On March 25th, The U.S. Navy submitted a $2.2 billion wish list for fiscal year 2025 to lawmakers. This supplementary list aims to address gaps in funding caused by high-tempo operations in the Red Sea and delays in passing a supplemental spending bill by Congress. The list includes 13 items, such as infrastructure repairs in Guam and acquiring additional KC-130J transport planes for the Navy Reserve. The top priority is investing $403 million in the submarine-industrial base to support vendor capacity and workforce development. Another significant request is $92.9 million to replenish Standard Missile-2 weapons used in Red Sea operations. Additionally, the Navy seeks funding for F-35C engines, Super Hornet Block III upgrades, and MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based tanker drone deployment. Other items include investments in surface force readiness, subsea warfare technology, unmanned undersea vehicles, and classified programs. The Navy also requests nearly $1.5 billion for military construction projects. Any additions from this list would require offsets elsewhere in the defense budget due to budget caps imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

On March 26th, The Telegraph reported on Ukraine's innovative use of mobile phones and microphones as part of a network to track incoming drones and missiles. General James Hecker of the US Air Forces in Europe disclosed this project, which utilizes thousands of mobile phones attached to 6ft poles to gather acoustic data. The data is then processed by artificial intelligence to identify potential threats. This initiative, known as the "Virazh" system, is part of Ukraine's national air defense command and control network. Additionally, Ukraine employs another system called Zvook, which uses micro-computers to detect various aerial threats. Both systems have proven effective in providing early warning and have drawn interest from NATO countries. This use of acoustic technology showcases a historical resurgence in defense methods, adapted with modern technological advancements

On March 28th, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the U.S. Navy achieved a significant milestone with the successful intercept of an advanced Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) test target using the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual II with Software Upgrade (SWUP). This test, known as Flight Test Aegis Weapon System (FTM) 32 or Stellar Laelaps, showcased the capability to detect, track, engage, and intercept an MRBM target during its terminal phase, with an Aegis Baseline 9-equipped ship conducting the live intercept. A notable aspect of this test was the substantial participation of U.S. ally Australia, which demonstrated its capabilities with air, land, and sea assets. Australia's involvement included radar demonstrations by the ANZAC Class frigate HMAS Stuart and data collection assistance from an Australian E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, showcasing allied interoperability. The successful test not only demonstrated the effectiveness of the Aegis Weapon System paired with the SM-6 missile but also highlighted the collaborative efforts between the U.S. and its allies to maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. Through this collaboration, additional objectives were achieved, increasing interoperability and integration between the two countries. FTM-32 represented the fourth flight test of an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense-configured vessel using the upgraded SM-6 Dual II missile and the second Aegis Baseline 9.C2 (BMD 5.1) intercept of an MRBM target using the SM-6 Dual II SWUP missile. The test further validated the capabilities of the SM-6 missile, designed to defend against short-to-medium range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight.

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