Business
Pentagon pushes US dronemakers to innovate as quickly as Ukraine does
DIU’s Project GI initiative aims to embed frontline insights into a perpetual loop of design, testing, and deployment.
Policy
Hegseth halves staff of Pentagon’s testing-oversight office
The move may reduce the quality of DOT&E’s second opinions, but may not affect safety, former officials said.
Science & Tech
Bill aims to lock in DIU’s dual-use reservist corps
The soldier of the future might have a day job at a start-up.
Science & Tech
For DOD, the future of large language models is smaller
Everyone loves big AI, but “maybe there is a smaller-parameter model that could run on a laptop.”
Science & Tech
Trump: Golden Dome to cost $175B, be ready in three years
Defense officials have said it would take at least five to seven to develop its space-based weapons.
Policy
Special operations are becoming the Pentagon’s future ‘normal’
“SOF is floated as a one-size-fits-all solution for a lot of problems,” said one former official.
Exclusive
Policy
JSOC commander likely to be SOCOM pick, sources say
The White House “loves" Vice Adm. Mitch Bradley, but final decisions are not yet in.
Science & Tech
AI is helping the Pentagon go from finding targets to predicting threats
With the next chapter of Maven, NGA aims to spot not just known objects but “anomalies.”
Defense Systems
Make big things small and small things big: SOCOM’s gear wishlist
As special operations forces prepare to take on a wider set of missions, their tech needs are growing more ambitious.
Science & Tech
Air Force Special Operations wants to fire cruise missiles from Reaper drones
The demand for AFSOC forces is increasing, creating new pressure to re-imagine current tools.
Science & Tech
Wanted: counter-drone defenses that don't hurt surrounding neighborhoods
Base defenders need to collect and analyze much more data from many more sources, DIU director says.
Threats
Experts see rise of powerful non-state groups as US retreats from global stage
“Syria is an absolute case study in proxy warfare” and a possible window into the future.
Business
How cargo drones could reshape Marine Corps resupply
Medium-sized cargo drones could be key to effective distributed operations. One company is rushing to be the first to deliver them.
Threats
Trump pressures Zelenskyy to accept pro-Russian deal
But Ukraine ceasefire talks are still salvageable, experts say—if Trump changes course.
Threats
China’s rare-earth mineral squeeze will hit the Pentagon hard
More than 78 percent of the U.S. military’s weapons rely on Chinese materials, a new report calculates.
Science & Tech
Nano-material breakthrough could revolutionize night vision
A new sensor material needs no bulky cooling gear—and fewer Chinese rare earths—to work well.
Science & Tech
Beyond 3D: Tech companies partner on drone-powered ‘extended reality’ to reduce plane maintenance times
Maintenance times are going up, keeping planes in hangers longer. High-resolution images from inspector drones could help change that.
Threats