Rethinking Security Cooperation in the Age of Commercial Tech

INNOVATION

No Room for Failure: Spectra CEO Ray Munoz on Building Defense Tech in Alpharetta

At Spectra Defense Technologies, there is just no margin for error.

“Our products have to work the first time, every time,” said CEO Ray Munoz. Spectra’s technologies and products operate aboard the International Space Station, deep underwater on naval submarines, and alongside military personnel in some of the harshest environments on earth. If those systems fail, the consequences could be catastrophic.

The overlooked role of colleges in Pennsylvania defense tech

From AI labs to veteran services, universities are helping meet rising military workforce and research demands, an education leader writes.

INVESTMENT

New $65 million facility for quantum, defense technology breaks ground in College Park

Several Maryland public officials, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, gathered Tuesday in the University of Maryland’s Discovery District to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security’s new $65 million headquarters.

TECHNOLOGY

Iran war is defense tech's chance to shine, but few systems are ready

The Iran war is redefining modern combat for the U.S. and driving demand for lower-cost tech.

It’s the exact situation Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned against a few months ago.

“We cannot afford to shoot down cheap drones with $2 million missiles,” Hegseth said in December. “And we ourselves must be able to field large quantities of capable attack drones.”

Russians will surrender to robots. Russian robots won’t.

After a historic first, communications and navigation still obstruct the future for roboticized ground assault.

EUROPE

Germany Orders “Thousands” of Auterion-Airlogix UAVs

The Europeans are really having quite the week over here in defense tech land.

Earlier this week, autonomy hotshot Auterion announced that it’s won a contract from the German government to provide “thousands of mid-range, heavy AI-guided autonomous strike systems” built with Ukrainian drone company Airlogix to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Klaus Hommels of Lakestar talks about defence consolidation and the future of procurement

Investor and entrepreneur Klaus Hommels, founder of Lakestar, sees a new era of European defence spending and investment. His comment? That modern militaries need to start working like startup funders and that Key Performance Indicators or KPIs are now part of the conversation.

Ukrainian Armor and The Fourth Law collaborate on a new EW-resistant drone

The UB60D with TFL-1 terminal guidance gets codified, opening the door to large-scale procurement

SECURITY

Rethinking Security Cooperation in the Age of Commercial Tech

Commercial technologies are enabling the U.S. military and militaries around the world to operate with greater efficiency, speed, precision, and lethality. The benefits of commercial capabilities can be particularly impactful given the defense industrial base’s struggles to produce at the speed and scale needed to outmatch China, Russia, and other aligned adversaries.

It is largely for these reasons that President Donald Trump mandated the Department of Defense to preference commercial solutions. Congress also reinforced efforts to prioritize commercially available solutions in Section 1214 of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.