Which specific weapons platforms (ships, fighters, helicopters, armoured vehicles, missile systems) are scheduled for procurement or upgrades in 2025–2026?
Executive summary
A review of 2025–2026 procurement documents and reporting shows a concrete pipeline of platforms and upgrades across services: the Army plans mass drone buys and tracked vehicle buys (AMPV), plus procurement of new short-range air defense nodes (SGT STOUT) and missile system retrofits; the Air Force and space programs include buys such as F-15EX follow-on work and GPS IIIF spacecraft; the Navy continues ship maintenance and selected overhauls such as DDG dry-dock availabilities into 2026 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Budget negotiations and acquisition reforms in the FY 2026 NDAA and Pentagon requests could change quantities if reconciliation funding does not pass [7] [8].
1. Army tracked vehicles and armor — AMPV volumes rise into FY2026
The Army’s procurement schedule explicitly lists Full Rate Production buys of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): 56 vehicles procured under the FRP option year 3 in FY2025 and 86 vehicles in FRP option year 4 for FY2026, with government-furnished material and manufacturing funding rising to support the larger FY2026 buy [2]. That document frames AMPV buys as subject to negotiated pricing and supplemental Ukraine-related funds, making quantities draft but clearly scheduled for delivery cycles spanning 2025–2026 [2].
2. Army missile and air-defence upgrades — SGT STOUT and SVUL retrofits
Army missile procurement materials identify a FY2026 buy to fund 44 SGT STOUT systems as part of a directed requirement totaling over 200 systems, and FY2026 funding is also slated to retrofit single Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher (SVUL) systems to dual-SVUL configurations along with spares and fielding support [3]. The SGT STOUT Middle Tier effort is budgeted at hundreds of millions for FY2026, indicating both new platform buys and capability retrofits planned within that fiscal window [3].
3. Army aviation, unmanned systems and rotary-wing entries
Senior Army leadership announced a plan to procure at least 1 million drones over coming years, and transformation guidance highlights new procurement models for tactical radios and counter-drone marketplaces — signaling large-scale unmanned systems buys beginning in 2025 and continuing into 2026 [1]. Separately, P-1 procurement spreadsheets show advance buys and continued acquisitions for legacy rotary platforms including UH-60 Black Hawk L/V models and CH-47 helicopters tied to FY2026 planning, reflecting routine modernization and sustainment buys [9].
4. Air Force aircraft and space systems — F-15EX work and GPS IIIF spacelift
Pentagon budget reporting and contract notices indicate the F-15EX as a prominent Air Force procurement winner in FY2026 program requests, while the F-35 faces relative cuts in some budget scenarios — though final outcomes hinge on reconciliation funding [7]. Contracting notices and industry reporting also document sustainment and production support for F-15 systems into late 2026 [6]. The House appropriations summary explicitly includes $680 million to procure two GPS IIIF satellites in FY2026, marking space-based navigation as a scheduled procurement [5].
5. Navy ship availabilities, shipyards and select upgrades through 2026
Contract announcements show ship maintenance and modernization continuing into 2026: BAE Systems was awarded work on USS Laboon (DDG 58) dry-dock selected restricted availability expected to complete by July 2026, and other shipbuilding and conversion contracts list completion dates throughout 2026, indicating scheduled mid‑life availabilities and repair work rather than large new-ship starts [4] [10]. Multiple contract listings through 2025 point to sustainment and modernization tasks that will be completed across 2026 shipyard periods [10] [6].
6. Context and caveats — budgets, NDAA reforms, and uncertainty
The FY2026 NDAA and competing budget tracks matter: the Pentagon requested roughly $205 billion in procurement for FY2026 but roughly $51 billion of that depended on a reconciliation bill; if that megabill failed, procurement would materially shrink and planned buys could be cut or delayed [7]. The FY2026 NDAA’s acquisition reforms and restrictions—such as supply-chain and additive-manufacturing provisions—will shape contract eligibility and may alter how and from whom platforms are procured even when platforms are scheduled [8] [11]. Schedules cited here are drawn from budget documents, P-1 exhibits and contract notices; where documents present draft quantities or contingent funding, those uncertainties are noted in the primary sources [2] [3] [7].