Defense Tech Newsletter

INNOVATION

China’s long shot in satellite tech

China is currently is far behind in deployments of LEO satellites, where Starlink dominates, but it's shooting to shift this, fast

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The US military is still using Claude — but defense-tech clients are fleeing

The aftermath of Anthropic’s dispute with the Department of Defense has left the company in an awkward place — being both actively in use as part of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran and decoupling from many of its clients in the defense industry.

Part of the confusion is the overlapping and contradictory restrictions made by the U.S. government. President Trump has directed civilian agencies to discontinue use of Anthropic products, but the company was given six months to wind down its operations with the Department of Defense. The next day, the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Tehran, entering a continued conflict before Trump’s directive could be fully executed.

TECHNOLOGY

Japan maps out plan to boost defense readiness with dual-use tech

The Japanese government on Monday outlined plans to promote dual-use technologies to strengthen national defense readiness, local media reported.

According to Kyodo News, the plans were presented at a security panel meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Under the proposal, Japan aims to build a system that would allow civilian production facilities, including those manufacturing drones, artificial intelligence-powered robots, and aircraft components, to be swiftly converted to defense equipment production in the event of a contingency.

The Danger of Vibe Patriotism in Defense Tech

At conferences, in pitch decks, and increasingly in public writing, “service” is increasingly being used to describe the work of startup founders, employees, and venture capital investors in defense technology. The claim, sometimes explicit, more often implied, is that building defense technology is itself a form of service comparable to uniformed military service.

Kraken Robotics demonstrates its autonomous underwater reconnaissance drone

Canada’s Kraken Robotics demonstrated its KATFISH “towed synthetic aperture sonar and autonomous launch and recovery system,” a scanning drone designed to sense mines and other material underwater. The KATFISH worked in conjunction with an uncrewed vessel, the SEFINE SISAM RD-22, that launched and recaptured the drone after the mission.

General Atomics pauses drone wingman flight tests after crash

General Atomics’ has paused all flight tests and opened an investigation after one of its drone wingmen crashed Monday after takeoff, the company said in a news release.

One of General Atomics’ YFQ-42A “Dark Merlin” Collaborative Combat Aircraft “experienced a mishap” at its company-owned airport in California around 1 p.m. local time, the news release said. No one was injured in the incident. Flight testing will resume when it is “deemed appropriate,” the company added, providing no timeline.

As aircraft losses mount, Pentagon wants a software fix to see through the fog of war

The U.S. planes that have gone down in the Middle East since the launch of Operation Epic Fury all lacked the same thing: a common operating picture that includes relevant intelligence and data. The Defense Innovation Unit announced Monday it’s looking for a fix.

The request: an open-architecture software suite to fuse real-time data into a credible picture of moving objects, threats, and conditions. The idea is to give pilots a broader understanding of reality in a way that is unremarkable to American motorists with easy access to data about ever-changing conditions but aspirational for air crews flying planes outfitted with antique computer hardware.

Antares Nuclear Moves Into “Final Innings” in Race to Switch on Microreactor

The race between a handful of nuclear fission startups to switch on their microreactor and small modular reactors before Independence Day is heating up.

Yesterday, Los Angeles-based space and defense-focused nuclear startup Antares moved into the “final innings” of turning on its Mark-0 microreactor after the Department of Energy approved its Documented Safety Analysis (DSA), green-lighting the final design and safety review before the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program’s July 4 deadline.

POLICY

America Can’t Win Tomorrow’s Wars with Yesterday’s Defense Budget

The President's budget request landed Friday on Capitol Hill with a $1.5 trillion topline for defense spending. If enacted, it would represent the largest defense budget in U.S. history and would exceed budgets during President Reagan’s military buildup and even World War II.

But in an era defined by increasing geopolitical conflict and rapid technological change, ensuring America’s military advantage will require more than just a higher budget request from the President or even more appropriations from Congress. When it comes to how the Pentagon actually allocates contracts, there’s an uncomfortable reality: our current defense spending is misaligned with modern warfare.

ACQUISITION

NorthStrive Defense Tech Acquires Multi-Domain Drone Payload Technology Option for Defense and Commercial Applications

NorthStrive Defense Tech announced it has acquired rights to a novel drone technology through an exclusive option agreement with a corporation.

The Option Agreement provides NorthStrive Defense Tech with an exclusive option, within the aerospace and defense technologies field (“Field”), to get an exclusive license as to certain patent rights for U.S. Patent No. 12,291,334, covering a next-generation drone system designed to transport payloads across air and water environments. The option (“Option”) is also for a non-exclusive license in the aerospace and defense technologies field as to certain know-how connected to these patent rights, as further set forth in the Option Agreement. On NorthStrive Defense Tech’s exercise of this option, NorthStrive Defense Tech and the counterparty will enter into negotiations for a definitive license agreement.

EUROPE

Israel's Elbit, Greece sign $750 million deal for missile launch systems

The four-year long contract will include an additional "ten years of follow-on maintenance and support services" according to Elbit.

Ukraine’s Defense Tech Market Hits $6.8B—Ground Robots Explode 488% in One Year

Ukraine’s defense technology sector reached an estimated $6.8 billion in 2025, with the fastest growth recorded in ground robotic systems, whose production increased by 488% over the year.