Know What's Happening in Defense
Know What's Happening in Defense
U.S. IDFC boosts reinsurance guarantees for Hormuz shipping to $40 billion
The U.S. International Development Finance Corp has doubled its reinsurance guarantees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to $40 billion, adding major insurers such as AIG and Berkshire Hathaway. The step is intended to reinforce maritime security amid escalating regional tensions.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires Colvya Group for $615M
Ukrainian forces have begun fielding German‑made HX‑2 one‑way strike drones across multiple front‑line sectors, targeting Russian rear‑area support units such as repair brigades and road‑network crews. The HX‑2, introduced in late 2024, can travel up to 220 km/h and strike targets up to 100 km away with a several‑kilogram warhead. Visual evidence of drone debris posted by Russian servicemen confirms the system’s operational deployment. Helsing is contracted to deliver up to 6,000 HX‑2 units to Ukraine, indicating a large‑scale rollout.
Large language model (LLM) agents can now deanonymize individuals from a handful of anonymous online posts, achieving high precision across platforms such as Hacker News, Reddit, LinkedIn, and interview transcripts. The technique extracts location, occupation and interest signals, then matches...
Iran’s recent missile barrage over the Persian Gulf resulted in debris striking Jebel Ali, the world’s busiest container port, igniting a fire that forced a temporary shutdown. The incident halted more than 10% of global container throughput, disrupting supply chains that...
The U.S. Space Force has halted the $1.4 billion Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) program and is drafting a new acquisition strategy that moves away from a cost‑plus, single‑source contract. The original BADGER phased‑array ground terminals, awarded to BlueHalo/AeroVironment, were placed...
With the New START treaty expiring in February 2026, the United States lost its primary mechanism for on‑site nuclear verification, prompting a shift toward space‑based monitoring. The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has launched the GHOST‑R program, a hybrid procurement effort...
Three U.S. F‑15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down by Kuwait’s air defenses in a friendly‑fire incident on Sunday. All six aircrew ejected, were recovered and are in stable condition. The loss occurred while the aircraft supported Operation Epic Fury,...
Iranian forces used armed drones to strike Dubai International Airport and Kuwait International Airport in February 2026, causing structural damage and injuring airport personnel. The attacks marked the first confirmed direct hits on major civilian hubs in the Gulf, shifting...
Three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly‑fire incident during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign against Iran. All six crew members ejected and survived, prompting Kuwait to acknowledge the...
Retired Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless reflects on his decade‑long ordeal stemming from the “Fat Leonard” scandal, the largest corruption case in U.S. Navy history. After an initial suspension in 2013, he was arrested in 2017, endured a protracted trial, and...
Ukraine now ranks as the world’s most heavily mined nation, with Kyiv estimating that 174,000 km² of its territory is littered with mines or unexploded ordnance. About 6 million Ukrainians live in zones where land‑mine explosions pose a daily threat. The World...
Russia’s internet regulator Roskomnadzor and the Defense Ministry suffered a large distributed denial‑of‑service (DDoS) attack that briefly took down several government websites. The agency described the assault as a complex multi‑vector operation originating from servers and botnets in Russia, the...
The U.S. State Department upgraded travel advisories for Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider trips amid rising tensions with Iran. The advisories cite heightened risks of missile and drone attacks, potential armed conflict, and significant disruptions...
Google patched a high‑severity vulnerability (CVE‑2026‑0628) in the Gemini AI side‑panel of Chrome that could let a malicious extension with basic permissions hijack the panel, capture screenshots, and access the camera, microphone, and local files. Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 demonstrated...
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council rejected President Trump’s claim that Tehran is open to talks after the U.S.-Israel "Operation Epic Fury" killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and other senior officials. In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles and one‑way drones at...
Former deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov’s open‑source analysis shows Russia’s defense‑industrial output, which surged in 2023‑24, is now decelerating sharply. Production of weapons, electronics and combat vehicles fell to roughly half of prior-year levels by late 2025, with some categories...
European defence spending is entering a structural re‑armament phase, with global military outlays reaching a record $2.7 trillion in 2024. NATO members have agreed to raise defence budgets to 5% of GDP, allocating 1.5% to cyber, AI and other non‑traditional domains....
The United States has built the Genesis supercomputing platform, giving American AI firms structured access through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, but it excludes AUKUS partners. While Australia and the United Kingdom pour billions into quantum and autonomous defense technologies,...
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Futures and Force Design (F&FD) postgraduate internship programme is accepting applications until 2 March 2026 for a six‑to‑eight‑week placement beginning July 2026. Interns will join the Insights, Analysis, Research and Challenge (IARC) team, contributing to strategic concepts,...
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have sharpened North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's perception of nuclear deterrence, experts say. The attacks could push Pyongyang to reconsider resuming nuclear talks with President Donald...
Former Guam lieutenant governor Michael Cruz warns that the island’s strategic value in the Indo‑Pacific is outpacing U.S. defensive investments. While Guam anchors air, naval and logistics operations essential for power projection, China and North Korea view it as a...
Iranian‑operated drones struck Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery on March 2, igniting a fire and prompting an immediate shutdown of the plant. The complex processes roughly 550,000 barrels of crude per day and serves as a key export terminal for the kingdom....
Open Cosmos announced ConnectedCosmos, a Ka‑band LEO network that merges broadband, IoT and Earth‑observation services. The constellation will use optical inter‑satellite links to deliver near‑real‑time data without relying on ground stations. The company faces ITU‑mandated milestones for a 576‑satellite filing,...
DARPA has awarded RTX’s BBN Technologies a contract under the X‑ray Extreme‑range Non‑imaging Analysis (XENA) program to create a long‑range X‑ray imaging system capable of probing man‑made objects from distances approaching one kilometre. The effort relies on novel mathematical models...
