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
U.S. forces are conducting Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, after intelligence revealed roughly 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent—near weapons‑grade. Representative Sheri Biggs argues that sanctions such as the 2025 Solidify and Enhanced Iran Sanctions Acts have proved insufficient, making decisive military action essential. She links unfinished missions to moral injury among service members, emphasizing the need for a clear end‑state to preserve troop morale. The piece also highlights bio‑contamination drills and a broader deterrence message aimed at China and Russia.
STV Group and UK‑based Post‑Quantum announced the successful trial of the world’s first quantum‑resilient drones, demonstrating secure, future‑proof communications between unmanned aircraft and operators. The tests, conducted in operational environments linked to Ukraine and other allied theatres, proved the drones...
Greensea IQ demonstrated autonomous detection and classification of unexploded ordnance (UXO) using its Bayonet 350 autonomous underwater ground vehicle (AUGV) at a former military bombing range in Maine. The vehicle towed White River Technologies’ APEX three‑dimensional electromagnetic sensor and, aided by...
A Kuwaiti‑flagged VLCC Al Salmi, carrying about 2 million barrels of Saudi and Kuwaiti crude, was struck by a drone off Dubai, sparking a fire that was later extinguished without injuries or oil leakage. The incident, reported by UKMTO, follows a recent...
Sikorsky and Robinson Helicopter Company unveiled the R66 TURBINETRUCK, an autonomous cargo helicopter that integrates Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ autonomy suite with Robinson’s R66 airframe. The platform, the 21st aircraft equipped with MATRIX, targets both civil and military logistics, offering rapid reconfiguration...
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is set to receive unchecked access to corporate and financial databases starting April 1, allowing it to copy any organization’s data without a court order. The agency also mandates banks to install surveillance tools by 2027...
Iran launched a fresh salvo of missiles across the Middle East, striking targets in Dubai and Kuwait after President Donald Trump warned of destroying Iran's oil export hub, power plants and desalination facilities. Israel claimed it had achieved key military...
is it me or supply chain attacks on npm are getting regular occurrence these days?
AI-driven cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and costly, with automation enabling highly targeted phishing, synthetic identities, and a surge in ransomware and coordinated attacks impacting businesses of all sizes. cybersecurity
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that reopening the Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic will be challenging, emphasizing the need for de‑escalation before safe navigation can resume. He hosted senior military officials and executives from Lloyd’s, Goldman Sachs, HSBC,...
Iran’s asymmetric campaign of hundreds of ballistic missiles and over 2,000 low‑cost Shahed‑136 drones has forced the United States and Israel into an expensive interceptor race while it leveraged control of the Strait of Hormuz to push global oil prices...
Human Rights Watch released a report confirming that Iran has repeatedly employed cluster munitions in ballistic missile strikes against Israeli population centers since the February 28 outbreak of the Iran‑Israel conflict. The attacks have killed at least 16 civilians in Israel...
Iran struck the Kuwait‑flagged crude tanker Al‑Salmi off Dubai, igniting a fire on a vessel loaded with about 2 million barrels of oil worth over $200 million. The attack prompted a brief spike in crude prices, pushing U.S. gasoline above $4 a...
The Pentagon has demanded an immediate retraction of a Financial Times story that claimed a broker for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to place a multimillion‑dollar investment in a defense‑focused ETF ahead of the Iran conflict. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell...
A review of recently released federal mobile applications, dubbed “Fedware,” uncovered extensive permission requests and embedded third‑party trackers, including sanctioned Chinese components. The findings warn public‑sector CIOs of heightened privacy and security exposure.
A Russian tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, arrived in Matanzas with 730,000 barrels of Urals crude worth about $84 million, marking the first oil shipment to Cuba since January. President Trump’s decision to allow the delivery breaks a two‑month U.S. fuel blockade,...
On January 5 2026 the General Services Administration issued an IT Security Procedural Guide that instantly raises cybersecurity requirements for any contractor handling Controlled Unclassified Information. The guide forces compliance with NIST SP 800‑171 Rev 3, selected SP 800‑172 Rev 3 controls, and privacy controls from...
Iran’s recent conflict with the United States and Israel has highlighted its reliance on a ballistic‑missile‑centric defence, firing over 5,000 munitions in the first 96 hours before launch rates dropped about 90% due to coalition strikes and rationing. The campaign...
Not sure what to make of words on the war from Trump any more, but here you go: "Trump tells aides he's willing to end war without reopening Hormuz" -- WSJ Admin officials assess that forcing the waterway back open would mean...
Bayan Mining and Minerals (ASX:BMM) has been accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium, giving it a formal channel to engage with Department of Defense contracting and non‑dilutive funding. The membership unlocks access to Other Transaction Authority agreements that...
The U.S. Navy has positioned the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, carrying roughly 3,500 Marines, in the Gulf amid rising regional tension. Analysts argue the vessel is highly vulnerable to swarms of Iranian aerial and sea drones, despite its layered defenses....
🇺🇸🇮🇷GAINING FULL CONTROL OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE HARD FOR THE US It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes just 2 miles wide in each direction Iran has heavily fortified the northern coastline...
