Palantir Success & the New Era for AI-Driven Defense Tech; Pentagon Adapts to China's Technological Rise

INNOVATION

Palantir's Surging Revenue and Military Contract Signal a New Era for AI-Driven Defense Tech

The contract's significance extends beyond Palantir. It signals a U.S. military strategy of prioritizing software and data infrastructure over traditional hardware. As Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted, this marks a “tidal wave of federal spending on AI,” with Palantir positioned as the go-to vendor for integrating AI into operations ranging from logistics to cyber defense.

Defense tech firm Saronic sets up shop in downtown San Diego

Defense technology firm Saronic announced the opening of a brand new 80,000-square foot office in downtown San Diego, designed to strengthen support for U.S. and allied forces throughout the Pacific.

INVESTMENT

Transatlantic Financial Heavyweights To Fund New European Defence Bank

A task force co-chaired by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Healey formally endorsed the creation of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB).

The new multilateral and multinational institution, structured to support the 5% GDP defence pledge adopted at the June NATO Summit, is designed to channel sovereign and private capital into defence, security, and supply chain resilience across NATO, the EU, and Indo-Pacific allies.

Will defense sector's supercycle continue?

Defense stocks in Korea, which surged sharply amid growing global geopolitical tensions, are now facing a valuation test as disappointing earnings reports on Friday triggered a steep decline in share prices, industry officials said Sunday.

AI

High-Risk AI Models Need Military-Grade Security

The race to develop artificial general intelligence is accelerating, but America’s approach to securing it remains dangerously inadequate. While Washington celebrates its new “AI Action Plan,” which champions a light-touch regulatory model to foster innovation, Chinese intelligence services are very likely targeting American AI labs with sophisticated espionage operations.

This official embrace of minimal oversight ignores a sobering reality: The country’s most advanced AI research — the very technology that will define the next century of global power — remains critically vulnerable to theft and sabotage.

Phase two of military AI has arrived

Three open questions about the Pentagon’s push for generative AI.

Johns Hopkins is building classified versions of its AI wargaming tools for DoD, IC

Developed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, the GenWar and SAGE wargaming systems take different approaches to exploiting generative AI while guarding against its tendency to make stuff up.

TECHNOLOGY

Defense Tech Renaissance: How Parsons' Radar Contract Signals a New Era in National Security Innovation

The U.S. defense sector is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by a confluence of geopolitical tensions, technological breakthroughs, and policy-driven modernization. At the heart of this transformation lies Parsons Corporation's $30 million Army radar contract—a project that, while modest in scale, encapsulates a far larger trend: the industrial tech renaissance reshaping national security.

MCON Defense Tech Creates Pathways for Veteran Success

The defense technology sector is emerging as an unexpected catalyst for veteran transition, offering former service members not just employment opportunities but renewed purpose in their post-military careers. As industry leaders and military officials prepare to address these interconnected challenges at MCON, the largest event celebrating military culture, a clear picture emerges of how innovation can transform veteran care and mental health outcomes.

Archer Aviation Expands Defense Program

The eVTOL maker acquires a patent portfolio and a 60,000-square-foot production facility.

Air Force's Big IT Programs Need 'Course Correction,' 2-Star Says

The Air Force is reorganizing the office that runs some of its most complex and expensive combat connectivity programs, hoping a fresh start can repair trust with troops after failing to deliver new capabilities to the front lines in a timely manner, the two-star general in charge said this week.

POLICY

How the Pentagon is adapting to China's technological rise

A conversation with Kathleen Hicks, the former deputy secretary of defense.

EUROPE

Spain’s Huawei Deal Is a Wake-Up Call for U.S. Federal Procurement Reform

The United States holds tremendous untapped leverage in the global technology competition: $774 billion in annual federal procurement spending based on 2024 numbers.

This purchasing power, when applied to automated and robust security standards, could drive allies toward demonstrably superior American technology solutions over Chinese and other alternatives — not through diplomatic pressure, but through technical merit.