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
Anduril Hits $60 B Valuation as Thrive and A16z Line up, Secondary Shares Surge 40% Premium
Anduril Industries, the defense‑tech startup, is poised for a new funding round at a reported $60 billion valuation, with marquee VCs Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz ready to invest. Secondary‑market demand has driven premiums of up to 40%, highlighting a widening gap between primary investors and outside buyers.
Supply-Chain Attacks Demand Isolated, AI-Driven Code
🚨 Supply chain attacks are the scariest threat in modern software. The LiteLLM compromise was an absolute nightmare scenario. The reality check: → A compromised update hit a package with 97M downloads a month → Grabbed SSH keys, database passwords, and API keys → Spread...
An Imperial Redux
An Imperial Redux draws a parallel between the 1956 Suez Crisis and a 2026 US‑Israel military strike on Iran. The blog argues that, like Britain and France, the United States and Israel pursued an independent foreign policy without NATO support,...
Jeffrey Goldberg and Joe Weisenthal: Pandora's Box Has Been Opened
In this Bulwark Podcast episode, host Tim Miller chats with Atlantic editor‑in‑chief Joe Weisenthal and journalist Jeffrey Goldberg about the economic fallout of the Iran‑Israel conflict and the broader implications for U.S. defense policy. They dissect the controversial Signal‑chat scandal...
DoE Publishes 5-Year Energy Security Plan
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) unveiled a three‑pronged, five‑year energy security plan covering fiscal years 2026‑2030. The plan targets world‑class security technologies, hardening of critical energy infrastructure, and streamlined response and...
Trump: Iran Fired 101 Missiles at USS Abraham Lincoln
President Donald Trump asserted that Iran launched 101 missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln and that every one was intercepted by U.S. forces. The claim was made during the swearing‑in of new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, amid heightened Middle...
War in Iran Spotlights Innovation for Missile Interception Startups
The war in Iran is exposing the high cost of existing missile‑interceptor systems, prompting a surge in demand for affordable defense solutions. Current interceptors can be up to 100 times more expensive than the cheap drones and missiles they target,...
Moog Taps Redwire to Provide Solar Arrays for Meteor
Redwire secured a $12.8 million contract from Moog to supply its Extensible Low‑Profile Solar Array (ELSA) for the Meteor satellite bus. ELSA delivers roughly 50 % more power per unit volume than conventional arrays, targeting mass‑manufactured satellites. The arrays will be designed,...
USS Gerald R. Ford Leaves Middle East After Laundry Fire
We break: The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrived at a port in Crete on Monday after it had to leave the Middle East — and the war against Iran — when a fire broke out in its laundry...
GOP Pushes SAVE America Act via Reconciliation Amid DHS Shutdown
NEW: Republican senators reportedly sold the White House on a plan Monday night to pass the SAVE America Act through a reconciliation package after enacting a funding bill for most of the DHS, which has been shut down for over...
Iran: Relearning the Importance of Waging a War, Not Just Fighting One
Lt. Gen. James Michael Dubik argues that the United States excels at tactical fighting but repeatedly fails to translate battlefield victories into strategic success, a flaw now evident in the emerging Iran conflict. He identifies three war‑waging skills—strategic coherence, organizational...
'So Lucky': Burke Warns Failed Perth Bomb Attack Could Have Killed Many
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia was "so lucky" to avoid mass casualties after a homemade pipe bomb failed to explode at an Invasion Day rally in Perth on Jan. 26. The device, packed with ball bearings, could have killed...
The Private Firms Powering China’s Military AI Push
In February 2026, Shanxi 100 Trust Information Technology, a 266‑person privately owned IT firm, was banned for a year after submitting falsified bidding materials for PLA AI contracts. Despite the penalty, the company exemplifies a broader trend: a Georgetown CSET study...
Iran War Enters New Phase
The episode examines the escalating U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, focusing on recent diplomatic overtures, back‑channel talks, and the stark differences between Iranian and American strategic mindsets. Guests Dr. Trita Parsi and journalist Alexis DeLumis provide insight into Iran’s hard‑line stance,...
U.S. Marine Corps Destroys Drone Target With MADIS System
The U.S. Marine Corps recently employed its Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) to destroy a hostile drone during a live‑fire training exercise. The successful interception demonstrated MADIS’s ability to engage small, low‑observable aerial threats in real time. The test...
Iran Wiped 50 Israeli Firms’ Data, Hacked Cameras, Official Says
Iran-linked hackers have intensified cyber operations against Israel since the recent war, wiping data from more than 50 small Israeli firms and breaching dozens of security cameras. Israel's National Cyber Directorate confirmed that critical infrastructure such as energy grids, banks...
Mines Add to Escalating Threat Environment in Strait of Hormuz
Windward AI’s latest daily update warns that Iranian naval mines have been placed in the Strait of Hormuz, adding a covert, sub‑surface danger to an already constrained waterway. The mines, both moored and limpet‑style, use magnetic and acoustic sensors to...
