Lawmakers Seek to Penalize DoD if It Fails to Pass a Clean Audit
Lawmakers introduced the RECEIPTS Act, which would penalize the Department of Defense by transferring its Defense Finance and Accounting Service functions if a clean full audit is not achieved by December 2028, while rewarding success with up to $10 billion in reprogramming flexibility. Parallel legislation, the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2026, would dock 0.5%‑1% of the Pentagon’s budget for each failed audit, exempting personnel and health costs. The Pentagon has never passed a full audit since 2017, though the Marine Corps recently succeeded using AI‑enhanced financial systems. The bills also require future DoD comptrollers to be CPA‑qualified and allocate $300 million for automation and system upgrades.
Space Emerges as New Front in Great Power Competition, Officials Warn
At the Munich Cyber Security Conference officials warned that space has shifted from a neutral commons to a frontline of great‑power competition, with satellites now integral to banking, military, and weather systems. The vulnerability of undersea cables, which underpin the...
Operations, Tech and Talent Leadership Moves Across the Market
A wave of senior appointments swept the aerospace, defense and technology services sector this week, with AAR Corp. naming former Boeing and Deutsche Bank veteran Dylan Wolin as CFO and BAE Systems hiring ex‑Collins Aerospace chief digital officer Mona Bates...
Hanwha Aerospace, Frankenburg to Develop Counter-Drone Systems for Future Armored Vehicles
South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace and Estonia's Frankenburg Technologies signed an MoU to co‑develop counter‑unmanned aerial systems (C‑UAS) for next‑generation armored platforms. The collaboration will integrate Frankenburg's interceptor missiles, launchers and fire‑control software into Hanwha's upcoming armored command vehicle. Hanwha will...
Space Force Surpasses Its Fiscal 2026 Recruiting Goal
The U.S. Space Force has already exceeded its fiscal 2026 recruiting goal by 25% just five months into the year, moving more recruits into basic training and the delayed entry program. Despite this early success, senior leaders warn the service’s...
Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Strengthen AI Skills
Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and civilian staff completed a two‑day Artificial Intelligence 201 course at Fort Indiantown Gap on Feb. 11‑12, 2026. Taught by U.S. Army War College faculty, the program focused on responsible AI integration, critical thinking, and mission‑command principles...
Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Strengthen AI, Critical Thinking Skills
The Pennsylvania National Guard delivered a two‑day AI 201 course at Fort Indiantown Gap, taught by U.S. Army War College faculty, to teach soldiers and civilian staff advanced AI concepts and critical‑thinking techniques. The program emphasized responsible AI integration, mission‑command principles,...
NUBURU Activates Q1 Production Ramp for 40 High-Power Blue Laser Systems
NUBURU Inc. has launched its Q1 2026 production ramp for 40 high‑power blue laser systems through its Italian subsidiary Lyocon, fulfilling an $850,000 contract with Dutch agritech firm Trabotyx. The order comprises 24 units of 100 W and 16 units of 200 W...
NAVWAR Cyber Directorate’s Mission to Secure, Survive, Comply
The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) created a new cyber directorate last August to centralize its cybersecurity efforts. The directorate targets three pillars—zero‑trust adoption, secure software development, and cutting‑edge defensive technologies—while automating risk‑management framework (RMF) compliance. By feeding feedback...
Microsoft Under Pressure to Bolster Defenses for BYOVD Attacks
Microsoft faces mounting pressure as ransomware groups increasingly leverage bring‑your‑own‑vulnerable‑driver (BYOVD) attacks to neutralize endpoint security tools. While Windows has introduced driver signing enforcement and a vulnerable driver blocklist, legacy compatibility rules allow drivers with expired or revoked certificates to...
Zelenskiy Meets Iranian Opposition Figure Pahlavi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met exiled Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The two discussed the need to tighten sanctions on Iran and other authoritarian regimes, and jointly condemned the growing military cooperation between...
