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
Infrastructure Resilience in an Era of Escalation: Why Cross-Sector Coordination Is the Critical Path
U.S. intelligence warns foreign adversaries, especially Iran, are intensifying cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. The 2025 Threat Assessment highlights coordinated efforts by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea across energy, transport, water, and manufacturing sectors. CISA reports Iranian actors using password‑spraying and credential theft to gain persistent access, while AI adoption expands the attack surface. Experts argue that resilience hinges on cross‑sector coordination rather than isolated defenses.
U.S. Air Force Tests ARMD Missile Demonstrator
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Ursa Major successfully flight‑tested the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD), reaching supersonic speed with the Draper liquid rocket engine. The test validated throttleable liquid propulsion and demonstrated that a complete missile system can...
AI Amplifies Both Threats and Defenses in Cybersecurity
I got asked on the news today is Cybersecurity a field that is being impacted by AI or is it a safe field? I explained how I struggle with this personally as well - there's a lot of fear, uncertainty and...
Four Army Drone Systems Stolen From Kentucky Base
Four Skydio X10D drone systems were stolen from the 326th Division Engineer Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, between November 21 and 24, 2025. The Army Criminal Investigation Division announced the loss and posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to...
CNO: New Surface Ship Classes Reflect US Navy’s New Force Structure and Global Output Needs
At the Paris Naval Conference Admiral Daryl Caudle announced two new US Navy surface ship programs – the BBG(X) "Trump‑class" battleship and the FF(X) frigate based on the Coast Guard’s Legend‑class cutter. These vessels complete a four‑pillar force structure that...
The Battle for Lebanon’s Future
The podcast examines the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel aims to eliminate Hezbollah’s military and political influence. Hezbollah, after months of attrition, chose to fight openly, framing the conflict as a martyrdom‑driven stand. The Lebanese...
Leaked Documents Show Chinese Interest in Ka-52 Helicopters
Leaked internal documents from Russia’s Progress helicopter plant show that officials evaluated a production run of up to 48 Ka‑52M attack helicopters for an unnamed foreign client coded “156.” The paperwork details component sourcing, pricing, and a three‑stage financing scheme...
Instagram-Powered Iranian Influence Operation Against US Dismantled
Meta announced the removal of nearly 300 Instagram and Facebook accounts linked to an Iranian influence operation that masqueraded as journalists and commentators. The fake personas collectively attracted about 41,000 followers before disseminating anti‑U.S. and anti‑Israel political messages. Engagement on...
ALL.SPACE Signs Viasat Partnership Deal
ALL.SPACE announced a strategic partnership with Viasat, securing Category 4 certification for its Hydra electronically steered terminal on the Viasat Global Xpress (GX) Ka‑band network. The certification enables full‑performance operation across Viasat’s high‑capacity steerable beams for on‑move, on‑pause, and halt scenarios....
DIU, Navy Tap Anduril to Prototype Dive-XL Autonomous Submarine
Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Navy have awarded Anduril a contract to prototype the Dive-XL autonomous submarine under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) program. Anduril must conduct a long‑range, operationally representative demonstration within four months, using a vehicle...
America on High Alert: Iran’s Sleeper Cells Active! EP716
Survival Dispatch News released episode 716 of its "America on High Alert" podcast, warning that Iranian sleeper cells are active within the United States. The episode is accompanied by a daily Situation Report (SITREP) that details emerging threats and intelligence...
After the War and After Putin: Three Potential Succession Scenarios for Russia’s Modern Tsar
The article outlines three possible paths for Vladimir Putin’s succession as the Ukraine war winds down: an intelligence‑driven transition led by senior siloviki, a military‑driven takeover, or an unexpected heir chosen behind the scenes. It highlights the prominence of FSB...
OSS Announces $10.5 Million in New Awards to Support U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon Aircraft Program
One Stop Systems (OSS) secured $10.5 million in new awards from the U.S. Navy and a prime defense contractor to supply rugged NVMe storage units for the P‑8A Poseidon aircraft. The contracts cover hot‑swappable, high‑capacity flash canisters designed for secure, rapid...
China’s All-Nuke Sub Push May Trigger an Undersea Arms Race
U.S. Navy intelligence chief Rear Admiral Mike Brookes told Congress that China is transitioning from a diesel‑electric‑heavy submarine force to an all‑nuclear fleet, expanding shipyard capacity and developing a smaller Type 041 "Zhou‑class" attack sub. The plan includes next‑generation Type 095 SSGNs...
Trump Dismisses Iran Risk, Claims Instant Devastation
He thinks this is a game. I warned early and often: IRAN RISK IS NOT PRICED IN Trump says "we could do a lot worse" to Iran. "We could take them out by this afternoon. In fact, within an...
U.S. Navy Unready to Escort Tankers
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 United States says Navy is not ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. It would be 'suicide'. So the war wages on while Trump sends ameteur AI videos from the WH to evoke fake gamer...
