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
A Military-Industrial-Financial Complex Is Rising in America
President Eisenhower’s warning about the military‑industrial complex is being revisited as venture capitalists, private‑equity firms, and Wall Street banks pour capital into defense innovation. A new Pentagon investment‑banking unit is courting financiers, while Silicon Valley’s a16z launched a defense‑focused fund to shoulder R&D risk. Venture capital activity in national‑security tech reached $28.1 billion in Q2 2025, surpassing the entire 2023 total. The convergence of finance and defense raises questions about lobbying power and the suitability of venture methods for hardware‑intensive weapons development.
Weapon List Reveals Civilian‑targeting Actors, Urges Sanctions
A great list of weapons and their components used to attack civilians and civilian areas in Ukraine. It would make a great addition to sanctions lists for Russia, Iran, and North Korea. There is a list of those who target...
NEWSMAKER | Denmark Premier’s Greenland Stand Faces Election Test
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is making her defiant stance against U.S. President Donald Trump over Greenland the centerpiece of her campaign for the March 24 election. After a historic defeat in municipal polls, her Social Democrats have rebounded from a...
Disrupting Illicit Markets: Cognitive Warfare and the Fight Against Drug Cartels
The Irregular Warfare Center proposes a cognitive‑warfare framework to counter drug cartels by reshaping the economic and psychological incentives that sustain illicit markets. It argues that traditional counter‑terrorism tactics miss the core drivers of organizations like the CJNG, which blend...
Norway and UK Plan Joint Acquisition of up to 30 New Joint Commando Craft
Norway and the United Kingdom are evaluating a joint purchase of up to 30 new Joint Commando Craft for coastal operations in the North Atlantic and High North. The 24‑meter, 60‑ton vessels will provide greater speed, endurance, survivability and sensor...
Top Aces Wins $33.2m Contract for Argentina F-16 Pilot Training
Top Aces’ U.S. subsidiary won a $33.2 million contract to train Argentine Air Force pilots on the newly acquired F‑16 fleet. The two‑year program, managed by the U.S. Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron, includes classroom instruction, simulator work and live‑fly...
Trump’s Missteps Reveal Diplomacy’s Critical Role
Trumps learns the hard way the importance of diplomacy and soft power… GeopoliticalGuy | Substack https://bit.ly/4rAmIyw #Geopolitics #Iran #NATO #Hormuz #Trump
Raytheon Secures Potential $212.12m ROTHR Contract for US Navy
Raytheon has been awarded a $40.25 million cost‑plus‑fixed‑fee contract to operate and maintain the U.S. Navy’s relocatable over‑the‑horizon radar (ROTHR) at the Forces Surveillance Support Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. The agreement includes a one‑year base period with four optional one‑year extensions,...
Elbit America Wins US Army HUD Contract for Air Soldier System
Elbit Systems of America secured a $49.9 million contract from the U.S. Army to supply colour head‑up displays for the Air Soldier System, covering UH‑60 Blackhawk and CH‑47 Chinook helicopters through December 2030. The firm‑fixed‑price, indefinite‑delivery/quantity agreement includes post‑production support and hinges...
JeongKyun Park, Information Security Student And Independent Developer, Korea Cyber University
JeongKyun Park, a former Navy CERT member turned full‑stack developer, created ICE‑Forensic—a browser‑based digital forensics platform—to eliminate the need for installing heavyweight tools. Inspired by HexEd.it, he built a zero‑installation suite offering hex viewing, image metadata analysis, search, and hash...
Japan Commissions Fifth Taigei-Class Submarine – JS Chõgei
Japan commissioned its fifth Taigei‑class attack submarine, JS Chōgei (SS‑517), on 10 March 2026. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the 84‑metre vessel features a diesel‑electric drive, 6,000 hp engine and large lithium‑ion batteries that extend submerged endurance. The sub incorporates the new ZQQ‑8...
Panoceanic Navy Strategy | USNI Proceedings
The March 2026 USNI Proceedings article argues the U.S. Navy must abandon its traditional transoceanic power‑projection model and adopt a “panoceanic” doctrine centered on sea control and denial, driven by China’s expanding fleet. Commander Jeff Vandenengel describes a “Pacific Phase”...
China Funds 9 Border Posts for Tajikistan as Frontier Violence Escalates
China has pledged a non‑repayable $61 million grant to build nine border posts along Tajikistan’s Afghan frontier, covering 17,109 sq m of observation posts and headquarters. The project follows a series of lethal attacks on Chinese workers in late 2025, which heightened Beijing’s security...
Why Ideology Matters in Irregular Warfare
The article argues that ideology is the driving force behind modern irregular warfare, shaping the tactics of adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea. It criticizes U.S. policymakers for treating ideology as peripheral and calls for...
The Download: OpenAI’s US Military Deal, and Grok’s CSAM Lawsuit
OpenAI has struck a controversial agreement granting the Pentagon direct access to its generative AI models, with officials hinting the technology could soon be used to assist target selection in the Iran theater and integrate with Anduril’s drone systems. Simultaneously,...
