100 Issues; Andreessen Horowitz Bets on Florida Defense Tech

OF NOTE

100 Issues.

To every reader who has followed along through these 100 issues of the Defense Tech Newsletter ..... thank you.

Whether you've been here since issue one or just discovered us last week, you're the reason this publication keeps going. You've made it possible for a small newsletter to become a real conversation about the future of defense technology.

Here's to the next 100. - Jeff

INNOVATION

Andreessen Horowitz Bets on Florida Defense Tech

The Wall Street Journal reports that Andreessen Horowitz plans to open a regional headquarters in West Palm Beach in 2027. The office will focus on Florida defense tech investments through the venture capital firm’s American Dynamism practice.

The move gives South Florida another foothold in a defense technology sector increasingly drawing private capital. According to the Florida Defense Industry Economic Impact Analysis cited by WSJ in 2026, the state’s military and defense industry generates $102.6B in economic impact. It also supports more than 865,000 jobs statewide.

Defense tech firm Covenant opens U.S. missile factory, exits stealth

Defense tech startup Covenant on Wednesday announced the opening of a 105,000-square-foot factory in Dallas to accelerate lower-cost missile manufacturing for the U.S. military.

The startup, which is coming out of stealth and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Lux, 8VC, Aleph, Lightspeed and Altimeter Capital, also announced $250 million in funding over three rounds.

AI

Claude AI helped Russia-based threat actors develop autonomous kamikaze drone swarm

Anthropic says AI is already being used to develop weapons systems, from autonomous attack drones to missile guidance and air-defence suppression

DARPA Deploys AI Cloud Platform for Biological Research

DARPA researchers modeling complex biological systems now have access to a dedicated AI and high-performance computing environment to accelerate large-scale simulations and analysis.

Are We Building 'The Entity'? What Military AI Is Actually Becoming

As artificial intelligence spreads across the U.S. military, the real concern is not a rogue supercomputer, but whether human oversight can keep pace with systems designed to move faster than people. Using a pop-culture reference from Mission: Impossible

Are We Building 'The Entity'? What Military AI Is Actually Becoming

As artificial intelligence spreads across the U.S. military, the real concern is not a rogue supercomputer, but whether human oversight can keep pace with systems designed to move faster than people. Using a pop-culture reference from Mission: Impossible

TECHNOLOGY

Regent Craft plans to build electric seagliders by the end of 2027

Rhode Island startup Regent Craft is targeting 2027 to begin manufacturing its all-electric seagliders, the first commercial aircraft to leverage the “wing-in-ground-effect” aerodynamic phenomenon.

Decades of delayed maintenance has left Pentagon networks in ‘potential peril’ for the AI age, cyber defense commander says: ‘no more.’

Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton told an audience at the annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit that the ways in which an adversary could employ cyber agents is “mind-boggling in terms of the complexity.”

SPACE

Launch Boom

Getting to space has never been easier. Here’s how the Space Force is managing the future of launch.

Space Force picks Texas as US home for trinational DARC space radar network

The Space Force expects the US site, the third and final one in the multi-nation DARC network, to complete civil construction in 2029, and begin operations in 2030.

EUROPE

International Space Summit Highlights the Strength of Europe’s Space Ecosystem

“The choices we make now will shape our place in space for decades to come,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech at the event. “Europe begins from a position of strength. We have cutting-edge technologies, world-leading talent, and a strong space industrial base. But strength today is no guarantee of leadership tomorrow. To remain at the forefront Europe must act together, invest at scale, and turn our market into a competitive advantage.”

SECURITY

25 years after 9/11, spy agencies face old lessons and new threats

Former intelligence officials describe a nation better equipped to disrupt terrorist plots, but still wrestling with the costs.

STARTUPS

Poseidon Raises $60M to Build Big Ol’ Cargo Drones

Bay Area-based Poseidon Aerospace raised $60M in a Series A to fund flight testing and production of its cargo drone, Egret, and accelerate development of its seafaring sister aircraft, Heron.

Defense tech Mach Industries doubles valuation to $3.7B in 3 months

Defense tech startup Mach Industries has raised a fresh $600 million in capital in a Series C extension round that has doubled its valuation to $3.7 billion, the company announced on Thursday. It announced the original Series C in June, which was $300 million at a $1.8 billion valuation. Investors in both tranches include Ribbit Capital, Infinite Capital, Bedrock Capital, and Sequoia.

DRONES

Ukraine Codifies “Steppe Wind” Strike Drone With 90+ km Range and Optical Guidance

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has codified the domestically developed Steppe Wind strike unmanned aerial system, clearing the way for its procurement and delivery to units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

Meet ‘Warmate 30’: Poland’s New 250-Km Strike Drone With Jet Power

Warmate strike drone uses a flying-wing design with flaperons, a composite airframe, and a rocket booster.

AIR FORCE

US Air Force launches initiative to enhance bomber fleet readiness

The partnership aims to remove logistical barriers and speed up support, parts, and maintenance to boost B-52 and B-1 aircraft availability.

F-16s That Defended Capital on 9/11 Preserved for History

Three F-16s that flew in defense of Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001, will be retired and preserved as museum artifacts.

The three planes all flew on 9/11: two were among the first three jets to scramble in defense of the capital and the third escorted Air Force One as it returned to Washington later in the day.