains for critical drone components.

If finalized, the financing would help expand U.S. production capacity for propulsion systems, power electronics, flight-control hardware, vision systems, and other key technologies used in drones, robotics, and autonomous platforms.

Building the industrial base behind military drones

Modern military drones are only as resilient as the supply chains that support them. While the United States develops some of the world’s most advanced unmanned systems, many of the electronic components and subsystems that power them continue to come from overseas suppliers.

According to the company, the proposed investment would allow PDW to manufacture many of these critical technologies domestically while also supplying components to other American drone manufacturers. The initiative reflects broader efforts to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base as demand for unmanned systems continues to grow.

The company currently operates Drone Factory 01, a 90,000-square-foot engineering and manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, where engineering, systems integration, flight testing, manufacturing, and fulfillment are carried out under one roof.

Lessons from modern warfare

The announcement comes as drones have become one of the defining technologies of modern conflict. From intelligence gathering and precision strikes to logistics and electronic warfare, unmanned systems are now central to military operations across multiple theaters.

Recent conflicts have also exposed the importance of manufacturing capacity. Producing advanced drones at scale requires a reliable supply of motors, batteries, flight controllers, sensors, cameras, communications equipment, and propulsion systems. Many of these have historically depended on international supply chains.

By investing in domestic production of these technologies, the United States aims to reduce potential supply disruptions while improving the ability to rapidly manufacture mission-critical systems when required.

Beyond defense applications

Although the proposed financing is driven by national security priorities, the manufacturing capability could extend beyond military use. PDW said the expanded production capacity is intended to support future public safety, industrial, and commercial applications in addition to meeting defense requirements. A stronger domestic component ecosystem could also benefit the wider U.S. drone industry by providing American-made alternatives for manufacturers that currently rely on imported hardware.

The Office of Strategic Capital was established to help finance technologies considered important to long-term U.S. national security and industrial competitiveness, particularly in areas where private investment alone may not be sufficient to rapidly scale manufacturing.

Funding remains conditional

The proposed $820 million financing has not yet been finalized. According to the announcement, the commitment remains conditional and is subject to additional financial, legal, technical, and due diligence requirements before reaching financial close.

Even so, the size of the proposed investment illustrates how drone manufacturing has become a strategic priority for the United States. As militaries increasingly rely on autonomous systems across air, land, and sea, building secure domestic supply chains for the components behind those platforms is emerging as an important part of maintaining technological and industrial competitiveness.

The Air Force Research Laboratory increased by $11.7 million Blue Origin’s contract to study the use of space rockets for point-to-point deliveries

The post U.S. Air Force expands Blue Origin rocket cargo contract  appeared first on SpaceNews.

Two K2 satellites will host optical terminals intended to connect military systems in orbit

The post Space Force awards K2 Space $22.9 million for laser communications demonstration appeared first on SpaceNews.

HELSINKI — China sent a new pair of secretive satellites into a programmatically new orbit Wednesday, while also upgrading its on-orbit communications relay capabilities. A Long March 6A rocket lifted […]

The post China launches secretive TJS-27 pair, orbits next-gen Tianlian relay sat appeared first on SpaceNews.

There’s data center activism, fought with Facebook groups and petitions, and then there’s data center annihilation, fought with guided missile and suicide drones.

Recently, the Iranian military announced it had hit and damaged two Amazon data centers in the island country of Bahrain with a volley of cruise missiles.

After the attack, the Iranian state media outlet Tasnim published a partial statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, saying that the “IRGC Aerospace warriors… in response to the aggression and assault… by the child-killing American army on the under-construction and civilian facilities of DarKhoveyn, attacked and destroyed the central data infrastructure of the American company Amazon in Bahrain with several cruise missiles.”

Using images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites, Bloomberg confirmed an attack on the data center campus had taken place, though noted it’s difficult to say how bad the damage is (Amazon refused to comment on Bloomberg‘s reporting.)

“Analysis of Sentinel-2 images shows evidence of damage to both facilities, but does not provide insight into the extent of the damage,” Adam Farrar, Bloomberg‘s senior geoeconomics analyst said.

Overall, it marks the fourth such attack on a data center since the US began the war in February. Back in March, the IRGC announced a number of US tech companies as “Iran’s new targets,” including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. Now that the war is heating back up, it seems that they’re becoming targets yet again.

Militarily, it’s a logical move, as US tech companies have been integral to the American war effort. The Pentagon is using a host of AI models to gather intelligence and select military targets for annihilation, most notably the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school, which was destroyed in a triple-tap strike resulting in the deaths of over 120 school children, as well as parents and teachers.

Perhaps above all, it’s a statement to American president Donald Trump: the longer the hostilities linger, the more economic and technological havoc Iran is willing to unleash on the region.

More on Iran: The US Military Has Been Using Elon Musk’s Grok AI to Bomb Iran

The post Iran Appears to Be Blasting Amazon Data Centers Off the Map appeared first on Futurism.

The Space Force Association’s National Spacepower Center is building an unclassified environment for demonstrating threats to satellites and their consequences on Earth

The post Inside the effort to show Congress what war in space looks like appeared first on SpaceNews.

Vendors will compete for orders to build satellites, sensors and systems for more realistic military space exercises

The post Space Force picks 15 companies for $981 million training range contract appeared first on SpaceNews.

In March 2021, while serving as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, I hosted a discussion with General Chance Saltzman, now Chief of Space Operations for the United States […]

The post The new space wars: lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East appeared first on SpaceNews.

CEO says market doesn't reflect value of Pentagon-backed business

The post L3Harris delays missile business IPO to 2027 despite surging defense demand appeared first on SpaceNews.

Falcon 9 will launch satellites supporting missile tracking, targeting and military communications

The post SpaceX wins $1.6 billion in launch orders for military satellite networks appeared first on SpaceNews.

All Points Logistics is the third company selected under a Commercial Solutions Opening to add facilities where satellites can be inspected, tested, fueled and prepared for integration with launch vehicles

The post Space Force awards All Points $250 million to expand satellite processing at Vandenberg appeared first on SpaceNews.