Early Edition: March 17, 2026
Israel announced a night‑time strike on Tehran that it says eliminated Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani and the head of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar,...
What Will Success and Failure Be in the Iran War
In this episode of What Happens Next, host Larry Bernstein talks with Hal Brands, a Johns Hopkins professor and former strategic planner for the U.S. Secretary of War, about how success and failure will be measured in the ongoing Iran...
Shyam Sankar's Four 'Sputnik Moments'
Shyam Sankar, co‑author of *Mobilize*, outlines four "Sputnik moments" that expose critical gaps in the U.S. defense industrial base: China’s hypersonic glide vehicle, Russia’s ability to sustain a long‑duration fight, the Houthis’ asymmetric threat to global trade, and a consumption...
Brother of Michigan Synagogue Attacker Was Hezbollah Commander
A Michigan synagogue attacker, Ayman Ghazali, entered the United States on a spousal visa in 2011 and later carried out a truck‑ram and shooting that injured several first responders before killing himself. Israeli intelligence disclosed that his brother, Ibrahim Ghazali,...
Tactical Wins Won’t Guarantee Strategic Victory for US
As with much else, the Trump administration is not so much a break but a continuation on steroids of some issues concerning the overall US warfighting approach — e.g., the difficulty of linking technically-tactically impressive strikes at the tactical level...
StrikeMaster to Remain in Europe Following Strong International Interest
KONGSBERG announced that its StrikeMaster missile launch vehicle will remain in Europe, citing strong interest from international partners. The system pairs Thales Australia’s Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle with a twin‑pack Naval Strike Missile (NSM) launcher, delivering rapid, land‑based precision strike...
UKMTO Reports Tanker Being Struck Near the UAE: Minor Damage, No Injuries; 17th Attack Affecting Vessels in Area of Persian...
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) logged 17 projectile‑related attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman between Feb. 28 and Mar. 17, 2026. Most incidents caused only minor structural damage, small fires or brief suspensions,...
Vienna Becomes Russian Hub Targeting NATO Communications
“It’s one of our main concerns about Russian activity here. We know they have been targeting Nato government and military communications with what they’ve got,” said one senior European diplomat based in Vienna. “Vienna has really taken on a lot...
Zelenskyy Rejects Trump’s Plea for Military Aid in Testy White House Meeting
In a tense Oval Office meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuffed former President Donald Trump’s plea for additional military assistance. Zelenskyy warned that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz left the United States without strategic leverage and cautioned that...
WATCH: Why the Pentagon Is Hiring Wall Street Bankers
The episode examines the Pentagon's new initiative to recruit Wall Street investment bankers for a 30‑person economic defense unit tasked with deploying up to $200 billion over three years into sectors deemed vital to national security, such as minerals, drones, and...
Inside Trump’s Thinking on the Iran War
During a 33‑minute Fox News interview, former President Donald Trump claimed he could cripple Iran’s critical infrastructure within an hour but said the United States is deliberately holding back. He discussed monitoring alleged Iranian sleeper cells, dismissed unverified drone threats...
Ballard Inks $2M Pact with Libyan Armed Forces
Ballard Partners has signed a six‑month, $2 million agreement to represent the general command of the Libyan Armed Forces, advising on public‑policy positioning, communications, and U.S. government engagement. The contract automatically renews for successive six‑month periods unless either party provides 30‑days...
Attacks on UAE Energy Assets Increase as War Broadens
Iran and its proxies have intensified drone and missile strikes on UAE energy infrastructure, targeting both downstream storage hubs and upstream production sites. A fire at Fujairah port halted oil loading and forced berths to close, while a drone hit...
Planning to Fail
The Trump administration entered the Iran war without a clear strategy for a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that moves about 20% of global oil. Iran’s shutdown of the strait pushed Brent crude above $100 per...
Hackers Turned a Compromised Npm Package Into Full AWS Admin Access in 72 Hours
Security researchers reported that a maliciously altered npm package was used to obtain full AWS administrative privileges within just 72 hours. The attackers leveraged the compromised library to enumerate S3 buckets, terminate production EC2 and RDS instances, and decrypt application...
Brazil’s First Tamandaré-Class Frigate Nears Commissioning
Brazil’s lead Tamandaré‑class frigate (F200) has left the Itajaí shipyard and is sailing to Rio de Janeiro for formal commissioning. The program, a joint effort by TKMS, the Brazilian Navy and state‑owned EMGEPRON, targets a fleet of four modular frigates...
Autonomous USV Launches Ocean Glider in First
ZeroUSV successfully demonstrated the first fully autonomous launch of a Teledyne Slocum ocean glider from its Oceanus12 uncrewed surface vessel, marking a milestone for the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Bastion programme. The trial showed a glider deployed without any human intervention,...
South Korean Police Accidentally Post Cryptocurrency Wallet Password
South Korea’s National Tax Service inadvertently disclosed the mnemonic recovery phrase of a seized Ledger hardware wallet in a press release. The wallet held roughly $5.6 million in crypto assets seized from 124 high‑value tax evaders. Within minutes, thieves moved about...
