United States – October 20, 2026 -- CloudFit said the Department of War's pause on parts of the CMMC rollout does not change cybersecurity obligations for the more than 220,000 organizations in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) that are entrusted with protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Tucson – October 19, 2026 -- The U.S. Army has awarded the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Raytheon, an RTX business, and Lockheed Martin, a $215 million production contract for the Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU), the next-generation launcher for the Javelin weapon system.

The LWCLU replaces the legacy command launch unit. The award follows by five months the JJV's delivery of the first LWCLUs to the Army.

Global – October 19, 2026 -- High Lander has completed a funding round backed by EDGE Group, STEP, Protego and Kinetica, with proceeds earmarked for expansion in the United States and other international markets and a push into defense and homeland security. The source does not disclose the size of the round.

Washington – October 19, 2026 -- SpaceX shares fell 10.17% last week, from $162.57 to $146.03, as Ukraine accused the company of capping Starlink speeds on military-relevant terminals and Washington denied ordering it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said tests showed Starlink-equipped drones lost connection above roughly 100 mph inside Ukraine, while terminals moving at more than 112 mph inside the European Union worked normally. "In other words, this is a planned operation," he said. No one in Washington or at SpaceX has claimed the decision.

Boston – October 19, 2026 -- VIA Science, Inc. has created the post of Chief Mission Officer and appointed Joe Babiec, previously its Chief Commercial Officer, to fill it as the software provider scales globally.

Babiec moves from commercial chief to a mission-focused mandate

Babiec joined VIA in 2018. VIA supplies software to defense, law enforcement and humanitarian organizations. In the new role he will lead efforts to expand the company's mission impact with customers and the communities it serves.

Coeur d'Alene – October 19, 2026 -- Continuous Composites Inc. is opening a roughly 5,600-square-foot engineering facility in Kent, Washington, to advance its patented Continuous Fiber 3D Printing (CF3D) technology and work more closely with aerospace, defense and space customers across the Pacific Northwest.

Colorado Springs – October 19, 2026 -- The Tech7 Company has won a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, facilitated by SpaceWERX, to develop the Proliferated LEO Agile Testbed Environment (PLATE) for the U.S. Space Force. Work under the award is scheduled to begin in October.

Haifa – October 19, 2026 -- Elbit Systems Ltd. has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $235 million to supply EXTRA-MR rockets and PULS rocket artillery systems to an unnamed European customer, to be performed over three years.

Government-to-government deal links Israeli and European defense ministries

The award falls under a government-to-government agreement between the Israel Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of the customer country. The source does not name the buyer.

Calgary – October 18, 2026 -- De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited has delivered the first of two Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest airline, with the second unit scheduled for later in 2026.

Ethiopian Airlines targets remote communities and tourism routes with the new aircraft

The aircraft will support the carrier's push to expand regional connectivity across Ethiopia and East Africa. Ethiopian Airlines plans to use it to reach remote communities, tourism destinations and lake regions.

Calgary – October 18, 2026 -- De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited has delivered the first production Twin Otter Classic 300-G, serial number 998, to Switzerland-based Zimex Aviation, making Zimex the first EASA operator of the variant.