Know What's Happening in Defense
Know What's Happening in Defense
U.S. IDFC boosts reinsurance guarantees for Hormuz shipping to $40 billion
The U.S. International Development Finance Corp has doubled its reinsurance guarantees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to $40 billion, adding major insurers such as AIG and Berkshire Hathaway. The step is intended to reinforce maritime security amid escalating regional tensions.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires Colvya Group for $615M
On March 13, 2026 President Trump issued an Executive Order that revises the delegation framework of the Defense Production Act. The order transfers direct DPA authority over energy‑related resources from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Energy and clarifies how agencies should act under EO 14156. By amending EO 13603, it reduces procedural ambiguity and empowers agency heads to use DPA tools without unnecessary presidential referrals. The change targets faster mitigation of energy, critical‑mineral, and grid‑infrastructure supply‑chain gaps.
Lockheed Martin has signed off on all eleven industrial cooperation projects tied to the Czech Republic’s F‑35 Lightning II programme, including a partnership with Ray Service to manufacture wire harnesses domestically. The Czech government plans to purchase 24 F‑35A fighters,...
The Pentagon is set to prolong the federal National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C. until Jan. 20, 2029, covering 2,865 troops drawn mainly from Republican‑led states. The extension, awaiting Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s signature, underscores a shift in domestic security policy...
On March 13, a French Navy officer logged a 7‑km run on the Strava app while aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Because his profile was public, the GPS data instantly revealed the carrier’s exact position northwest of Cyprus,...
Pete Hegseth, newly appointed U.S. defense secretary, publicly rebuked the press for fixating on the “trivial” details of his Iran war strategy. He argued that the media’s focus on the absence of a comprehensive plan distracts from the administration’s broader...
U.S. airstrikes have reportedly degraded Iran's coastal missile infrastructure, yet the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively blockaded as drones and naval mines pose persistent threats. Between March 1‑15, only 89 vessels – including 16 tankers – traversed the waterway, a sharp...
On March 11, U.S. startup iRocket and Arnold Defense successfully conducted a live‑fire test of the iRocket iRX‑100 tactical missile from an Arnold Defense 70 mm rocket launcher in the Mojave Desert. The solid‑fuel missile accelerated to roughly Mach 2, traveling about...
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The United Arab Emirates announced it has dismantled a terrorist network allegedly funded by Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, arresting several operatives. The cell used a fictitious commercial front to launder money, finance terrorism and threaten national security. Lebanon’s foreign ministry...
The Irregular Warfare Podcast episode “From Orbit to Objective” examines how space has become a contested domain shaping modern conflict. Hosts Ben Jebb and Charlie McGillis interview Dr. James Kiras and U.S. Space Command leader General Stephen Whiting about the...
Estonia is prioritizing smart, adaptable and cooperative defence solutions as the Russian threat looms. With a population of 1.3 million and the EU’s third‑smallest GDP, it has narrowed procurement and focused on joint ventures. Its domestically produced equipment is now being...
Venezuela has reshuffled its security leadership, appointing intelligence chief Gustavo González López as defense minister, signaling tighter military and surveillance control. The change coincides with limited U.S. sanctions waivers that have eased pressure on PDVSA, prompting a rally in PDVSA‑linked bonds...
Ukrainian forces reported that an FPV drone destroyed a Russian Ka‑52 attack helicopter near Pokrovsk, supported by video and photos. The strike was credited to the 59th Separate Assault Brigade, which uses low‑cost, first‑person‑view drones as improvised strike platforms. The...
It’s amazing to me how many resources must be devoted to geopolitical strategy, intelligence gathering, and war planning in the US and Russia; and yet the two most high-profile wars of the last five years involve a military superpower attempting...
Security researchers discovered a novel phishing campaign that uses a fake, interactive Zoom call to trick users into downloading a malicious update. The lure relies on AI‑generated JavaScript to mimic a glitchy Zoom meeting, directing victims to a counterfeit Microsoft...
