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
EC‑Council announced its Enterprise AI Credential Suite, adding four role‑based AI certifications and an updated Certified CISO v4 program. The launch targets the estimated $5.5 trillion global AI risk exposure and a U.S. reskilling gap of 700,000 workers. It aligns with recent U.S. executive orders and the AI Action Plan that emphasize workforce development. The new credentials cover AI fundamentals, program management, offensive AI security, and responsible AI governance, using EC‑Council’s Adopt·Defend·Govern framework.
US Sanctions Sudanese Paramilitary Commanders For Atrocities In El-Fasher...The conflict has provoked the world’s worst ongoing humanitarian crisis with over 150,000 having been killed and more than 14 million displaced. https://t.co/b2rLtUN2Ob
The U.S. Army has launched the Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT), a new office that fuses soldier‑driven ideas with rapid‑acquisition mechanisms. PIT sits alongside the FUZE program, Joint Innovation Outpost and Global Tactical Edge Directorate, giving innovators a direct...
Facts. They also flyer drones with speaker, track civilians by cell phone, satellite imagery, drones in real time on their digital systems and restrict operations, use advance call out tactics, and much more.
Tory Bruno, former ULA chief, left the company to become president of Blue Origin’s new national‑security group, citing an urgent need for dynamic space operations and missile‑defense capabilities. He believes ULA’s Vulcan rocket is now mature, allowing him to focus...
In this episode, Gavin Kenneally, CEO and co‑founder of Ghost Robotics, walks listeners through the company’s evolution from a startup to a leader in legged robotics, highlighting how four‑legged platforms outperform wheeled robots on rough terrain. He explains the critical...
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division won the Best Innovation award at the Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition for Project RED, a system that locates, identifies, and retrieves downed drones using AI and a robotic claw. The solution employs...
Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division won the Best Innovation award at the U.S. Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama. Their Project RED system employs AI and a 3D‑printed carbon‑fiber claw to locate, retrieve,...
The Office of Management and Budget has withdrawn the mandatory software bill of materials (SBOM) requirement, replacing it with a risk‑based menu of options for federal agencies. This shift moves compliance from a prescriptive checklist to agency‑driven risk assessment, granting...
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has issued a solicitation for commercial space‑to‑space imaging solutions to monitor satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The contract calls for a minimum viable product delivering high‑resolution electro‑optical images within two years, enabling object identification and...
On February 20, 2026, a leading arms‑control organization issued a statement condemning recent U.S. rhetoric about possible military strikes on Iran. The statement argues that such actions would lack justification under international non‑proliferation norms and could destabilize the fragile Middle‑East...
Nuclear experts from the Arms Control Association warned that a renewed U.S. aerial strike on Iran would not impede Tehran’s potential path to a nuclear weapon and would instead sabotage ongoing diplomatic efforts. They note that the June 2025 attack disrupted...
On Feb. 18 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toured Boeing’s St. Louis site as RTX’s Pratt & Whitney announced it will fast‑track the XA103 engine for the upcoming F‑47 sixth‑generation stealth fighter, with detailed design review completed and a prototype slated for...
The State Department has cleared the last protest against its $10 billion Evolve IT services vehicle and announced the final round of 48 contract awards across five functional categories. Evolve consolidates eleven existing contracts into a single multiple‑award vehicle with a...
The Danish Maritime Authority seized the container vessel Nora, a ship blacklisted by the United States for violating Iran sanctions. Authorities say the vessel was sailing under an unauthorized Comoros flag and abruptly raised the Iranian flag when questioned, indicating...
The Department of the Air Force has chosen Des Moines Air National Guard Base in Iowa as the preferred site to convert reassigned manpower into Air National Guard cyber operations. The 2025 defense budget eliminated half of the ANG Tactical...
The Department of the Air Force has chosen Fort Gordon, Georgia, as the preferred site for two new Air National Guard cyber operations squadrons. The 117th Air Control Squadron will be inactivated at Hunter Army Airfield, releasing manpower that will...
Iran’s leadership has repeatedly misread regional dynamics, turning potential strategic gains into costly setbacks. After hesitating to mobilize Hezbollah during the October 7 Hamas offensive, Tehran launched a large‑scale missile and drone barrage against Israel in April 2024, prompting a robust Israeli‑U.S....
Japanese Ministry of Defense awarded imagery contracts to Axelspace and Synspective as part of its privately‑run satellite constellation. Axelspace will supply optical data under a 48 billion‑yen ($310 million) deal, while Synspective will provide SAR imagery for 105.6 billion yen ($681 million). The contracts,...
The episode examines the latest round of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva, noting modest progress on nuclear issues but stark disagreement over missiles and regional proxies, while the U.S. escalates its Middle East military presence with an additional aircraft carrier....
The Navy has relocated 4,500 sailors from shipboard berths to shore‑based housing as part of its "No Sailor Lives Afloat" initiative. Officials say the effort includes upgrading existing barracks, reopening rooms, and exploring public‑private housing ventures while advocating for higher...
Massachusetts National Guard Senior Airman Matthew Wright completed a five‑month MIT AI fellowship, part of the Department of the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator. Selected from fewer than 3% of applicants, he was the first junior enlisted Airman to join...
Love @brett_mcgurk dropping Clausewitz on @CNN “No one starts a war—or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so—without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war." I agree with Brett's analysis....
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The Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable featured experts dissecting the Supreme Court’s decision blocking the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. Participants also examined Washington’s mounting pressure on Kyiv amid Russia’s claim...
Rheinmetall has inked a mid‑three‑digit‑million‑euro contract with General Dynamics European Land Systems to supply its CT‑025 unmanned turret, main armament and simulation technology for the Bundeswehr’s new Luchs 2 reconnaissance vehicle. The deal calls for 274 turrets to be delivered between...
Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence has completed its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) acquisition, receiving the final two Oshkosh‑built units in February. The fleet now totals 500 JLTVs, the largest non‑U.S. operator of the platform. The procurement, launched in 2019,...
Four years after Russia’s invasion, Europe has become the primary financier and arms supplier for Ukraine, while the United States under President Trump has largely stepped back from direct involvement. The conflict has spurred unprecedented battlefield innovation, notably Ukraine’s mass‑produced...
Former President Donald Trump’s China policy is defined by contradictory impulses—pursuing short‑term commercial deals while simultaneously signaling a tougher stance on strategic issues like Taiwan and critical minerals. The administration’s “big‑tent” approach pits pro‑business officials against hard‑line hawks, creating strategic...
The Guam National Guard’s 94th Civil Support Team conducted a full‑scale, multi‑agency exercise on Feb. 18 at a simulated clandestine drug laboratory in Barrigada. Participants included the New Mexico Guard’s 64th CST, Andersen Air Force Base’s CBRNE Response Team, and Guam’s fire,...
The U.S. Army’s Combined Army Doctrine Directorate is training doctrine writers to use generative AI tools to accelerate the creation and revision of field manuals. Internally‑developed applications now let authors search hundreds of texts in hours and automatically check grammar...
U.S. Senator Chris Coons told Devex at the Munich Security Conference that the United States allocates far more development assistance than most people realize. He warned that soaring defense budgets among the U.S. and its European allies could crowd out...
At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, allies committed to raising defense‑related spending to 1.5 percent of GDP by 2030, adding roughly $825 billion across the Alliance. The communiqué, however, offers no clear definition of which expenditures count toward this figure,...
The article argues that the Pentagon’s biggest hurdle with drones is technology adoption, not a lack of options, and stresses the need for experienced defense partners to field reliable unmanned systems. It highlights that trust, scalability, and maintainability hinge on...
There is another interesting consequence of the loss of Starlink. Russian tanks and armored vehicles are often equipped with Starlink and cameras that stream video back to command posts. Because it is usually the first assault for these drivers, they...
F-16s Heading To Middle East Equipped With Angry Kitten Electronic Warfare Pods The Angry Kitten pods will give the fourth-generation fighters often tasked with the Wild Weasel missions much-needed extra protection. https://t.co/MR26YH0w6Z
President Donald Trump announced that, following the February 5 expiration of the New START treaty, the United States will pursue a new, modernized nuclear arms‑control agreement that includes Russia and China. The administration rejected Putin’s proposal for a one‑year freeze...
Supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford Has Crossed Into The Mediterranean The carrier's rush to the Middle East comes as the military build-up in the region appears to be approaching its crescendo. Latest: https://t.co/ZPLyQ1iOa3
I asked @derspiegel to share this important interview with Robert Kagan in English. Rafaela von Bredow made it happen. This is how American media should be talking: "We Are Watching a Country Fall Under Dictatorship Almost Without Resistance" https://t.co/Ctij7ummvc
On February 19, United States Forces Korea (USFK) dispatched fighter jets into the overlapping Air Defense Identification Zones of South Korea and China, prompting a tense aerial standoff. The incident highlights how the planned wartime operational‑control (OPCON) transfer – shifting...
My take on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz: “The Iranians recently shot a warning shot across the bow. They indicated that they can shut the straits down and cut the world off from 20% of its supply.” https://t.co/sbb1tuQO4T
Small UAV - with big capabilities - how @Tekever is taking modular #drones to the next level with its AR3 EVO #avgeek #defence https://t.co/9hbPLZEY4l https://t.co/Or8fywIuXn
At the Munich Security Conference, defense leaders focused on tanks, ammunition and troop deployments, while climate change was relegated to the sidelines. Delegations from the Global South, especially small‑island states, warned that climate acts as a strategic risk multiplier that...
Every designated tactical jet parking space visible from satellite is taken at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Base is packed and this doesn't include all the shades and shelters we can't see under.
This, by the way, is why I am skeptical that Ukrainian nuclear weapons would have deterred Putin. He thought Ukraine would collapse, not resist. Deterrence usually works, but it is not foolproof and it does not replace a credible conventional...
The Department of Defense has launched the first phase of its Drone Dominance Program, dubbed “the Gauntlet,” to evaluate commercial uncrewed aerial systems from 25 vendors at Fort Benning. Ahead of testing, the Pentagon’s Blue UAS List, maintained by the...
New from @BreakingDefense by @michaeldmarrow & @ValerieInsinna: The El Paso shootdown highlights the hard work ahead to safely implement new counter-drone authorities for DoD, DHS, & local agencies. https://t.co/d1WSmDnBAi
Geopolitics expert Alexander Mercouris on Chinese and Russian aid to Iran: “There are all kinds of rumors and reports ... that Iran is receiving important military aid from China and from Russia as it prepares for the conflict with the US.”...
On February 19, 2026 the U.S. Air Force deployed two F‑35As, two F‑16Cs, an E‑3 AWACS and tanker support to intercept a Russian formation of two Tu‑95MS bombers, two Su‑35S fighters and a Beriev A‑50 AEW aircraft transiting the Alaskan...
NIST announced a chip that reliably generates a single photon on demand using quantum‑dot technology. The device achieves near‑perfect efficiency and, when paired with superconducting nanowire single‑photon detectors, can transmit photons up to 600 miles. Mass‑production of the chip is...
Airbus highlighted uncertainties around future A400M orders in its FY2025 results, noting a mid‑term slump as the program moves from launch contracts to a second export wave. To date, the company has delivered 137 of the 178 aircraft ordered, with...
