Meta and Anduril work on mixed reality devices for the US military
Anduril and Meta plan to build VR/AR extended reality headsets for the military as part of the the contract that Anduril took over from Microsoft.
C2/Comms
Chinese hold on solar-power tech raises fresh sabotage fears in Europe
After a news report about undeclared circuitry in Chinese solar components, European experts fear the bloc may be vulnerable to blackmail.
Leidos acquires cyber company Kudu Dynamics
The finalized deal comes as Leidos is implementing a new “NorthStar” strategy that identifies cyber as one of five primary growth areas for the company.
Navy wants AI tools to boost data processing, resource distribution
In notice this week, DIU said it is looking for AI and machine learning tools that can speed up data processing at the Navy’s Marine Operations Centers.
Switzerland to expand EU defense ties with new cyber-defense role
Swiss defense planners have balanced these new engagements with Bern’s policy of armed neutrality.
Poland, Romania lead a drone bonanza in Eastern Europe
Local companies are vying for new customers besides their national armed forces.
Space Force eyes commercial tech to fill low Earth orbit sensing gaps
In a May 16 notice, the service calls for feedback from firms that can provide space domain awareness in the “increasingly congested orbital environment."
Opinion
Tariffs or not, China’s infiltration of US systems needs new attention
The challenge facing the U.S. and allied governments is how to protect systems, citizens, infrastructure and industries from data theft.
Amid demand for satellite support, Space Force leans on commercial
The service awarded contracts to two firms — Auria, formerly Boecore, and Sphinx Defense — to establish the cloud-based antenna marketplace prototype.
Defense officials advocate for diverse target-tracking architecture
Defense officials say a moving target indicator capability that includes both air and space assets is needed until the department defines its architecture.
Varda lands third space capsule, carrying key hypersonic flight data
Funded by AFRL, Varda’s W-3 capsule landed May 13 at Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.
AI company Helsing unveils swarming underwater surveillance drones
The company’s artificial-intelligence tool Lura is at the heart of the setup, processing data from SG-1 Fathom drones.
General Atomics touts UK breakthrough in drone airspace integration
The achievement has been a long time coming for the U.S. drone vendor after spending spending $500 million and working for 11 years.
Denmark to field unmanned vessels for monitoring busy shipping routes
U.S.-based Saildrone will deploy four large unmanned surface vessels in Danish waters next month.
Space Force weighs options for boosting launch resiliency, capacity
The service is exploring a range of leads for increasing launch access — including international partnerships and newer modalities like sea-based launch.
Golden Dome costs driven by interceptors, not launch, analysts say
A constellation of interceptors meant to counter low- and high-end threats would require a much more robust architecture than past estimates have assumed.
Stratolaunch hits milestone with fully reusable hypersonic testbed
Both flights met all of the Defense Department’s performance benchmarks within a 1% margin, according to Stratolaunch CEO Zachary Krevor.
