Weekly News Update: Aug 4, 2023
29 Jul - 4 Aug 2023
Good morning!
The U.S. economy continues showing mixed indicators with new jobs lower than expected but inflation cooling. Hit particularly hard is construction industry with a 650k person labor shortage. The Eurozone saw some modest economic growth in Q2, after a decline in Q1. Domestically, two sailors have been arrested for spying for China, and an Air Force engineer is under investigation for mishandling critical communications capabilities. Speaking of doing naughty things with classified and controlled material, legal troubles continue to pile up on former President Trump. In addition to charges last month for mishandling classified material and earlier in the year for hush money to Stormy Daniels, Trump has now been charged with trying to over turn the 2020 election. But the hottest news of the week seems to be around claims that a new material, LK-99, is superconductive at room temperature and ambient pressures.
Read more about the issues surrounding aerospace and defense technology below.
Weekly News Round Up
Military
U.S. Defense modernization and innovation
Confidence in the U.S. military is lowest since “hollow force” of the 80s (Gall)
Pentagon programs explore brain implant use-cases (Mil)
Pentagon seeks AI tech acceleration from Silicon Valley (Fox)
Air Force engineer investigated for ‘critical compromise’ of comms (T&P)
Lawmakers request UFO select committee after last week’s testimonies (MT)
U.S. begins hunting Chinese malware believed to lurk in infrastructure (NYT)
Quantum tech will transform national security; testing U.S. alliances now (NYT)
Pentagon CIO pushes defense agencies to tap $9B cloud contract (DN)
Army Futures Command hones in on human machine integration (BD)
… drafts next operating concept (DN)
Army to reorganize its network, cyberops program executive offices (BD)
Army prepares new artillery strategy, based on war in Ukraine (DN)
Army developing LASSO tank-killing drone for infantry (MT)
Air Force Next Gen Air Dominance fighter relies on non-traditional vendors (BD)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
U.S. military trails Russia and China in race for the melting arctic (WSJ)
Ukraine strikes Russian warship with sea drones in Novorossiysk (RT)
Russia doubles 2023 defense spending plan as war costs soar (RT)
NATO nations beef up security due to Wagner fighters in Belarus (MT)
China, Korea, and Asia
U.S. to announce $345M in military aid for Taiwan (MT)
China says U.S. military aid to Taiwan will not deter its will to unify island (AP)
China’s overseas investment in metals/mining set to hit record (FT)
While everyone else fights inflation, China’s deflation fears deepen (WSJ)
Japan forecasts large boost to defense spending over next five years (DN)
Middle East and Africa
Saudi Arabia to host Ukraine-organized peace summit over war in August (AP)
Progressives urge withholding $320M in Egypt military aid over allegations (AP)
U.S. may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz (MT)
U.S. orders partial evacuation of embassy in Niger following coup (TH)
U.S., Mozambique leaders seek deeper security ties (UPI)
U.S. Defense Industry News
Anduril, Epirus to boost U.S. Marine Corps drone defenses (DN)
Archer shares jump 33% on air taxi deal with U.S. Air Force (RT)
Booz Allen Hamilton gets $1.9B Thunderdome deal for zero-trust tech (BD)
New York startup iRocket to test rockets and propulsion at Edwards AFB (S&S)
KBR wins Air Force Research Lab contract to study non-traditional orbits (SN)
L3Harris closes purchase of Aerojet Rocketdyne (DN)
Northrop Grumman opens new hypersonics facility in Maryland (ASF)
… reassesses willingness to bid on fixed price contracts after loss (SPO)
Sierra Space wins Air Force contract for upper-stage engine development (SN)
Raytheon, Rafael eye Arkansas site to make air defense missiles (DN)
Foreign Defense Industry News
NATO officially closed its first NATO Innovation Fund at $1.1B to back startups focused on technologies that are ‘responsible and led by fundamental principles: safety, freedom, and human empowerment’ (TC)
U.S. to help Australian manufacture guided missiles by 2025 (AP)
French and Italian Horizon-class frigates to receive $1.6B missile and radar upgrades (BD)
Israel, U.S. clear sale of David’s Sling air defense system to Finland (BD)
Israel buys tens of thousands of 155mm shells as global demand jumps (BD)
Pakistani defense conglomerate unveils new drone, missiles at IDEF (DN)
Poland to buy several hundred long range spike antitank missiles (BD)
Space
NASA’s SBIR Ignite grant solicitation is now open through Sept 21 (NASA)
NASA loses contact with Voyager 2, detects heartbeat signal (BBC)
U.S. Space Command to stay in Colorado, Biden rejects move to Alabama (MT)
… expected to reach full operational capability this month (VS)
NSF observatory in Hawaii detected attempted cyber attack (NL)
Senate spending bill cuts Space Force budget (SN)
Artemis 2 moon astronauts train with U.S. Navy for Orion splashdown (Sp)
Airbus, Voyager Space launch JV to create Starlab commercial space station (SN)
Northrop plans Cygnus spacecraft upgrades to increase cargo capacity (SN)
The final flight of the Antares 230+ (powered by Russian RD-181 engines) successfully lifted off from Wallops Island (SN)
Ground segment services provider for satellite operators Leaf Space raised a $22M Series B led by CDP Venture Capital (FN)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
Medvedev threatens nuclear weapons if Ukraine attacks Russia (CNN)
UK’s CMA is investigating Cameco Corp and Brookfield Renewable Partners’ $7.9B acquisition of nuclear power plant equipment maker Westinghouse Electric (RT)
Cold War-era atomic bomb site could host largest US solar development (RT)
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Energy, and other cool tech
LK-99 may or may not be superconductive at room temperature and ambient pressure (NYT)
U.S. Military targets deepfakes and misinformation using AI-powered tool (C4)
AI flies XQ-58A Valkyrie drone (MT)
AMD plans AI chip debut by year-end (RT)
Softbank is targeting a $60B-$70B IPO of its semiconductor unit Arm as soon as September (BBG)
Dam failures show harsh reality of aging infrastructure in US (WSJ)
Important Reads
The New York Times covers how SpaceX has come to own 53% of all active satellites and growing concerns over its growing influence and consolidated power over global communications—particularly in war zones.
Mackenzie Eaglen discusses why we need to open up US military bases to the public to improve Civilian-Military relations and recruiting.
Lighter Side
Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun
Image Credit: Apollo 11, NASA (Image scanned by Kipp Teague)
Explanation: Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this image of the surface of the Moon. It was taken fifty-four years ago, July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the lunar surface. Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle, and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is unfurling a long sheet of foil also known as the Solar Wind Composition Experiment. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles streaming outward in the solar wind, catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. Along with moon rocks and lunar soil samples, the solar wind collector was returned for analysis in earthbound laboratories.
Keep building!
Andrew