Today's Defense Pulse
U.S. Treasury expands sanctions on Iran-linked shipping network
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a new sanctions round targeting a global network of shipping firms, tanker operators and intermediaries tied to Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trades. Entities in Hong Kong, the UAE, India, Qatar, Singapore, China, Liberia and the Marshall Islands were added to the Specially Designated Nationals list.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Disciplined Growth Acquisition Corp raises $150M in IPO
Rocket Lab Secures $1 Bn Defense Contracts, Targets Space‑Based Interceptor Market
Rocket Lab announced two major defense contracts—a $816 million prime deal with the U.S. Space Development Agency and a $190 million hypersonic‑flight agreement—signaling a strategic shift toward missile‑defense and a planned space‑based interceptor system. The contracts lift the company's aerospace/defense revenue, which rose 65.4% year‑over‑year, and expand its backlog to roughly $2.3 billion.
Trump Refuses to Let Xi Haggle over Arms Sales
U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his state visit to China by refusing to let President Xi Jinping negotiate over Taiwan arms sales. A Taiwanese security official said the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump all reiterated that...
SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV Completes Record Eight-Day Autonomous Mission
The U.S. Navy’s MARTAC T38 Devil Ray uncrewed surface vessel completed a record‑setting eight‑day autonomous mission, sailing roughly 400 nautical miles and operating continuously for 192 hours without crew or escort. The trial, conducted off California’s coast, demonstrated the USV’s...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Moritz Novak, GATE Space
GATE Space, a Vienna‑based spin‑off from TU Wien, is commercialising green chemical propulsion that lets smallsats maneuver, reposition and de‑orbit on command. Its flagship BeaconSat, Austria’s first military satellite, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in February 2027, funded with roughly...
Armed Drones Account for Over 80% of Sudan Civilian Deaths, UN Says
UN human‑rights chief Volker Türk warned that armed drones now cause more than 80% of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war, with 880 civilians killed between January and April. The surge reflects a flood of foreign‑supplied drones, especially from China and...
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) Partners with Kodiak AI on Autonomous Ground Vehicles for Defense Applications
General Dynamics (GD) announced a strategic partnership with Kodiak AI on May 8 to fast‑track autonomous ground vehicles for defense. The deal combines Kodiak’s virtual‑driver AI with GD’s Land Systems expertise in vehicle integration, power and communications. Building on the Leonidas...
USS Gerald R. Ford Returns Home After Long Mission Supporting Iran War and Maduro Capture
The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Norfolk after a 326‑day, 11‑month deployment—the longest carrier tour since the Vietnam era. The carrier and its escort destroyers supported U.S. combat operations against Iran and the January operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. A non‑combat...
Into the Final Week: Can the NPT States Come Together on a Final Document?
Ambassador Do Hung Viet, president of the 11th NPT Review Conference, circulated a revised Draft Outcome Document (Rev. 1) to all states parties on May 13, 2026. The updated text runs 14 pages, incorporating additional language while retaining the zero‑draft’s core...
US-Nigerian Strike Kills Senior ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Mainuki in Lake Chad
U.S. and Nigerian forces eliminated Abu Bakr al‑Mainuki, a senior Islamic State commander, during a joint strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. The operation, announced by President Donald Trump and confirmed by President Bola Tinubu, marks the...
India Holds National Consultation to Strengthen Cybersecurity Framework for State Data
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology convened a national consultation on 11 May 2026 to shape a cybersecurity framework for state‑run data systems. The workshop, attended by officials from all 36 states and union territories, outlined four mandatory safeguards: a formal...
Israel Claims Successful Strike on Hamas Al-Qassam Leader Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad
Israel announced that an airstrike on Friday hit Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of Hamas’s Al‑Qassam brigades, citing initial indications of success. The strike, part of a broader campaign since the October cease‑fire, underscores Israel’s intent to dismantle Hamas’s military...
