The Veteran Founders Riding Defense Tech’s $32B Boom

INNOVATION

Merlin and Textron Unveil SkyCourier UX

AFA kicks off in National Harbor, flight autonomy startup Merlin announced that it’s teamed up with aviation giant Textron Aviation to build a version of the Cessna SkyCourier souped-up with Merlin’s Pilot autonomy stack called, creatively, the “Cessna SkyCourier UX.”

AeroVironment bags first international order for LOCUST laser system

LOCUST is a high-energy laser weapon system designed to detect, track, and neutralise Group 1-3 drones and other aerial threats.

INVESTMENT

Ex-Military Entrepreneurs Are Set To Cash In On Defense Tech Boom

Ex-military entrepreneurs are leveraging 21st-century technology to build better, smarter weapons. This AI-powered defense tech revolution is backed by a record $32 billion in venture funding since 2022 and will create generational fortunes—and forever change how we wage war.

AI

Russia is weaponizing US-built AI to make killer drones, cyberattack bots, and fake news

AI companies are sounding alarms, but the Trump administration isn’t acting on them.

TECHNOLOGY

Why The Future Belongs To Products That Can Think Together

The tech industry is shifting focus from physical product appeal to the "intelligence layer," where AI acts as the brain for hardware. Companies like Swarm Aero exemplify this with their Gamera uncrewed aircraft and Legion software, enabling one operator to control multiple autonomous systems. This changes traditional military aviation, where more aircraft meant more pilots. The concept of "one brain, multiple forms" is emerging in robotics, allowing diverse robot bodies to share a unified intelligence.

This intelligence-driven approach also extends to healthcare, as seen with Teton's AI-powered sensors improving patient care. Ultimately, future conflicts will rely less on costly, individual powerful machines and more on coordinated, AI-driven swarms, prioritizing "brain" over "brawn" for efficiency and effectiveness.

SPACE

Space Force has 'space control weapons' on orbit, Air Force secretary reveals

Troy Meink didn't elaborate on what "weapons" the US deployed, but revealed new info on other space and unmanned Air Force programs.

EUROPE

German military eyes cruise missiles from Covenant, a surprise vendor setting up shop

The German military is in talks with Covenant, a U.S.-Israeli, venture capital-backed startup, over its Anthem cruise missile, the country’s defense ministry said on Friday.

France orders four U050 Capa-X UAS from Airbus Helicopters

The 120kg U050 Capa-X drone can fly up to 100km, carry 20kg of payload, and operate for up to 10 hours per mission.

CHINA

Made in China, flying for Britain: Who really knows what’s inside our defense tech?

Reports that cameras intended for Royal Navy drones contained Chinese-made components sending “heartbeat” signals to China sound like the opening of a spy thriller. The reality is more mundane, but arguably more useful as a warning.

MARITIME

A Nuclear Submarine Vanished During a Secret Mission. 99 Men Never Came Home—and the Navy Can’t Explain Why.

Three theories persist about what led to the Scorpion’s sinking. None have been proven.

AIR FORCE

Swarm Aero Tosses Hat In The Ring For Massed Modular Aircraft

Swarm Aero on Monday unveiled Gamera, the company’s offering for the Air Force’s future Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) to replace the current MQ-9A Reaper surveillance and strike drones.

‘It’s not science fiction’: US Air Force must build trust in AI, says expert

Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon’s resignation has underscored growing concerns about the risks posed by AI. Coxon said that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” Michael Hiatt, chief technology officer of Epirus, has taken a different tack.

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.

Robots Streamlining Air Force Aircraft Inspections

A four-legged robotic dog and a small aerial drone — coordinated by artificial intelligence-driven software — are helping improve the speed and safety of Air Force aircraft maintenance inspections.

The robots and software working in tandem comprise the Multi-modal Autonomous Robotics for Inspection of Aircraft, or MARIA, system, designed by Pennsylvania-based Asylon Robotics.

STRATEGY

The Age of Strategic Exclusion

Major powers are increasingly trying to shut out their rivals. Russia invaded Ukraine in part to prevent the latter’s further integration with the West. The United States is restricting China’s access to advanced semiconductors and encouraging allies to do the same. China’s Belt and Road Initiative secures privileged positions in strategic infrastructure and economic relationships. Though these examples vary in aims and methods, they reflect a growing willingness of major powers to restrict rivals’ access and influence.