The Quest for American Drone Dominance; Guns, Governments and Greed

INNOVATION

A Workforce Strategy for America’s Shipbuilding Future

It’s no secret that America’s shipbuilding workforce is in crisis. The nation is struggling to retain a sufficient workforce to meet existing requirements. It’s also no secret that China is outpacing the United States in shipbuilding at a rate of six to 1.8 combatant ships and a staggering 200 to one in commercial ships.

President Donald Trump’s April 9, 2025, executive order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” calls for a Maritime Action Plan directing the secretaries of state, defense, labor, transportation, education, and homeland security to deliver recommendations to address workforce challenges.

Put simply: The United States needs people to build ships and effectively compete with China.

Guns, Governments and Greed: The Global Nexus of War and Power

Ironically, war is the most stable economy and political strategy in a world with democratic principles, global institutions, and human rights declarations.

The Quest for American Drone Dominance

Drones are having a moment. Last Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a memo that the Pentagon would be making some big changes to the way it buys, uses, and trains with drones.

Norfolk-based 757 Collab launches defense technology accelerator program

757 Collab in Norfolk has partnered with NavalX Mid-Atlantic Tech Bridge to launch Defense Technology Accelerator.

The inaugural 11-week program aims to help early-stage startups break into the Department of Defense ecosystem. A dozen high-potential startups were chosen from more than 150 international and national applications.

Factories First: Winning the Drone War Before It Starts

Wars are won by factories before they are won on the battlefield. Recognizing that the United States lacks the manufacturing depth for the coming drone age, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued his “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” memo, pledging to “bolster the nascent U.S. drone manufacturing base” and delegating buying power to frontline units.

That promise, however, will take far more than procurement tweaks and approving “hundreds of American products for purchase” — it demands a national-level, wartime-scale industrial mobilization.

INVESTMENT

Southern Miss, Integer Technologies land $25 million defense contract

A $25 million applied research defense contract won by a partnership between the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and South Carolina-based Integer Technologies will make a difference with a clear and ever-growing danger for the U.S.: seabed warfare.

New defense tech company reveals major power development

Chariot Defense confirmed on Wednesday that the defense technology company has raised $8 million in seed funding to address a “crucial problem” by providing better “battlefield power infrastructure.”

Defense Is The New Tech—New WisdomTree ETF Bets Big On EU

In the midst of escalating geopolitics and a military resurgence in Europe, WisdomTree Investments has introduced an ETF squarely targeting the continent’s rapidly rearming defense industry.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Pentagon taps four commercial tech firms to expand military use of AI

The Pentagon announced Monday it has chosen Google, xAI, Anthropic and OpenAI to help the U.S. military expand its use of advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.

Synthetic Darwin and Star26 Capital Partner to Advance Defense AI

Star26 Capital Inc. a leading acquisition-focused holding company specializing in defense technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Synthetic Darwin, creators of the Darwinslab Ecosystem.

TECHNOLOGY

Drones are now bullets: How a new Pentagon policy may accelerate robot warfare

The new policy also allows more units to buy drones, which should boost the demand signal to industry.

To build 'peace through strength,' restore this pillar of US power

Administration cuts are breaking the federal-academic partnership that incubates U.S. technology and talent.

Defense Manufacturer Opens Doors in Germantown

The Germantown office expects to employ 200 people in “well-paying” jobs, according to several officials. This office on Seneca Meadows Parkway joins six other company facilities in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Commerce’s Advantage Maryland program gave a $1 million conditional loan toward the $12.5 million, 57,000-square-foot facility.

EUROPE

French startup develops high-speed drone killer

French defense technology firm Harmattan AI has announced a major breakthrough with the development of its GOBI drone, a lightweight, high-speed interceptor designed to counter loitering munitions like the Shahed-136.