Poland Faced a Surge in Cyberattacks in 2025, Including a Major Assault on the Energy Sector
Poland recorded a dramatic rise in cyber activity in 2025, logging roughly 270,000 attacks—2.5 times more than the previous year. The most serious incident was a destructive infiltration of a combined heat‑and‑power plant on Dec. 29, affecting services for about 500,000...
The Strait of Hormuz & Why It Matters
In a 3EDGE Week in Review video, Chief Investment Strategist Fritz Folts and CEO/CIO Steve Cucchiaro examine the geopolitical risks of a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They outline the waterway’s strategic role in global oil transport and...
Trump Abandons Neutrality, Aligns with Russia After Anchorage
"In effect... the United States ceased to be not just an ally, but even a neutral mediator for Ukraine. A mediator does not take a position pre-aligned with one of the parties, nor does it use leverage against the other...
MSI Defense Integrates Korean Interceptor Into EAGLS System
MSI Defense Solutions and South Korea’s Nearthlab have signed an MOU to embed the KAiDEN autonomous interceptor drone into MSI’s EAGLS counter‑UAS platform. The integration adds a kinetic, hard‑kill layer to an otherwise detection‑and‑tracking focused system, expanding its ability to...
Coast Guard Details Its Plan for a New 'Acquisition Superhighway'
The Coast Guard announced its Acquisition Superhighway initiative, a blanket purchase agreement to procure an AI‑enabled procurement and acquisition system. A solicitation is due in the second quarter with a performance period through April 2028. The effort focuses on automating...
Leonidas Autonomous Vehicle Demonstrates Dual-Use Physical AI
I’m proud to share @KodiakRobotics, @epirus and @GD_LandSystems are leading the way in showcasing what Physical AI looks like on the front lines. We unveiled the Leonidas autonomous ground vehicle this morning at AUSA’s Global Force. This is a defining moment...
Canadian Navy Reveals Latest Modifications to River-Class Destroyer
The Royal Canadian Navy unveiled an updated River‑class Destroyer model, aligning the design more closely with NATO standards. The Italian‑made 127 mm gun has been swapped for the lighter BAE Mk 45, and the missile layout now features 24 Mk 41 cells with...
Kallas Takes Aim at Russia’s ‘Unethical’ Army Recruiting in Africa During Ghana Trip
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas condemned Russia’s recruitment of African fighters for Ukraine and unveiled a new defence pact with Ghana. A February All Eyes on Wagner report counted 1,417 African recruits, 316 killed, with Cameroon suffering the highest...
Synthetic Data Keeps Customer Info Safe From Frontier AI
Most of these AI solutions right now for the cybersecurity industry are utilizing frontier models. That should scare a lot of folks - customer data going into extremely new technology platforms that they literally state their new models, features/functionality are...
L3Harris Ramps VAMPIRE Drone-Killer System Production
L3Harris has launched high‑volume production of its VAMPIRE counter‑UAS system at a new Huntsville, Alabama facility to satisfy growing demand from the United States and allied forces. The system, combat‑proven since 2023 in European conflicts including Ukraine, detects, tracks and...
A Ukraine Ceasefire Could Accidentally Set Europe up for a Bigger War | RAND's Top Russia Expert Samuel Charap
In this episode, RAND Russia expert Samuel Charap warns that a cease‑fire in Ukraine could paradoxically raise the risk of a broader NATO‑Russia war by destabilizing the post‑war security environment. He outlines how lingering resentment, militarization of Europe, potential unrest...
Ukraine Destroys Bastion Launcher with Zircon Missiles in Crimea
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate reported that on March 24 its forces struck a moving column of Russian Bastion coastal‑missile launchers in occupied Crimea, destroying one launcher, damaging another, and eliminating two Zircon hypersonic missiles. The operation also killed or wounded seven...
The Global Spread of Salafi-Jihadism and Its Enduring Security Threat
Salafi‑jihadist ideology remains a durable global security threat, responsible for roughly 45% of all terrorist attacks between 2021 and 2024. Despite leadership decapitations and territorial losses, affiliates operate in more than 25 countries, sustaining a steady operational tempo of 3,000‑plus...
Hughes Offers Multi-Orbit, Beam Satellite Modem
Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar subsidiary, introduced the HM400, a software‑defined satellite modem that can operate on both medium‑Earth‑orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous‑Earth‑orbit (GEO) constellations. The modem leverages artificial‑intelligence to automatically switch between satellite beams, delivering continuous connectivity for manned and...
Internet-Exposed EoL Microsoft IIS Servers Remain Prevalent
More than 511,000 Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) servers that have reached end‑of‑life remain exposed on the public internet, according to the Shadowserver Foundation. Nearly half of these servers have outlived Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates window, leaving them unpatched and...
