Defense

Orqa Signs Partnership with Red River Army Depot to Expand U.S. Drone Production

Orqa has signed a teaming agreement with Red River Army Depot in Texas to support the U.S. Army's small Unmanned Aircraft System manufacturing expansion and strengthen its Global Manufacturing Program.

March 16, 2026

Scout Ventures Closes $125 Million Fund to Back AI and Defense Technologies

Scout Ventures has closed an oversubscribed $125 million Fund V to invest in early-stage companies developing technologies in AI, autonomy, space, and power systems for defense and commercial applications.

March 12, 2026

JFB and XTEND Deliver Tactical Drones Under $25 Million Defense Contract

JFB Construction Holdings and XTEND have begun deliveries of tactical drone systems under an $8 million defense contract, expandable to $25 million, with a government defense customer in the Middle East.

March 12, 2026

Smack Technologies Raises $32M to Build AI Lab for National Security

Smack Technologies has raised $32 million in seed and Series A funding to establish the first frontier AI lab dedicated to national security. The company plans to expand research and development of its AI systems for the U.S. Department of War and allied forces.

March 11, 2026

Ondas to Merge with Defense Contractor Mistral Inc.

Ondas Holdings Inc. has entered into a merger agreement with Mistral Inc., a U.S.-based defense prime contractor, expanding its access to Department of Defense programs and manufacturing infrastructure.

March 10, 2026

webAI Selected as Industry Partner for U.S. Army’s Project ARIA

webAI has been chosen as an industry partner for the U.S. Army’s Project ARIA, a new initiative to rapidly deploy artificial intelligence capabilities to soldiers in the field. The company will contribute to Team Black, developing AI tools that operate directly on soldiers’ devices without relying on centralized infrastructure.

March 09, 2026

Roboze Secures Investment from Rule 1 Ventures to Expand AI-Driven Manufacturing

Roboze has received funding from Rule 1 Ventures to expand its AI-integrated distributed manufacturing platform across the US, Europe, and the Middle East, focusing on defense and critical infrastructure applications.

March 09, 2026

Blighter Secures Eastern European Contract for AI-Assisted Border Surveillance Radars

Blighter has won a contract to supply its B400 series ground surveillance radars and BlighterNexus AI-assisted software to an Eastern European army for border protection. The systems will be deployed at fixed sites and on reconnaissance vehicles to enhance monitoring capabilities.

March 09, 2026

OpenAI Hardware Leader Caitlin Kalinowski Resigns Over Pentagon Deal

Caitlin Kalinowski has resigned from OpenAI, citing concerns about the company's agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense and the lack of safeguards around surveillance and autonomous weapons.

March 08, 2026

Teradar Completes $1.9M U.S. Army Contract for Terahertz Threat Detection

Teradar has completed a $1.9 million SBIR Phase II contract with the U.S. Army to develop terahertz sensing technology for improved battlefield visibility and threat detection in degraded visual environments.

March 05, 2026

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Calls OpenAI’s Pentagon Messaging “Straight Up Lies”

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei criticized OpenAI’s new defense deal, calling its messaging dishonest and accusing it of engaging in 'safety theater' after Anthropic’s own talks with the Pentagon collapsed over ethical safeguards.

March 05, 2026

HawkEye 360 Wins $75 Million European Electronic Warfare Contract

HawkEye 360 has been selected by a European Ministry of Defense for an electronic warfare program valued at up to $75 million, expanding its partnerships across Europe.

March 05, 2026

Fortem Technologies Wins $18M U.S. Army Contract for Counter-Drone Systems

Fortem Technologies has been awarded a three-year, $18 million contract by the U.S. Army to supply AI-powered DroneHunter interceptors and support services for counter-drone defense at Army sites worldwide.

March 02, 2026

NODA AI Raises $25M to Advance Defense Autonomy Platform

NODA AI has secured $25 million in Series A funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners to accelerate development of its AI-powered orchestration platform for defense and intelligence applications.

March 02, 2026

Gallatin AI Opens Austin Office to Support Military Logistics

Gallatin AI has opened a new office in Austin, Texas, to position its engineering and delivery teams closer to U.S. Army commands. The move establishes the company's third location and supports its focus on AI-powered logistics planning tools.

March 02, 2026

Allen Control Systems Triples Austin Facility for Bullfrog Counter-Drone Production

Allen Control Systems has expanded its Austin, Texas operations to more than 57,000 square feet to meet growing demand for its Bullfrog autonomous counter-drone system, enabling scaled production and R&D for U.S. and allied military customers.

March 02, 2026

OpenAI Reaches Pentagon Agreement with Technical Safeguards

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy its AI models within the department’s classified network, including safeguards to prevent misuse and ensure human oversight in military applications.

March 01, 2026

Anthropic Reaffirms Refusal to Remove AI Safeguards Amid Pentagon Pressure

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reiterated that the company will not remove safeguards preventing its AI from being used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons, despite Pentagon threats to label it a supply chain risk or invoke the Defense Production Act.

February 27, 2026

V2X Awarded Seat on $25B ATSP5 Defense Technology Contract

V2X, Inc. has been selected for the Department of Defense’s Advanced Technology Support Program 5 (ATSP5), a $25 billion multiple-award contract to advance engineering and AI-driven defense systems.

February 22, 2026

EDGE AI Foundation Forms Defense Working Group for Mission-Critical AI

The EDGE AI Foundation has established a Defense Working Group to strengthen the role of edge artificial intelligence in national security operations. The initiative, chaired by Sek Chai of Latent AI, will focus on advancing AI capabilities in government and defense environments.

February 22, 2026

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