The UK Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) is preparing a US‑based operation to quantify the financial fallout of cyber incidents, targeting a 2027 launch after proving its model in Britain. In its first year, the CMC rated two 2025 attacks –...
Oracle released an out‑of‑band emergency patch for a critical pre‑authentication remote code execution vulnerability (CVE‑2026‑21992) affecting Oracle Identity Manager and Oracle Web Services Manager. The flaw, located in the Fusion Middleware REST and security components, is easily exploitable and resembles...
Israeli military said it bombed Syrian army camps overnight after mortar attacks on the Druze community in Suwayda. Fighting between Syrian government forces, tribal fighters and rival Druze factions sparked civilian shelling, prompting Israel to invoke a protective duty toward...
Ukraine has deployed interceptor units to five Middle Eastern countries to protect critical and civilian infrastructure from missile threats. The move was announced by Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov after a regional visit, emphasizing an immediate operational presence. Kyiv is...
The author recounts a recent missile alert in Jerusalem after hearing a siren warning of incoming Iranian rockets. While the missiles ultimately veered toward central Israel, the experience sparked a personal question about whether Iran could ever target the Dome...
A new study by Binghamton University’s School of Management examined conference‑call transcripts of top‑tier U.S. public firms from 2000 to 2023 and found that explicit cybersecurity readiness signals boost financial performance. The researchers used a keyword‑driven algorithm to measure how...
Precision Aerospace & Defense Group and FACT II Acquisition Corp announced a $310 million business combination, turning the defense‑supplier roll‑up into a publicly traded entity via a SPAC. The deal, disclosed in December, positions Precision to build an EBITDA‑positive network of critical...
The Canadian Defence Investment Agency awarded Colt Canada a contract to supply up to 65,402 assault rifles under the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) programme. Phase 1 will procure 30,000 General Service rifles over three years at a cost of C$307 million,...
Ukrainian defense analyst Serhii Beskrestnov disclosed technical details of Russia’s Yolka interceptor drone, a short‑range, daylight‑only system designed for kinetic engagement of hostile UAVs. The drone can travel up to 200 km/h, operates within a 3‑kilometre radius, and tolerates wind speeds...
JSE‑listed companies face the risk of a 30% share‑price plunge after a cyber‑attack, as weekly cyber incidents in South Africa jumped 36% year‑on‑year to 2,145. Response speed dramatically influences losses: incidents contained within hours limit share erosion to 4%, while...
A coordinated defacement campaign has compromised over 7,500 Magento sites in just three weeks, leveraging an unauthenticated file‑upload flaw across Open Source, Enterprise and B2B deployments. Threat actors are posting plaintext files, often bearing the handle “Typical Idiot Security,” to...
U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Polar Star completed its 2026 Operation Deep Freeze mission after 55 days below the Antarctic Circle, covering 14,000 miles. The cutter rescued the cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II, cut a seven‑mile ice channel, and escorted the...
Reform UK is poised to win additional English councils in May 2026, and a new Grantham Institute report shows the party has already stripped climate‑change targets from seven local authorities. The analysis warns that this retreat could undermine the UK’s national...
The U.S. Air Force has opened a market survey to procure three additional Dronebuster 4 handheld counter‑drone systems from DZYNE Technologies. The handheld electronic‑warfare device detects and disrupts small unmanned aerial systems, including “dark drones,” by jamming control links and navigation...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is rolling out a vetting and registration system to manage ship transits through a newly‑established safe corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. Vessels must disclose ownership and cargo details in advance, and at least nine...
The article argues that the century‑old borders imposed after the Ottoman collapse are unraveling, allowing Kurdish geography to reassert itself across Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. Decades of coordinated opposition among the four states are fracturing as Syria’s central authority...
The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a plan to occupy or blockade Iran’s Kharg Island, the nation’s primary oil export hub, in order to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal, cited by Axios from four informed...
