Battlefield Tech
France to test its own AI-powered battlefield command in June NATO exercise
The French Army has developed its own large-language model for staff officers, called Berthier, named after Napoleon’s chief of staff.
Dutch plant for combat-zone robots offers fresh supply pipeline for Ukraine
The facility has already produced its first THeMIS vehicle for the Dutch government, part of a run of more than 100 such robots pledged by the Netherlands.
Creating a separate Cyber Force would require $10 billion and a minimum of 1 year, report says
Two D.C. think tanks examined a proposed implementation plan for an independent U.S. Cyber Force as some lawmakers push for its creation.
US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces
“Nations just need to assign the capabilities they have to NATO,” a spokesman for the alliance's military headquarters said.
By Sabine Siebold, Reuters
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2026 Tech Disruptors
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Autonomous Data Fusion on the Modern Battlefield
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DOD’s Cyber Workforce Challenges
This whitepaper explores how the DoD can close the cyber workforce skills gap, how ‘upskilling’ protects national security in the digital age, and more.
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Space
Hackers compromised a senior Space Force official’s Instagram, posting anti-American content
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna’s Instagram was controlled by hackers who posted stories and images on Sunday.
Artificial Intelligence
AI companies have a responsibility to safeguard models against exploitation, Pentagon chief technology officer says
After Trump's recent executive order on AI, Emil Michael said that the weaponization of models is concerning.
Unmanned
Dutch plant for combat-zone robots offers fresh supply pipeline for Ukraine
The facility has already produced its first THeMIS vehicle for the Dutch government, part of a run of more than 100 such robots pledged by the Netherlands.
US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces
“Nations just need to assign the capabilities they have to NATO,” a spokesman for the alliance's military headquarters said.
Lockheed’s GRIZZLY C-UAS system downs attack drone in live-fire demo
The live-fire demonstration paired the radars, Sanctum software and launcher to destroy the target at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
Unmanned
At a NATO range in Latvia, hits and misses mark Europe’s counter-drone journey
Drone technology is “a couple of steps ahead” of countermeasures, one officer said, with interceptors having to work every time to prevent losses.
Romania says Russian drone hit apartment block, NATO vows to defend alliance territory
“I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on X.
At French Army FPV competition, NATO soldiers race drones and swap tips
“When I put on the mask, I no longer exist in this reality,” Chief Cpl. Clément said after completing the course.
Cyber
The US Marine Corps is looking for a few good robots to build airfields
For Marines who have toiled over assembling airfields in austere environments, relief may be on the way.
Electronic Warfare
Pentagon’s realistic electronic warfare system to move to Navy lab
DARPA says it has built the world’s largest, most realistic electronic warfare test capability.
VIDEOS
Game-changing new tech emerges for troops and commands | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.2.26
A box that makes drinkable water out of the air and hydrofoil drone tech have emerged at defense shows. Plus, an interview with a top executive at Lockheed.
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Germany touts pan-German space command amid European push to supplant US tech
Austria’s Defense Minister Claudia Tanner reaffirmed that Austria plans to put three operationally designated military satellites into orbit next year.
By Linus Höller
NATO eastern deterrence strategy takes shape around ‘autonomous zone’
“What we see in Ukraine, no vehicle movements are in the gray zone at all,” one Latvian commander said. “Any movement is destroyed.”
Near Russian border, NATO grapples with ground robots in combat
“We are a little bit behind because we’ve been using only the air drones,” a Latvian commander said.
Blacklists, corruption and frontline needs: Ukraine tackles an arms-export puzzle
After years of struggling to arm its one million active-duty soldiers, Kyiv has been wary of allowing its domestic producers to sell their weapons abroad.
By Katie Livingstone
Marines mandate servicewide AI training by year’s end
The Marine Corps will require all Marines to complete a basic artificial intelligence course by the end of the year.
By Daniel Terrill
Ukrainian drone strike on empty Baltic fuel depot prompts top-level resignation – in Latvia
A Ukrainian official said Russia is spoofing Ukraine's drones, diverting them to strike nearby Baltic nations instead of targets in Russia.
By Linus Höller
NATO nations size up an interceptor-drone bazaar where low price is everything
A price point advantage is no longer measured in millions of dollars below the competition, but in mere thousands.
By Katie Livingstone
Ukraine could lift arms-exports ban this year as would-be buyers line up
Gulf countries threatened by Iran could be some of the first nations to buy Ukrainian air-defense technology at scale.
Dutch startup Intelic sets up drone marketplace for European militaries
BASE will allow defense ministries to explore systems that are ready to be used in a coalition framework, with interoperability guaranteed, says the firm.
Drone diplomacy wins Ukraine valuable allies, but now it must deliver
The Iran war has confirmed how central drones are to modern warfare and handed Zelenskiy a diplomatic trump card, analysts say.
By Daniel Flynn, Reuters