Weekly News Update: Jun 21, 2024
14 - 21 Jun 2024
Good morning,
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice. On the upside, Summer is officially here and the Swedish holiday of Midsummer is this week. On the downside, the days are only getting shorter from here on. Speaking of summer, it’s going to be a hot one with a heat dome having settled over the United States’ northeast and starting to work its way south towards the capital.
The weather isn’t the only thing heating up. Defense industry is so hot right now that companies are having trouble hiring fast enough to meet demand. M&A remains active in the aerospace and defense sector. Naval warfare has reached an all-time post-WWII high. Old—and I mean ANCIENT—defense tech is making a comeback in the Middle East. And, the government is dropping broad agency announcements faster than Taylor Swift drops albums.
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
The Defense Innovation Unit will focus its $1Bn budget on accelerating programs, adding only a few new ones like countering drones (C4)
Lawmakers urge DIU to partner with Israel, Taiwan (C4)
Pentagon’s contracting speed lane sometimes no faster, says watchdog (DN)
Congressman Wittman: Pentagon needs to ‘narrow the scope’ of CJADC2 (BD)
US Army moves out on digital engineering strategy (DN)
Defense Tech Opportunities
DIU seeks counter-drone technology for Red Sea under ‘Counter NEXT’ program (DIU)
DARPA’s Microsystems Tech Office is seeking technologies and solutions regarding the fundamental limits of broadband electromagnetic sensing (SAM)
DARPA’s Tactical Tech Office has issued its office-wide BAA soliciting proposals related to Platform Innovation, Missionized Autonomy, Managing Complexity, Freedom’s Forge 2.0, and Disruptive Emergent Technology (SAM)
The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) has issued a BAA for technologies across 17 focus areas (SAM)
The Army’s Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C) has issued a BAA for technologies related to autonomous platforms, AI/ML algorithms, decision support, human-AI integration, synthetic environments, and distributed AI (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
Far-right leader Bardella backpedals on taking France out of NATO strategic military command (AP)
Dutch prime minister set to be next NATO chief after opposition bows out (TH)
Russia hammers Ukraine’s power grid again and Kyiv’s drones target more enemy oil depots (AP)
South Korea will consider supplying arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea sign strategic pact (AP)
China, Korea, and Asia
Japan, New Zealand agree on intel sharing pact amid growing regional security concerns (AP)
Philippine officials say Chinese forces seized 2 navy boats in disputed shoal, injuring sailors (AP)
Kim Jong Un and Putin sign mutual defense pact as Russian leader visits North Korea (NBC)
India and US vow to boost defense, trade ties in first high-level US visit since Modi’s election win (AP)
Middle East and Africa
Israel’s defenses caught off-guard by Lebanese Hezbollah’s low-tech drones (WP)
Israeli forces revive an ancient tech: the trebuchet (DN)
Lebanese Hezbollah launch missiles, strike Israeli defense industrial base (DN)
Netanyahu disbands war cabinet as pressure grows on Israel's northern border (RT)
Sudan accuses UAE of fueling war with weapons to paramilitary rivals. UAE calls claim `ludicrous’ (AP)
Canada lists Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group (BBC)
Ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in fatal assault sinks in Red Sea in their second sinking (AP)
US Treasury imposes new sanctions to try and stem flow of weapons to Yemen’s Houthis (NYT)
U.S. Defense Industry News
Defense industry rushing to hire workers as military spending spikes (AX)
White House redirects air defense interceptors to embattled Ukraine (DN)
Anduril to build factory to increase Dive-LD unmanned systems capacity to 200 per annum (DN)
Artis forms Sentinel vehicle protection venture with UAE’s Bin Hilal (DN)
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin joins SpaceX, ULA for $5.6Bn National Security Space Launch Phase III (C4)
GE Aerospace CEO declined Boeing CEO job (WSJ)
GM Defense eyes $1 billion European market for tactical vehicles (DN)