Adisyn and Raval to Develop Graphene-Enhanced Stealth Components for Drones
Adisyn’s 2D Radar Absorbers has signed an MoU with Israeli plastics manufacturer Raval A.C.S. to co‑develop graphene‑enhanced radar‑absorbing components for drones and UAVs. Raval, which generates about €201 million (≈ $219 million) in annual revenue, will handle plastic molding and serial‑production tooling, while...
Hanwha Aerospace, Milrem Robotics Join Forces on Romanian UGV Program
South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace and Estonia’s Milrem Robotics signed a three‑way agreement at the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace 2026 exhibition to combine Milrem’s THeMIS tracked system with Hanwha’s wheeled UGVs for Romania. The deal, announced as Hanwha’s shares fell...
Lockheed Wins $61M Deal to Fix Patriot’s Blind Spot Problem
Lockheed Martin secured a $61 million U.S. Army contract to develop two critical upgrades for the Patriot air‑defense system: the Missile Segment Enhancement Containerized Launcher and the Remote Interceptor Guidance 360‑Degrees (RIG‑360) system. The RIG‑360 will provide 360‑degree PAC‑3 missile engagement...
BlackSea Technologies Demonstrates GARC USV Capabilities in Norway
BlackSea Technologies showcased its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) unmanned surface vessel at NATO’s Arctic Sentry 2026 exercise in Ramsund, Norway. The USV operated in harsh Arctic conditions alongside the U.S. 6th Fleet, USVRON‑3, and the Royal Norwegian Navy, demonstrating...
U.S. Army Buys 50 More Stryker A1 Armored Vehicles
The U.S. Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $229.6 million fixed‑price‑incentive contract to build 50 Stryker Double V‑Hull A1 armored vehicles, with delivery slated for June 30 2028. The A1 variant adds a reinforced V‑shaped hull, upgraded drivetrain, and modernized electronics to...
Northrop Grumman Wins $325M to Develop Drone that Monitors Hypersonic Tests
Northrop Grumman has secured a $325.5 million U.S. Army contract to develop RangeHawk, a high‑altitude long‑endurance drone designed to gather test data from hypersonic and other high‑speed weapons. The cost‑plus‑fixed‑fee award covers prototype development, air‑frame modifications, sensor integration and logistics, with...
F-35 Fleet Gets Nearly $1B Electronic Warfare Upgrade
Lockheed Martin secured a $991 million Navy contract to produce 432 electronic‑warfare (EW) modification kits for the F‑35 fleet, with deliveries scheduled through March 2032. The kits will be distributed across U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and a larger share to...
Ondas Unveils Iron-Wave Modular Ground Robotic System
Ondas Holdings announced Iron‑Wave, a modular ground‑robotic system that links multiple unmanned platforms to a single control hub, cutting the number of operators needed. The architecture supports interchangeable ISR, sensing and counter‑UAS payloads, aiming to operate in contested, communications‑denied environments....
Pentagon Courts Detroit’s Big Three for Next‑Gen Infantry Vehicle Contract
The Pentagon has opened preliminary talks with General Motors and Ford Motor Co. about a major Army contract to develop a next‑generation infantry squad vehicle. The outreach reflects Washington’s search for industrial capacity to meet accelerating defense needs and could...
CIA Director John Ratcliffe Meets Cuban Officials as U.S. Readies Raúl Castro Indictment
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met senior Cuban officials in Havana, the first high‑level U.S. delegation in ten years. The visit comes as the Trump administration prepares a criminal indictment against former President Raúl Castro and intensifies an energy blockade that...
FBI Posts $200,000 Reward for Ex‑Air Force Counterintelligence Agent Monica Witt
The FBI’s Washington Field Office has put a $200,000 bounty on former Air Force counterintelligence specialist Monica Witt, who defected to Iran and is alleged to have supplied classified defense data and assisted Iranian hackers. The move underscores lingering concerns...
B.E. Meyers Set to Debut VSLAP-V1 Targeting Laser at SOF Week
B.E. Meyers & Co. will unveil its VSLAP‑V1 near‑infrared laser system at SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida, from May 18‑21. The device uses patented DeathStar technology to co‑align six diodes, delivering up to 1.21 watts of output for air‑to‑ground targeting and illumination....
