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
The Trump administration will deploy DARPA’s Open Price Exploration for National Security (OPEN) AI system to establish reference prices for critical minerals, starting with germanium, gallium, antimony and tungsten. The tool calculates fair values by stripping out alleged Chinese market manipulation and factoring labor and processing costs. Data from S&P Global and Finnish firm Rovjok will feed the model, which Vice President JD Vance plans to anchor a tariff‑backed pricing regime discussed at a recent Critical Minerals Ministerial. The program will be handed to the nonprofit Critical Minerals Forum in 2025.
"“It increases my confidence that this will be a nuclear-powered carrier—to the point that I’d call it extremely likely,” Shugart said, noting similarities to early construction images of the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class carriers, which use two reactors." https://t.co/n8sDQyYJv6
Australian security agencies have linked Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to two high‑profile firebomb attacks in 2024‑25, exposing a direct crime‑terror nexus. The attacks were facilitated through Australia’s lucrative illicit tobacco market, a $10 billion underground industry driven by the...
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The Operational Technology Incident (OTI) Impact Score, unveiled at the S4x26 conference, offers a Richter‑scale‑style metric for gauging OT cyber‑attack consequences. It combines severity, reach, and duration into a single figure, with assessments delivered via an online portal within 12...
Starlink cut service to Russian forces along the front line, leaving these troops largely isolated. Ukraine has taken advantage of the situation by launching localized offensives and reclaiming a nice chunk of land. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/Q0eHcVCvu2 #ukrainewar #geopolitics
Satellite operators are increasingly unable to reach each other to avoid collisions, prompting the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs to intervene in two recent incidents involving U.S., Chinese, Malaysian, and North Korean assets. The lack of reliable contact...
On Dec. 26, 2025 Israel became the first nation to recognize Somaliland’s independence, prompting an emergency UN Security Council session where 14 members condemned the move. Israel cited cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and mineral access, while the United Nations...
More than half of national‑security agencies still move classified data by hand, a practice the CYBER360 report flags as a strategic liability. Manual transfers introduce human error, audit gaps, and exploitable seams that adversaries can weaponize. Legacy platforms, protracted procurement...
Europe’s Investment Bank is providing €25 million (≈$30 million) to Luxembourg‑based OQ Technology to expand its direct‑to‑device satellite constellation. The debt will fund the launch of more than 20 small satellites, including OQ’s first C‑band satellite aimed at smartphone connectivity slated for...
German Navy received the BlueWhale large autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from a joint venture between ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at Eckernförde base. The BlueWhale combines autonomous navigation, advanced towed sonar, and data‑fusion capabilities to conduct...
A new research paper by Jason Blazakis, funded by the EU’s Internal Security Fund and released through RUSI and Project CRAAFT, examines how large language models could be weaponised to facilitate terrorist financing. The study argues that AI‑driven content generation...
.@KratosDefense: Our space/satellite division is booming; 'virtually everything we bid on we win.' Late-arriving software-defined satellites are catchinp up w/ our #OpenSpace software-defined ground platform. @NATO @SES @AirbusSpace. https://t.co/BoWNnZdEOZ https://t.co/jxaKAluvmv
India is launching a ₹77,000 crore programme to build a domestic merchant fleet and expand shipbuilding, aiming to cut its reliance on foreign vessels that handle more than 90% of imports and exports. The plan prioritises ship construction, port upgrades, and...
OpenAI’s latest threat report reveals a Chinese law‑enforcement unit using ChatGPT to edit internal briefings and draft a propaganda push against Japan’s prime minister. The single account uploaded dozens of operation reports, exposing a coordinated effort involving mass posting, bogus...
The World Defense Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia highlighted the Kingdom’s push to source at least half of its defense budget domestically by 2030, showcasing a new Saudi Supply Chain Zone and a Future Defense Lab for startups. Contracts announced...
On 24 February 2026 the Turkish Navy commissioned Havelsan’s SANCAR armed unmanned surface vehicle (USV) at a ceremony in Ankara and Aksaz Naval Base attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior ministers. The platform, developed with YONCA TEKNİK, leverages the...
