Weekly News Update: Aug 11, 2023
5 - 11 Aug 2023
Good morning!
The hype around LK-99—the mysterious substance purportedly demonstrating superconductive properties at room temperature—is finally dying down, after claims about the material have been disproven. The United States and China continue their spat with President Biden escalating through an executive order that will limit certain types of investments into Chinese technologies that could benefit the Chinese military. Despite our best efforts and sanctions, western technology continues to show up in Russian weapons. The usual antagonists continue to antagonize (that’s China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran). Iran and the United States continue to work on a deal to exchange prisoners, and there’s hopes that this will allow an opportunity to revisit some concerns about their nuclear program. Russia joins the race to the moon, forgetting (as seemingly so have China and the United States) that we already won the race 54 years ago. Defense-focused AI company Palantir reported better than expected earnings and could be listed in the S&P soon, but still failed to be included in the Defense News Top 100 list of defense contractors. And, after decades of promises, Virgin Galactic flies its first tourists to space.
Read more about the issues surrounding aerospace and defense technology below.
Weekly News Round Up
Military
U.S. Defense modernization and innovation
President Biden issues an executive order restricting investments in China, citing national security threats (NYT)
Pentagon AI chief pledges, ‘Machines won’t make decisions on their own’ (CNN)
New AI laser system to guard U.S. capital region from unauthorized aircraft (DO)
Counter-drone office to demo swarm destruction in 2024 (DN)
Navy fighter pilot, Adm. Paparo, tapped to lead military in Indo-Pacific (NT)
Navy’s chief engineer sees 3D printing rebuilding the fleet (BD)
New report: cyberattacks against government increased 40% (DO)
Army mulls multiple versions of man-portable tank-killing drone in LASSO program (C4)
Army experiments with 50kW lasers, integrates with kinetic air defenses (BD)
Army aims to make 1 million artillery shells each year, starting in 2025 (DO)
Army uses AI for better diagnostic tools for combat-related burn injuries (S&S)
Air Force Research Lab touts first successful Valkyrie flight powered by AI (TH)
After four years, Air Force is still rebuilding Tyndall Base to withstand climate change (WP)
AFRL issues solicitation for Kaiju BAA focused on electronic warfare tech (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
Despite efforts, western tech continues to appear in Russian weapons (CNBC)
Belarus begins military drills near border with Poland and Lithuania (DN)
In response, Poland plans to deploy 10,000 troops to Belarus border (AP)
POTUS requests another $21B for Ukraine in defense and humanitarian aid (MT)
Russia is replicating Iranian drones and using them to attack Ukraine (NYT)
China, Korea, and Asia
China hacked Japans sensitive defense networks (WP)
Philippines rebukes Chinese ambassador, over water cannon attack on boat (MT)
Joint Russian-Chinese flotilla transited U.S. waters near Alaska (NT)
In show of force, China sends 6 warships and 33 warplanes towards Taiwan (MT)
China seeks to expand influence to Latin America, outcompetes U.S (S&S)
Chinese economy falls into deflation as recovery stumbles (Virgin Galactic )
Friends like these: North Korean hackers breached top Russian missile maker (RT)
N. Korea’s Kim shakes up military leadership, orders preparations for war (CNN)
New Zealand to create national intel agency, recommended 2+ years ago (DN)
Middle East and Africa
Saudi Arabia seeks to normalize relations with Israel, agrees with U.S. path (WSJ)
Thousands of sailors and Marines are in the Red Sea amid tensions with Iran (NT)
Iran claims it can build supersonic cruise missile (RT)
Ethiopia accuses Amhara militia of seeking to overthrow government (AlJ)
Niger coup leaders refuse to let senior U.S. diplomat meet with president (AP)
West African nations activate standby force as Niger crisis continues (WP)