Poland Takes Control of Its Own Radar Satellite Constellation
Poland has taken operational control of the POLSARIS synthetic‑aperture‑radar (SAR) satellite constellation, a four‑satellite system delivered by ICEYE in just 12 months. The €200 million ($232.5 million) program provides 25 cm resolution imagery that works day‑and‑night and in any weather. Operated by the...
Starmer Prepares for Leadership Battle with £18bn Defence Boost
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to green‑light an £18 billion (≈$23 billion) increase in UK defence spending, a move aimed at modernising the armed forces with new jets, munitions and advanced technology. The boost, touted by senior defence advisers as essential...
L&T Partners with Exail to Offer Mine Warfare Solutions to the Indian Navy
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed a strategic partnership with France’s Exail to supply an unmanned mine‑countermeasure (MCM) suite for the Indian Navy’s 12‑vessel MCMV program, a project valued at roughly $5 billion. The collaboration makes L&T the prime contractor, while...
Trump Sees Arms Sales to Taiwan as Negotiating Chip with China
President Donald Trump said the pending decision on a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan will serve as a negotiating chip against China. The deal, already cleared by Congress in January 2025, remains on hold pending Trump’s talks with Taipei. Trump...
3 Canadian Space Division and Canada’s Military Space Enterprise
Canada established the 3 Canadian Space Division in July 2022 as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s dedicated military space formation. The division consolidates satellite communications, navigation, space domain awareness, ISR and space control under a single command that also serves as...
US Air Force Awards AEVEX $18.5 Million for Group 3 Autonomous Strike Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force awarded AEVEX an $18.5 million contract to supply Group 3 autonomous aircraft for One‑Way‑Attack missions. The deal leverages AEVEX’s 100,000‑sq‑ft manufacturing space and 150‑plus engineers, highlighting the service’s push for scalable, 3D‑printed strike platforms.
China Poised to Outpace US Nuclear Capacity by 2030
“The People’s Republic of China (PRC) now commands the world’s largest overall nuclear construction pipeline, placing Beijing on a credible path to surpass the United States in operable nuclear capacity before 2030.” https://t.co/kaqlGlvEJy
Nvidia's H200 AI Chip Sales to China Stalled After US Green Light
Nvidia received U.S. Commerce Department clearance for roughly ten Chinese companies, including Alibaba and Tencent, to purchase up to 75,000 H200 AI chips each, yet no shipments have occurred. The delay underscores the clash between export‑control rules and mounting demand...
C Speed Taps Dave Abel as CEO to Accelerate Radar and Domain‑awareness Growth
C Speed announced Dave Abel as its new chief executive, succeeding Kevin McLaughlin. Abel brings over 30 years of public‑sector tech experience as the firm eyes expanded radar and domain‑awareness contracts amid rising defense demand.
Trump and Xi Agree to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open, Reject Toll Plans
President Donald Trump announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping backs keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and opposes any tolls or militarisation of the waterway. The joint stance was issued after a two‑day summit in Beijing, where both leaders said...
Small Wars Journal and Arizona State University to Participate in SOF Week 2026
Small Wars Journal (SWJ) and multiple Arizona State University (ASU) security initiatives will attend SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, the premier gathering of the international special‑operations community. The partnership brings together academic programs, research centers, and publications such as Inter...
Trump Weighs Taiwan Arms Package
President Donald Trump said he has not yet decided whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan, after hearing concerns from Chinese President Xi during their summit. The administration previously authorized an $11 billion weapons package in December...
Asante Babers: Building Security That Actually Holds
Asante Babers, a veteran with over 20 years in cybersecurity, has spent his career engineering security systems that survive real‑world pressure. He has moved across tech, defense, finance, healthcare and fintech, using each stint to uncover how complex environments fail....
Video: What Happens After NATO?
Former President Trump withdrew 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and halted a planned 4,000‑troop deployment to Poland, sparking doubts about America’s commitment to NATO. The cancellation of a 2027 Tomahawk cruise‑missile shipment to Germany, along with delays in weapon deliveries...
