Today's Defense Pulse
Updated 2h ago
US Navy enforces immediate blockade of Iranian ports
U.S. Central Command announced an instant blockade of all vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports, escalating tensions after President Biden’s earlier threat of a blanket maritime blockade. The move follows Iran’s imposition of a $1‑per‑barrel toll on tankers, which the United States deems illegal under international law.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Sierra Space raises $550M private funding round
Royal Navy Tests CAPSTONE Drone in Anti-Submarine Warfare Demonstration
The Royal Navy evaluated Certo Aerospace’s CAPSTONE VTOL drone in a February anti‑submarine warfare trial, demonstrating more than two hours of flight while deploying sonobuoys and feeding acoustic data to a ground station. The drone transmitted sensor information via Starlink satellite links and integrated General Dynamics’ UYS‑506 acoustic processor. The test, part of the ATLANTIC BASTION program, proved the unmanned platform can operate from austere sites and ship decks, extending the Navy’s ASW reach. Officials hailed the demonstration as a step toward a mixed crewed‑uncrewed ASW fleet that reduces risk and cost.
Hot Off the Press: EFF's Updated Guide to Tech at the US-Mexico Border
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has issued an updated 40‑page, full‑color zine documenting surveillance technology along the U.S.–Mexico border. The new edition adds fresh models of towers, military‑grade equipment, disguised trail cameras, and automated license‑plate readers, and is available for purchase...
Read the President’s Memo on Domestic Terrorism Now
If you’ve never read the President’s memorandum on countering “domestic terrorism” and “political violence” I highly suggest you do https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/
Ukraine Develops New Surface-to-Air Missile
Ukraine’s president unveiled a previously unseen surface‑to‑air missile, likely the domestically developed “Koral” system. The interceptor appears to use proven propulsion, guidance and fuze components, accelerating its path from prototype to fielding. Earlier exhibition models suggested a 30‑50 km engagement envelope,...
How the UK Gave Away Its Mine Hunting Fleet
The United Kingdom has decommissioned its entire Sandown‑class fleet and most Hunt‑class mine‑countermeasure vessels, leaving the Gulf without a forward‑deployed MCM capability. The move, driven by a shift toward the uncrewed ARCIMS system, occurred without a ready host ship, creating...
US-Iran Direct Talks May Resume on Thursday
U.S. and Iranian officials are set to meet again on Thursday in Islamabad for a fourth round of direct nuclear negotiations, according to a Tehran source reported by the Atlantic. The talks follow a series of stalled discussions and suggest...
DFA Systems to Test ‘Flying Grenade’ During Nevada Range Demo
DFA Systems will showcase its Precision Flying Grenade (PFG) at the ISOF Range 2026 live‑fire event in Nevada on April 14‑15. The PFG is a quadcopter‑style, AI‑guided munition with a 10 km range and up to 20 minutes of flight time. Designed...
Agencies Are Missing a Step to Share Information on Better AI Acquisition, GAO Finds
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that federal agencies are struggling to share lessons learned from AI acquisitions, despite AI use cases more than doubling between 2023 and 2024. Interviews with acquisition leaders at the Department of Defense, Homeland Security,...
Reevaluate AUKUS, Five Eyes: Loyalty Over Moral Concessions
It pains me to say this because my father spoke often, and with real respect, about the Australians he fought beside in Vietnam, but it’s time to reassess AUKUS and Five Eyes. Loyalty matters. So does reality. We can make moral...
Cape Route Crucial for U.S. Security Amid Red Sea Shift
Reminder: most ships sailing from Asia to Europe today are routing around South Africa. The Red Sea may be reopening, but China already has a naval foothold there. In any serious war, the Cape route becomes critical to U.S. and allied...
On Anthropic’s Mythos Preview and Project Glasswing
Anthropic announced Claude Mythos Preview, a powerful AI model it will not release publicly due to its advanced cyberattack capabilities, and launched Project Glasswing to automatically probe public and proprietary software for vulnerabilities. The move has sparked widespread media coverage...
Trump: We Were Called This Morning by the Right People From Iran
Former President Donald Trump claimed that senior Iranian officials contacted his team early Thursday, signaling a possible breakthrough in nuclear negotiations. He asserted that the sticking point is Iran’s refusal to renounce a nuclear weapon, but suggested Tehran may now...
Meink Emphasizes Technological Excellence, Acquisition Transformation During Ohio Immersion
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink wrapped up a week‑long immersion at Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base on April 3, emphasizing the Air Force Materiel Command’s push for technological excellence and faster acquisition cycles. He toured AFMC’s six centers, the Air...
Meink Emphasizes Technological Excellence, Acquisition Transformation During Ohio Immersion
During an Ohio immersion event, Space Force acquisition leader Lt. Gen. Meink highlighted the service’s push for technological excellence and a sweeping acquisition transformation. He outlined new rapid‑prototype initiatives, tighter integration with commercial partners, and a data‑driven decision framework. Meink...
