Know What's Happening in Defense
Know What's Happening in Defense
Project Maven expands into AI‑assisted targeting and battlefield management
The Pentagon’s Project Maven, launched in 2017, has grown from a drone‑footage analysis tool into a system that fuses satellite imagery, sensor data and troop intelligence to accelerate the kill chain, letting commanders choose strike options in seconds. Palantir now serves as the primary technology contractor for the program.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires Colvya Group for $615M
The nuclear‑powered USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on March 23, 2026, for assessment, repairs, and resupply after a fire broke out in its main laundry while operating in the Red Sea. The blaze, deemed non‑combat related, was quickly contained, and two sailors suffered non‑life‑threatening injuries. Navy officials say the carrier remains fully mission capable and will continue its deployment with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. The port call enables the fleet to restore full operational readiness before re‑engaging in regional missions.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told MPs he will not allow any delays to the UK’s future Type 83 destroyer programme, stressing the need for steady naval procurement. He linked the project to Scotland’s shipbuilding sector, citing a newly secured Norwegian frigate...
The review of "Shadow Cell" examines how CIA operatives Andrew and Jihi Bustamante introduced two major reforms: cell networks and people networks. By borrowing Al‑Qaeda’s decentralized cell structure, the agency aimed to cut red tape and limit mole damage. The...
Iranian missiles struck multiple sites in central Israel on March 23, injuring six people, while Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to keep hitting Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon until a U.S.-Iran agreement meets Israeli interests. President Donald Trump announced...
The Baltic Sea has shifted from a quiet commercial corridor to a hotspot for hybrid threats, as Russian vessels increasingly operate near critical energy and communication infrastructure. Underwater sabotage incidents—targeting cables like Estlink 2 and C‑Lion 1—demonstrate the vulnerability of dense subsea...
Lord Hermer KC, the UK attorney general, used a Manchester lecture to argue that Britain’s national interest is best served by upholding international law amid escalating US and Israeli military actions against Iran. He warned that a "might is right"...
In late February 2026, coordinated U.S.–Israeli airstrikes triggered a rapid insurance‑driven shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. War‑risk premiums surged fivefold, Lloyd’s Joint War Committee reclassified the entire Arabian Gulf as a conflict zone, and major insurers withdrew affordable coverage,...
The U.S. Army recognizes a doctrinal gap in integrating information operations into strategic competition and proposes a new organizational model that mirrors close‑air‑support (CAS) structures. By embedding information‑warfare professionals within State Department regional bureaus and key embassies, the Army aims...
U.S. officials say Russia is supplying Iran with satellite‑derived targeting data, sharpening Tehran’s strikes on American forces and regional infrastructure. The cooperation extends to a joint Shahed‑139 drone plant in Yelabuga capable of churning out roughly 5,500 drones each month,...
In this episode of A Better Peace, host Dr. Tom Spahr interviews Army War College faculty Lt. Col. Blair Wilcox and Col. Chase Metcalf about their research on the interaction between human commanders and artificial intelligence in military operations. Drawing...
Operation Epic Fury has prompted Tehran to openly threaten terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies, citing the recent killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as justification. Iran’s Qods Force and proxy networks have accelerated recruitment of criminal groups and sleeper...
EU diplomats warn that Germany's far‑right AfD party can access EuDoX, a databank containing thousands of confidential EU documents, raising fears of leaks to Moscow and Beijing. The system, used by all German MPs, stores roughly 25,000 low‑level classified files...
President Donald Trump postponed a threatened strike on Iran, prompting a brief market rally, but analysts quickly shifted focus to the memory‑chip sector. AI‑driven demand for high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM has turned the traditionally cyclical memory market into...
A French naval officer uploaded a 35‑minute run on the deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to Strava, unintentionally broadcasting the ship's location in the eastern Mediterranean. The incident spotlights how public fitness tracking can compromise military security...
Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing at least one civilian and capturing two Hezbollah operatives. The attacks, part of a broader Iran‑Israel war, have heightened regional tensions and sparked concerns in emerging‑market capital flows.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber urged multinational corporations and governments to convene an international working session on the resilience of the global energy system, citing Iran’s recent attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure and the...
A Colombian Air Force C‑130 Hercules went down moments after take‑off from Puerto Leguizamo, killing as many as 80 soldiers out of the 125 personnel on board. The disaster, the deadliest single‑incident loss for Colombia’s armed forces in years, has...
Following a federal judge’s ruling that the Pentagon’s restrictive media policy violated press freedoms, the Defense Department announced it will move journalists to an external annex on Pentagon grounds and issue new credentials. The decision marks a major shift in...
The six‑month‑old Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is now being tested as the Iran war intensifies. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar publicly invoked the pact, and Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Riyadh to coordinate a joint...
Google has unveiled a new Threat Disruption Unit that operates defensively, targeting the infrastructure hackers rely on rather than conducting offensive hacks. The unit will leverage Google’s visibility into global internet services to obtain court orders, expose malicious actors, and...
The U.S. Space Force activated the 630th Cyberspace Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 10 to protect launch‑range networks from cyber intrusions. This follows the September reassignment of the 645th Cyberspace Squadron to Space Launch Delta 45 at...
Canberra‑based Forge Photonics has inked a deal with Sydney defence firm Mission Systems to equip its undersea drones with fibre‑optic gyroscope navigation modules. The technology, spun out of Australian National University research on gravitational‑wave detection, delivers GPS‑free, low‑detectability positioning using...
The Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation released its 2025 annual report, highlighting progress on four Air Force munitions programs. The GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, after successful combat drops on Iranian nuclear sites, was removed from DOT&E oversight and...