Iran Sets Four Non‑Negotiable Demands for US Talks
JUST IN: 🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran outlines key demands for any US negotiations: • Guarantees against future military action. • Compensation for war-related losses. • Formal control over the Strait of Hormuz. • No restrictions on its ballistic missile program….
NightBeacon AI Detects Phishing in Seconds, Automates Response
NightBeacon AI today identified an insanely cool phishing email attack that showed up on GTI/other sources as benign/non malicious. How it worked: NightBeacon determined the tonality was creating urgency (key indication of social engineering), it looks for any URLs, it went...
One-On-One With SDA’s GP Sandhoo
The Space Development Agency’s first operational satellite tranche is running three months behind schedule, as Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo explained. A “strategic pause” was imposed to address a collection of minor technical glitches and a 45‑day government shutdown that...
US Should Leverage Abu Musa, Tunbs
FTR, I suggested the US look at Abu Musa and the Tunbs as avenues to securing the Straight of Hormuz back on March 5… https://t.co/UU4UsAph4d
Pentagon's $200B Iran Request Could Push 2026 Deficit to $2 Trillion
"The Pentagon has already asked Congress for $200 billion in extra funding for the Iran conflict. If not offset by new revenue or spending cuts, that would take the 2026 deficit near $2 trillion compared with the $1.78 trillion for...
Attack Handoff Times Plummet, Exploits Remain Leading Attack Vector
The median time for attackers to hand off compromised networks fell dramatically to just 22 seconds in 2025, down from over eight hours in 2022, driven by tighter coordination and automation. Exploits continued to dominate initial infection, with CVE‑2025‑31324, CVE‑2025‑61882...
Awaiting Iran's “Tape Bomb”—Deal Hinges on Surprise Announcement
So, we are waiting for a "tape bomb" at any moment saying either Iranians agreed to talk (positive) or not agreeing to talk (effectively ending the possibility of deal).
Demand Counter‑UAS Testing Before Deploying Troops
I’m choosing my words carefully here—I have concerns putting our troops into this sort of environment, without prior c-uas testing in a high density combat environment or more direct learning from the AFU. Please factor c-UAS into these deliberations....
Threat Handoffs Now Occur in Seconds, Not Hours
"In 2022, the median time between an initial access event and the hand-off to a secondary threat group was more than 8 hours. In 2025, that window collapsed to just 22 seconds." https://t.co/gjePO94A0N < important security data in this new...
Iran Conflict Could Shut Strait, Disrupt Global Supply Chains
Planning for two-three weeks more of Iran war. What does Iran do? Are we teaching a tipping point of how long the Strait will be closed or have few ships transiting? Then what? Maritime? Supply chains. Global economy?
Iran Demands Guarantees, Rejects Missile Limits in Talks
Reuters on Tehran's tougher negotiating stance: - Iran would seek guarantees against future attacks - Refuse limits on missile programme - Trump says talks have already taken place, Iran denies - Control over Hormuz would be a key issue - Israel believe US-Iran agreement unlikely
Iran's Strait of Hormuz Leverage Ensures Persistent Economic Power
“Iran holds a lot of cards with the Strait Of Hormuz.” That’s the quote to remember. Geography can be economic power, and “that vulnerability remains pretty much forever.” https://t.co/OoCOYi8LMc
Google Adds Dark‑web Intel for Faster Threat Detection
"To get teams the critical data they need to make quick, accurate decisions about rising threats, we’re introducing a new dark web intelligence capability in Google Threat Intelligence." https://t.co/qGKDWJjI36 < identify risks faster and get ahead of adversaries
Speed and Security Don't Justify Government Equity Stakes
"Rare Earths, Vulcan, and Government Equity Stakes" https://t.co/O8xyNepv2V via @CatoInstitute @DeHavenTad "The case for speed is not a case for ownership—and the case for national security is not a case for normalizing a model in which politically favored firms receive...
F-15EX Becomes Sensor King with Triple‑Pod Suite
Pod party on this F-15EX: Sniper targeting pod, AAQ-13 Nav pod w/terrain following radar, and Legion IRST pod. F-15EX is the bolt on sensor king of fighters.
Marine Corps F‑35Cs Deploy to Middle East Bases
Land-Based Marine Corps F-35Cs Are Now Moving Towards The Middle East The F-35Cs, operating from land bases, look set to join a Marine combat capability that is about to balloon in size in the Middle East. Lots of movements underway, updating live:...
JCPOA Viable,
Asked Claude for this (heavily guided the framework myself and used Claude for format). Seems about right. Basically something like JCPOA is possible and the new issues are impossible to bridge the gap. https://t.co/YnSNjDjGMw
800+ Russian Drones Unleashed in Historic Attack
It appears that today saw one of the largest drone attacks in history, more than 800 Russian drones launched, not including the massive missile strikes carried out overnight.