Well, we hope Congress had a restful summer recess, because things are about to get very busy for the military-minded members (and we’re not talking about yesterday’s apparent War on Drugs redux). On Tuesday, with the fiscal year kicking off next month, Congress returned to make some big spending decisions (lest we forget about the […]
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a bit of a shakeup in the DoD innovation world in the past week. The head of DIU is out, critical technology areas are changing, the Navy is overhauling how it develops and adopts new tech, and JCIDS is dead. Oh yeah, and then there’s the whole Defense […]
Looks like we’re on a bit of a maritime kick today. This morning, unmanned surface vessel (USV) company Saildrone announced that its 65-foot Surveyor vessel has received full classification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Now, what does that mean for us non-seafaring laypeople? Basically, the company’s big-boy sailboat drone has been inspected and […]
Institutional investors are going batshit crazy for defense. Yesterday, five major financial institutions, including ING and JPMorgan Chase, announced that they’re backing the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, a new not-for-profit bank that will help NATO countries and allies finance defense needs. Backed by these finance heavy-hitters, DSRB will issue AAA-rated bonds for countries to […]
As if one new military branch wasn’t enough—looking at you, Space Force—Trump may soon get a shot at another: Cyber Force. And the think tanks are already on the case. This week, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) announced they’re launching a new commission next […]
Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs just got their bite back, and they’re starting with drones. Last weekend, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, SAPO and NABU, announced an investigation into a “large-scale corruption scheme” in UAVs and electronic warfare equipment procurement, involving drone company owners, lawmakers, and military officials. Revenge tour: If the National Anti‑Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti‑Corruption […]
We need an updated zodiac for the US, because it’s clearly the Year of the Drone. On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy proposed some big changes to the FAA rules around domestic UAV flights—especially out-of-sight ones. The long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) authorizes Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, where the operator cannot […]
The budget drama on the Hill continues. Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its $852.5B defense spending bill for FY26, providing a $21.7 billion (2.6%) boost in spending over Trump’s budget, plus a big ol’ “hell no” to some of the President’s policy priorities. Among the starkest differences between the Senate’s appropriations bill and the administration’s […]
As you may have heard, the EU and US have struck a trade deal—sort of. In case you missed it, in Scotland earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Trump announced a trade agreement reshaping the $2T transatlantic trade relationship, including a blanket 15% tariff on all European goods imported […]
In case you missed it, on Friday, SecDef Pete Hegseth met with his Baltic counterparts at the Pentagon, where the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian defense leaders committed to spending 5% of GDP on defense by next year. Yes, next year, as in 2026. Impressive, especially when you consider the rest of NATO isn’t on track […]