Important nuance before assuming the stage is set for US-Iran negotiations: ❓ How unified is Iran’s top leadership at present — across the legislative branch, the military (especially the IRGC), and the religious establishment? ❓ Does Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf hold...
This is being framed as censorship but it’s actually just prosaic advice for language relating to photo-interpretation. We just accused CENTCOM of PAC’ing a Bahraini neighborhood, but one still needs to respect analytic tradecraft.
Colombia's Defense Ministry confirmed that a C‑130 Hercules transport plane crashed on take‑off from Puerto Leguizamo on March 23, killing at least 80 of the 125 troops and crew on board. The disaster comes as the south‑border region sees heightened...
Trump is treating Iran like a transactional adversary when it's a revolutionary state, says @ksadjadpour After three weeks of bombing, there is no real path to normalization The best case is a return to a Cold War #Iran #Trump #Hormuz #KarimSadjadpour #Geopolitics...
Trump blocked the bipartisan deal to fund all of Homeland Security except ICE. This is Trump’s shutdown. https://t.co/MxVPDtgIwz
A recent analysis reveals that fewer than 1% of Israel’s public bomb shelters are situated in Palestinian‑majority neighborhoods, underscoring a stark safety gap. A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute shows 92.5% of Jewish Israelis support the recent strike on...
More DoD media manipulation. Watch for a decision this on the NYT press pass case. Hope for an order to vacant the DoD rules: Pentagon tightens controls over Stars and Stripes after calling it “woke” : NPR https://t.co/xb0UyBKuPb
This administration has never met a law that it didn’t feel comfortable grabbing by the genitalia with the greatest lack of respect. Pentagon moves media to external ‘annex’ after press policy court defeat - The Washington Post https://t.co/4hTc1vE9mD
In the first 16 days of the Iran conflict, coalition forces have expended 11,294 advanced munitions, costing roughly $26 billion. The rapid consumption has sharply depleted high‑end interceptors, long‑range strike missiles and sensor‑command assets, leaving critical stockpiles vulnerable. Industrial bottlenecks—particularly in...
GEN. MATTIS: “.. Iran right now, if we declared victory, they would now say they own the strait. .. You’d see a tax for every ship that goes through. .. We’re in a tough spot, ladies and gentlemen. .. I...
Lux's @brett_mcgurk current POV: (1) we're only halfway thru stated plan of 4-6 weeks (2) Occam's razor: Trump is calming markets + buying time. He will give diplomacy serious try, while advancing US military + creating more options, and continuing non-power...
The administration released a National Cyber Strategy aimed at keeping the United States unrivaled in cyberspace, outlining six policy pillars that stress AI deployment and reduced regulation. An accompanying Executive Order directs agencies to develop plans for dismantling transnational cybercrime...
Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz by using missile and drone attacks that have slashed commercial traffic by roughly 90%, while still allowing a limited flow of Iranian‑flagged vessels and a few Greek‑linked tankers. The United States has...
Just over 3 weeks and the U.S.-Israel have taken out over 70% of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.
I agree, Israel is going after the Iranian regime leaders, Basij, police, security forces, checkpoints and methods the regime used to kill protesters..they are calling IRGC officers to tell them they are dead men walking…
Iran publicly rejected the notion of direct negotiations to end the ongoing Middle East conflict, directly contradicting former President Donald Trump's earlier assertions that Tehran was engaged in peace talks. The Iranian foreign ministry emphasized that any diplomatic efforts must...
The U.S. Senate is poised to confirm Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin as the next Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem who was dismissed after controversy over immigration enforcement. Mullin, a longtime ally of former President Trump’s immigration agenda, secured...
President Trump announced a five‑day postponement of planned strikes on Iranian power infrastructure, saying recent talks with Tehran were “very good and productive.” Iran’s parliament speaker rejected the claim, stating no negotiations had taken place and accusing the United States...
“Ending the War Doesn’t End the Crisis”: Middle East Ceasefire Risks | A... https://t.co/bDlWKuJTVz via @YouTube
The U.S. Navy’s Independence‑class littoral combat ships (LCS) equipped with the mine countermeasures (MCM) mission package have yet to prove operational effectiveness after replacing four Avenger‑class minesweepers in Bahrain. DOT&E reports cite low reliability of the Airborne Mine Neutralization System,...
President Donald Trump announced a five‑day suspension of U.S. strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, signaling a de‑escalation after weeks of threatening rhetoric. The move lifted U.S. equity markets, with the S&P 500 gaining and oil prices retreating from earlier spikes....
The United States confirmed that its strikes on Iran will persist, except for a five‑day pause on attacks targeting Iranian energy facilities. President Trump described the ongoing talks with Iranian leaders as "productive," while Israel remains an observer receiving updates...
Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pumping the brakes on the war crimes he threatened to commit on Iran's civilian power infrastructure. Whether there were actually talks w/ Iran or someone convinced Trump to...
The White House, under the Trump administration, is reportedly evaluating Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as a potential partner and future US‑backed leader. Ghalibaf, who currently chairs the Majlis, is seen as a workable figure who could steer Iran in negotiations...
Hemant Baidwan stepped down as the Department of Homeland Security’s CISO after a two‑year tenure focused on scaling secure artificial intelligence and accelerating zero‑trust adoption. Under his leadership, DHS transitioned from a compliance‑driven posture to a risk‑based cybersecurity model anchored...
On March 12, a KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq, killing six airmen, while a second tanker landed safely in Israel. The tragedy revived calls from former Air Mobility Command leaders to modernize the aging fleet’s communications, highlighting limited battlespace...
Sal gives us a clinic on the reason that the US Navy has not cleared the Strait.
