Today's Defense Pulse
Iran drafts MOU with US promising Strait of Hormuz reopening within 30 days
Iran has issued a 14‑point draft memorandum of understanding that would see U.S. forces withdraw from Iranian territory, lift oil sanctions and suspend the naval blockade. The draft also calls for the release of half of Iran’s frozen assets and a reconstruction plan of at least $300 billion, with Tehran pledging to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days.
Also developing:
By the numbers: KONGSBERG acquires 90% stake in Zone 5 Technologies
Israel and America: The Entangling Alliance
President Trump invoked the legal “imminent threat” standard to rationalize a possible invasion of Iran, claiming that waiting for Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon would be a suicide pact for the United States. Earlier this year a U.S. bunker‑buster strike was declared to have destroyed Iran’s nuclear program, raising questions about the existence of any current imminent danger. New information suggests the United States and Israel coordinated a joint attack in February, indicating pre‑planned cooperation rather than a reactive response. The episode highlights Israel’s capacity to shape U.S. military decisions through the alliance.
Trump Praises Japan’s Takaichi on Iran as Hormuz Crisis Strains Allies
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the White House, praising Japan for “stepping up” on Iran while contrasting it with NATO’s lukewarm stance. The discussion focused on securing the Strait of Hormuz, expanding energy cooperation,...
Post-Quantum Web Could Be Safer, Faster
The IETF’s draft Merkle tree certificates (MTCs) promise a quantum‑resistant web that is both smaller and faster than existing post‑quantum solutions. By compressing certificate data to roughly 840 bytes, MTCs cut bandwidth and latency compared with ML‑DSA signatures that can exceed...
Deal Team Six: The Pentagon Goes Full Wall Street
The Pentagon is launching an Economic Defense Unit, dubbed “Deal Team Six,” staffed by Wall Street bankers from firms like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. The unit will make strategic equity investments in defense suppliers to address chronic production bottlenecks, such...
PSC’s Kostro on the FAR Overhaul, Anthropic, DHS Shutdown and More
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) overhaul, launched last year, saw the GSA and OMB issue nearly 50 master deviations and strip more than 2,700 pages from the rulebook. However, the promised final rules have not materialized by the September 30...
What Is Rapid Sentry, the UK’s Mysterious Air Defence System?
The Royal Air Force has unveiled Rapid Sentry, a short‑range air‑defence system built to counter hostile drones. It fires Thales‑manufactured Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM/Martlet) capable of reaching Mach 1.5 and engaging targets up to 8 km away. The system is expected to...
U.S. Space Force Awards $446.8 Million Agreement to Kratos for MEO Missile Tracking Ground Segment
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarded Kratos Technology & Training Solutions a $446.8 million Ground Management and Integration contract to build the command‑and‑control backbone for the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program in medium‑earth‑orbit. The agreement, structured as an...
IR Exaggerates Blasts; Shrapnel Does Damage, Jets Survive
1. Keep in mind that explosions look much bigger in IR because they oversaturate the sensor. 2. It's not the explosion that does the damage it is the shrapnel so where the warhead fuzes in relation to the aircraft plays a...
NATO Tests Drone Interception Systems in Latvia
NATO launched its first testing, evaluation, verification and validation (TEVV) campaign for unmanned aircraft systems and counter‑UAS technologies at Latvia’s Sēlija Military Training Area from March 9‑13, 2026. The exercise gathered defense‑industry firms from NATO members, Ukraine, operational users and government officials...
Episode 43: Senator Mike Rounds and Chris Malachowsky on AI, Education, and National Security
In a live session at the SCSP AI + Education Summit, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and NVIDIA co‑founder Chris Malachowsky argued that America must seize the AI moment to stay globally competitive. They cited a potential $4.7 trillion boost to the U.S. economy if...
Comtech Delivers First Set of Digital Modems to US Army
Comtech has delivered the first batch of Enterprise Digital Intermediate Frequency Multi‑Carrier (EDIM) modems under a $48.6 million U.S. Army contract signed in 2023. The units are still in development and will undergo final acceptance testing this summer before fielding. The...
U.S. Approves Multi-Billion Arms Sales to Gulf States
The U.S. State Department approved a series of Foreign Military Sales to Gulf allies, including a $1.22 billion AMRAAM missile deal, a $644 million F‑16 munitions package, a $4.5 billion THAAD‑integrated radar, and a $2.10 billion FS‑LIDS counter‑drone system for the United Arab Emirates....
France & Germany Give 6th-Gen FCAS Fighter Program One Last Chance: Joint Mediation To Resolve Deadlock
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have agreed to launch a joint mediation mission aimed at reconciling Dassault Aviation and Airbus and rescuing the €100‑billion Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. The effort, announced at an EU...
Trump Is Burying His Own Security Strategy
President Donald Trump has plunged the United States into a new, rapidly expanding Middle East war, a move that diverges sharply from the objectives outlined in his three‑month‑old National Security Strategy. The conflict’s goals are shifting daily, creating a chaotic...