OMB Pushes Biggest Federal Acquisition Reform in 50 Years
The Office of Management and Budget is launching the most extensive overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation in five decades, driven by two 2025 executive orders. OMB has cut roughly 500 pages and eliminated about 3,000 mandatory clauses, streamlining the...
Iraqi Militia Leader in US Custody After Arrest: What to Know
The U.S. Justice Department announced the arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al‑Saadi, a senior Kataib Hezbollah operative, after he was detained in Turkey and transferred to U.S. custody. Al‑Saadi faces six terrorism charges tied to nearly 20 plots, including 18 attacks across Europe...
Civmec Ltd Q3 Profit Jumps 69% as Defense Contracts Boost Revenue
Civmec Ltd posted a third‑quarter profit of A$13.5 million, up 69% from a year earlier, while revenue surged 54.1% to A$244.2 million. The gains reflect a wave of new defense and aerospace manufacturing contracts that are reshaping the Australian high‑tech sector.
Bronx Man Convicted for Running Secret Chinese Police Station in Manhattan
Lu "Harry" Jianwang, a Bronx native, was found guilty by a Brooklyn federal jury of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China and obstructing justice. Prosecutors say he ran a clandestine Chinese Ministry of Public Security police station in...
Did Iran Hack Tank Readers at US Gas Stations? Security Leaders Discuss
U.S. officials suspect Iranian hackers breached unsecured automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems at gas stations, altering fuel‑level displays without affecting actual storage. The intrusion, reported by CNN, highlighted that the ATG devices were online without password protection, enabling remote manipulation....
U.S. Agencies Will Operate From Surveillance Tower in Chihuahua, Despite Recent Unauthorized CIA Presence in the Mexican State
U.S. federal agencies—including the FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI and CBP—are slated to occupy the 18th floor of the new Centinela Tower in Ciudad Juárez, using the facility’s advanced surveillance platform for cross‑border intelligence sharing. The move proceeds despite a recent diplomatic...
Ukraine’s Zelensky Says Russia Considering Plan to Attack NATO Country From Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is weighing plans to launch attacks from Belarus, either against Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv‑Kyiv corridor or directly at a NATO member. He said Moscow is trying to pull Belarus deeper into the war, citing...
Trump Declines Xi's Direct Question on Taiwan Defense
On Air Force One,@POTUS told reporters he refused to directly answer #China President Xi Jinping when asked if the U.S. would defend #Taiwan if China attacked it. “That question was asked to me today,” Trump said as they flew back to...
Air Force One Arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Hour
JUST IN: Air Force One set to land at Joint Base Andrews in about 1 hour
Trump Waffles on Taiwan Arms Deal After Xi Talks
President Trump said he is uncertain about approving a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan after a detailed arms‑sales discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He emphasized avoiding a war that is "9,500 miles away" while acknowledging the U.S. 1982 six‑assurances...
New Golden Dome ‘Ecosystem Hub’ Will Vet New Tech, Monitor Industrial Base
The Pentagon’s Golden Dome program has launched an "Ecosystem Hub" to streamline how companies pitch technologies for its missile‑defense architecture. The hub serves as a single entry point, vetting proposals for cyber security and supply‑chain risks while granting cleared firms...
F-35 Delays Drove Boost to Air Force’s F-15EX Buy
The Air Force has more than doubled its planned F-15EX Eagle II fleet, raising the FY2027 purchase from 129 to 267 aircraft. The move stems from delays in the F-35’s Technology Refresh 3 and Block 4 upgrades, which left the service short of...
![Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [May 15, ’26 Washington Roundtable]](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/022a8448736d95fc0ebcf729497914e0.webp)
Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [May 15, ’26 Washington Roundtable]
The Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, examined President Trump’s $1.15 trillion defense budget request and the evolving Reconciliation 2.0/3.0 process. Panelists debated the Pentagon’s estimate that the Iran‑Israel conflict has already cost $29 billion and reviewed diplomatic moves,...