Defence AI Start-up Agon Launches with $30m Seed Round; Canada Is Destined to Fly the F-35 Stealth Fighter

INNOVATION

Canada Is Destined to Fly the F-35 Stealth Fighter

Canada committed about C$19 billion for 88 F-35s. Lifecycle estimates have climbed toward C$27.7 billion, with some running far higher. Sixteen aircraft are already bought and parts funded for fourteen more, which makes walking away expensive too.

INVESTMENT

Boeing Defence, Space & Security Q2 2026 revenue rises 13%

Quarterly results were impacted by $280m in VC-25B losses, mainly due to increased production and certification investment.

AI

Defence AI start-up Agon launches with $30m seed round

Agon’s platform is a “synthetic battle arena” where autonomous weapons train at machine speed against adaptive rivals informed by live conflict data.

TECHNOLOGY

Starfighters Creates Reusable Flying Lab to Test Defense Tech at Mach 2+

Starfighters Space wants to give emerging defense and aerospace technologies longer exposure to sustained Mach 2+ flight conditions, paving the way for improved testing of future hypersonic systems.

No Pilots Needed: Israel’s Next Fighter Takes a Cue From the F-35

Israel’s F-35-inspired fighter concept combines AI, advanced sensors, and precision-strike capabilities for pilotless combat.

Savox launches software-defined MissionCore platform for military networks

Built on a modular, IP-based architecture, MissionCore is intended to enable interoperability between existing and new systems by supporting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), broadband and narrowband military networks, video feeds, and sensor data.

POLICY

Senate confirms Hurst as Pentagon comptroller after 1.5-year vacancy

Lawmakers also confirmed nominees for space acquisitions and to lead one of the national security space spy agencies.

SPACE

Space Force Eyes ‘Usable’ Airborne Target Tracking by 2028

The Space Force expects its nascent airborne moving target indicator program will have a “usable capability” in the next few years—but the official in charge of the program says there’s more work to be done beyond that to refine the sensing, data processing, and orchestration needed to deliver a global targeting capability from space.

EUROPE

What 100+ Defence Tech Startup Applications Reveal About Europe’s Next Wave of Innovation

LAUNCH @ Resilience Conference is our showcase for the most exciting early-stage startups in defence, security, and resilience, where they launch products or come out of stealth in front of the investors, primes, and military leaders in our audience. This year, Resilience Conference returns to London on 5-6 October. Learn more here.

NATO and Brave1 Open Apps for Joint Air Defense

The program—first announced in late 2025—is designed to “bring together Ukrainian defense companies and companies from NATO member states to develop cutting-edge technologies for the battlefield.”

SECURITY

Philippine Military to Recruit Cybersecurity, AI Specialists

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the plan reflects the military’s modernization strategy, which increasingly emphasizes technical expertise alongside conventional military capabilities.

DRONES

New Compute Module Packs 4x More Processing Power Into Small Drones

Compute Module uses the Open-Q 6490CS and Swarmer autonomy software to deliver four times more processing power for Group 1 drones.

RESEARCH

Pittsburgh Discovery Day 2026 adds defense focus, new partner

The annual event hosted by the Pittsburgh Robotics Network highlights the region's focus on physical AI, dual-use robotics and national security.

Up to six designs could move ahead in Air Force’s next robot-wingman effort

Increment 2 of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft competition is well underway, Col. Timothy Helfridge, the fighter portfolio acquisition executive, told reporters at the Life Cycle Industry Days conference here. By roughly mid-2027, Helfridge expects, there could be “up to” half a dozen designs.

ARMY

Army opens new testing hub for further air defense integration

The test hub will serve as a “permanent hackathon environment,” the Army stated, by which they mean eliminating manufacturer software restrictions on air defense systems.

Army unleashes ‘master data brokers’ to break down sharing obstacles

When the Army launched its data operations center in April, the goal was to create a centralized service that will reduce the burden on warfighters. Over the long term, ADOC hopes to make it easier for warfighters to use artificial intelligence and machine learning tools by turning raw data into refined intelligence.

NAVY

Navy using LETHALITY Consortium to advance network consolidation initiative

The initiative is intended to modernize and consolidate IT and data architectures at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division.

US Navy awards huge $76.6bn in deals for future submarines

The contracts fund five more Columbia-class subs, nine more Virginia-class subs, and upgrades to shipyard infrastructure.

AIR FORCE

Summer at USAFA: New Courses Teach Combat Skills for Cadets

Walking in formation across scrubby brown grass and cacti, a dozen cadets, armed with airsoft rifles and wearing helmets and vests, pause as a bearded man in black and camouflage passes an alert to their squad leader. The signal comes down the line: Get down, there’s a drone!

STRATEGY

How a startup nation goes to war

Ukraine has long been a technical powerhouse. Now it's putting those skills to the test.