The Weekly Break Out

New plans for US Cyber Command and Army helicopter training - The Weekly Break Out

US Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) is rethinking its anticipated "2.0" overhaul — but the final plan looks different from what many expected. On this episode of The Weekly Break Out, Breaking Defense's Deputy Editor Lee Ferran and Senior Networks and Information Warfare Reporter Mark Pomerleau walk through what actually changed, what didn't, and why CYBERCOM's update is now more about talent generation and training infrastructure than sweeping structural reforms. Then, Land Warfare Reporter Carley Welch breaks down the Army's Flight School Next initiative, a back-to-basics push to replace the UH-72 Lakota training helicopter with a simpler, IFR-certified single-engine aircraft. We cover the requirements, industry competitors, shutdown delays and what the future Army pilot pipeline could look like. Underwritten by Leonardo DRS. Stories: Pentagon releases 'revised' plan to boost cyber talent, 'domain mastery' [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWZfRDdrV0Rjd2ltN0NlTTdHYWc1bURUOGh1QXxBQ3Jtc0trS2REVWtaTVk1bVlrS2poZDZwQTN2WHRqTHFDU0hLdS1VdDd3X2x1ZTVNQzlTM2tBbG5aWmNqMExPNWl1cXBDT003eW5PbVBtaUVpdUk5RTQ0Q0hDczlwTmJ2alBXYlhSWkFFUUxKamlET2dNYWo2WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingdefense.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fpentagon-releases-revised-plan-to-boost-cyber-talent-domain-mastery] Inside six helo companies gunning for the Army's Flight School Next program [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqay1aVmhETGh4WlpNc3QwLW5JdlVUd1JWc204Z3xBQ3Jtc0tsM1BNdVVrUmhsOWdCQ0FTZllnMnI2Y2RSaEJoUlUxOWJlNy1xb2JMOWxYVWEtUzZSeVQxbTlxa1d2Q0ZlZnI5c1ZJdWVXb2hnbjNqY3FJRVZXWGJ3NUFoZzM2WGZIdHZYSnJCanNIUVVPcWFRQXZNTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingdefense.com%2F2025%2F11%2Finside-six-helo-companies-gunning-for-the-armys-flight-school-next-program]

Hegseth to unveil major acquisition reforms in address to defense CEOs - The Weekly Break Out

The defense industry is standing by with bated breath as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to give a high-profile speech about acquisition on Friday. While no one's sure what exactly he'll say, there's plenty to preview in this episode of The Weekly Break Out. Then, hear what one congressman says is "heartbreaking" about the current state of US Cyber Command. Stories: * Draft memo reveals potentially sweeping Pentagon acquisition reforms [https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/dod-draft-memo-acquisition-reform-hegseth-commercial-scorecard-exclusive/] * How the 'heartbreaking' lack of a confirmed leader is impacting CYBERCOM and NSA [https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/how-the-heartbreaking-lack-of-a-confirmed-leader-is-impacting-cybercom-and-nsa/] 0:00 - Introduction 0:33 - Hegseth's speech to defense CEOs 1:07 - Defense Security Cooperation Agency moving to acquisition office 1:38 - Army, Navy and Air Force acquisition changes 2:01 - How the defense industry might react 3:11 - Underwritten by Leonardo DRS 3:26 - CYBERCOM leadership void 4:21 - Why an acting leader isn't enough 5:58 - Conclusion 📰 Full coverage at https://www.breakingdefense.com [https://www.breakingdefense.com] Subscribe to The Weekly Break Out to get new episodes delivered straight to your feed.

Zombie planes and other Pentagon ghost stories - The Weekly Break Out

Something wicked this way comes to Breaking Defense... Our special Halloween episode of The Weekly Break Out brings you spooky tales of military technology programs that have died — and some that could return from beyond the grave.

US Coast Guard Calls Out Chinese Ships - The Weekly Break Out

This week on The Weekly Break Out, the US Coast Guard hopes publicly shaming Chinese ships for sailing too close to the US will avoid a future dispute. Then we look at the future of military command and control.

Space-based interceptors: What to expect. The Weekly Breakout

The Pentagon and industry are coming up with concepts of what space-based interceptors could be. Plus, we dig into the UK plan to avoid drone swarms.