How Uncrewed Rotary Platforms Are Shaping Approaches to Contested Logistics
The defense sector is accelerating development of uncrewed rotary aircraft to support logistics in contested environments. Airbus leads the effort with its MQ‑72C, built for the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector demonstration. These UAVs are derived from existing crewed...
Pentagon Seeks Anthropic Alternatives Amid $200M Contract Dispute
The Pentagon terminated its $200 million contract with Anthropic after the company demanded safeguards against mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, while the DoD insisted on unrestricted model access. In response, the Defense Department has moved to integrate OpenAI’s GPT and xAI’s...
Strikes May Set Iran Back but Likely Won't End Nuclear Program, UN Watchdog Chief Warns
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warned that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes have not dismantled Iran’s core nuclear capabilities. He said the enriched uranium stockpile remains largely where it was, primarily at the Isfahan complex and in smaller quantities at...
Trump May Trade Ukraine Aid for Hormuz Deal
I have a bad feeling Trump is going to give up the remaining support of Ukraine in exchange for Putin's help re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Pentagon Faces Push to Drop Claude, Users Resist
Hegseth wants Pentagon to dump Anthropic's Claude, but military users say it's not so easy https://t.co/JpevYXENl9
Latest White House Cybersecurity Strategy Talks Crypto, AI, Quantum
The White House released President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America in mid‑March, outlining six policy pillars that target critical‑infrastructure protection, emerging‑technology superiority, and a broadened offensive cyber posture. Notably, the strategy calls for securing supply‑chain integrity, promoting U.S.‑made hardware, and...
Red Lines Emerging Around Gulf Civilian Infrastructure
Meaningful development here as red lines are trying to be drawn around civilian infrastructure in the Gulf.
Marine Corps F-35Bs Arrive Radar‑Free Amid APG‑85 Delays
SCOOP: Marine Corps F-35Bs are set to deliver in Lot 17 without radars due to delays with the APG-85. Starting in Lot 18, all F-35s delivered to the U.S. military will be awaiting a radar. With @michaeldmarrow and @Diana_Stancy : https://t.co/6HIqluDOZx
HMS Mersey Tracks Successive Russian Warship Transits Through the Channel
HMS Mersey, supported by a Wildcat helicopter, spent 48 hours shadowing the Steregushchiy‑class corvette RFS Soobrazitelny and the sanctioned oil tanker MV Anatoly Kolodkin as they transited the English Channel. After separating at the western approaches, Soobrazitelny turned back east while the tanker continued into...
Escalating Conflict Spreads From Hormuz to Iranian Strikes
On @BloombergTV with @kaileyleinz and @JMathieuReports, I walked through the maps and data behind a widening conflict, from the Strait of Hormuz to shifting Iranian strike patterns to damaged energy infrastructure. The takeaway: expect more escalation. https://t.co/MMeopdNbnK
Ernest King Lifted Oil Sanctions on Japan During War
Ernest King famously allowed the Japanese to keep trading oil and lifted sanctions on them in the middle of the war.
Getting Better Outcomes In Space: How Will the UK Embrace the Challenge?
At Space‑Comm London, a panel of government and industry leaders warned that space has become a core national security arena, with satellite jamming and anti‑satellite weapons now routine. Speakers stressed the need for the UK to protect its interests by...
Scrutiny of Military Decisions Earns Praise and Frustr
Two cents here from the back row of this briefing: In convos with veterans, military families and other Americans, I've heard thanks from some for asking hard questions and frustration from others. Our role is to scrutinize each step of the...
Iranian Fire Forces US F‑35 Emergency Landing, Confirming Threat
USAF F-35 Makes Emergency Landing After Allegedly Being Hit by Iranian Fire The F-35 was flying a mission over Iran when it was forced to divert. A video claiming to show the engagement points to a key threat we have highlighted...
SpiderOak Wins New UAS Systems Contract
SpiderOak has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems PMO to conduct supply‑chain analysis and cybersecurity assessments for vendors in the Drone Dominance Program. The company will apply its Advanced Cyber Threat & Resilience Assessments (ACTRA)...
DoD Supplemental Funding Trends Reveal Growing Budget Gaps
With renewed talk of a large supplemental request, here’s the recent history of DoD supplemental funding in both constant and then-year dollars. #DefenseBudget #SupplementalFunding https://t.co/Y2B7v3yI9W
Israel Defends Iran Gas Field Strike, Cites US Coordination
ISRAEL shrugs off criticism of attack on Iran's South Pars gas field - citing deep coordination with the United States: https://t.co/1CMmLeQHgy
Russian Hackers Exploit Zimbra Flaw in Ukrainian Govt Attacks
Russian state‑backed APT28 leveraged the high‑severity Zimbra Collaboration Suite flaw CVE‑2025‑66376, a stored XSS that enables unauthenticated remote code execution, to target Ukrainian government entities. The vulnerability was patched in early November, yet attackers continue to exploit unpatched installations. The...
