Weekly News Update: Aug 30, 2024
24 - 30 Aug 2024
Good morning,
The DoD is testing lots of technologies at T-REX. SOF love replicator, although we still need to prioritize humans over hardware. Labor in UK is seeking closer ties with Europe, 8 years after Brexit. Xi and Biden are planning to talk, in a hope to help simmer down relations. Iran is stockpiling enriched uranium, even at is says its open to talks on controls. Speaking of nukes, China is still crying about the US’ new strategy. Something about how the US has too many nukes. And, it’s SBIR season again!
Let’s dive in to these and more of this week’s issues surrounding aerospace and defense technology.
Weekly News Round Up
Military
U.S. Defense modernization and innovation
SOF Truths persist: humans are more important than hardware (DO)
Special operations forces ‘big fan’ of Replicator, especially for Pacific missions (BD)
Pentagon’s CJADC2 dreams ‘very aspirational’ right now, Marine Corps general says (BD)
Dozens of new Defense Technologies tested at Camp Atterbury (F59)
Air Force splitting up intelligence and cyber effects organization (DS)
How in-house tech and soldier tinkering is changing the Army (MT)
Army attempts to reassure industry on software acquisition (BD)
Marine commandant’s new planning guidance emphasizes C2 investments (DS)
Defense Tech Opportunities
The BAA for SBIR 24.3 / STTR 24.C is in pre-release with topics officially opening in about two weeks (DSIP)
DIU wants to buy generative AI tech for Thunderforge initiative (DIU)
NORAD, USNORTHCOM, and LANL are seeking partners to contribute to a small reactor design with space applications (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
Poland’s government plans record defense spending in its 2025 budget (AP)
Germany and the UK seek a new bilateral treaty as Starmer pursues a ‘reset’ with the European Union (AP)
Ukraine unveils rocket-drone hybrid (AP)
US sanctions hundreds of firms accused of aiding Russia’s war machine (DN)
Drone sightings near bases, infrastructure unnerve German officials (DN)
Speculation, worries grow that Belarus could attack Ukraine (TH)
China, Korea, and Asia
Australia offers US a vast new military launchpad in China conflict (WP)
Two Republicans want Pentagon to add Chinese battery maker CATL to restricted list (RT)
Biden and Xi to speak by phone amid effort to boost US-China relations (FT)
Indonesia and Australia sign defense agreement (AP)
US Navy could escort Philippine resupply missions in South China Sea (RT)
Japan accuses China of violating its airspace, reportedly a first (BD)
Top PE firms put brakes on China dealmaking (FT)
NSA’s China specialist: US at a loss to deter Chinese hackers (BD)
Middle East and Africa
Houthi video shows the Yemeni rebels planted bombs on tanker now threatening Red Sea oil spill (AP)
Turkish drone shot down over Iraq’s Kirkuk (RT)
US quietly reopens talks with Chad amid challenges in Africa posture (DN)
U.S. Defense Industry News
Data highlights US defense industry’s modern separation from the broader economy (DS)
Aerovironment wins nearly $1B to supply Switchblade munitions to Army (DN)
US Navy shipbuilder Austal USA to pay $24M to settle fraud probe (AP)
Impulse won a Space Force STRATFI agreement to reach a combined $60M in funding (PL)
JJV awarded largest single-year Javelin contract to date, worth $1.3Bn (ATh)
Joby Aviation flies autonomously for the Air Force in second test (sUN)
LeoLabs sees defense business grow as space-tracking needs multiply (DN)
Space Force taps Northrop to build $200M radar in UK for monitoring deep space (ASF)
Outpost nabbed a $33.2M STRATFI contract from the Air Force to develop its technology for hypersonic testing and reentry missions (PL)
Raytheon wins $51.7 million contract for military satcom antennas (SN)
Scranton Army Ammo Plant boosts artillery shell production for Ukraine (AP)
Stoke Space won a $4.5M DIU point-to-point cargo delivery prototype contract (STK)
Viasat signed a $153.4M DISA contract for Blue Force Tracker-2 engineering services (GCW)
Foreign Defense Industry News
Estonia launches competition to host major foreign munitions firm (DN)
NATO taps Belgium division of Exail for mine-clearing underwater drones (DN)
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean announces first win of a US Navy ship repair contract (BD)
Kongsberg to set up missile plant in Australia, joins local ammo push (DN)
Serbia to buy 12 Rafale fighter jets in nod to European industry (DN)
Slovakia to buy Israeli Barak MX air defense systems for $610M (DN)
UK defence sector re-establishes 120mm mortar barrel manufacture (ATh)
Space
US falling dangerously behind China on GPS development: Pentagon’s former space-policy leader (DO)
Space Force No. 2: Risk of China or Russia launching large-scale attack in orbit (ASF)
Experts: Time is running out for DOD to execute its commercial space strategy (ASF)
NASA sacked Boeing for SpaceX to bring back stranded astronauts (CNBC)
AstroForge confirms first private mission to asteroid (Fbs)
Lockheed Martin intends to scale up its inflatable space station tech after a successful test (SN)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, UN says (AP)
Iran’s supreme leader opens door to negotiations with US over Tehran’s nuclear program (AP)
A UK nuclear fusion start-up is helping the US develop stealth submarines (FT)
IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear accident at Russian plant in Kursk region (RT)
AI, Robotics, & other Frontier Tech
Pentagon will award $280 million in CHIPS Act grants for microelectronics prototypes (BD)
AI gold mine’: NGA aims to exploit archive of satellite images (BD)
OpenAI, Anthropic sign deals with US for AI research and testing (RT)
A&D-Focused Finance
Defense and aerospace deals grow as PE investment rebounds (PB)
Defense tech startup Parry Labs raised an $80M round led by Capitol Meridian Partners (PRN)
Space Intelligence raised ~$7M in Series A funding led by AzurX Space Ventures (BW)
Pryzm announces $2M pre-seed round, led by XYZ Ventures, to streamline data around government contracts (TC)
Rare earths miner Tactical Resources agreed to merge with Plum Acquisition Corp III in a $589M deal (BBG)
Orbitworks, a $100M joint venture founded by Loft Orbital and Marlan Space, intends to bring satellite production capabilities to the UAE (PL)
Important Reads
In light of Nvidia's market defining earnings, Matt Philips wrote a cool piece observing how Nvidia's stock is eclipsing almost every trend we've seen in history.
Lighter Side
Keep building!
Andrew