Defense Tech Newsletter

INNOVATION

Saronic Picks Brownsville, TX for Port Alpha

The first phase of the project—850 acres—will have up to 150,000 gross tons of shipbuilding capacity and the ability to produce vessels up to 850 feet long.

Allies and industry will gather at Farnborough Air Show amid Iran war, spending debates

Disagreement among allies, uncertainty around the Iran war, and defense spending fluctuations in Europe and the United States will swirl around the Farnborough Air Show in England next week.

Testosterone replacement for troops is not a quick fix, experts say

Experts who have worked with special ops troops caution that the screening plan must be cautious with testosterone replacement, which carries significant side effects.

INVESTMENT

Monumental seals up $32M to build out its fleet of construction robots

Palantir alums turn their attention away from dashboards to concrete problems

AI

South Korea to Build $36M AI Defense Robotics Hub

The initiative, led by South Chungcheong Province in partnership with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the city of Nonsan, seeks to create a dedicated ecosystem where AI-powered defense technologies can move more quickly from research to deployment.

The Pentagon’s AI Strategy Has a Funding Problem

In the span of two weeks, the White House issued two of the most ambitious artificial intelligence directives in American history. On June 2, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating rapid AI adoption and hardened cyber defense across the government.

Three days later, National Security Presidential Memorandum 11 directed every element of the national security enterprise to accelerate AI adoption, anchored by four pillars: adoption, adaptation, assurance, and accountability.

TECHNOLOGY

The Missile Poised to Replace the Stinger Just Proved Itself

NGSRI uses a Command Launch Assembly, precision-optics seeker, and solid rocket motor for engagements against simulated airborne threats.

A New Way to Fire Thousands of Drone Interceptors? The US Army Is Testing It

Hermes uses electromagnetic launch to fire drone interceptors without rocket motors, enabling high-volume counter-swarm engagements at lower cost.

Tampa-based defense tech firm takes part in British Army exercise

XTEND, the Tampa-based defense technology company preparing to go public through a $1.5 billion merger, said the British Army used its autonomous strike drones to complete what the company described as the service’s first validated long-range autonomous strike missions with live kinetic payloads.

The company announced Thursday that its SCORPIO 1000 systems supported Ex RHINO BIZZ, a British Army drone and electronic warfare exercise at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada.

SPACE

Space Force Chief Nominee: China Going ‘Breathtakingly Fast’

China’s rapidly advancing capabilities in space are a major concern for the presumed next chief of U.S. Space Force, who will likely oversee rapid growth in manpower and equipment to counter the growing threat.

EUROPE

Lockheed Martin Ventures Opens London Office And Earmarks $100 Million For UK And European Defense Tech Investments

Lockheed Martin is expanding its venture capital operations into the United Kingdom and Europe, opening a London office and committing at least $100 million of its $1 billion Lockheed Martin Ventures fund to investments in British and European defense technology startups. The move follows Lockheed Martin’s April 2026 decision to more than double the fund’s investment capacity from $400 million to $1 billion — the largest capital increase in the fund’s history.

Lockheed Martin Ventures was founded in 2007 with an initial $100 million commitment and has since invested more than $500 million across more than 120 companies, maturing 60 of those into active suppliers. The fund has added 25 portfolio companies in the past two years alone and has already made several investments in European companies, with additional deals expected to close in the near term.

Europe’s fresh focus on deep precision strike

Nato has allocated $50bn for deep strike weapons over the next ten years, but what projects will this money support?

DRONES

Navy Wants 1,000 Mile Combat Radius For Carrier Based Tactical Drone Fleets

The range requirement offers the first real window into the capabilities the Navy wants for its future carrier-based tactical drone fleets.

RESEARCH

Africom, Morocco to establish new tech-focused training and experimentation center for counterterrorism operations

Officials said it will include a range complex, “drone academy” and technology center to develop, test and evaluate new capabilities, specifically low-cost, scalable equipment.