Battlefield Tech
Renault teams up with Thales to boost France’s drone production
The carmaker will build Thales’ Toutatis remotely operated loitering munitions at one of its factories, with estimated production of 1,000 units a month.
By Gilles Guillaume and Florence Loeve, Reuters
As Europe rearms, ‘wingman’ aircraft take center stage
European and U.S. defense forces are rapidly developing their own AI-powered drones to complement their fighter jets and carry extra battlefield tech.
By Maria Rugamer and Joanna Plucinska, Reuters
Ukraine’s demand for tiny drone laser-targeting systems spurs new product launches
Companies rush to miniaturize the technology for marking targets on the battlefield, making it suitable to ride on small unmanned aerial vehicles.
Coast Guard is providing key counter-drone defense for World Cup
The U.S. Coast Guard is using specialized C-UAS to defend no-fly zones above World Cup games and other domestic events.
By Hope Hodge Seck
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Autonomous Data Fusion on the Modern Battlefield
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Space
Hackers compromised a senior Space Force official’s Instagram, posting anti-American content
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna’s Instagram was controlled by hackers who posted stories and images on Sunday.
Artificial Intelligence
Ukraine’s defense AI chief predicts ‘new paradigm’ of warfare
“The system that possesses more data and better understands that data, proposes solutions — that system will gain the advantage over the other."
Unmanned
Poland weighs joining X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff fighter program
The announcement comes as the Polish government is mulling plans to acquire up to 32 new fighter jets.
Renault teams up with Thales to boost France’s drone production
The carmaker will build Thales’ Toutatis remotely operated loitering munitions at one of its factories, with estimated production of 1,000 units a month.
Ukraine’s demand for tiny drone laser-targeting systems spurs new product launches
Companies rush to miniaturize the technology for marking targets on the battlefield, making it suitable to ride on small unmanned aerial vehicles.
Unmanned
Coast Guard is providing key counter-drone defense for World Cup
The U.S. Coast Guard is using specialized C-UAS to defend no-fly zones above World Cup games and other domestic events.
French army shows Leclerc tank with once-mocked anti-drone cage
Once derided as primitive, roof-mounted armor variants have been adopted by both Russian and Ukrainian forces as drone threats proliferate.
The US usually sells weapons to Taiwan – with drones, expect the reverse
Taiwan's biggest appeal is the lack of China in the manufacturing supply chain, one analyst said.
Cyber
Pentagon to launch ‘Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay’ program
The initative, dubbed Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay, is slated to begin in early October.
Electronic Warfare
Pentagon’s realistic electronic warfare system to move to Navy lab
DARPA says it has built the world’s largest, most realistic electronic warfare test capability.
VIDEOS
Underwater special forces gear and long-range JDAMs | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.16.26
Defense News Weekly gets a look an emerging underwater gear for special forces operators, and Boeing advances standoff munitions. Plus, defense finance updates.
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French army shows Leclerc tank with once-mocked anti-drone cage
Once derided as primitive, roof-mounted armor variants have been adopted by both Russian and Ukrainian forces as drone threats proliferate.
Ukraine’s defense AI chief predicts ‘new paradigm’ of warfare
“The system that possesses more data and better understands that data, proposes solutions — that system will gain the advantage over the other."
By Max Hunder, Reuters
Pentagon to launch ‘Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay’ program
The initative, dubbed Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay, is slated to begin in early October.
The US usually sells weapons to Taiwan – with drones, expect the reverse
Taiwan's biggest appeal is the lack of China in the manufacturing supply chain, one analyst said.
By Military Times staff
‘Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War’ is the ultimate OODA Loop wargame
Flashpoint Campaigns is an OODA Loop-anchored computer wargame that depicts a hypothetical Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany in 1989.
By Michael Peck
Pentagon reveals preferred munitions for one-way attack drones
The list includes Northrop Grumman and several startups competing to supply low-cost payloads compatible with any drone design.
US approves Kuwait request to buy nearly $2 billion of counter-drone platforms
Following recent Iranian strikes on Kuwait, the U.S. approved a potential foreign military sale of counter-UAS platforms made by Anduril.
US must learn lessons from Ukraine, innovate faster and cheaper: Anduril president
Anduril President Christian Brose discussed the need to develop cheaper weapons systems at scale to avoid quick depletion of exquisite munitions.
Polish-Ukrainian startup develops radar to track elusive, low-flying drones
The technology aims to find small, low-flying drones, including those connected to operators via long, fiber-optic command wires.
France to test its own AI-powered battlefield command in June NATO exercise
The French Army has developed its own large-language model for staff officers, called Berthier, named after Napoleon’s chief of staff.
AI companies have a responsibility to safeguard models against exploitation, Pentagon chief technology officer says
After Trump's recent executive order on AI, Emil Michael said that the weaponization of models is concerning.
Dutch plant for combat-zone robots offers fresh supply pipeline for Ukraine
The facility has already produced its first THeMIS vehicle for the Dutch government, part of a run of more than 100 such robots pledged by the Netherlands.
Creating a separate Cyber Force would require $10 billion and a minimum of 1 year, report says
Two D.C. think tanks examined a proposed implementation plan for an independent U.S. Cyber Force as some lawmakers push for its creation.
US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces
“Nations just need to assign the capabilities they have to NATO,” a spokesman for the alliance's military headquarters said.
By Sabine Siebold, Reuters