CISA Issues Emergency Directive Over Exploited Cisco SD-WAN Flaws
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued Emergency Directive 26‑03, warning that attackers are exploiting a critical authentication‑bypass flaw (CVE‑2026‑20127) in Cisco Catalyst SD‑WAN devices used across federal networks. The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 10, potentially granting...
No, I'm Not Over What NAVSEA Did to Constellation
The author argues that NAVSEA’s handling of the Constellation‑class frigate program turned a heritage‑based adaptation of the Franco‑Italian FREMM into a de‑facto clean‑sheet design, eroding cost, schedule and governance controls. The shift occurred between mid‑2022 and mid‑2023 when senior ownership...
This Is What It Feels Like to Be a Rogue State
The article contrasts the $11.3 billion cost of the first six days of the unauthorized Iran strike with the National Science Foundation’s $8.75 billion budget, arguing that the war is illegal and strategically flawed. It condemns executive overreach, calling the generals involved...
Join Nick Cook for Exclusive Military Tech Dinner
The Blind Spot is hosting former aerospace & defence journalist Nick Cook, author of The Hunt for Zero Point, for an exclusive dinner in West London on March 25. Expect conversation on advanced military tech, disclosure developments, audience Q&A, and book...
The Human IOC: Why Security Professionals Struggle with Social Vetting
Security professionals excel at rigorously vetting technical indicators but often neglect the same discipline when assessing people or organizations. This bias leads to unverified negative rumors influencing decisions, which can cause false positives, wasted resources, and damaged stakeholder trust. The...
Civilian Tech Now Fuels Military; AI Will Speed It
Up until roughly the 1970s, most civilian technological progress was downstream of military technological progress. The trend has since inverted. Today most of the modern (e.g. Ukraine) military playbook comes from consumer tech from the past two decades. With AI entering...
Navy Unprepared Despite Promises, Takes Over a Month
I was assured by numerous naval sources that the Navy would be ready. I didn’t think the Navy would be ready. But I did think it would take less than a full month.
Estonian Defence Startup Frankenburg Technologies Lands €30M Series A to Scale Missile Manufacturing
Estonian defence startup Frankenburg Technologies secured a €30 million Series A round led by Plural, with participation from SmartCap, to expand missile manufacturing across Europe. The capital will fund modular, containerised production hubs in the UK and Germany, each designed to output...
Gulf War Three Falters, US Faces Strategic Setback
Dan’s subhead: “Gulf War Three is not going well for the United States”. I believe Dan Drezner knows more than I do about what is currently going on with the Epstein-Netanyahu-Trump War on Iran, so I turn the microphone over to...
Iran Claims Tanker Attack, Shipping Risks Surge Globally
Iran says it hit an American tanker. If true…. Iraq has spent the last few days upping the danger for ships. The global risk keeps increasing for ships, crew, and cargo. The Strait of Hormuz and no safe movement...
Splunk, Zoom Patch Severe Vulnerabilities
Security vendors Splunk and Zoom released emergency patches this week to remediate multiple critical and high‑severity vulnerabilities across their product lines. Zoom fixed a critical privilege‑escalation flaw in Workplace for Windows and three high‑severity defects in its Windows client software....
US Energy Secretary Wright: Iran Operations to Take Weeks, Not Months
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Wright said Iran‑related naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz will last weeks, not months, and that a U.S. Navy escort for commercial tankers is expected by the end of the month. Washington is working with allied...
☕ Morning Briefing — Thursday, March 12, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck the Thai‑flagged cargo vessel Mayuree Naree in the Strait of Hormuz, killing three crew members and igniting fears over neutral shipping in a key oil chokepoint. In response to the resulting price surge, President...
The American Army Is Introducing a New Hand Grenade Into Service. The First Such Change Since the Vietnam War
The U.S. Army will field the new M111 hand grenade, the first major ordnance update since the Vietnam era. It replaces the asbestos‑lined MK3A2, addressing long‑standing health hazards and limited tactical flexibility. Designed for urban combat, the blast‑over‑pressure grenade reduces...
Scotland Set for Skills and Innovation Boost as £50 Million Defence Growth Deal Unveiled
The UK government has unveiled a £50 million defence growth deal for Scotland, funding two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges and £10 million for innovation facilities at the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus and Clyde Engineering and Innovation Centre. The programme aims to create...
Situational Unawareness
At 1:15 a.m. EST on Feb 28, the U.S. and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran, prompting a flood of real‑time OSINT dashboards such as WorldView that stitch together satellite, traffic and social feeds. Built in days by an ex‑Google Maps manager...
U.S. Not Ready to Escort Tankers Through Hormuz
Energy Secretary Wright says U.S. ‘not ready’ to escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz yet. CNBC
Eleven Nations Seek Ukraine's Aid Against Shahed Drones
Interesting interview with Oleksandr Kamyshin. He says 11 countries in the Middle East, Europe, and U.S.A have requested official assistance for Shaheds recently. Also Ukraine offered last year.