It’s Time to Get Serious About Post-Quantum Security. Here’s Where to Start.
Quantum computers are nearing practical use, threatening current encryption like RSA and ECC, with a potential "Q‑Day" as early as 2029. The economic fallout of a successful quantum attack could exceed $3 trillion, prompting CISOs and CTOs to prioritize post‑quantum cryptography...
Gecko Robotics Lands the Largest US Navy Robotics Deal Yet
The U.S. Navy has signed a five‑year IDIQ contract with Pittsburgh‑based Gecko Robotics, starting with a $54 million award and a $71 million ceiling. Gecko’s autonomous inspection robots will crawl inside 18 Pacific Fleet vessels to generate detailed digital twins and feed...
US Navy to Use Wall-Climbing Robots to Inspect Ships
The U.S. Navy and the General Services Administration awarded Gecko Robotics a $71 million contract to deploy wall‑climbing robots and AI‑driven drones for inspecting ships, aircraft and other equipment. Gecko claims its systems can locate structural defects up to 50 times...
Video Shows NATO Fighter Jets Soaring Through the “Greek Mach Loop” During Exercise Iniochos 2026
During Exercise Iniochos 2026, NATO fighter jets—including French Mirage 2000s, Greek F‑4 Phantoms, Slovenian PC‑9s and Hellenic F‑16s—flew low‑level through the famed Greek Mach Loop. The multinational air drill, hosted at Andravida Air Base from 2 March to 23 March, featured a full...
AI Turns Into Geopolitical Infrastructure, Shaping Global Alliances
AI is quickly becoming geopolitical infrastructure. An Nvidia-backed startup plans to spend billions on a data center in South Korea, as the U.S. increasingly uses AI chips and models to strengthen alliances and counter China. The AI race is no longer just...
Ukrainian Brigade Halts Russian Advance at Trubizh Bridge
Four years ago on this day. Ukraine’s 72nd Brigade smashed a column, a Russian T-90 and several BMPs, that tried to push across the bridge over the Trubizh River east of Kyiv. They would never make it a single meter...
PDW Introduces CORE 1.4 Software Update for C100 Platform
Performance Drone Works has launched CORE 1.4, the latest software upgrade for its C100 unmanned platform. The update introduces Vision‑Based Navigation that enables GPS‑free “Cold Start” missions and fully activates the Multi‑Mission Payload suite. It also enhances SROC communications with...
Afghanistan Blames Pakistan for 408 Deaths, Pakistan Denies
Afghanistan says Pakistani airstrike killed 408 at Kabul drug rehab centre, Islamabad rejects charge https://t.co/zS7dubYXa3
Russia Loses More Ukrainian Ground than It Gains.
‘Black Bird, a Finnish war-monitoring group, said Russian troops in February lost more Ukrainian territory than they captured for the first time since November 2023. But Russian soldiers have advanced in other areas, including at the southern edge of the Zaporizhzhia...
Germany Declines Hormuz Escort; High Oil Prices Reflect Policy
Germany just refused to join the Hormuz escort coalition. "We lack the mandate." $100+ oil isn't a blip. It's a policy choice the West keeps making by not making one. $WTI https://t.co/hftmXwpdXG
Sweden Seizes First Shadow Fleet Vessel, Signaling Global Crackdown
Sweden has seized its first shadow fleet vessel. They even went after a bulk carrier rather than a tanker. As more countries join in on the crackdown on Russia's shadow fleet, the dominoes are beginning to fall. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/pUmv12pCMy
Iran's VIP Checkpoint Makes Hormuz Transit Politically Controlled
So Iran has basically set up VIP access (or a separate customs checkpoint, if you prefer) for friendly vessels, per JPM “In practice, this creates a system in which the Strait is not formally closed, yet transit increasingly depends on political...
Ukraine Restores 24/7 Power Amid Failed Russian Strikes
Meanwhile Ukraine is almost back to 24/7 power after a long winter of constant Russian attacks on the electricity grid. Russia is still trying too: just yesterday was another power infrastructure attack on Kyiv that failed. Communism does not work. Also look...
Strait of Hormuz Closed After US‑Israel Conflict with Iran
The Strait of Hormuz was open to the world until Little Israel and its Big Daddy America started a war on Iran.
Germany Reroutes Warship Around Africa to Dodge Houthi Drones
“Germany has NATO Europe's largest minehunting fleet and explicitly routed its newest, largest warship around Africa last October rather than transit the Red Sea ... against Houthi drones” Pathetic. (But still massively stronger than the Canadian Navy)
Russia's Neighbors Shift Away From Europe, Remain Pro‑US
Countries bordering Russia is not going to rely on defense from Europe in the future. Poland, the Baltic, Finland and Ukraine are not going to be hardliners against USA
Reducing Hormuz Shipping Threat Demands Resources, Political Resolve
I write for the @Telegraph on the military challenges in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. BLUF: the threat to shipping can be reduced but eliminating it is very resource intensive and can only be made permanent through politics: https://t.co/N9pN5Z9XmD