US Defense Shake-Up: Army Secretary Dan Driscoll left the Pentagon amid reported clashes with Pete Hegseth, with Trump “surprised and concerned” over the scale of senior cuts. Navy Industrial Base: Anduril won a $2.9B Navy contract to build submarine parts in Maryland, while Northrop Grumman began flying its Talon Blue combat drone. Ukraine Strike Tempo: Ukraine reported record September long-range attacks, including a 552 km air-defense hit, plus strikes on Russian telecom hubs, command posts, and drone/ammo depots. Counter-Drone Hardware: Ukraine is already operating Turkish Korkut gun-based air defense systems against Russian drones, and ParaZero/ThirdEye unveiled a battlefield system to detect and intercept drones for armored vehicles. European Nuclear Tensions: France test-fired an updated nuclear-capable M51.3 missile from a submarine; Lithuania advanced lifting its WMD ban as the Kremlin warned of “necessary measures.” Maritime Incidents: Drones attacked two Black Sea merchant vessels near Bulgaria, triggering a major search after one ship sank. Drone Export Watch: SIPRI data says the US and Iran account for 86% of military drone exports (2022–2025), largely feeding opposite sides of the Ukraine war. Cyber/Contract Security: The FBI removed an Accenture contractor after a missed patch let ShinyHunters breach an FBI recruitment platform.