#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: India's minister of external affairs, S. Jaishankar says India will not be a “go-between country like Pakistan" in the US-Israeli war on Iran. S. JAISHANKAR = A WISE MAN. https://t.co/JFnuxXvlKV
Indonesia’s air force has placed an order for twelve brand‑new Pilatus PC‑24 jets, intended for pilot training, air transport, and liaison duties. The contract, signed through PT E‑System Solutions Indonesia, also bundles ground‑support equipment, spare parts, training and technical assistance. The...
Andrei Lugovoy tells state tv the British embassy in Moscow is not really an embassy but "a center for spying and subversive activity" (центр разведывательно-подрывной деятельности), and warns Russians not to fall into the hands of British spies. https://t.co/pkFjdXNCaH
#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: India is one of the largest importers of fertilizers sourced in the Gulf. Now, India has pivoted towards Russia. It is locking in long-term deals, to cut its reliance from the Gulf. IT’S A SIGN THAT THE ILL-CONCEIVED SANCTIONS REGIME IS STARTING...
Pakistan’s military, led by Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has positioned the country as a broker in the U.S.-Iran war, offering to host talks in Islamabad and relaying President Donald Trump’s demands. The partnership deepened after the May 2025...
🇺🇸TRUMP’S 40-YEAR PLAN In 1987 President Trump said in an interview that the US should go and seize Iran’s oil He predicted a war to start in the Middle East Fast forward to today, Trump has his eyes on Kharg Island,...
Exactly. In the long term, countries should invest to make the Strait of Hormuz less strategically important. More pipes. @washingtonpost https://t.co/f7lWVZ0GyY
The United Nations is reportedly preparing contingency plans for an Israeli nuclear retaliation, known as the Samson Option, against Iran’s densely populated areas. A UN diplomat, Muhammad Safa, resigned after internal discussions acknowledged the growing likelihood of such a strike....
What's next? Trump telling UAE he will accept their demands for US to stay in the war only if $500 bn in frozen Iranian assets in Gulf is confiscated and disbursed to US Treasury.... Biden tried it w/frozen Russian assets...
Tonight, @MaritimeCollege and their training ship Empire State VII, the first of @DOTMARAD National Security Mult-Mission Vessels doubled as a @USNavy destroyer targeted by a Houthi terrorist in an episode of #FBI. https://t.co/2pwgBdhUJO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, turning diplomatic outreach into a sales mission for Kyiv’s battlefield expertise. The Gulf states responded with defence‑co‑operation agreements, including a 10‑year intergovernmental partnership with Qatar that features joint production...
ICYMI. In case you need it. What is Strategy in War? my article with @LiamSCollins in @smallwars https://t.co/o27njmt7mI
Rubio: “Imagine if instead of spending billions on weapons, Iran spent that money on its people. They’d have a much different country.” Fascinating https://t.co/rx0UQkBSGi
The UN Open‑Ended Working Group (OEWG) wrapped up its 2025 cycle, reaffirming the 2015 GGE’s eleven cyber norms but delivering few fresh agreements. A new permanent Global Mechanism has been created to keep multilateral dialogue on state behaviour in cyberspace...
🇺🇸 TRUMP: Tells aides willing to end war w/out reopened Hormuz. 🇮🇷 IRAN: warns US troops face death if sent to Kharg Islnd. Iran strike hits Kuwaiti crude carrier in Dubai port.
Weekly update is up! Join Me in Investigating Today’s Data Breaches With the PwnedClaw, the OpenClaw Agentic AI Bot Doing My Legwork: https://t.co/KeML1pLTOL
The episode explains that Kharg Island is Iran’s primary oil export hub, handling over 90% of the country’s crude shipments—about 1.7 million barrels a day, or roughly 1.5% of global supply. Experts Humayun Falak Shahi (Kpler) and Dr. Anahita Motazad‑Rad (LSE)...
“.. Trump told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed .. likely extending Tehran’s firm grip on the waterway and leaving a complex operation to reopen it...
NATOs core problem is misaligment: USAs enemy is China, but Europa sees China as a partner. Europas enemy is Russia but USA would like to do a reverse Nixon with Russia to weaking the Dragonbear ties. Europa supports Ukraine to fight against Russia...
A French court sentenced Chinese captain Chen Zhangjie to one year in prison and a $170,000 fine for refusing a military boarding order on the shadow‑fleet tanker Boracay, suspected of launching drones that disrupted Copenhagen Airport. The vessel, linked to...
In what world is it okay for the Defense Secretary to make multi-million dollar investments in defense companies: a) Ever; b) Just before launching a war. FT has the scoop: https://t.co/ulRcXTH2Vp In a functional democracy, he would offer his resignation tonight. https://t.co/013BL2pZEB
The UAE is pushing hard for Trump to order a US ground invasion of Iran, a Gulf diplomat tells AP, with Kuwait and Bahrain also supporting such an operation
President Donald Trump announced "great progress" in Iran peace talks while simultaneously threatening to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure, including Kharg Island, if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The White House has repeatedly extended deadline dates, pairing each...
We break: Key details about US military spending for the 2027 fiscal year will be released on April 21, a source says https://t.co/JeLmkFp4Ul
Trump warns the US may strike Iran’s energy infrastructure if talks fail - per WSJ
Pete Hegseth’s broker looked to buy defence fund before Iran attack - https://t.co/8RQRd4zFhW via @FT
Kudos to Spain… @SecRubio is unhappy that Spain refused to give permission to the US to use its Airspace in their murderous escapades…. While @Keir_Starmer did… https://t.co/RzRVRM74tc