The European Union has announced that Operation ASPIDES, its naval mission protecting Red Sea shipping, will be extended through 2027. The decision signals that the underlying drivers of the Red Sea crisis – chiefly Houthi‑linked attacks on commercial vessels –...
Russia has begun limited operational use of a new subsonic cruise missile, designated Izdeliye‑30, launched from upgraded Tu‑95MSM and Tu‑160M strategic bombers. The weapon offers an estimated 1,500 km range, an 800 kg warhead, and a 600‑800 km/h subsonic cruise profile. Designed as...
CENTCOM released footage that appears to show a HIMARS launching the U.S. Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) during Operation Epic Fury, suggesting its first combat use against Iranian targets. The PrSM, developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to replace ATACMS...
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Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers convened an emergency video‑linked session on March 1, condemning Iran’s recent missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar as “flagrant and unjustified.” The attacks were a retaliation to joint US‑Israeli operations...
🚨 IRAN WAR DAY 2 — MONDAY MARKET OPEN 🚨 Day 2 confirms the war is widening, not containing. ~48 Iranian officials confirmed dead including Khamenei. Iran is retaliating across the Gulf — hitting Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and targeting...
Senior adviser Ali Larijani, a key figure in Iran’s post‑Khamenei crisis management, denied reports that Tehran was ready to resume talks with Washington via Omani mediators, posting “We will not negotiate with the United States” on X on March 1. His denial...
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security announced a national cybersecurity firewall plan, codified in the new Cybersecurity Law that takes effect on July 1, 2026. The law’s Article 10 explicitly directs authorities to study a national firewall, marking the first statutory...
The Navy is emphasizing command culture as a force multiplier for expeditionary logistics, linking initiatives such as Culture of Excellence 2.0 and Get Real, Get Better to operational readiness. Leaders are urged to foster psychological safety, decentralized decision‑making, and learning‑focused...
Lloyd’s Register has issued an Approval in Principle for a hybrid nuclear‑ready power concept co‑developed with Australian ship designer Seatransport. The design merges micro‑modular nuclear reactors (1.2‑2.6 MW) with diesel‑electric propulsion on 73‑metre and 90‑metre amphibious stern landing vessels. Recent sea...
Reports from regional media claim a United States Air Force F-15 fighter crashed in northern Kuwait near the Iraqi border, with video showing a smoking aircraft and visible flames. Sources suggest the pilot ejected and was assisted by local residents,...
It’s a race for and against time in the Middle East: Iran is pursuing an attritional approach by attempting to saturate air defenses, hoping to deplete interceptor stocks. The US, Israel, and its allies counter with left-of-launch strikes aimed at...
Reports that Iran hit the 🇺🇲 flagged commercial tanker Stena Imperative. This was the ship harassed by Iran transiting the Strait of Hormuz back on Feb 3.
Autonomous AI agents are reshaping cyber threats, allowing attacks to operate without human direction. Jason Rivera of SimSpace explains that these agents can sustain phishing campaigns, discover network paths automatically, and modify malware behavior on the fly. The shift forces...
While I share some concerns about key munitions being pulled out of INDOPACOM, folks should understand that even with full stocks of interceptors, the PLA Rocket Force is highly likely to be able to overwhelm U.S. and allied BMD in...
3 F-15Es shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait We continue to update our original story: https://t.co/bRgLdhX3sx
President George W. Bush responded to 9/11 by signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002, consolidating 22 federal agencies into the Department of Homeland Security. The reorganization created Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2003, giving the executive branch a...
Iran fired 1200+ projectiles at five countries in the first 48 hours. Most were drones. These saturation attacks aim to overwhelm air defenses and drain interceptors. $20-50k Shahed drones vs. $4.19M PAC-3 interceptors put US and its partners on the...
Qatar says Ras Laffan energy complex has been attacked It isn’t clear what part of the facility. But it is home to Qatar’s massive LNG export plant — the world’s biggest
UAE airports were shut for two days after Israeli and US strikes on Iran triggered Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf allies. The closure left tens of thousands of passengers stranded in transit hubs. The General Civil Aviation Authority...
Ukraine could well ask that the UAE show some reciprocal good will by reducing its systemic enablement of Russian revenue generation.
We are live updating our article with the latest information. It appears multiple aircraft were involved. At least one appears to be a USAF F-15E. Latest: F-15 Spins Into The Ground While On Fire In Middle East (Updated) https://t.co/bRgLdhX3sx
Indian defence stocks rallied as Middle East tensions rose after Iran's Supreme Leader was killed. HAL and BDL saw modest gains despite year‑to‑date declines of over 11% and 15% respectively. The recent India‑Israel defence pact and Prime Minister Modi’s visit...
F-15 Spins Into The Ground While On Fire In Middle East The F-15 was filmed in a flat spin and missing its vertical tails while on fire before hitting the ground. https://t.co/bRgLdhX3sx
Interesting analysis. Fortifications & trenches will be less important for Ukraine’s defenses in 2026 than in previous years.
The U.S. Air Force deployed B‑2 Spirit stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to conduct precision strikes on Iran’s hardened ballistic‑missile facilities, flying nonstop for roughly 37 hours. Guided bombs, likely GBU‑31s with BLU‑109 penetrators, were dropped...
This comes after several other positions in Syria and Iraq have been vacated by U.S. forces in recent months. Among those are Al Asad air base, which Iran targeted in 2020 after the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
How many Starshield satellites are there? How many Starlink satellites are needed to provide continuous service? https://t.co/qIfvwWuPIy