This Is Netanyahu's War, Congress Can Prevent It From Becoming Ours
Representative Thomas Massie reminded the House that the Constitution vests war‑making authority in Congress, a point the GOP‑dominated chamber rejected by 212‑219. President Trump ordered strikes against Iran in coordination with Israel without a formal declaration, congressional authorization, or clear evidence...
US Charges Another Ransomware Negotiator Linked to BlackCat Attacks
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged former DigitalMint ransomware negotiator Angelo Martino with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion. Martino allegedly supplied BlackCat (ALPHV) operators with confidential negotiation details and received a 20% cut of ransom payments...
Attackers Don't Just Send Phishing Emails. They Weaponize Your SOC's Workload
Attackers are weaponizing phishing campaigns to overload Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts, turning the investigation process into an informational denial‑of‑service (IDoS) attack. By flooding the SOC with thousands of low‑sophistication emails, they force analysts to triage quickly, allowing a few...
Iran Leverages Hormuz Attacks to Force US Concessions
The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed to ship traffic because of Iran's attacks. Every Iranian attack is a negotiation. Iran knows it has leverage and is trying to end this war on favorable terms. Only way out is for...
HMS Anson’s Milestone Stay in Australia Cut Short During AUKUS Deployment
The UK Royal Navy’s Astute‑class submarine HMS Anson arrived at HMAS Stirling on 23 February, marking the first time a UK nuclear‑powered attack submarine received maintenance in Australia. The deployment supported the AUKUS partnership, which aims to develop a new generation...
Iran's Strait of Hormuz Leverage Traps Trump in War
The thing with this war is that there's no easy off-ramp for Trump. Simply declaring "mission accomplished" won't cut it if Iran keeps attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has leverage Venezuela and others didn't have and it's...
Lawmakers Give Cabinet Nod to Sign LOAs for 4 U.S. Weapons Systems
Taiwan's legislature is set to empower the Cabinet to sign Letters of Offer and Acceptance for four U.S. weapons systems—M109A7 self‑propelled howitzers, Javelin anti‑armor missiles, TOW 2B missiles and HIMARS—completing a US$11.1 billion arms package announced in December. The three systems have...
How the National Security Strategy Gets Made
In this episode, Santi Ruiz talks with former Deputy National Security Advisor Nadia Shadlow about how the U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) is crafted. Shadlow explains that the NSS is a multi‑party, coalition‑building document that articulates a president’s strategic goals,...
AI Redefines Cyberwar: From Iran to Code
NEW ODD LOTS - CYBERWAR AND AI Legendary hacker @msuiche talks to me and @TheStalwart about cyber warfare in the age of AI. We talk: - Iran's capabilities - The intersection of kinetic & digital warfare - The impact of AI on coding, hacking, SaaS...
The State Of Play In The Middle East
The article traces the deterioration of Iran‑Israel relations from the 1979 revolution to the June 2025 Twelve‑Day War, where Israel and the United States launched strikes aimed at regime change and dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. While Netanyahu remained in power,...
Chinese Flight Lull Fuels Taiwan's Uncertainty Amid Middle East Focus
Mysterious Lull in Chinese Military Flights Leaves Taiwan Guessing—Pause stokes uncertainty about Beijing’s intentions as world focuses on Middle East @joyuwang https://t.co/f0x5nq3FHt https://t.co/f0x5nq3FHt
Former FBI Counterintelligence Agent Jeffrey Parsons Joins GWU Program on Extremism as Senior Research Fellow
Jeffrey Parsons, a former FBI counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist, has been appointed senior research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. He brings more than three decades of experience from the FBI, MITRE’s AI‑focused counterintelligence work, and a naval...
Four Companies Form UK Defence Supply Chain Alliance
Amentum, GXO Logistics, Accenture and A.P. Moller‑Maersk have launched Torus Defence Supply Chain, a new alliance aimed at strengthening UK defence supply‑chain resilience. The partnership will deliver integrated logistics, digital transformation and global freight services to support evolving defence requirements....
American Rheinmetall Tests Drone Hunter Vehicle
American Rheinmetall demonstrated its counter‑UAS ultra‑short range air‑defense (U‑SHORAD) system mounted on GM Defense’s ISV‑C vehicle at the Big Sandy Range in Arizona. The live‑fire trial engaged both fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing drone targets, confirming detection, tracking and engagement performance as...
Macron Pushes French Nuclear Expansion to Safeguard EU
Macron is proposing that France expand its nuclear deterrent to help shield the entire European Union. This comes at a time when Europe is losing confidence in the United States' security guarantees. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/brXS2oYT9J https://t.co/YPp7v8IkmX
Deterrence Doctrine Outdated in Drone‑dominated Warfare
It’s not impotence; it was a military strategy and doctrine grounded in deterrence. It worked well for decades, but is now a million targets that cannot be protected in an active war in the drone era.