The article argues that the United States should reorganize its naval strategy around four distinct oceans—Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific—rather than a single global fleet. It contends that the current “every‑ship‑everywhere” approach strains resources, mismatches capabilities, and hampers readiness. By...
Artificial intelligence is empowering cybercriminals to craft hyper‑personalized phishing, automate credential abuse, and generate adaptive malware that mimics legitimate user behavior. Traditional rule‑based and signature‑based defenses struggle because AI‑driven attacks operate within normal activity thresholds and continuously evolve their code....
In July 1955 the Soviet Union staged a fly‑by of Myasishchev M‑4 bombers, looping ten aircraft and re‑using eight to give the illusion of a 28‑plane fleet. Western observers, convinced the USSR now fielded a credible intercontinental bomber, pressed Congress...
The UN Security Council issued a resolution condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, labeling them a breach of international law. The article argues the vote is one‑sided, focusing on protecting Gulf oil flows and...
Middle East energy crisis: Qatar: $20B revenue loss from ther facilities being hit. CEO of Qatar energy said it would take 3 years to fix. Dep of War needs $200B to fund Iran war. Irans facilities have also been hit. Trump says “It will...
A new Quincy Institute paper warns that Washington's push to isolate American science from China could erode a core strategic asset. It documents how Chinese students and scholars have historically powered U.S. research, contributing billions in tuition, high retention rates...
HENSOLDT has secured a long‑term supply agreement with United Monolithic Semiconductors (UMS) to receive 900,000 gallium‑nitride (GaN) components for its radar systems by 2030. The deal aims to reinforce supply‑chain resilience and expand production capacity amid rising global demand for...
Iran’s foreign minister warned Britain that any U.S. use of British military bases would be deemed "participation in aggression" against Tehran. The warning follows President Donald Trump’s criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not supporting U.S. actions in the...
In this episode of Sharp China, Andrew Sharp and Bill Bishop dissect the postponement of President Trump's planned visit to Beijing amid the ongoing war in Iran, noting how the conflict and U.S. domestic politics are reshaping diplomatic timing. They...
Langflow, a widely used open‑source AI workflow builder, disclosed a critical remote code execution flaw (CVE‑2026‑33017) with a CVSS score of 9.3. The vulnerability affects an unauthenticated POST endpoint that processes a ‘data’ parameter, allowing attackers to inject Python code...
The gist of @chamath's question for Jensen Huang was, if @AnthropicAI CEO, @DarioAmodei over-rotated on cautionary side. Jensen's answer is spot on and I 100% agree with such stance. "Warning is good, scaring is less good", Jensen added. Jensen Huang...
“Drones and Urban Warfare in Ukraine,” the latest episode of my @WarInstitute podcast is out. I sit down with Dr. Anthony Tingle who just returned from his 9th research trip to Ukraine to discuss the evolution of drones and the different...
Separately, Germany is building its own version of the NSA. Germany's intelligence service is vastly expanding what has to date been a small section. https://t.co/v3wcztzBqI
Germany to ease weapons export restrictions for 6 months to support Gulf states & Ukraine, according to @BR24. Previously, every single transaction had to be approved, now focus on reporting requirements.
President Trump's Iran strategy has what the Forever Wars never did: having the Army take a backseat to naval and airpower.
Online bot traffic will exceed human traffic by 2027, Cloudflare CEO says | TechCrunch https://t.co/WGWoAMpWVy
Joined the great @AudieCornish @CNN this morning. We talked about how Iran’s asymmetric capabilities could make the risks of a worst case scenario real: US boots on the ground, a shooting war in the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices...
On the one hand, the US is considering lifting sanctions on Iran's oil. On the other, the US e is considering invading Kharg. It's one or the other. Either the US understands the MAD dynamic at play with energy flows...
Russia is taking what they've learned on the battlefield in the Ukraine War and sharing that with Iran. This is not a new strategy for the Russians, but it is already spelling trouble for the US. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/8OrxIIE2pk #iranwar #geopolitics https://t.co/R8FpGDhPFq
