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
US Intelligence Chief Grilled on Absence of Election Threats in Security Assessment
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard defended leaving foreign election‑interference threats out of the annual global‑threat assessment, prompting sharp questioning from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner. The omission raises alarms that the intelligence community may be constrained from reporting on ongoing foreign attempts to sway the 2024 midterms. Gabbard also clarified her presence at the FBI’s January raid on a Georgia election office, saying she was there at President Trump’s request, not as a law‑enforcement participant. Lawmakers warned that cuts to agencies like CISA and the absence of a Foreign Malign Influence Center could further erode election cyber defenses.
Architects of the Exercise: Bringing the Space Domain to Life for Freedom Shield 26
Freedom Shield 26, the annual joint drill between South Korea, the United States and the United Nations Command, has incorporated a dedicated space‑domain component. The U.S. Space Force’s Korea S7 directorate is spearheading the development of space‑focused scenarios and training...
US Assesses China Not Planning to Invade Taiwan in 2027
U.S. intelligence agencies report that China does not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027, preferring a non‑military path to unification. The assessment tempers earlier Pentagon warnings that the People’s Liberation Army aims to be capable of a forceful takeover...
BRICS Is Divided on Iran. So Are NATO and the G-7.
BRICS members remain divided over the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, with China and Brazil condemning the attacks while India stays neutral and South Africa hesitates. The bloc’s recent expansion to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE has...
ConnectWise Patches New Flaw Allowing ScreenConnect Hijacking
ConnectWise has issued a critical patch for ScreenConnect after uncovering CVE‑2026‑3564, a cryptographic signature verification flaw affecting versions prior to 26.1. The vulnerability enables attackers to extract ASP.NET machine keys and forge authenticated sessions, potentially leading to unauthorized access and...
TEKEVER and EPE Announce Strategic Partnership to Support Advanced Autonomous Systems Capability in New Zealand
TEKEVER, a pan‑European AI‑centric defence tech firm, has entered a strategic partnership with New Zealand‑based EPE to deliver advanced autonomous systems to the NZ market. The deal combines TEKEVER’s AR5, AR3 EVO and ATLAS platforms with EPE’s local customer relationships and support...
Cyprus Looks to EU Joint-Defence, Amid Nato Split on Iran
Iran fired drones and missiles at Cyprus after the island hosted a British base, prompting an immediate EU defence response. President Nikos Christodoulides said Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands deployed forces, effectively testing the EU’s Article 42(7) mutual‑assistance clause....
UK Defence Industry Steps up Support for Gulf Partners Facing Iranian Attacks
Britain escalated defence support for Gulf states amid Iran's indiscriminate attacks, convening senior officials and representatives from 13 UK defence firms with regional ambassadors. The UK government confirmed plans to acquire additional Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales to equip British...
What to Read This Week: Katrina Manson's Terrifying Project Maven
Katrina Manson’s new book, *Project Maven*, chronicles the U.S. military’s decade‑long push to embed artificial intelligence in drone surveillance, beginning with the 2017 initiative that automated video analysis. Drawing on more than 200 interviews, the work reveals a hidden ecosystem...
Coexpair to Fabricate, Demonstrate and Test Lockheed F-35 Composite Parts Using SQRTM 4.0
Coexpair and Lockheed Martin have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop, demonstrate, and test composite parts for the F‑35 using Coexpair’s SQRTM 4.0 technology. The partnership will follow a phased approach, with Lockheed providing process‑qualification support while Coexpair builds and...
Boeing Vs Lockheed: Who Has The Best-Selling Military Aircraft Of All Time?
Boeing’s B‑17 Flying Fortress remains the all‑time best‑selling combat aircraft with 12,731 units built, a record set during World War II’s massive production surge. Lockheed Martin, while never eclipsing the B‑17’s single‑model total, boasts several high‑volume platforms—including the C‑130 Hercules (2,700+), F‑16...
Ukraine Could Win the War... And Lose Its Tech
Ukraine’s defense tech sector exploded during the war, growing from a handful of firms to over 500 drone manufacturers that produced millions of units annually. Investment surged from $1 million in 2023 to over $105 million projected for 2025, driven by foreign...
Syria and the Islamic State: Analyzing America’s Departure
Thanassis Cambanis revisits his 2024 call for a U.S. pullout from Syria, noting that the recent American withdrawal has sparked chaos and a power vacuum. The Syrian regime swiftly reclaimed the Kurdish‑held enclave, while the fate of high‑risk Islamic State...
Unlocking Spectrum Dominance With AI and Cognitive EW
In this episode Ken Miller talks with Dr. Karen Haig, a cognitive EW and AI expert, about how artificial intelligence enables truly cognitive electromagnetic warfare—systems that sense, decide, act, and learn in real time with minimal human input. They explain...
BAE Systems Test ‘BATS’ C-UAS Software Next Month
BAE Systems will conduct its first test of the Anti‑Threat System (BATS) in April 2026, followed by live‑fire trials in the summer. Developed in just six months starting October 2025, the AI‑driven command‑and‑control software integrates diverse sensors and effectors through...
