Weekly News Update: Sep 6, 2024
31 Aug - 6 Sep 2024
Good morning,
America’s defense budget is shaping up to be $833Bn, if Congress doesn’t get bogged down with continuing resolutions. China picks up its activities in Africa and in the Arctic, demonstrating clear intent to challenge the west globally. Turkish clowns attack US Marines in the coastal city of Izmir. NASA plans to bring Starliner back to Earth, without its crew—because it probably won’t make it back in one piece. The US, EU, and UK sign the first-ever AI treaty. And, ‘founder mode’ is the buzz word of the week.
Strap in as we 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
Expect a $833B defense budget for FY25, but not on time, lawmaker says (MT)
DIU chief joins military leaders in Chile to discuss emerging technology priorities (DS)
The Air Force is rethinking the role of Next Gen systems in Air Superiority (ASF)
Wittman: No ‘reservations’ about loyal wingman CCA drones’ affordability (BD)
Before ‘IVAS Next’ competition, Army launches larger review of night vision capabilities (BD)
Cheap electronic decoys providing Army units more flexibility and options on battlefield (DS)
Over next year, Army shaping FLRAA version 2 requirements (BD)
Navy testing autonomous flight capabilities with aerial targets (DS)
How the Marine Corps is testing a ‘narco-boat’ for resupply efforts (MCT)
Defense Tech Opportunities
Poland to award $515 million in defense deals during MSPO trade show (DN)
AFRL released an RFP for the SSHINE solicitation seeking integration and hardware support for novel small satellite payloads (SAM)
SMDC Tech Center released an open BAA seeking research that support the SMDC mission and technology areas (SAM)
Army Geospatial Center has released its BAA to support a wide range of its missions from mitigating climate change effects to supporting tactical decision making (SAM)
Europe, Russia, the Arctic, NATO, and the war in Ukraine
Ukraine’s ‘rocket drone’ is its response to Western foot-dragging (AX)
Turkey Youth Union members attack two US Marines (WP)
US close to agreeing on long-range missiles for Ukraine; delivery to take months (RT)
Russia launches a barrage of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, Ukraine’s military says (AP)
The Dutch government is ‘future-proofing’ its military in an increasingly volatile world (AP)
China, Korea, and Asia
China gifts 2 warships to Cambodia for expanded strategic port (AP)
Chinese icebreaker mission to Arctic ‘clear signal’ of Beijing’s polar ambitions, says expert (USNI)
NSA’s China-focused ‘innovation pipeline’ targets economic imbalances (SCMP)
N Korea has again launched suspected trash-carrying balloons across the border, S Korea says (AP)
Japanese Defense Ministry unveils record high budget request (USNI)
Space, A.I. 6th-Gen Jet, Maritime Supremacy — Japan Plans Massive $58B Military Budget To Check China (EAT)
Mongolia ignores an international warrant for Putin’s arrest, giving him a red-carpet welcome (AP)
Middle East and Africa
7 US troops hurt in a raid with Iraqi forces that left 15 suspected militants dead (AP)
Xi: China-Africa relations ‘best in history’ as Beijing steps up military aid (CNN)
Report questions accuracy of Iran’s ballistic missiles (AP)
US captures ISIS leader in Syria (TH)
U.S. Defense Industry News
US manufacturing activity slowed for a fifth-straight month (BBG)
Benchmark won a $4.9M contract from the AFRL to design cleaner-fueled propulsion systems (PL)
Canopy wins $2.8M USAF contracts to develop thermal protection systems (SN)
US fears Nippon bid for U.S. Steel could hit vital steel supplies (RT)
Air Force’s NGAD revamp could open up more business to smaller firms (DN)
SDA more than doubles General Dynamics contract for ground ops to $491M (ASF)
Gecko Robotics to expand its US Navy gigs (AX)
Intuitive Machines scored a $116.9M NASA contract for a mission to the Moon’s south pole (PL)
Northrop Grumman, L3Harris lock horns for Polish F-16 EW package (BD)
Egypt gets first two C-130J Super Hercules from Lockheed (BD)
Northrop touts value of digital engineering as it announces first flight of Model 437 (ASF)
Pratt & Whitney pushes ‘low risk’ F100 engine for potential Polish F-15EX order (BD)
