U.S. Department of Defense Requests $66 Billion IT Budget for 2026

Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst

Source: Newsfilter

Updated: 3 days ago

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Should l Buy FJET?

Source: Newsfilter

Defense Budget Increase: The U.S. Department of Defense has requested a $66 billion IT budget for fiscal 2026, marking an $1.8 billion increase from the previous year, indicating a strong focus on artificial intelligence that is likely to drive market demand and investment in related sectors.
AI Market Outlook: The global AI market in defense and aerospace is projected to grow from $4.2 billion to $42.8 billion, a tenfold increase over the next decade, reflecting robust demand for autonomous systems and real-time intelligence processing, which could create significant business opportunities for companies in this space.
STARLAUNCH 1 Progress: Starfighters Space has announced that its STARLAUNCH 1 project is moving into the Critical Design Review phase, aimed at confirming design maturity and supporting subsequent build and test planning, marking a significant advancement in the company's aerospace development efforts.
Deepening Technical Collaboration: The partnership with GE Aerospace will enhance the development of STARLAUNCH 1, with GE's support expected to improve propulsion technology, further solidifying Starfighters' competitive position in the defense and aerospace markets.

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About FJET

Starfighters Space, Inc. operates the commercial fleet of flight-ready F-104 supersonic aircraft (Lockheed F-104). The Lockheed F-104 is developed as a supersonic aircraft for the United States Armed Forces. Supersonic flights capable of flying at MACH 2 with air-launch rockets in development through the Starfighters STARLAUNCH program. The Lockheed F-104 also performed many safety chase missions in support of advanced research aircraft and provided a launch platform for sounding rockets. The Company organizes its services into various categories: historical services and new services. Its historical services include pilot and astronaut training, launch services and access to space, and in-flight testing. Its new services include launch services and access to space (commercial, academic, civil and government clients), and airborne testbed for hypersonic research and development (R&D) and test and evaluation (T&E) test bed (commercial, academic, civil and government).

About the author

Emily J. Thompson

Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.

Starfighters Founder Resigns; Tim Franta Appointed CEO

21 hours agoNewsfilter

Executive Changes: Founder Rick Svetkoff has resigned from his roles as CEO and Chairman, marking a significant leadership shift that may impact the company's strategic direction and market confidence.
New CEO Background: Tim Franta, who has been with Starfighters since October 2022 as VP of Development, brings extensive experience in aerospace and energy business development, which is expected to drive further advancements in the company's commercial space initiatives.
Company Development History: Since founding Starfighters in 1996, Svetkoff has built the world's largest fleet of commercial supersonic aircraft, significantly enhancing the operational and financial foundation of the company, and the leadership change may affect its ongoing growth trajectory.
Market Outlook: Starfighters aims to become the most cost-effective launch service provider, and with the new leadership in place, the company is expected to accelerate its participation in high-demand commercial space activities, enhancing its competitive position in the market.

STARLAUNCH I Rocket Concept Moves to Critical Design Review

3 days agoBenzinga

Design Review Progress: Starfighters Space announced it will enter a Critical Design Review with support from GE Aerospace after completing wind tunnel testing, expected to occur within the next two weeks, which will assess design readiness and lay the groundwork for subsequent fabrication and formal testing.
Separation Dynamics Validation: Wind tunnel test results indicate that the STARLAUNCH I rocket exhibits clean separation behavior from its aircraft-based launch platform, aligning with computational models, providing an early risk reduction signal that underscores the design's effectiveness.
Flight Validation Plan: Starfighters has begun purchasing an instrumented demonstrator vehicle for underwing flights to study separation dynamics under real conditions, planning to transition from ground checks to drop testing and ultimately flight evaluations to ensure design feasibility.
GE Aerospace Involvement: GE Aerospace has supported earlier engineering and flight test activities for the STARLAUNCH project, with Starfighters indicating that leveraging GE's participation will enhance execution discipline and expedite risk reduction ahead of future manufacturing decisions.

2026 Market Dynamics and Company Developments

3 days agoGlobenewswire

Gold Price Surge: In 2026, gold prices have surpassed $5,000 per ounce for the first time, indicating a strong demand for safe-haven assets, which could drive up the stock prices of related mining companies and attract more investor interest.
Critical Mineral Investment: The White House has mobilized $12 billion for critical mineral stockpiling, reflecting the government's emphasis on resource security, which may create new business opportunities for companies in defense and high-tech sectors.
FDA Oncology Approvals: The FDA approved over 50 oncology treatments in 2025, marking rapid advancements in the biopharmaceutical industry, which could lead to significant market share growth and increased investment appeal for related companies.
Oncolytics Biotech Progress: Oncolytics Biotech received FDA Fast Track Designation for pelareorep targeting KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer, demonstrating the efficacy of its treatment regimen, which is expected to accelerate clinical trial timelines and enhance the company's competitiveness in cancer therapy.