Are We There Yet?
The United States launched combat operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, marking the first direct engagement in roughly two weeks. The author contrasts this brief conflict with a 47‑year history of Iranian aggression and U.S. involvement in the Middle...
Trump Likely to Block Russia's Oil Shipments to Cuba
russia sending two shipments of oil. and gas to…cuba. will president trump order interdiction? i’d say pretty good chance he will.
Ransomware Gang Exploits Cisco Flaw in Zero-Day Attacks Since January
The Interlock ransomware gang has been leveraging a maximum‑severity remote code execution flaw (CVE‑2026‑20131) in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center since late January, giving them a 36‑day zero‑day window before Cisco’s public advisory on March 4, 2026. The exploit permits unauthenticated attackers...
War Over Ships and Tariffs, Not Hormuz Opening
Let's unpack this.. What if the White House has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz? What if this war is really about ships & tariffs? I had a long discussion with senior DOE official yesterday on background. I can’t share...
Gulf States Urge U.S. to Weaken Iran Before Peace
"Gulf States Want the U.S. to Cripple Iran's Regime Before Ending the War." @WSJ https://t.co/twMeku5of8 “Any long-term political settlement must address the full spectrum of threats, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and their network of regional proxies,” added Sultan...
U.S. Green Berets Field Futuristic MFMD Rifle System
U.S. Army Special Forces were observed fielding a sniper rifle equipped with a Multi‑Function Muzzle Device (MFMD) during a March 2026 validation exercise at Indiana's Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. The MFMD, developed by Strategic Sciences, integrates flash suppression, recoil control,...
Fortinet’s AI-Driven Defense for a Machine-Speed Era
At Fortinet Accelerate 2026, the company unveiled FortiOS 8.0 and previewed FortiSOC, its cloud‑delivered Security Operations Platform. The new OS adds AI‑aware controls, deep OCR‑based DLP, expanded SASE capabilities and built‑in post‑quantum cryptography to protect the growing shadow‑AI surface. FortiSOC consolidates...
Palantir Integrates AI Into Stratospheric ISR Systems
Palantir Technologies has partnered with Ondas and World View Enterprises to build an AI‑driven, multi‑domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system that spans stratospheric balloons, autonomous drones and ground assets. The collaboration leverages Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform, World View’s high‑altitude...
Bell Completes Critical Design Review on DARPA SPRINT X-Plane Program
Bell Textron announced the successful completion of the Critical Design Review for DARPA’s SPRINT X‑plane program on March 9, clearing the path to build the X‑76 demonstrator. The milestone follows Bell’s Phase 2 down‑selection and integrates Swift Engineering’s composite‑fuselage expertise. The X‑76...
MOD Approach to Safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array
From September to December 2024 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) consulted on a new approach to safeguard the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array against cumulative seismic ground vibration (SGV) from windfarm projects. Following the consultation, the MOD will implement the revised safeguarding...
France’s Next-Generation Aircraft Carrier Officially Named ‘France Libre’
French President Emmanuel Macron officially named the next‑generation nuclear‑powered carrier France Libre, linking the vessel to the World War II Free France legacy. The 80,000‑ton, 310‑metre ship will replace the 42,000‑ton Charles de Gaulle and features U.S.‑origin EMALS catapults, Advanced Arresting...
When the Atom Becomes the Target: Poland’s Nuclear Research Centre Repels a Cyberattack
On March 12, 2026 Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) thwarted a cyber intrusion targeting its IT network. The breach was identified and contained before any disruption to the MARIA research reactor or ongoing scientific work. Preliminary analysis points...
Drone Wars: Countries Are Looking for Answers but Do Companies Have the Solutions?
Manufacturers are accelerating counter‑drone (CUAS) development as nations rush to buy systems for battlefield and homeland protection. Recent Middle‑East flare‑ups, including the US‑Israeli strike on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, have underscored the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems highlighted...
Tusk Comes up with a Plan B, After Polish President Vetoes Historic Defence Spending Law
Poland secured the EU's largest SAFE allocation – €44 billion for 139 defence projects – but President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the financing law on 12 March. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s cabinet responded with a “Plan B”, suggesting the use of returns from the nation’s gold...
Russia's Enduring Military Might Fuels Global Escalation Risk
“Russia retains the capability to selectively challenge U.S. interests globally by military and nonmilitary means. Its robust, advanced conventional and nuclear forces are an enduring threat to the Homeland, U.S. allies and partners, and U.S. forces abroad. The most dangerous threat posed by...
U.S. Army Fields AH-64E Apaches at Fort Bliss
On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Army delivered its first AH‑64E Apache helicopters to the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bliss. The aircraft mark the unit’s shift toward a Heavy Combat Aviation Brigade, featuring upgraded sensors, networked...
US Navy’s First MOD 2 DDG Makes Combat Debut in Epic Fury Strikes
The U.S. Navy’s first MOD 2‑upgraded Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer, USS Pinckney (DDG‑91), made its combat debut by launching Tomahawk missiles against Iranian targets in Operation Epic Fury. The ship carries the SEWIP Block III electronic‑warfare suite, new SPY‑6 radars and an Aegis weapons...