In October 2020 Chinese officials feared a U.S. military move could spark a war to sway the U.S. presidential election, a concern later shown to be baseless but prompting high‑level U.S. reassurances. The episode illustrates how misperceptions can destabilize bilateral relations...
Good thread here. My own view is the multiplier for KIA to seriously wounded is now unusually low due to the battlefield dynamics and RF fighting with an expendable assault layer within the force. Officially many are counted as MIA...
The U.S. Air Force has pushed the LGM‑35A Sentinel’s initial capability from the original 2029 target to the early 2030s after a series of cost overruns and schedule slips. A Milestone B decision to move the program into engineering and manufacturing...
The author argues that extreme cold in the Arctic is a decisive constraint, not a manageable condition, and that U.S. military strategies overstate persistent presence while underestimating equipment degradation and human limits. Recent Defense Department Arctic strategies acknowledge harshness but...
Epirus and Digital Force Technologies have merged Epirus' Leonidas high‑power microwave weapon with DFT's Seraphim command‑and‑control software to create a unified detect‑to‑defeat counter‑UAS system. The integrated solution links autonomous detection, tracking and non‑kinetic microwave defeat, allowing a single burst to...
Tom Enders - "We should have kept and nurtured our relationship with [Britain’s] BAE Systems. We are looking back to more than 50 years of successful co-operation in fighter aircraft development with the United Kingdom,” #avgeek
Turkey’s Air Force confirmed that an F‑16 fighter jet crashed near a highway in western Turkey, killing the pilot. The aircraft took off from the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir and lost radio and tracking contact at 00:56...
The United States has sanctioned Russian cyber‑exploit broker Operation Zero, its director Sergey Zelenyuk, and a UAE‑based front company for stealing eight zero‑day vulnerabilities from a U.S. defense contractor. Australian insider Peter Williams allegedly sold the exploits for roughly $1.3 million...
Micro‑Magic has introduced the U5000, a tactical‑grade MEMS inertial measurement unit positioned to match the performance of Sensonor’s STIM320 series. The device delivers gyroscope bias stability of ≤0.1°/h, angle random walk of ≤0.1°/√h, and accelerometer bias under 30 µg, while operating...
ALTUS LSA, a UAV developer, is joining two Horizon Europe initiatives—FORESIGHT and PANTHEON—to create advanced drone platforms for disaster response. FORESIGHT focuses on heavy‑lift multicopter UAVs capable of carrying 40‑100 kg payloads, equipped with LiDAR and laser beacons for navigation in...
Lt. Gen. Rebecca J. Sonkiss said the Air Force’s Next‑Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) could evolve into a family of systems with varied capabilities. The Air Mobility Command is keeping all options open, from stealth airframes to blended‑wing bodies and...
U.S. defense and tech giants are confronting a shifting landscape as Europe pursues digital sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and faster defense innovation spurred by the Ukraine war. New EU rules like the Digital Networks Act and Data Act compel American cloud...
So great to see @PMOIndia visiting Israel, a vital strategic partnership that keeps growing stronger with deepening cooperation across defence, technology, trade, innovation, and other key areas. More major agreements and frameworks expected to expand collaboration in military and emerging...
President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to repeat unverified claims that a June 2025 strike "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear program and that his interventions ended eight wars, including a cease‑fire between Thailand and Cambodia. He also asserted...
President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to honor retired Navy Captain Royce Williams, a 100‑year‑old Korean War ace, by presenting him with the Medal of Honor. Williams survived a 35‑minute dogfight in 1952, downing four Soviet...
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Israel, India signaled intent to acquire the Israeli‑developed Sky Sting beyond‑visual‑range missile for its LCA Tejas Mk‑1A fleet. The missile, still under development, boasts a 250 km range, Mach 5 speed and an AI‑enabled RF...
Dr. Nathan Jones, associate professor at Sam Houston State University and senior fellow at SWJ El Centro, has been featured in major media outlets discussing the fallout from the reported death of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes,...