Navy Installations Shift to Continuous Cybersecurity Model
The U.S. Navy is moving to a continuous cybersecurity model that relies on artificial intelligence to detect and mitigate threats in real time. Navy Installations Command (CNIC) is replacing its legacy risk‑management framework with the Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct, emphasizing...
NATO Must Impose Costs on Russia, China over Cyber and Hybrid Attacks, Says Deputy Chief
At the Munich Cyber Security Conference, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska warned that the alliance must make cyber and hybrid attacks by Russia and China more costly. She cited a December cyber‑attack on Poland’s energy infrastructure as a recent...
Google Links China, Iran, Russia, North Korea to Coordinated Defense Sector Cyber Operations
Google Threat Intelligence Group disclosed a coordinated campaign by state‑sponsored actors from China, Iran, Russia and North Korea targeting the defense industrial base. The operations concentrate on battlefield technologies used in the Russia‑Ukraine war, recruitment‑process infiltration, edge‑device entry points, and...
Taiwan’s Air Force Cancels C-130H Upgrade, Will Acquire 10 U.S. C-130J Transport Aircraft
Taiwan’s Air Force has scrapped a multi‑year upgrade of its legacy C‑130H fleet, deeming it too costly, and approved the purchase of ten new Lockheed Martin C‑130J Super Hercules transports from the United States. The decision creates a mixed “high‑low”...
China May Be Rehearsing a Digital Siege, Taiwan Warns
Taiwan’s senior security adviser warned that China is using a secret cyber‑training platform called "Expedition Cloud" to simulate attacks on critical infrastructure. The platform creates digital twins of power grids, transport and communications networks, allowing Beijing’s teams to rehearse disruptive...
Trump Says Change of Power in Iran Would Be 'Best Thing'
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly called for a regime change in Iran, saying it would be the "best thing that could happen," while dispatching a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, to the Middle East. The move intensifies U.S. military pressure...
Denmark Records 292 Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers Passing Through Danish Straits
New data from the Danish Maritime Authority shows that 292 EU‑sanctioned Russian tankers sailed through the Øresund, Great Belt and Skagerrak in 2025, confirming the Danish straits as a critical gateway for Russia’s shadow fleet. The fleet has expanded since...
Startup Bets on New Approach to Space-Based Missile Defense
California startup Wardstone has closed a $5 million seed round to develop space‑based kinetic interceptors. The company plans to test its first prototype on a suborbital sounding rocket in late April, employing a novel “buckshot” particle‑cloud approach to counter hypersonic missiles....
What Colby’s Northeast Asia Tour Tells Us About the Future of Japan-Korea-US Trilateral Deterrence
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby toured Japan and South Korea in late January, reinforcing the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy that prioritises deterrence‑by‑denial along the First Island Chain. The visits highlighted Washington’s push for allies to shoulder...
National Guard’s Vice Chief Credits Georgia’s ‘Leadership Factory’
General Thomas Carden, a career Georgia National Guard officer, has been confirmed as the 13th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, bringing nearly four decades of experience to an organization that oversees more than 435,000 Soldiers and Airmen. Carden...
UK Spends over £400 Million on Long-Range Weapons as Cooperation Scales up with European Allies
The United Kingdom has earmarked more than £400 million this year for long‑range precision and hypersonic weapons, expanding joint programmes with France, Italy and Germany. The Stratus missile project, which replaces the Storm Shadow, already sustains over 1,300 highly‑skilled jobs in...
Canada’s River-Class Destroyer Training to Start Before Ships Join Fleet
Modest Tree, a Nova Scotia‑based defense tech firm, secured a $32 million subcontract from Fleetway to create immersive, design‑derived training systems for the Royal Canadian Navy’s upcoming River‑class destroyers. The platform will translate validated digital ship models and OEM documentation into...
Fake North Korean IT Workers Are Rampant on LinkedIn – Security Experts Warn Operatives Are Stealing Profiles to Apply for...
