The Merge 🇺🇲

Your read-in for military tech, trends, and happenings. themerge.co

In 2021 a squadron won the Army's top aviation award for work on a program its own leaders knew was failing. That is what misaligned incentives look like. warontherocks.com/2026/05/army-a…

Footage of the mid air collision between a pair of Navy Super Hornets/Growlers during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base moments ago.

@RepAbeHamadeh Some more details to make it happen: themerge.co/p/tomcat

WOW — this is huge. Congressman Hamadeh’s Maverick Act has skyrocketed to become the #2 most-viewed bill in America. The bill to save three legendary F-14 Tomcats, the same iconic jets from 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘎𝘶𝘯, is striking a major chord with the American people. Let’s get it through the House and to the President’s desk.

NIXON: Bob, they’re telling me we need the E-7 Wedgetail. Big airplane. Radar on top. Looks like a 737 with a canoe strapped to it. HALDEMAN: That’s the general configuration, Mr. President. NIXON: Don’t get technical with me. HALDEMAN: I’ll try not to, sir. NIXON: And then the eggheads from Chantilly come in. Charts, folders, little arrows going around the planet. Space-based AMTI, they say. Persistent tracking, they say. Global coverage. Bob, any time a man says “global coverage,” he’s either selling you satellites or shaving cream. HALDEMAN: Which eggheads from Chantilly, sir? NIXON: What do you mean, which eggheads? HALDEMAN: NRO or SDA? NIXON: That’s exactly what I mean. Too many outfits. Too many letters. We used to have departments. Now we have alphabet soup with clearances. HALDEMAN: The NRO people would be the quiet ones. The SDA types would be the ones saying “proliferated architecture.” NIXON: Proliferated architecture. Sounds like a disease you get from a federal building. HALDEMAN: It’s contagious in budget hearings. NIXON: I don’t like it. I don’t like any of it. First they put cameras in space. Then radars. Then they tell me the airplane is obsolete. Then some damned Colonel with a slide rule says we need a Space Force. HALDEMAN: That term may test poorly. NIXON: Test poorly? Bob, it sounds like a toy line. Space Force. They could make a television show to sell the toys; the boys at Mattel would make an absolute killing. HALDEMAN: The Air Force would object to that characterization. NIXON: The Air Force would object to breathing if the Navy got appropriations for lungs. HALDEMAN: That’s probably true. NIXON: They’re out to get me, Bob. HALDEMAN: The Air Force? NIXON: The whole blue-suiter crowd. The bomber crowd, the missile crowd, the fellows who sit around drawing arrows over Poland. They want a new branch, new uniforms, new generals. And once they get space, they’ll look down at the White House and say, “There he is.” HALDEMAN: From Earth orbit, sir, the White House is a fairly small target. NIXON: Don’t reassure me with geometry.

Rivers, unforgiving terrain, and anti-tank obstacles are all part of land warfare Enter: the assault bridge! it's Here's what they are, and why its a big problem in the U.S. Marine Corps right now. 👇 themerge.co/p/assault-brid…

‼️⚡️OMG, this is next-level trolling! 😅 Zelenskyy released an official presidential decree allowing Russia to hold its parade in Moscow, specifically stating that Ukraine would exclude Red Square from its strikes for the duration of the parade—while also including the exact military coordinates of Red Square in the decree. DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE No. 374/2026 On Holding a Parade in Moscow. Taking into account numerous requests, and for humanitarian purposes outlined during negotiations with the American side on May 8, 2026, I hereby decree: To permit the holding of a parade in the city of Moscow (Russian Federation) on May 9, 2026. For the duration of the parade (starting at 10:00 a.m. Kyiv time on May 9, 2026), the territorial sector of Red Square shall be excluded from the operational use plan of Ukrainian weaponry. Red Square sector coordinates: 55.754413 37.617733 55.755205 37.619181 55.753351 37.622854 55.752504 37.621538This Decree shall enter into force on the day of its signing. President of Ukraine V. ZELENSKYYMay 8, 2026

This post could have been from 2016. IYKYK

As we wrote last month, Congress is step 1 in the journey. Also, the biggest step.

founder: There was once a place called the Pentagon, where 300 USV startups fought over a Navy procurement budget of 2B... 2B, you understand this number? vc: I understand this number. founder: The founders bled each other so dearly — in seed rounds, in Series Bs, in pier-side demos for 2 star admirals — that VCs committed more capital than the Navy would ever obligate. And the primes consolidated what was left soon after. vc: You believe a founder can change his destiny? founder: I think a man builds what he can, until his down round is revealed to him.

The @USNavy MQ-25 Stingray is tackling 3 distinctly hard problems at the same time: 1. autonomous operations 2. carrier aviation 3. aerial refueling That has led to delays...lots of them. Check out our program overview in our latest newsletter 👇 themerge.co/p/stingray

Today we honor the life of Skunk Works® legend, Denys Overholser, who sadly passed away this week. His contributions helped shape the foundation of stealth, with his influence impacting decades of innovation. We extend our deepest condolences to his family.

📺On the pod: @dcodethegov co-founders share the inside baseball on defense acquisitions. They've been doing it for 10 years and have helped 300+ companies, so they know what works, what doesn't...and why. 👇Check it out! youtu.be/MkgX2O2nU2k?si…

The Pentagon is pouring billions into “affordable mass.” There’s still no clear standard for what qualifies. warontherocks.com/2026/04/from-s…

Breaking: U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray Completes First Flight The U.S. Navy’s first production representative MQ-25 Stingray has completed its first flight, marking a key step toward carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling. Story: theaviationist.com/2026/04/25/bre…

The level where Mario exports democracy.

We're bringing tomorrow’s horizon into focus, faster, stronger and ready when the warfighter needs it. #SAS2026

I'm not proud of what I'm about to admit, but I still haven't seen Top Gun 2

@tropicalupdate @NASA Kaela - We are looking into this.