Weekly News Update: Jun 7, 2024
1 - 7 Jun 2024
Good morning,
As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, let us remember the sacrifices made by the greatest generation to secure the freedoms we enjoy today. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history, storming the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe from the grip of tyranny. Today, eight decades later, we face perhaps the greatest threats to liberal democracies since that time. The challenges are daunting, but the spirit of determination and unity that defined D-Day continues to shine brightly. As we reflect on the past, let us draw strength and inspiration to confront the present with the same courage and resolve.
Europe continues to increase its support to Ukraine, seeing it as a bulwark against the Axis of Autocracy, as the country fights for its survival against its Russian invaders. As a geopolitical counter, Russia is attempting to expand its presence in Africa and in the Western hemisphere, trying to create dilemma for the US and NATO.
In the IndoPacific, China is attempting to recruit western military trainers, which would give the People’s Liberation Army critical insights into how the West would respond to Chinese aggressions against Taiwan, the Philippines, or elsewhere. Australia is relaxing its recruiting guidelines, onboarding more noncitizens into its military, as it worries about growing Chinese bellicosity.
More firms are continuing to enter the Defense Tech space with PE giant Cerberus opening a venture fund focused on hardware and defense and DC lobbying firm J.A. Greene & Co jumping in headfirst opening a $100M fund with Anzu Partners.
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
House lawmakers propose $1.3 billion for Pentagon innovation (C4)
DARPA sees automated tools helping streamline software certification (C4)
As new ICBMs' cost soars, a few lawmakers are trying to rein it in (DO)
US adversaries have ‘formidable’ electronic warfare tools, officials warn (C4)
‘America’s gatekeeper’ has a message for small defense contractors (FdT)
Air Force says it’s on verge of rapid electronic warfare updates (DN)
The Army investigates edge compute-as-a-service (DS)
A lighter, high-tech Abrams tank is taking shape (DN)
Navy focuses on rapidly changing battle technology, Franchetti says in Bahrain (S&S)
Defense Tech Opportunities
DoD plans July industry day, experiments for new CJADC2 command apps (BD)
DARPA is soliciting proposals for R&D of scalable, robust, and power-efficient analog neural network (NN) architectures and circuits that could directly interface with the analog outputs of conventional sensors (SAM)
The Navy is seeking sources for a long-endurance small unmanned surface vessels (SAM)
The Army is seeking information from industry on capabilities related to long-endurance group 4 and group 5 unmanned aerial systems capable of integrating various modern sensors and carrying various modern effectors including launched effects UAS, munitions, and others (SAM)
Army DEVCOM has issued a commercial solutions opening for technology focus areas including Power and Mobility, Autonomous Systems, Force Projection, Survivability & Protection, Electronics and Architecture, Cyber Engineering and Software Integration, Human Machine Integration, Advance Manufacturing and Modeling, and Simulation and Prototyping (SAM)
CENTCOM Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) is seeking demonstrations for commercial platforms to enable DoD personnel to rapidly create and maintain computer vision (CV) capabilities. Intended applications include automated detection and identification of features in imagery and video collected by spaceborne, airborne, and land/sea-based sensors (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
NATO to expand Defense Tech, intelligence sharing with Kyiv (BBG)
Ukraine uses US weapons to strike inside Russia (AP)
Germany must be ready for war by 2029, defense minister warns (Pol)
Any French military in Ukraine would be a ‘legitimate target’ for Russian forces, Lavrov says (AP)
Italy to send second air defence system to Ukraine, foreign minister says (RT)
US to send $225 million military aid package to Ukraine, officials say (AP)
China, Korea, and Asia
US defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks (AP)
US, 'Five Eyes' allies warn China recruiting Western military trainers (RT)
Australia’s military will recruit some noncitzens in a bid to boost troop numbers (AP)
Middle East and Africa
Defense spending bill forces Israel arms transfers, nixes Ukraine aid (DN)
Flexing its muscles, Iran steps away from deniability in arming the Houthis: Analysts (BD)
Yemen’s Houthi rebels unveil solid-fuel ‘Palestine’ missile that resembles Iranian hypersonic (AP)
Russia’s top diplomat promises more military support for Burkina Faso as he tours West Africa (AP)
U.S. Defense Industry News
DIU, Air Force pick Anduril Industries, Leidos Dynetics, Zone 5 Technologies and Integrated Solutions for Systems Inc to prototype modular testing drone (DN)
Emirates president sees years for Boeing turnaround (BBG)
Boeing urges France not to ‘discount’ P-8 as it plots ATL2 replacement (BD)
Firefly inks deal with Lockheed to launch up to 25 missions (C4)
GDIT’s Project Enigma inches toward production contract (BD)
Microsoft says it will funnel more resources into Army’s IVAS program amid mixed reality shakeup (BD)
US sets stage for antitrust probes into Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia (RT)
AFRL mod raises GhostEye radar contract value to $50 million for Raytheon (DDN)
Foreign Defense Industry News
Germany’s Diehl close to FEANIX drone deal with Germany, says project lead (BD)
MBDA offers mini missiles for Rheinmetall Skyranger air-defense gun (DN)
Airbus reveals futuristic wingman concept, teams with German startup Helsing for AI tech (BD)
US Air Force gives Norway’s Kongsberg $141M for joint strike missiles (ASF)
South Korea’s Hanwha eyeing K9 howitzer demo for revamped US Army initiative (BD)
Space
US Space Force sorts through industry ideas to boost satellite sensors (C4)
First test of space-based hypersonic tracking sensors ‘within a week,’ MDA director says (BD)
DARPA project uses AI to flag space weapons, spy satellites (C4)
SpaceX accomplishes first soft splashdown of Starship, Super Heavy Booster on Flight 4 mission (SFN)
Boeing Starliner crewed capsule reaches ISS despite helium leak (AP)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
US test-fires two unarmed Minuteman III nuclear weapons (DN)
Xcimer Energy, a startup developing low-cost, high-energy laser technology for fusion energy, raised a $100M Series A led by Hedosophia (BW)
AI, Robotics, & other Frontier Tech
US, Singapore to work together on counter-drone, electronic warfare tech (DN)
A&D-Focused Finance
J.A. Green & Co, a DC-based lobbying firm is partnering with Anzu Partners to raise a $100M Critical Technologies Fund for Defense (BBG)
Private equity giant Cerberus Capital Management has launched its inaugural venture fund focused on hardware and defense tech (PB)
Stealth electronic warfare company CX2 raises $15M seed round led by a16z and 8VC (Fbs)
Cerberus Capital Management acquired the hypersonic and defense test systems business units from TransDigm Group (GCW)
The autonomy division of Xwing, an aerospace and defense startup that has received an official project designation from the Federal Aviation Administration, has been acquired by NYSE-listed Joby Aviation (FC)
Important Reads
Building our Defense has begun a series on the industrial base, starting with a brief overview of America’s industrial mobilization in World War II.
Forbes looks into White Stork, a secretive startup founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt that is making AI-powered defense drones with the help of top talent from Apple, SpaceX, and - yes - Google.
Lighter Side
Keep building!
Andrew