Japan’s Defense Tech Deals Signal Shift in Security Posture; Navy Launches MASC Program

INNOVATION

Navy Launches MASC Program

Yesterday, the Navy officially launched its Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program with a nice lil solicitation. According to the doc, PMS 406–the unmanned maritime systems program office–is “seeking proposals for innovative, commercial technologies that accelerate attainment of [unmanned surface vessels (USVs)].”

Aselsan adds new platforms for Turkey's Steel Dome national air defense, eyes export deals

"There is a huge demand, but main purpose is to make something together — co-production, co-design, co-investment," Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol told Breaking Defense of the international market.

Friction, Fog, and Failure in a Software-Defined Force

The U.S. military is rushing toward a software-defined future, one where networks are unified, platforms are cloud-connected, and the fight is shaped by code as much as steel. Marine Gen. Christopher Mahoney, nominated to serve as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has made clear he supports this vision.

But his remarks about unifying networks and letting software drive hardware reveal a gap in the conversation. What’s often missing from the public-facing discussion is serious consideration of what happens when those networks are contested, degraded, or attacked: what the military terms “denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited bandwidth” conditions.

Christian Brose on the Coming Revolution in Military Tech

Anduril Industries builds ‘attritable’ aircraft like autonomous fighter jets, which are cheaper to lose than regular airplanes.

Japan’s defense tech partnerships signal shift in security posture

As geopolitical tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific, Japan is reshaping its security architecture through defense technology partnerships and an unprecedented increase in defense spending. Anchored by flagship initiatives such as the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV) project and the trilateral Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), Tokyo is leveraging international collaboration to deepen deterrence and assert its role as a high-tech pillar of regional stability.

INVESTMENT

This founder left Silicon Valley to challenge U.S. defense supremacy from Athens, and investors are paying attention

In the summer of 2021, Dimitrious Kottas made a move that would be unfathomable to most Silicon Valley engineers: after leaving his coveted position at Apple’s Special Projects Group, he packed up his life in California and moved back to Athens to start a defense company.

Project Q Raises €7.5M to Advance AI-Driven Defense Integration

The European startup aims to bridge civilian tech and defense with its Q-OSP platform and Internet of Defense approach

Amid increased momentum for defense, the NATO Innovation Fund refreshes its investment team

Two years after securing $1 billion in commitments from over 20 countries, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is entering a new chapter, marked by the arrival of two new partners and the departure of a founding team partner.