Weekly News Update: Feb 16, 2024
10 - 16 Feb 2024
Good morning,
What a week. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the last few minutes of over time to win the Super Bowl. Replicator is moving forward with the first tranche of awardees being identified. The second tranche will focus on software, purportedly. The Air Force Association hosted its warfare symposium in Colorado, providing an important venue for discussions around the restructuring of the Air Force, adoption of critical technology, requirements to change budgeting processes, and much more. Y Combinator wants to get in on the Defense Tech bubble—how far we’ve come from the days of Silicon Valley looking at the Pentagon like a leper colony. Space remains hot as the SpaceX launches another private lunar lander and Russia looks to put nuclear weapons in space.
Let’s dive in to these and other issues surrounding aerospace and defense technology.
Weekly News Round Up
Military
U.S. Defense modernization and innovation
DoD selects first Replicator systems, eyes software for second iteration (BD)
Pentagon wants Congress to grant more acquisition authorities, claims it will foster innovation (DO)
Marines testing robotic mules to hauls weapons, sensors (MCT)
Air Force unveils command changes, wing plans in bid to outpace China (AFT)
To the dismay of ground forces, Air Force begins retiring A-10s (Fly)
Deadline nears for on Army long range precision munition acquisition decision (BD)
Chief of Naval Operations confident prototypes will usher in manned-unmanned fleet (C4)
Navy’s Foundry program seeks to modernize hardware (BD)
Clapperton: Airborne Triton drone key to Navy’s signal goals (C4)
Defense Tech Opportunities
SSC released the GPS Rapid Prototype Demonstration Tranche 0 RFI for innovative concepts to provide rapid alternative PNT systems that could replace or augment existing GPS systems. Responses are due Feb. 26 (SAM)
DARPA issued an RFI for Quantum Sensors in a Chip (QuSIC), seeking ideas to integrate various quantum systems at the chip level. Responses are due March 20 (SAM)
NASA released a partnering opportunity to fly a compact hyperspectral cubesat on an aircraft and space demonstration. Responses are due Feb. 23 (SAM)
The Air Force has issued a 5-year Broad Agency Announcement focused on directed energy (SAM)
Army DEVCOM is seeking white papers on Zero Trust (ZT) activities for the tactical environment (SAM)
DARPA issued a BAA for revolutionary research ideas of interest for the Adaptive Capabilities Office (ACO) and the Aerospace Projects Office (APO) (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
Russia forced to ‘sacrifice quality for quantity’ in war with Ukraine (DN)
France and Ukraine to sign a security agreement in Paris in the presence of President Zelenskyy (AP)
$95Bn US aid bill clears senate but stalls in House (AP)
Ukraine: Russia used advanced hypersonic missile in first, in recent strike (CNN)
Trump threatens to abandon allies, draws ire from military and international leaders (TH)
Putin critic, Alexi Navalny, dies in arctic prison (RT)
Ukraine claims to have sunk yet another Russian ship in the Black Sea (AP)
United Kingdom slips into recession (RT)
China, Korea, and Asia
Congressional delegation to visit Taiwan (SCMP)
US Pacific Fleet to stand up second sea drone squadron this year (BD)
South Korea says North Korea has fired cruise missiles, adding to provocative run in weapons tests (AP)
Disparity grows between China and US shipbuilding capacity (WSJ)
Japan is no longer the world’s third-largest economy as it slips into recession (CNBC)
China’s carbon emissions are set to decline year earlier than expected (WSJ)
Middle East and Africa
UAE restricts US ability to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Iran proxies (Pol)
Iran claims ownership of Antarctica, plans base there (WE)
CENTCOM’s ‘Sandtrap’ hackathon targets drones (C4)
U.S. Defense Industry News
The Air Force chief buyer laughs at the Defense Primes’ push to do away with fixed-price contracts, concedes there are paths to derisk (BD)
Blacksky wins $50M from Indonesia for (PL)
Air Force ‘having a hard time’ on E-7 Wedgetail price negotiations with Boeing (BD)
General Atomics unveils new XQ-67 advanced sensing drone (TDP)
Google offshoot Aalyria demos SATCOM software for DIU ‘hybrid network’ (BD)
Intelsat wins $9M for multi-orbit satellite terminals (SN)
US cancels multibillion dollar classified Northrop Grumman led military satellite program (BBG )
Northrop to showcase Project Scion tech payloads for unmanned vessels (DN)
Air Force readies to award collaborative combat aircraft deals (DN)
Palantir and Voyager partner for AI for Starlab (PL)
Rebellion Defense selected to supply software for Navy’s Project Overmatch (DN)
Rockwell Collins Gets Court to Reinstate Air Force Solicitation (BBG)
Army gives $75M to RTX for Coyote drone killers (DN)
Foreign Defense Industry News
World facing ‘dangerous decade’ amid increased instability, military spending: Think tank (TH)
EU is investing $97M to develop satellite-based missile early warning system (C4)
Azerbaijan opens facilities for Turkish-made Akinci drone (C4)
Chinese defense firm Norinco unveils turreted truck-mounted 155mm howitzer (DN)
Kongsberg wins Italy order for shallow-water unmanned submersible (C4)
Russia claims to ramp up drone production (RT)
Space
Pentagon launches six satellites to boost missile tracking (DN)
SpaceX rocket lifts off with US craft bound for moon landing (BBG)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
Concerns rise over potential for conflict in space, as US intel suggest Russia has deployed a nuke in spae (WP)
Russian efforts to create anti-satellite weapons are cause for US concern (AP)
AI, Robotics, & other Frontier Tech
OpenAI develops tool to create realistic AI videos (WSJ)
Nvidia holdings disclosure pumps up shares of small AI companies (CNBC)
Google opens Paris research hub as France seeks bigger AI role (BBG)
Early adopters of Microsoft’s AI bot wonder if it’s worth the money (WSJ)
A&D-Focused Finance
Y Combinator seeks Aerospace & Defense Tech startups (BBG)
The EU conditionally approved Korean Air Lines’ $1.8B bid for smaller rival Asiana Airlines (BBG)
Skylo Technologies, a D2D satellite connectivity provider, raised a $37M round from Intel Capital, Innovation Endeavors, BMW i Ventures, and others (FN)
Leolabs, a startup that helps the US track space junk and adversarial satellite launches, raised a $29M Series B extension led by GP Bullhound (TC)
Important Reads
Building a Defense Tech company? Don’t miss this special on creating defensiblity.
Military Times has compiled a timeline of all Houthi - US Navy incidents in the Red Sea.
Jared McKinney and Peter Harris share highlights from their Strategic Studies Institute paper on the shifting balance of military power in the Taiwan Strait and the growing risk of Chinese invasion
Lighter Side
Keep building!
Andrew