State Department, RTX reach $200M settlement for export violations (BD)
Foreign Defense Industry News
China, Russia pitch defense hardware to MENA at the first Egypt airshow (BD)
Polish defense show lures global players amid record spending spree (DN)
Brazil’s Embraer taps Oliver Wyman to help it in US defense market, eyeing C-390 sales (RT)
Elbit eyes Nordic market for its ‘Iron Fist’ vehicle-protection system (DN)
Netherlands picks Israel’s Rafael to supply upgraded anti-tank systems (DN)
Iceye Polska, Scanway sign deals for new satellite reconnaissance capability (BD)
Poland’s WB Group pitches new strike drones amid long-range trend (DN)
Leonardo sole bidder on UK medium helicopter as Airbus, Lockheed walk away (BD)
Space
America’s Space Force prepares for war (WSJ)
Space Force to field sensors for tracking air, ground targets in 2030s (DN)
Space Development Agency’s first satellites demo key capabilities (DN)
Production scaling woes delay next Space Development Agency launches (DN)
Ensured SATCOM, GPS alternatives tops among Space Force budget wishes (BD)
Blue Origin set to test-fire New Glenn rocket at Canaveral (Mil)
NASA spacecraft captures 1st photo of its giant solar sail while tumbling in space (YN)
Boeing and NASA prepare to bring Starliner home without its crew on Friday (TC)
The ESA 3D-prints first-ever object in space (ESA)
China’s secretive reusable spaceplane lands after 267 days in orbit (SN)
Nuclear Power & Weapons
Air Force going ‘line by line’ to bring down nuclear missile costs (DN)
ICBM cost overrun a ‘collective failure’ of USAF, Northrop, DOD: Air Force’s chief buyer (DO)
UN nuclear watchdog warns conditions ‘very fragile’ at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant (AP)
Oil power UAE completes Arab world's first nuclear plant (AFP)
AI, Robotics, & other Frontier Tech
US, Britain, EU to sign first international AI treaty (RT)
New F-16 Electronic Warfare kit is on-par with ‘5th Gen’ systems (ASF)
New DOD supercomputer designed to thwart chem and bio threats (DS)
Clock is ticking for human intel analysts to harness AI carefully: Australia, US experts (BD)
China claims breakthroughs in autonomous vehicles (DO)
Deepfakes deepfail: Russian propagandists turn away from generative AI (BD)
NGA deepens push into AI with country’s largest data-labeling effort (DO)
NGA launches new pilot program to standardize computer vision model accreditation (DS)
‘Success begets challenges’: NGA struggles to meet rising demand for Maven AI (BD)
Army eyes drone-soaked Middle East to refine energy weapons (AX)
Meet the new, most powerful open source AI model in the world: HyperWrite’s Reflection 70B (VB)
OpenAI-rival Safe Superintelligenceraised $1B at a $5B valuation from NFDG, a16z, Sequoia, and others (TC)
America overtook China in chip sales (BBG)
A&D-Focused Finance
Wischoff Ventures, a venture firm that invests in fintech, logistics, and manufacturing startups, has raised $50 million for its third fund (FBS)
a16z to shutter its Miami office (BBG)
Norway's $1.7T SWF may divest from Israel (RT)
SPAC fundraising hit the highest since 2022 (BBG)
ATLAS Space Operations raised a $15 million round led by NewSpace Capital to provide ground station services for satellite customers (BW)
KBR acquires space data analytics firm LinQuest for $737M (BD)
Redwire completes acquisition of Hera Systems, expanding company’s national security spacecraft portfolio (BW)
Aerospace parts maker TransDigm is selling $3B of new debt to fund a $3.5B-$4.5B cash dividend to shareholders (BBG)
Important Reads
A group of MIT scholars relook China’s military budget, but mistakenly discount the role of affordable mass in future conflict.
David Ignatius discusses the bureaucratic challenges to military adoption of new technology after seeing an Army brigade employ it in training.
Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham got the tech world raging (and the memes flowing) with an alternative view on how to run successful startups. Dubbed "Founder Mode," his latest essay challenges conventional business school wisdom by articulating what founders have forever failed to put into words.
Brian Potter addresses why the United States can’t build ships.
Lighter Side
Keep building!
Andrew