Security Alliance (SEAL) reports that North Korean actors are hijacking authentic LinkedIn profiles to pose as remote IT workers and infiltrate companies worldwide. By leveraging stolen personal data, verified workplace emails and AI‑generated imagery, they pass background checks and secure...
Munich Security Conference: Cyber Threats Lead G7 Risk Index, Disinformation Ranks Third
The Munich Security Index 2026 released at the MSC shows G7 nations rank cyber‑attacks as their top security risk for the second consecutive year. Disinformation campaigns sit in third place, while economic crises occupy the second slot. In contrast, the...
Bristol's Apprentices Celebrated as the Future of the Defence Industry
During National Apprenticeship Week, Defence Minister Luke Pollard visited Babcock’s Bristol facility to spotlight apprentices as the future of the UK defence sector. Babcock announced 1,600 new apprentice and graduate positions for 2025/26, adding to the roughly 5,000 roles already...
Hypersonic Missiles Development Accelerated by New Contract
The UK Ministry of Defence has granted a £12 million contract to Amentum UK, supported by SMEs Ebeni and Synthetik, to design and flight‑test a sovereign hypersonic missile system. The award, part of a broader £48 million investment since July 2024, was secured...
Dutch Carrier Odido Discloses Data Breach Impacting 6 Million
Dutch mobile carrier Odido announced a data breach that exposed personal information of more than 6 million customers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email, dates of birth, bank account and passport or driver‑license details. The intrusion occurred on February 7‑8 and targeted...
The Clearance System Is Mission Infrastructure. Treat It Like One
The article warns that the U.S. security clearance system is being treated as a back‑office task rather than essential mission infrastructure. Recent fake‑remote‑worker scandals and DOJ reports of foreign infiltration highlight the risks of a brittle trusted‑workforce pipeline. Leadership gaps...
Forget Cloud: Istari Unveils “Ground,” A New Data Sharing Infrastructure Tailored for Aerospace
Istari Digital unveiled "Ground," a new data‑sharing protocol that lets aerospace and defense firms keep information behind their own firewalls while still enabling global collaboration. The platform replaces the traditional cloud model with a shareable, auditable connection layer that embeds...
Malicious Chrome Extensions Caught Stealing Business Data, Emails, and Browsing History
Researchers uncovered a wave of malicious Chrome extensions that siphon data from corporate tools, social platforms, AI assistants, and general browsing activity. The CL Suite add‑on steals Meta Business Suite credentials and analytics, while VK‑styled extensions hijacked roughly 500,000 VKontakte...
SAFE: France Didn’t Get the Most, but Sets the Rules
France is set to receive about €16.2 billion in preferential SAFE loans, making it the third‑largest beneficiary after Poland and Romania. Paris is using the instrument to push a European‑preference policy that favours French defence firms and aims to reduce reliance...
Npm’s Update to Harden Their Supply Chain, and Points to Consider
npm completed a major authentication overhaul in December 2025, revoking classic long‑lived tokens and moving to short‑lived session tokens with MFA default for publishing. The changes also promote OIDC Trusted Publishing, giving CI systems per‑run credentials. However, MFA phishing attacks...
Australian Navy’s Anzac-Class Frigate Transits South China Sea
Australia’s Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba completed a routine transit through the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands region from February 9 to 10, 2026, as part of its 2026 regional presence deployment. Commander Alicia Harrison confirmed the passage occurred in...
Wieslander Published in Euractiv
In a Euractiv op‑ed, Anna Wieslander and Rachel Ellehuus of RUSI argue Europe must build a NATO led by Europeans. They warn waiting for a new U.S. administration would waste critical time. The authors propose an action‑oriented process focusing on...
TKMS and Magellan Ink Torpedo Support Agreement for Canada’s Submarine Program
German shipbuilder TKMS and Canadian‑based Magellan Aerospace have signed a teaming agreement to develop and support heavyweight torpedoes for Canada’s Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). The partnership will combine TKMS’s defense expertise with Magellan’s complex fabrication capabilities to deliver in‑service support...