Kongsberg Develops New Drone Hunter Vehicle for Ukraine
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has unveiled a donor‑funded Inguar‑3 counter‑drone vehicle tailored for Ukraine, pairing a Ukrainian‑made armored chassis with the firm’s CROWS C‑UAS kit. The system integrates electro‑optical and infrared sensors on a raised mast and can fire 70 mm...
Skyeton Unveils Zero‑Emission Fuel‑Cell Drone, Aiming for 20‑Hour Flights
Skyeton announced that its hybrid Raybird (ACS‑3) fuel‑cell drone has entered combat service with over 10 hours of flight time, and plans to extend endurance to 20 hours using on‑site green‑hydrogen generation. The move could reshape both military and civilian...
Modern Wars Threaten Infrastructure; Societies Must Build Resilience
Ukraine isn’t an isolated case. It’s a preview. Modern conflict doesn’t just happen on battlefields — it hits infrastructure. Power. Supply chains. Everyday systems people rely on. And with cheaper, more accessible technology, the barrier to disruption is lower than ever. That raises a real question: how prepared are societies...
Axios Has a CVSS 10 Bug, Risks "Full Cloud Compromise"
The Axios HTTP client, downloaded over three billion times and embedded in roughly 80% of cloud and code environments, has been assigned a CVSS 10 rating under CVE‑2026‑40175. A proof‑of‑concept exploit shows the flaw can be escalated to remote code execution...
Cybersecurity’s Hottest New Job Is Negotiating With Hackers
Enterprises are increasingly hiring ransomware negotiators as cyber‑crime evolves into a structured extortion economy. These specialists step in after a breach, using psychological insight, financial strategy, and threat‑group intelligence to manage ransom demands. Reports from the Financial Times and PYMNTS...
US Opposition Puts Chagos Sovereignty Transfer to Mauritius on Indefinite Hold
The United Kingdom has suspended its plan to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after President Donald Trump publicly rejected the deal. The pause revives a legal tug‑of‑war involving a 1966 UK‑US defence treaty, UN human‑rights scrutiny and...
NATO Allies Refuse to Join U.S. Hormuz Blockade, Deepening Rift With Trump
NATO allies publicly declined President Donald Trump's proposal to block maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, insisting they will only act after hostilities with Iran cease. The United States scheduled the blockade for 1400 GMT, targeting vessels bound for Iranian...
Israel Defies US Ceasefire, Deepens Middle East Quagmire
U.S. agrees to total cease fire with Iran including Lebanon. Israel ignores it and keeps bombing Lebanon, war in Iran now continues to march us deeper into a Middle East quagmire. U.S. interests are basically being completely ignored by Israel. https://youtu.be/0_v9CRtqz3g?si=DdGfse7Ty3OWAP7A
Sulfur Shortages and Hormuz Threaten Military Readiness
The Chokepoint We Missed: Sulfur, Hormuz, and the Threats to Military Readiness https://t.co/DcyKg0hlw2 via @WarInstitute
Iran Thought They Were Close to an Agreement on Sunday Morning - Report
According to an Axios report, Iran thought a nuclear agreement was imminent on Sunday morning, but the sudden departure of U.S. Senator JD Vance from talks in Pakistan derailed expectations. The negotiations are stalled over whether Tehran will cease all...
US Blockade Shows First Real-Time Effects on Hormuz
First realtime signs of US blockade working. Suggest you listen to my interview with @WindwardAI CEO @AmiDaniel1 about Hormuz https://t.co/wQ3BuDMdyV
German Soldiers Pilot FPV Drones via Goggles
Inside Germany’s New FPV #Drone Unit: Soldiers Fly Missions Through Goggles by @NSTRIKE1231 #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/K0bEhAZIwv
U.S. Asked Iran to Freeze Uranium Enrichment for 20 Years, Sources Say
The United States told Iran it must accept a 20‑year moratorium on uranium enrichment as part of weekend talks in Islamabad, while Tehran countered with a request for a single‑digit‑year freeze. The proposal also includes a demand that Iran remove...
Join the Nation's Strongest Government Cyber Talent Pool
I’ve already recruited over 100 people from @USTechForce 🇺🇸 It’s likely the strongest pool of technical talent ever assembled in government. 2026 is going to be a big year for cybersecurity. If you want to work on high-impact cyber problems,...
Explaining Iran's Blockade: Tune In and Follow Thomas Sauer
Many thanks for having me on to explain the Blockade of Iran and why everyone should go follow @thomasbsauer https://t.co/47Lexo9n6N
50 Million Boost to Defence Innovation in South Yorkshire with New Defence Growth Deal
The UK government has allocated £50 million (≈$63 million) to a Defence Growth Deal for South Yorkshire, aiming to create high‑skill jobs and expand cutting‑edge defence research. The region already supports 3,200 defence roles backed by roughly £1 billion (≈$1.27 billion) in annual spending,...
Relying on Allies to Cover Naval Gaps Undermines Power
For 20 years I’ve watched Congress grill admirals on shipbuilding failures and naval readiness gaps. Almost every time, the answer is the same: Don’t worry, our allies will fill the gap. That fantasy is how great powers hollow themselves out.
