Science & Tech

Ukraine bets on land robots for next phase of war

As it continues to defend against Russian invasion, Ukraine is also seeking billions to supercharge its domestic arms industry.

Threats

Russian influence ops are the ‘preeminent threat’ to November's elections, US officials say

Moscow appears to still favor Donald Trump as it promotes divisive narratives and denigrates other politicians, IC and FBI officials said.

Policy

Trump pledges to ax Biden’s AI-safety order

The newly adopted Republican platform says the executive order "hinders AI Innovation."

Threats

US, allies take down Kremlin-backed AI bot farm

Allegedly launched by a deputy editor at a Russian state-backed news agency, the bot farm spread disinformation on X/Twitter.

Defense Systems

Space operations boss wants more virtual simulations to boost training

After a recent demo, Lt. Gen. David Miller said Space Operations Command needs realistic simulations to train at the highest levels.

Threats

The president ordered a board to investigate a massive Russian cyberattack. It didn't.

By not investigating how the SolarWinds hack exploited Microsoft software, the Cyber Safety Review Board missed an opportunity to prevent attacks, experts say.

Ideas

4 things to watch for as NATO leaders gather in high-stakes summit

Expect important discussion on Ukrainian membership, military aid, China, and internal cohesion.

Ideas

Lessons from Afghanistan for NATO’s new Ukraine command

U.S. support to Ukraine is still the biggest lever to stop Russia’s aggression and ensure Ukrainian victory.

Science & Tech

The US intelligence community is embracing generative AI

Intelligence agencies are using generative AI for a variety of purposes, including content triage and assisting analysts.

Policy

A US agency focused on foreign disinformation could shut down after the election

The State Department’s Global Engagement Center recently opened an anti-Russian propaganda center in Poland, but needs Congressional action to continue operations.

Ideas

US’s terrorist listing of European far-right group signals fears of rising threat—abroad and at home

The Nordic group’s most notorious attack was at a refugee center in Sweden in 2017.

Exclusive Science & Tech

DARPA wants to use AI to find new rare minerals

With spectral analysis, it’s possible to “tell the difference [between] cocaine that came from one cartel’s area of Colombia versus another.”

Defense Systems

The double-edged global ship tracking system

Houthi groups have used public tracking data to target commercial ships—revealing that staying undetected is trickier than just going dark digitally.

Science & Tech

Defense One Radio, Ep. 159: Tech Summit: DARPA’s Stefanie Tompkins

We conclude our 2024 Tech Summit coverage with an interview featuring DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins.

Science & Tech

What Estonian drone companies are learning from Ukraine

Estonian companies are getting lightning-quick user feedback and real-world electronic warfare testing, thanks to hands-on experiments in Ukraine.