We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Maritime autonomy is all the rage, and the hype only seems to be growing. This morning, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) company Vatn Systems announced a twofer in an exclusive release to Tectonic: First, they’re opening a new, higher-capacity production facility in Bristol, Rhode Island. And second, […]
It’s been quite the week for AeroVironment (now officially called AV). Hot on the heels of finalizing their $4.1B BlueHalo acquisition, the defense-company-formerly-known-as-a-drone-company unveiled two new products at SOFWeek: Red Dragon, a one-way attack drone, and Titan 4, an upgraded cUAS system. All jammed up: Red Dragon—which looks a bit like a torpedo with wings […]
Not all defense innovation is flying, drone-y things. Sometimes, it’s the very materials that make it possible to build advanced systems, like metals. Enter: Foundation Alloy. This morning, the advanced metals manufacturing company announced a $7.5M funding round, led by Alumni Ventures, America’s Frontier Fund, Engine Ventures, El Cap, Material Impact, and Yamaha Motor Ventures. […]
In case you missed it, Trump’s FY26 budget request dropped Friday, and, to quote one executive we chatted to, it was a “bloodbath.” Everything from NASA, to the NIH, to the CDC, to the EPA face massive budget cuts, while DHS is set to receive a boost of nearly $43.8B. Up and up: At least […]
The Anduril empire just keeps on growing. This morning, everyone’s favorite defense tech company announced a twofer: First, they’re acquiring Klas, a tactical comms and edge computing company out of Dublin, pending regulatory approval. And second, they’re unveiling a new member of the Menace command, control, communications, and computing (C4) systems family: Menace-T. In a […]
Drone company DZYNE has officially delivered “multiple” of their Grasshopper expendable cargo drones to the US Air Force, as part of their collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the company told Tectonic in an exclusive release. “This milestone underscores … the critical role Grasshopper will play not only in contested logistics but also in […]
If you took top Trump officials, Silicon Valley elite, some of the world’s wealthiest investors and executives, and a whole bunch of defense tech founders and stuck them in a room, what would you get? The Hill and Valley Forum, apparently. Yesterday, as budget negotiations continued overhead, tech and policy big guns (pun intended) gathered […]
Pew-pew, but make it miniature. This morning, Anduril unveiled a teeny-tiny version of its Pulsar electronic warfare system, named Pulsar L (Pulsar-Lite). The mini version of the company’s EW set-up—originally unveiled during SOFweek last year—is designed to be highly mobile and protect warfighters way, way out on the edge. Pulsar-L will come in 2 flavors: […]
The hype for hypersonics continues. On Friday, U.S. Army officials released the official name for their long-range hypersonic weapon (LRHW). The service chose “Dark Eagle” as a tribute to the “master hunter known for its speed, stealth and agility,” and because the weapon can function in denied environments. Pretty poetic, tbh. “The Dark Eagle brings […]
The drone companies are joining forces, and fast. On Friday, Israeli-American hydrogen-powered drone company Heven said it had acquired Zepher Flight Labs, which makes vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone systems, as well as hydrogen drones. “Zepher brings deep expertise in lightweight airframes, avionics, and modular payload integration—all of which enhance Heven’s mission of building […]
