V2X Wins $25B Defense Contract, SpaceX Competes in Pentagon Drone Contest - Defense AI Brief #30
February 23, 2026 -
Defense AI Brief
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Welcome to this week's edition of Defense AI Brief.
Elon Musk's companies, SpaceX and xAI, are in the spotlight as they compete for a $100 million Pentagon prize to develop voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology. Meanwhile, The Fourth Law, based in Kyiv, has received investment from Axon to advance AI-driven drone technologies, particularly for operations in GPS-denied environments.
In other news, Breaker Industries has secured $6 million in seed funding to enhance its voice-controlled AI technology for military use, and JFB Construction Holdings and XTEND have announced a $1.5 billion merger to form XTEND AI Robotics, focusing on AI-driven autonomous defense solutions. Additionally, V2X Inc. has won a $25 billion contract to enhance defense technologies with AI-optimized solutions under the Advanced Technology Support Program 5.
Welcome to this week's edition of Defense AI Brief.
Elon Musk's companies, SpaceX and xAI, are in the spotlight as they compete for a $100 million Pentagon prize to develop voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology. Meanwhile, The Fourth Law, based in Kyiv, has received investment from Axon to advance AI-driven drone technologies, particularly for operations in GPS-denied environments.
In other news, Breaker Industries has secured $6 million in seed funding to enhance its voice-controlled AI technology for military use, and JFB Construction Holdings and XTEND have announced a $1.5 billion merger to form XTEND AI Robotics, focusing on AI-driven autonomous defense solutions. Additionally, V2X Inc. has won a $25 billion contract to enhance defense technologies with AI-optimized solutions under the Advanced Technology Support Program 5.
SpaceX and xAI Compete in Pentagon Drone Contest
SpaceX and xAI are participating in a Pentagon contest to develop voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology. The competition offers a $100 million prize for software that coordinates drones via voice commands. Read more
The Fourth Law Receives Investment from Axon for AI Drone Tech
Kyiv-based The Fourth Law has secured funding from Axon to advance AI-driven drone technologies, focusing on operations in GPS-denied environments for defense and logistics. Read more
Breaker Industries Secures $6 Million for AI Defense Tech
Breaker Industries, an AI defense startup, has raised $6 million in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners to enhance its voice-controlled AI technology for military use. Read more
JFB Construction and XTEND Announce $1.5 Billion Merger
JFB Construction Holdings and XTEND have agreed to merge in a $1.5 billion all-stock transaction. The merger will form XTEND AI Robotics, a US provider of AI-driven defense solutions, to be listed on Nasdaq. Read more
V2X Wins $25 Billion Defense Contract
V2X Inc. has secured a $25 billion contract under the Advanced Technology Support Program 5 to improve defense technologies with AI-optimized solutions. The contract is managed by the Defense Microelectronics Activity. Read more
NOBLE and DefendEye Launch AI Drones for Emergencies
NOBLE has partnered with DefendEye to introduce AI drones for emergency response, enhancing situational awareness for first responders and defense agencies. Read more
SpaceX and MTN Partner for Government Satellite Services
MTN has partnered with SpaceX to provide satellite communication services for government clients, focusing on secure solutions for the defense sector. Read more
EDGE AI Foundation Forms Defense Working Group
The EDGE AI Foundation has created a Defense Working Group to enhance AI use in national security, focusing on engineering and policy challenges for AI deployment in remote areas. Read more
Vantor and Google Collaborate on AI Imagery Integration
Vantor has partnered with Google to integrate Google Earth AI imagery models into its Tensorglobe platform, enhancing geospatial analysis for government missions. Read more
METCO Signs Localization Agreements for AI Defense in Saudi Arabia
METCO has signed agreements at the World Defense Show to boost AI-driven defense capabilities in Saudi Arabia, aligning with Vision 2030. The focus is on strengthening local supply chains and increasing local content in military industries. Read more
MaXon Systems Secures Funding for Autonomous Air Defense
MaXon Systems, a Ukrainian defense technology company, has raised funding to develop an autonomous air defense system designed to counter mass drone attacks, particularly from Shahed-type drones. Read more
Air Space Intelligence Wins Contract for AI Logistics Tool
Air Space Intelligence has been awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit to develop an AI-enabled Joint Sustainment Decision Tool. This tool aims to enhance logistics decision-making for military leaders by providing actionable courses of action and analyzing logistics dependencies. Read more
Wraithwatch Secures $30M Federal Contract for AI Cyber Defense
On February 20, 2026, Wraithwatch was awarded a $30 million contract to deploy its AI-powered cyber defense platform across multiple U.S. federal agencies, aiming to enhance national security by detecting and neutralizing cyber threats in real time. Read more
U.S. Army Uses AI for Doctrine Development
The U.S. Army's Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate is implementing artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency of military doctrine writing and training. Read more
Onodrim Industries Raises €40 Million for AI in Defence
Onodrim Industries, based in Amsterdam, has secured €40 million in seed funding to boost Europe's defence and industrial capabilities. The funding aims to enhance defence manufacturing and networked systems. Read more
Code Metal Raises $125 Million for AI Code Verification
Code Metal has secured $125 million in Series B funding to enhance its AI code verification technology for mission-critical industries, including defense and automotive. Read more
Defense Unicorns Launches UDS Army for U.S. Army
Defense Unicorns has introduced UDS Army, a new initiative to expedite secure software delivery for the U.S. Army, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center. Read more
ZenaTech Seeks Green UAS Certification for ZenaDrone 1000
ZenaTech has begun the Green UAS certification for its ZenaDrone 1000, aiming to align with U.S. Department of War standards. This move is to ensure cybersecurity and supply chain integrity for defense procurement. Read more
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