Next Ariane 6 launch to carry 36 Amazon Leo satellites using upgraded boosters

Amazon said June 5 it will launch 36 of its broadband satellites on the LE-03 mission from French Guiana on June 17. The flight will be the third straight Ariane 6 mission carrying Amazon spacecraft and the company’s largest satellite batch so far. It will also be the first Ariane 6 launch to use upgraded P160C boosters, which Arianespace says add more than two metric tons of low Earth orbit payload performance.

Tensions grow between Trump and Senate GOP: Five takeaways

The Hill reports that disagreements between President Trump and Senate Republicans broke into public view during amendment votes on a $70 billion budget reconciliation bill. The article says several GOP senators in competitive races used those votes to put distance between themselves and the White House. The episode points to a wider political problem for Senate Republicans as they try to hold the conference together heading toward November.

Republicans face high stakes for their crammed summer agenda

Republicans are moving toward the end of a difficult immigration-enforcement funding fight, but The Hill says their legislative backlog is still heavy. Lawmakers still need to address affordability concerns, extend Section 702 surveillance authority, pass the annual defense bill and fund the government for fiscal 2027. The compressed calendar raises the stakes for every remaining floor fight before the midterms dominate Congress’s attention.

Satellite maker Apex’s valuation rises to $2.3 billion after latest $200 million raise

Apex said it raised more than $200 million to expand in-house satellite production, nearly doubling the four-year-old company’s valuation to $2.3 billion. SpaceNews reports the round was led by Glade Brook Capital Partners and Washington Harbour Partners. The raise strengthens one of the fastest-growing spacecraft manufacturers as demand for satellite buses and constellation hardware keeps climbing.

Navy lifts price ceiling for new trainer jet

After industry pushback, the Navy increased the engineering and manufacturing development price ceiling for its Undergraduate Jet Training System from roughly $1.8 billion to $2.7 billion. Breaking Defense says the revised cap still covers up to seven low-rate initial production aircraft. The move signals that the service believes a higher budget is necessary to keep the competition viable and move the replacement program forward.

Under ‘Drone Dominance’ push, Pentagon begins receiving small drones

The Pentagon has started accepting small one-way FPV attack drones as part of its push to arm every squad with the capability by the end of fiscal 2026. Breaking Defense reports the department has ordered 20,000 drones from 10 vendors, with the first deliveries now being received and processed. The effort is an early measure of how quickly the U.S. defense industrial base can scale low-cost battlefield drones after lessons from Ukraine and the Red Sea.

U.S. Forces Interdict Ship Connected to Iran in Indian Ocean, Iranian Oil Exports See Decrease

USNI News reports that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command forces interdicted and boarded a stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean that was tied to Iran. The command’s public statement did not say whether U.S. forces took possession of the ship, but the action fits into a broader campaign aimed at pressuring Iranian energy flows. The episode adds another flashpoint to a tense regional maritime picture even as Iranian oil exports reportedly soften.

Ottawa Wants Future Canadian Army HIMARS to Deploy Long-range Anti-ship Missiles

Canada plans to buy 26 HIMARS launchers over four years under a roughly $1.8 billion long-range strike project, according to USNI News. Ottawa wants the system not only for land attack but also for anti-ship roles, pairing the launchers with munitions and sustainment. The purchase reflects how allied militaries are adapting army missile forces for wider maritime deterrence missions.