Israel Strikes Largest Iranian Gas Field, Central Beirut; What AIPAC Got for $22 Million in Illinois; U.S. Hits Iran Missiles...
Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes this week, targeting Iran’s offshore South Pars gas field and missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel assassinated Iran’s intelligence minister. The attacks pushed the death toll in Lebanon above 900...
![Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 18, 2026] David Schild on the Comeback Factories Securing America’s Tech Future](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/0df565d992be12abcfc22b99262397b9.webp)
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 18, 2026] David Schild on the Comeback Factories Securing America’s Tech Future
The Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast featured David Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, promoting the documentary "The New Frontier: Inside the Comeback Factories Securing America’s Tech Future," which premieres on March 25 in Washington. The...
ALL.SPACE Achieves Industry-First Multi-Orbit Certification for SES O3b mPOWER
ALL.SPACE announced on March 18, 2026 that its electronically scanned antenna terminal received the industry’s first certification for simultaneous multi‑orbit connectivity on SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO constellation. The ESA can track GEO, MEO and LEO satellites concurrently without mechanical parts, offering...
Specialized DNS Proxy Needed for Detecting Beacon
I work up thinking about this and think I’m going to update my agent framework to use traffic inspection proxy that only allows specific domain names for DNS. There are other reasons you might want to do that which I’ve...
Iran Attacks Abandoned Malta‑flagged Container Ship Safeen Prestige
Looks like Iran struck the abandoned Safeen Prestige, a 23k ton, Malta-flagged container ship, previously hit on March 4th and abandoned. https://t.co/gs0BwcrHY2
China No Immediate Taiwan Invasion Plan, 2027 Unlikely
We break on China/Taiwan-- buried in IC Worldwide Threat Assessment: “Chinese leaders do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification,” said the annual threat assessment, released...
Swap LHAs for New Designs in Build Plan
Let's jump in on the build plan and replace our LHAs with these. (follow me for more impractical naval solutions)
MDA to Add Three Optical Sensors by 2028
@MDA_space to build/maintain 3 ground-based optical space surveillance sensors by 2028 to complement current 150-kg Sapphire sat, launched in 2013. Valued at CAD 32M ($23.4M), it's part of CAD 375M @NationalDefence Surveillance of Space 2 program, to include Sapphire successor....
Iran’s South Pars Gas Field Attack Threatens Government Funding
Iran’s Energy Infrastructure Is Now On The Targeting List The attack on the South Pars gas field puts Iran's energy production, which is critical to funding the Iranian government, in the crosshairs. https://t.co/wO4BOtxxHy
Axios Future of Defense Event in DC, March 23
Axios Future of Defense event in DC on March 23 Guests include @MarkTEsper and @jacobhelberg. Request an invite: https://t.co/G6Ks6HED8O
US Indifference Threatens Europe’s Strait Reopening
What if the United States doesn’t care about reopening the strait for Europe? My latest gCaptain Op-Ed 👇
Israel's Strike Risks Iran Retaliation, Global Energy Fallout
Israel's reckless escalation in attacking Iran's South Pars gas facilities - hitting onshore processing facilities for Phases 3-6, gives Iran plausible excuse (if it needed it) to hit back against regional energy facilities Neutrals & world energy consumers will suffer https://t.co/Kx7MytxmEn
Iran Recalibrates Arsenal, Targets Saudi, Not Depleted
Iran’s arsenal has taken a hit, but it likely isn’t exhausted. Launches are sustained and Saudi Arabia is increasingly in focus. The pattern suggests recalibration, not depletion: Iran can impose costs by causing just enough pain. My analysis @business: https://t.co/BVJUzCttTS...
Iran's Missile Threat Grows as US Defenses Wane
Distinguished UChicago Prof. John Mearsheimer on Iran’s strategy: “As time goes by, our ability to shoot down those missiles, shoot down drones decreases. It doesn't flatline, and it certainly doesn't increase… The Iranians have a serious set of military options against...
Understanding War Strategy: Ends, Ways, Means Explained
"What is Strategy in War?" There are a TON of people that need to read this right now. Words have meaning. Strategy. Political goals. Levels of War. Tactics. Ends, Ways, Means. With @LiamSCollins in @smallwars https://t.co/o27njmt7mI
Ballistic Missiles Unmistakably Point to Iran, Unlike Drones
Anyone can doubt where the drones are coming from, but when ballistic missiles are fired, you know it is Iran.
US Deploys New 5,000‑lb Bunker Busters Against Iran
U.S. Used Its New 5,000-Pound Bunker Busters To Hit Iranian Anti-Ship Missile Sites: Reports The GBU-72/B sits between the common 2,000lb bunker buster and the far more powerful 30,000lb GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator. https://t.co/oOKanwJgEB
Russian Aide Brands US Iran War a Global Economic Tragedy
In some of Russia's harshest criticism of the US war in Iran, which Putin has tried not to say much on, top aide Nikolai Patrushev calls it a "tragedy" that will "set global trade and economics back years" and "has...