Tampa Bay Wave Receives Grant for Defense Tech Accelerator; Defense Tech Unleashes a New Weapons Boom in SoCal

INNOVATION

Speed of adoption is the new military advantage

The battlefield doesn't wait for procurement cycles. NATO's best defense startups pitched to close that gap.

Hermeus Taps Anduril for Mission Autonomy

Super under-the-radar defense tech startup Anduril announced that hypersonic aviation company Hermeus has selected its Lattice for Mission Autonomy stack to make its Quarterhorse Mk 2 aircraft all “look Ma, no hands.”

Defense Tech Unleashes a New Weapons Boom in Southern California

The business of military contracting is booming in Southern California.

The total value of defense contracts won by companies in Los Angeles County more than doubled in the last 10 years after adjusting for inflation, according to an analysis by CalMatters and The Markup. In the same period, the defense budget rose by about 19% in adjusted dollars.

INVESTMENT

Replenishment Is Extending The Defense Tech Earnings Runway

Years of elevated munitions use, intensified most recently by the Iran conflict, have made stockpile replenishment a central driver of defense procurement.1 Emergency backfilling is accelerating, while multi-year contracts and a reshaped procurement framework are giving suppliers greater visibility into future demand.

Michigan emerges as key hub for defense tech startups and military innovation

Eighty years after Detroit earned the nickname the “Arsenal of Democracy” by producing tanks and aircraft during World War II, Michigan is again emerging as one of the nation’s most important defense technology hubs, fueled by advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, drones and a growing push by the Pentagon to modernize the military.

Tampa Bay Wave receives grant for new DefenseTech accelerator

Tampa Bay Wave has received a $1.38 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to launch the Tampa Bay DefenseTech Innovation Accelerator. According to a prepared statement, the initiative is "designed to address the most urgent capability gaps facing the U.S. military."

TECHNOLOGY

Black Hawk Fires Altius Strike Drones in Landmark Test

Altius-700M is a launched effects, carries a 33-pound warhead, offers 1.25 hours of endurance, and has a range of about 160 kilometers.

Defense Innovation Days Charts Course For Faster Technology Deployment

The Alliance for Defense Tech, Talent, and Innovation yesterday concluded its 12th Defense Innovation Days, New England’s signature national security event that attracted more than 400 of the most important decision makers and innovators in the defense industry. Across a dozen speakers and panels, attendees received practical procurement advice and guidance on how the sector can collectively accelerate development and deploy critical technology to the field faster.

Drones unleash a new weapons boom in Southern California

The business of military contracting is booming in Southern California.

The total value of defense contracts won by companies in Los Angeles County more than doubled in the last 10 years after adjusting for inflation, according to an analysis by CalMatters and The Markup. In the same period, the defense budget rose by about 19% in adjusted dollars.

Software Contract to Streamline How Air Force Manages Aircrews

The new software, dubbed the Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System, will merge legacy training, scheduling, and readiness platforms, some of which continue to require manual inputs, which are used throughout major commands.

EUROPE

How Did Lithuania Grow Nearly 100 Defense Companies in Less Than a Decade?

Five years ago, Lithuania had barely any defense companies. Today there are close to 100, thanks to a mix of public and private investment spurred on by the upheaval caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

SECURITY

Pentagon cyber strategy expected as soon as next week, sources say

Officials have previewed a blueprint emphasizing offensive operations, AI, and closer industry ties as the military reorganizes its cyber forces.

DRONES

Stark buys Raydiant RF because electronic warfare is not going away

EW specialist will help the Berlin scale-up build more tech to operate in contested environments

MARITIME

Kongsberg expands US presence with Sonatech acquisition

Sonatech has been a provider of advanced sonar, underwater communications, and expertise in design and manufacturing to the US Navy.

ARMY

US Army launches laser production with $465M contract award

The U.S. Army awarded a $464.8 million production contract to AeroVironment, Inc., this week for the Enduring-High Energy Laser program (E-HEL), marking the first production contract for a directed energy system in the U.S. military’s history, the company stated in a release Wednesday.

Why the Army wants to deploy nuclear microreactors on US bases

The ambitious energy plan raises several unanswered questions.

NAVY

The Seawolf-Class Nuclear Submarine Was the Best Attack Boat Ever Built. The US Navy Stopped at 3 on Purpose

The Seawolf-class submarine was the quietest, fastest and most heavily armed attack boat anyone had built. The Navy stopped at three anyway. The 1993 Bottom-Up Review approved that third hull not to meet an operational requirement but to keep the submarine industrial base alive long enough to build something the country could afford in numbers. That something was the Virginia class.

AIR FORCE

Air Force Releases Results from Inspections of M18 Pistols

The Air Force has ruled the M18 service pistol is “safe and reliable” after inspecting more than 100,000 of the service’s 9mm pistols, according to a Sept. 2 announcement. Leaders ordered a force-wide inspection after a July 20, 2025, discharge of an M18 killed an on-duty security forces Airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.