Niger military junta names 21-person cabinet ahead of ECOWAS summit (AlJ)
U.S. Defense Industry News
Lockheed, RTX, Northrop top industry as world’s largest defense contractors (DN)
U.S. Army approves full-rate production of BAE’s new armored vehicle (DN)
Boeing to sell 60 Chinook helicopters to Germany in $8+ billion deal (RT)
Kratos, Hypersonix team up on hypersonic systems for U.S. market (C4)
Palantir met Q2 earnings and revenue expectations, issued better-than-expected guidance that beat estimates as it continues leveraging AI (CNBC)
Starfish Space wins Air Force contract to develop satellite guidance software (SN)
VCs have pumped more than $356M into hypersonic startups last year (C4)
Race for new F-35 cooling system, as DoD won’t rule out competition (BD)
U.S. approves upgrade of Finland’s M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, contract worth up to $395M for Lockheed (DN)
Foreign Defense Industry News
Brazil, Saudi Arabia seek joint ventures and technology transfers (DN)
China, Korea, and Turkey defense firms all grew in prominence and clout (DN)
India bars makers of military drones from using Chinese parts (RT)
Indonesia buys 12 Anka drones from Turkey’s TAI business for $300M (DN)
Italy signs nearly $1B deal to upgrade Ariete tanks (DN)
Pakistan considers joining Turkey’s fifth generation fighter jet program (BD)
Poland to make hundreds of Israeli-designed Spike antitank missiles (DN)
Romania eyes 32 F-35s under $6.5B deal (DN)
Space
NASA releases its SBIR Ignite Phase I solicitation with topics including hybrid electric power plants for airplanes/drones, in-space manufacturing, wildfire mitigation and water management, and debris remediation (SAM)
AFRL has released its annual update to the Rocket Lab BAA, looking for solutions around solid rocket motor tech, liquid rocket engine tech, and air-breathing turbine engine tech (SAM)
Russia launches its Luna25 lunar lander to the Moon, in race to find water (RT)
Study: NASA asteroid deflection test spawned boulder swarm (Ax)
Virgin Galactic finally launches tourists to space (BBC)
IARPA launches space debris tracking initiative (PS)
Japanese launch startup Interstellar Technologies eyes orbital launch by 2025 (SN)
Hawkeye360 satellites lose altitude faster than expected, irreparable thrusters and solar activity to blame (TC)
BlackSky buys five more Electron launches (SN)
KKR plans to take German space and technology company OHB private alongside its founding family at a $1.1B valuation (BBG))
Orbit spaceflight startup Astra Space raised $12.5M in senior secured notes / warrants from Alliance Global Partners (BW)
Satim, a Polish startup using AI to detect and identify objects in satellite imagery, raised a $2M round led by Cultivation Capital (FN)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
U.S.-Iran prisoner swap part of effort to contain Iran’s nuclear program (NYT)
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Energy, and other cool tech
White House, DARPA launch $20M AI, cybersecurity challenge (BD)
LK-99 room-temperature superconductivity claims disproven (TV)
Stability AI announces StableCode, generative AI product for coding (MTP)
BioFlyte, a biothreat detection firm, raised a $5.4M round led by Scout Ventures and Cottonwood Technology Fund (BW)
Blackstone raised $7.1B for a fund that will finance solar, EV, and clean energy companies (BBG)
New Zealand and Blackrock plan to launch a $1.2B climate infrastructure fund to invest in solar, wind, green hydrogen and battery storage technology (RT)
Important Reads
Eric Tegler takes the DoD to task over electric vehicle goals.
Morgan Housel wrote a good piece on the cyclicality of everything, from markets to life.
Scott Savitz and Krista Romita Grocholski make their case for why the DoD needs to be investing more effort in developing non-lethal weapons and intermediate force capabilities.
Margaux Hoar and Robyn Bolton suggest the DoD learn about innovation from sources that extend beyond Silicon Valley, like from Charmin toilet paper.
Lighter Side
Five Meters over Mars
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Ingenuity
Keep building!
Andrew