Spurred by European ‘demand signal,’ L3Harris opening Euro-, NATO-focused office in Rome (BD)
LeoLabs signs $1.2M contract with AFWERX to develop a new radar (VS)
Citing missile mismatch, Lockheed snarls at HIMARS challenge in Europe (DN)
Northrop plans munitions plant in Ukraine (BD)
Northrop’s massive underwater drone skates off California coast (AX)
Red Cat unveils low-cost ‘family’ of small ISR, strike drones (BD)
Space Force boots RTX from MEO missile warning/tracking program (BD)
US approves new $360 million arms sale to Taiwan for Anduril, AeroVironment drones, related equipment to enable ‘Porcupine Strategy’ (AP)
Foreign Defense Industry News
Europe’s armor industry must merge, Arquus boss says (DN)
Drones in Ukraine get smarter to dodge Russia’s jamming signals (WSJ)
Latvia-led drone coalition for Ukraine gains more funding, members (DN)
Chinese military’s rifle-toting robot dogs raise concerns in Congress (MT)
European ammo firms tell EU to ‘hurry up’ with 155mm shell aid top-up (DN)
Ukrainian units want more sneaky battlefield e-scooters, Latvian firm says (BD)
France makes new ‘pact’ with industry to speed small drone production, acquisition (BD)
Belgium getting 17 new H145M helicopters from Airbus (BD)
BAE Systems eyes customers for new Tridon Mk2 counter-drone system (BD)
Leonardo seeks global firms to build, tweak its new attack helicopter (DN)
MBDA unveils AI-based Ground Warden tool for finding hidden targets (DN)
Rheinmetall announces 155mm ammunition mega order from Germany (BD)
Ground robots hauling drones into battle is a trend at Paris arms fair (DN)
Romania to buy 54 howitzers from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace (DN)
Hanwha eyes Norway, Sweden for rocket artillery sales (DN)
Turkish defense firm Aselsan’s CEO talks export strategy, embargoes, air defense (DN)
Space
House Intel chair warns of ‘Cuban missile crisis in space’ with Russia (TH)
Missile Defense Agency satellites track first hypersonic launch (C4)
Namibia embarks on space port building project (ITW)
Boeing’s Starliner remains frustrated in space, return delayed to 26 June at earliest (TC)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
Iran signals a major boost in nuclear program at key site (WP)
US, China hold first informal nuclear talks in five years (RT)
China expanding its nuclear arsenal: Report (TH)
AI, Robotics, & other Frontier Tech
Small drones will soon lose combat advantage, French Army chief says (DN)
Elusive hypersonic arms need Western teamwork, NATO researcher says (DN)
France preps Europe’s fastest classified supercomputer for defense AI (DN)
Robot craze in Russia-Ukraine war shines light on their drawbacks (DN)
US Army to launch AI pilot project for acquisition workforce (C4)
How US military bases became proving grounds for clean energy technology (TH)
Anthropic debuted its latest 'industry-beating' AI model (TC)
Nvidia's ascent to most valuable company stirs dot-com bubble parallels (WSJ)
A&D-Focused Finance
Germany-based Alpine Space Ventures nears closing on a $160M fund with LPs including NATO Innovation Fund and European Innovation Fund (SIR)
Engine Ventures raised ~$400M for a third fund to invest in ‘tough tech’ (AX)
Honeywell will acquire aerospace and defense technology firm CAES Systems for $1.9B from Advent International in an all-cash deal (BBG)
South Korean giant Hanwha agrees to acquire Philly Shipyard for $100M (BD)
Gilat Satellite Networks is considering acquiring Stellar Blu Solutions for $245M to provide multi-orbit Wi-Fi on planes (SN)
EOS-X Space, a Spanish space exploration company, raised a $123M Series D led by FTI Capital Advisors (PRN)
CesiumAstro, a startup building space communication tech, raised a $65M Series B+ led by Trousdale Ventures (BW)
Post-quantum cryptography startup PQShield raised a $37M Series B led by Addition (TC)
French quantum computing startup C12 raised a $19.4M funding round from Varsity Capital, EIC Fund, and more (TC)
Spain’s IENAI raised $4.17M to demo electrospray in-space thrusters for small satellites (SN)
Important Reads
The nation’s number 2 Marine, Gen Christopher Mahoney offers four lessons on sea denial from the Black and Red seas.
Former USD(Comptroller) Dov Zakheim wants more junior officers exposed to the ‘Valley of Death’ and industry.
Lighter Side
Keep building!
Andrew