Army Awards Palantir, Anduril $192M for 8 TITAN Mobile Ground Stations; Alex Karp Bets on Ukraine Defense Tech

INNOVATION

Palantir CEO Alex Karp bets on Ukraine defense tech

Alex Karp invested in a company built from real battlefield lessons.

AI

How a surge in defence and dual-use technology investment could reconfigure the global AI race

The AI race is often presented as one between the US and China, with other countries having little to no chance of catching up. Geopolitical tensions and recent trends towards defence-driven innovation and tech sovereignty may soon challenge that assumption. As the global security order deteriorates, countries worldwide are becoming increasingly concerned that, in a more hostile, transactional world, overreliance on others for pivotal technologies like AI is a source of troubling vulnerability.

This fear has led to a growing number of countries seeking alternatives with greater urgency, even if these solutions do not always perform at the cutting edge.

TECHNOLOGY

Israel receives final Dolphin-class submarine from Germany's TKMS

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has delivered the INS Drakon to the Israeli Navy, marking the completion of Israel’s Dolphin-class submarine fleet equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP).

POLICY

Congress Passes Short-Term Funding, Putting DOD's $1.5T Budget on Hold

With 30 days to go before the end of fiscal 2026, Congress passed a continuing resolution Sept. 1 to extend current spending levels through Dec. 11—putting on hold the Pentagon’s request for $1.5 trillion in spending authority.

SPACE

Trump Orders Study To Establish US Space Academy

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday calling for the establishment of a US Space Academy, modeled after the US service academies for military branches. The administration can’t open up a school on its own—that will take action from Congress—but Trump did set up a commission to study the idea and consider some big questions, including the curriculum focus and service requirement for grads.

The US may lack the engineers to rebuild space assets in a future war: RAND

The defense industry would likely struggle to rebuild the U.S. military’s crucial space capabilities during a war with China or Russia because it will have too few skilled engineers to do the work, according to a new report from RAND.

EUROPE

Estonia’s defence minister resigns over botched Ukraine procurement deal

Replacement for Hanno Pevkur expected to be announced mid-September

European Resilience in Digital Infrastructure: The Changing Nature of State-Business Relations

As the war in Ukraine progressed, Russian strikes increasingly degraded Ukraine’s terrestrial communications infrastructure, steadily deepening Kyiv’s dependence on SpaceX’s Starlink. The satellite constellation became indispensable for crucial military functions, including command and control, drone operations, and artillery fire coordination, with no readily available European alternative should access be withdrawn.

Israeli air defense dominates European procurement as continent races to rearm

The formal signing of the "Achilles Shield" deal is not only a commercial and diplomatic achievement for Israel, but it is also the final seal on a tectonic shift in Europe's defense landscape.

DRONES

Russian Footage Claims to Show New Drone-Killing Laser Weapon

Laser weapon uses optical lens, external cabling, and structural bracing attached to the main container.

CHINA

China highlights advanced wartime tech in defence mobilisation law update

The first amendment to the law in 16 years is also expected to cover cyberspace, biotechnology and quantum technology, analysts say

MARITIME

Typhoon USV Gains Ability to Launch One-Way Drones With a Single Button

Typhoon uses the Splash command-and-control system to deploy drones with the press of a button.

ARMY

US Army select academia as CAML weapons integrator

The strategic decision will overcome vendor lock-in and retain IP rights.

The Army Awards Palantir and Anduril $192M for Eight TITAN Mobile Ground Stations

Watch out, world. The US Army’s kill chain is going mobile.

NAVY

The Ford-Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier "Is One of the Most Expensive Bets Ever Made by a Navy"

Supporters of the Ford-class counter that the carrier’s power generation and sortie capacity make it uniquely capable of sustaining high-intensity air operations, and that its defensive systems, including layered missile defenses and electronic warfare suites, provide substantial protection.

AIR FORCE

AFRL Seeks Payload-Agnostic, Cheap Hypersonic Cruise Missile

The Air Force Research Laboratory has signaled to industry it wants to develop a low-cost hypersonic cruise missile to deliver a wide range of payloads at a range up to 500 nautical miles.

Rebuilding the U.S. Air Force for Multi-Theater Conflict

In June 2026, airpower experts from the U.S. Air Force, seven allied air forces, and industry convened for a three-day wargame designed to stress notional 2036 USAF combat forces in a series of concurrent crises: a Russian assault against NATO allies in Europe, opportunistic aggression by China in the Pacific, and attacks on the United States and Canada.