Pentagon needs $50B for mass drone production, Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants $50 billion in reconciliation funding to support the Pentagon's push to scale autonomous and robotic systems.
Battlefield Tech
US Army taps 9 companies to build next-gen command and control software
The service announced contract awards worth $93.6 million across nine companies building applications for its Next Generation Command and Control software.
Has the Pentagon given up on AI polygraph analysis of loyalty?
AI-aided scanning of speech patterns, vocal stress or facial expressions to read minds lacks scientific backing and will compound errors, critics argue.
Neros, Perennial Autonomy lead in Pentagon’s drone competition
Two companies scored highest during the second phase of a Pentagon competition to find companies that can produce high-quality, low-cost commercial drones.
US appeals court upholds Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic
A federal appeals court upheld the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic from military contracts, handing a victory to President Trump and the Pentagon.
Thales in ‘quite advanced’ talks with NATO countries on AI-powered command software
French firm Thales is “quite advanced” in discussions with a number of NATO countries about using its artificial intelligence-powered C2 system.
Europe’s push to reduce US reliance is reshaping the defense space market
Spooked by U.S. restrictions on satellite data access during recent crises, European countries are scrambling to catch up on sovereign capabilities.
AI military targeting may move faster than humans can authenticate, critics warn
AI military targeting may move faster than humans can authenticate, critics warned during a Wednesday hearing in Washington.
Polish prime minister: Poland to develop its own Starlink
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the project will pave the way for the launch of a Starlink-like system for the nation.
Iran likely to reverse-engineer captured US underwater drone
Iran will almost certainly try to pry open the captured drone’s hardware, but the platform's software does carry built-in defenses, analysts say.
Russia sends bones of medieval warrior prince to Ukraine front to boost morale
Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine.
Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display
A defense startup has raised $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display that connects field operators to real-time data.
US military uses laser to down 3 Mexican cartel drones near border
The U.S. military used a laser in southern Texas’ Rio Grande Valley to shoot down three Mexican drug cartel drones this week near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Lockheed Martin launches modular missile tech with dedicated ‘storefront’
Lockheed Martin on Monday announced the launch of Strigo, a new line of modular missile and sensor hardware.
Chinese military researchers tap US AI models to train defense systems
Chinese researchers have reportedly used leading U.S. AI models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic to train AI systems to advance defense capabilities.
US Marine Corps turns to AI-powered Bullfrog as drone threats expand
Allen Control Systems announced Monday that the Marine Corps has chosen the Bullfrog autonomous weapon system to integrate into its airborne defenses.
X-Bow out to tackle cost quandary with sub-$100,000 drone interceptor
X-Bow Systems is launching what it hopes will be a remedy to the ongoing conundrum of combating cheap drones with multimillion dollar interceptors.