U.S. Military Offers Options, Strategy Adapts to Enemy Moves
"The role of the U.S. military is to give the President options...strategy isn't a plan that you start on Day 1 and check off a list, it evolves in the uncertainty of what the enemy is doing..." Discussing U.S.-Israel war...
A‑10s Patrol Strait of Hormuz, Target Iranian Boats
A-10 Warthogs Are Prowling For Iranian Boats In The Strait Of Hormuz A-10s are executing one of the lesser-known missions they've trained to do for decades, hunting down Iranian fast attack boats and mine layers in the strait. https://t.co/PkTgNzVTsV
Ondas’ Sentrycs Supports Airspace Protection at World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos
Ondas Inc.’s Sentrycs subsidiary deployed its Cyber‑over‑RF (CoRF) solution within Swisscom Broadcast’s DroneDefence system to protect the lower airspace at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos. The technology delivered continuous detection, identification and electronic mitigation of rogue drones while...
Mearsheimer Warns Iran Is a Formidable Strategic Opponent
Distinguished Prof. John Mearsheimer on Iran’s strategy: “When you listen to Hegseth and Trump talk, they talk about the Iranians like they’re a bunch of country bumpkins and we’re the strategic geniuses...I think that's not the case…we are up against a formidable...
Free Signed Copies of AI Security Book at RSAC
Headed to RSAC to sign copies of Guardians of the Machine age: Why AI Security Will Define the Future of Digital Defense. Hit me up for the three venues where you can get free signed copies. https://t.co/kurVMvO4fo ...
State-Sponsored Trolls as An Emerging Threat
Russian state‑sponsored troll farms, notably the Internet Research Agency, are intensifying their influence by flooding social‑media comment sections with coordinated inauthentic accounts. These bots create a manufactured consensus that triggers false consensus bias, making fringe viewpoints appear mainstream. The article...
Iran's Military Might Profit From US Market Swings
Is it crazy to think Iran military could prob. be funded by them just trading US markets and releasing headlines on X, because I refuse to believe it can't, market so whippy in this geopolitical environment
European Leaders Assess Middle East War Costs in Brussels
Europe counts the cost of Middle East war as leaders meet in Brussels https://t.co/Uw7ebXs3sG via @suzannelynch1 https://t.co/4He3c2iNMm
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Biomimetic Drone Patrolling Our Coastlines in the Guise of a Seagull
Guard From Above unveiled the Seagull Evo, a sub‑1.5 kg fixed‑wing drone that replicates a seagull’s silhouette and flight dynamics for covert maritime surveillance. The platform carries electro‑optical or infrared payloads, flies up to 59 minutes, and can launch by hand...
US Intel Says China Not Planning 2027 Taiwan Invasion
US intelligence assessment admits China is not planning a 2027 Taiwan invasion, contrary to the assertions of numerous China hawks. h/t PA https://t.co/yR1D5boDrL
Secret RQ‑180 Stealth Drone Makes Emergency Landing in Greece
Secret RQ-180 Stealth Drone Appears To Have Made An Emergency Landing At A Greek Air Base (Updated) Spotters in Greece have caught an especially good look at what appears to be a particularly secretive drone. https://t.co/TVPXCvTUzz
How We Protected the UK and Space in February 2026
In February 2026 the UK National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) logged 66 re‑entries, most of which were satellites, while collision alerts for UK‑licensed assets dropped to 2,117, the lowest figure of the year. The in‑orbit population rose to 33,165 objects,...
Europe Fears Trump's Greenland Threats Could Backfire
“.. We were very worried this was going to go really wrong,” said one European official about Trump’s repeated threats over Greenland .. @FT https://t.co/aRJZu8MTXr https://t.co/pj12dd13ct
U.S. Says China Won’t Invade Taiwan in 2027
China Isn’t Planning to Invade Taiwan in 2027, U.S. Concludes—Beijing views an amphibious attack as a losing gamble, intelligence assessment says @joyuwang https://t.co/QOqBlNWNu6 https://t.co/QOqBlNWNu6
BREAKING: Denmark And Its Allies Were Prepared To Go To War With The US - Ready to Blow Up Runways,...
Denmark secretly prepared a sabotage plan for Greenland’s main airfields in January 2026, codenamed Operation Arctic Endurance, after President Trump threatened a forceful takeover. The plan involved explosives, blood bags, and a multi‑nation coalition that included France, Germany, the Nordic...
Netanyahu Undermines Global Unity on Nuclear Iran
Netanyahu is like reverse Churchill: he managed to convince the whole world *not* to unite against a nuclear Iran.
Daily Memo: Strikes on Iran’s Navy, US Mulls Sending Reinforcements
Israel launched its first strike on Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea, hitting five vessels near the strategic port of Bandar Anzali, where Iran’s naval headquarters sits. The Israeli Air Force confirmed the operation targeted northern Iran but withheld...
Officials Dodge Deconfliction Query, Point to Trump
Specifically asked U.S. military officials if Israeli forces deconflicted their attack on South Pars with U.S. forces -- a common practice to avoid friendly fire, collisions, etc. Military officials referred questions about the issue back to the White House. White House...