Splash Wrap: The Week in Shipping in 233 Words
The Pentagon intercepted a tanker suspected of moving Venezuelan oil, underscoring Washington’s aggressive stance on illicit exports. Vanuatu warned users about a fake registry website, while Cameroon suspended new shadow‑fleet registrations and began deregistering existing vessels. In the tech arena,...
Persistent Systems Secures $87.5M MANET Order for NGC2 Prototype
Persistent Systems secured an $87.5 million order from the U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, and Network (CPE C3N) for Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) devices that will form the transport layer of the Next‑Generation Command and...
Sunhillo to Provide Surveillance Data Fusion for MICH-AIR BVLOS System
Sunhillo Corporation has joined ResilienX’s MICH‑AIR BVLOS program as a key team member, providing surveillance data acquisition, distribution, and fusion. The company will deploy its cloud‑based SureLine software with a multi‑track fuser to merge radar, ADS‑B, and Remote ID inputs,...
Teledyne Marine Showcased Advanced Sonar & Autonomous Tech at SeaSEC Harbour Challenge
Teledyne Marine demonstrated its SeaBat F50 forward‑looking sonar during the SeaSEC Harbour Protection Challenge in Gothenburg, delivering real‑time, 140‑degree imaging of vessel traffic and unmanned underwater vehicles. The trial combined the sonar with a Teledyne FLIR thermal camera to track...
CNO: ‘I Need My Stuff on Time’
At the WEST Conference, Navy CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith warned defense contractors that on‑time delivery is non‑negotiable. Both chiefs highlighted how single‑year appropriations and erratic funding cripple shipyard planning and workforce stability. They...
Pentagon to Restock Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bombs Dropped by B-2s on Iran
The Pentagon is finalizing a more than $100 million contract with Boeing to replenish the GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs expended during Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites. The acquisition will be the final batch of...
When Every Second Counts: Government Tech Helps First Responders’ Lifesaving Missions
Government labs are accelerating first‑responder capabilities through two NIST‑sponsored challenges. The prize competition pushes drones to generate high‑resolution 3D indoor maps, while the First Responder Smart Tracking (FRST) challenge develops rugged wearables that pinpoint personnel inside structures where GPS fails....
How Russia Turns Gamers Into Fighters
Russia is actively weaponising video games to recruit foreign fighters and conduct cognitive warfare. Recent Bloomberg reporting details how Russian recruiters used milsim games like Arma 3 and Discord to lure two South African men, who later fought and died in...
SAIC Plans Partial Pivot Away From Enterprise IT
Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) is scaling back its pursuit of certain enterprise IT contracts, opting for a more selective approach that emphasizes higher‑margin, fixed‑price work on the civilian side. The CFO highlighted that defense agencies still prefer cost‑plus contracts,...
Army Extends Training Support Contract for Third Time
The U.S. Army has extended its Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) II contract for a third time, adding $90.3 million and pushing the ordering period to August 2027. The original $248 million award to Optimal Solutions and Technologies in 2017 has grown...
Navy Secretary Outlines AI, Unmanned Tech to Advance Golden Fleet Initiative
U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan detailed the Golden Fleet initiative, which pairs AI, autonomous systems and distributed shipbuilding to accelerate fleet growth and modernize the maritime industrial base. Central to the plan is ShipOS, an AI‑driven connective platform that integrates...
Vulcan, Ariane 64 Blast Off
On Thursday, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket lifted off from Florida carrying the USSF‑87 payload to geosynchronous orbit, marking its second National Security Space Launch mission. The launch suffered a significant performance anomaly in one of its four solid rocket...
Men Lie, Strategies Lie—Numbers Don’t
The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) uses word‑frequency analysis to reveal a dramatic shift in priorities and tone compared with the 2018 and 2022 versions. Allies are mentioned 61 times, over half in a demanding or derogatory context, while President...