Trump Prioritizes Strait of Malacca Over Hormuz
President Trump remains laser focused on securing the world’s choke points. The Strait of Malacca is unequivocally more important than Hormuz. On one side of the Strait is Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. On the other side is Indonesia.
‘A Ceasefire Is Not the End – It Is only the Beginning.’ Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi on the UAE’s...
UAE Minister of State Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi said the country has endured more than 3,000 missile attacks over the past 40 days, yet remains resilient and focused on continuity. A fragile cease‑fire holds, but the UAE stresses accountability and...
US Blocks Iran Oil to China, Marking Escalation
The US is now effectively blockading China’s oil supplies from Iran. This is a nontrivial escalation.
Mystery Launcher Spotted on USS Carl M. Levin
Mystery Launcher Appears On U.S. Navy Destroyer The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin has received an interesting new addition to its aft upper deck. https://t.co/armAlkieJe
How Different Will Magyar Be From Orbán? We Analyse His Views on EU, Russia, Ukraine, and Trump
Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, won a parliamentary majority and pledged to dismantle Viktor Orbán’s political system "brick by brick." While promising domestic reforms and a pro‑European trajectory, he signaled continuity in foreign policy, keeping Russian energy ties...
LutaSecurity Cuts Zoom Bug Cases 37% in 10 Weeks
When the pandemic lockdown hit & @Zoom surged in popularity, so did its #bugbounty program — much like many organizations are facing an #AI vuln report surge today. @LutaSecurity helped flatten the curve of Zoom’s bug cases by 37% in...
Rosneft Reroutes Oil to Tuapse After Novorossiysk Drone Strike
April 13 (Reuters) - Rosneft is diverting oil supplies to the Tuapse refinery from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after the terminal, which handles roughly 14% of Russia's crude exports, was heavily damaged in a drone attack, three sources...
BITTER APT Uses Signal, Google, and Zoom Lures to Spread ProSpy Spyware
Researchers from Access Now and Lookout have uncovered a BITTER APT campaign that uses spear‑phishing lures on Signal, Google, Zoom and other platforms to deliver the ProSpy Android spyware. The operation, active since at least 2022, targets journalists and opposition...
NATO Rejects Trump's Hormuz Blockade, Vows Post‑conflict Intervention
PARIS/LONDON, (Reuters) - NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump...
Anthropic’s Mythos: Our Takeaways
Anthropic has decided not to release its latest AI model, Mythos, citing concerns over its power. The model can automatically discover zero‑day vulnerabilities across large software ecosystems, turning AI into a strategic cyber‑security tool. Anthropic will limit access to a...
Soviet Gift Great Seal Harbored Theremin‑Made Passive
TIL the USSR concealed a bug in a hand-carved Great Seal given as a "gift" in 1945 to the US ambassador that was only discovered by accident in 1951. The bug was designed by Theremin (!) and had no power...
U.S. Blockade Hits Hormuz; China, Russia May Intervene
All Eyes on Hormuz as U.S. Maritime Blockade on Iran Enters Enforcement Phase. What happens when Chinese and Russian ships show up? https://t.co/orWD3pBD3c
APT41 Delivers 'Zero-Detection' Backdoor to Harvest Cloud Credentials
Chinese state‑linked group APT41 has released a new ELF‑based backdoor that silently infiltrates Linux cloud workloads to steal credentials from AWS, Azure, GCP and Alibaba Cloud. The malware communicates over SMTP port 25, a channel that bypasses typical internet‑exposure scanners and...
Anthropic AI Guides Rapid AI Vulnerability Prep for All
Great advice from @AnthropicAI on prep for accelerated AI vulnerability discovery, including what to do if you don’t have a dedicated security team, if you’re reporting bugs you found, or are an open source maintainer. /ht @_decius_ for sending the link ...
Former GSA, NASA Leader on Federal Acquisition Leadership
Mary Davie, a former senior executive at the General Services Administration and NASA, reflected on her more than 30‑year federal career focused on procurement and acquisition leadership. She oversaw major purchasing platforms, shared‑services initiatives, and helped shape acquisition policy and...
Trump's War Plan Flawed: Ignored
My take on Trump's war plan incompetence in Nick Lichtenberg's @Fortune article: “You better know all this shit’s going to hit the fan if you go to war. They clearly didn’t.” https://t.co/SKHZUkJumx
NAVANTIA to Provide Life-Cycle Support for the Turkish Navy Amphibious Ship Anadolu
Navantia and Turkey’s Naval Shipyards General Directorate (TGM) signed a three‑year framework agreement on April 8 to provide life‑cycle support for the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. The contract, renewable for an additional three years, includes maintenance, repairs, on‑site and remote technical...
Nordic‑Baltic Nations Deploy Offline Card Payments for Essentials
Nordic/Baltic states are creating system to allow offline card payment purchases for essentials like gas/medicine/food to continue in case of internet/grid outage due to war/cyber/sabotage. Systems supposed to be in place this yr. Announcement last yr: https://t.co/KKJqG76TR9
Anthropic Joins Rivals to Safeguard AI Against Hacking
Anthropic Teams Up With Its Rivals to Keep AI From Hacking Everything | WIRED https://t.co/n4C6wCCT5h