The U.S. Space Force announced a push to modernize the data‑transport and battle‑management components of long‑range kill chains, a critical capability for future high‑intensity conflicts. Leaders highlighted System Delta 85, established in August 2025, as the hub for space domain...
Pakistan and Qatar have reaffirmed their defence cooperation during high‑level talks in Doha. Senior officials from both nations agreed to deepen military collaboration, including joint exercises, technology sharing, and expanded training programs. The partnership is framed as a strategic response...
Uranium enrichment is running straight into a hard physical bottleneck Enrichment capacity, not reactors, is the constraint The US is still deeply dependent on Russian enrichment https://t.co/UzZh17Lcy5 #NuclearEnergy #Uranium #EnergySecurity #SupplyChains #EnergyTransition #Geopolitics
I wrote up a short set of observations on how the lethality of North Korea's tactical nuclear delivery platforms has benefited from its material support for Russia in its war on Ukraine: https://t.co/7XpbUa0g8w
Viasat’s President Ben Palmer urged India to adopt multi‑orbit, multi‑band satellite communications to secure spectrum access and resilient SATCOM. He highlighted the company’s push for compact terminals that give beyond‑line‑of‑sight connectivity to tactical unmanned platforms. Palmer praised India’s strategic stance...
Intelligence and National Security announces a special issue dedicated to sources and archives for Cold War European intelligence history. Editors Matteo Giurco and Christopher Moran seek papers that examine institutional archives, open‑source material, memoirs, and the gaps left by classified...
Airports in 2026 face a rapidly evolving threat matrix that blends physical, digital and human risks, from sophisticated stowaways and drone incursions to a 600% surge in cyber‑attacks. Balancing passenger convenience with robust security is no longer optional—it defines the...
Shield AI announced that its X‑BAT vertical‑take‑off‑and‑landing combat drone will begin flight testing near Newton, Kansas, later this year. The company highlighted VTOL capability as the program’s core differentiator during the AFA Warfare Symposium. X‑BAT is designed to combine stealth,...
A financially motivated group called Diesel Vortex has been running a phishing campaign against freight and logistics operators in the U.S. and Europe since September 2025. Using 52 domains and Cyrillic homoglyph tricks, the actors stole 1,649 unique credentials from...
The U.S. Department of Defense has warned AI firm Anthropic that it could be labeled a “supply chain risk” unless the company lifts its self‑imposed bans on autonomous weapons and surveillance use. Anthropic, which was cleared for classified work in...
China’s Ministry of Commerce escalated economic pressure on Japan by adding 20 Japanese firms to its export control list and another 20 to a watch list, targeting dual‑use items. Foreign Minister Wang Yi intensified rhetoric, accusing Japan of harboring ambitions...
The Pentagon’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) now targets fiscal 2028 to field the next‑generation National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) system, a project originally slated for 2019. The program’s budget has swollen to $4.6 billion through FY2031, with $2.2 billion projected...
Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Lohmeier announced that the FY 2027 budget will be framed as a “year of readiness,” directing billions to foundational accounts such as spare parts, flying‑hour funding, facility sustainment, and enterprise IT. The budget aligns with President Trump’s proposed...
Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy E. Meink announced the "Ringleader" exercise, a program to test and operationalize sensor fusion from military and intelligence satellite constellations for high‑fidelity ground and air moving target indication. The initiative leverages the Proliferated...
Funding for the U.S. Space Force in fiscal 2026 climbs to roughly $42 billion, while total Department of Defense space spending is estimated at $57.7 billion after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act injected $13.8 billion of mandatory reconciliation money. The bulk of the new dollars support...
Yes I joked on the podcast that this kind of progress bar isn’t exactly the smartest way to represent it, but we’re probably not far from seeing analytical products with this kind of percentage assessment on Russian military reconstitution.
The latest RC is out with @MassDara. We go through some of the current myths, arguments, and assumptions about the war. From assessing offensives to attrition ratios, and my rant on how CENTCOM is about to spend everyone’s munitions. @WarOnTheRocks...
