The US military buys its last batch of antennas for a supersonic target drone
What happened
The US military has placed its final order for a specific antenna used on its GQM-163A supersonic target drones. This means the existing drone model will likely be phased out or replaced soon.
Why it matters
The GQM-163A drone mimics advanced anti-ship missiles, helping the US Navy test its defenses. Buying the last antennas signals that the military is either preparing to retire this specific drone model or replace it with a newer, more capable version. This is how the military slowly updates its testing capabilities without a big announcement.
The signal
Watch for future procurement notices for new target drone models or upgrades to existing ones, which would indicate the next generation of missile defense testing.