Senate moves to mandate human control over autonomous drone swarms
Sen. Kelly's NDAA amendment requires human authority over lethal autonomous systems, directly constraining platforms like Shield AI's LUCAS and Anduril's Lattice already under Pentagon contract.
Army orders next-gen target drone for live combat training against Iran
Griffon Aerospace won a $67.9M contract for Outlaw Gen 3 drones to train air defense units for Operation Epic Fury, signaling how live combat reshapes procurement timelines.
SRI's IP Pipeline Finds a Fund in Global Innovation Labs
Global Innovation Labs, a newly launched deep-tech fund backed by Stanford Research Institute's IP and research talent, has opened four regional hubs and co-invested in Monarch Quantum's $55M round in its first six months.
Trilogy Metals' Arctic Project Clears FAST-41 Permitting Gate
Trilogy Metals' Alaska copper project wins acceptance into federal FAST-41 permitting program, marking concrete progress on one of the West's largest undeveloped polymetallic deposits backed by 10% U.S. government equity stake.
U.S. Army buys ISR drones from Ukrainian-Czech startup
U&C UAS, a NATO-allied drone maker founded by Ukrainian defense engineers, won its first U.S. military contract to supply reconnaissance UAVs to American forces in Europe, signaling Pentagon openness to combat-proven foreign suppliers.
Kodiak AI, General Dynamics build autonomous counter-UAS truck
Kodiak AI and General Dynamics Land Systems unveiled the Leonidas AGV, a fully autonomous vehicle integrating Epirus microwave counter-UAS tech, targeting U.S. Army procurement while Kodiak raised $100M in new capital.
Army picks Austin startup's drone-killer for frontline deployment
Allen Control Systems won a $1.5M Army contract plus South Korea and UAE deals to scale Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon station that costs $10 per kill and requires zero emissions to detect targets.
US Desalination, IDE Technologies Launch $1B Texas Plant
US Desalination and IDE Technologies announced a $1 billion seawater desalination plant for South Texas that will produce 50 million gallons daily, marking the largest privately financed U.S. water infrastructure bet in a decade.
Army Funds Three Autonomy Startups to Field Combat Vehicles by May
The U.S. Army awarded $15.5M in OTA agreements to Forterra, Overland AI, and Scout AI to integrate commercial autonomy onto Infantry Support Vehicles for soldier evaluation in May 2026—a live-fire test that will determine which startup gets the production contract.
Pentagon Locks Maven to Army, Sets Sept 30 Deadline for Program Status
Deputy SecDef Feinberg's March 9 directive to make Palantir's Maven Smart System an official DoD program of record is now confirmed across four combatant commands, with a Sept 30 hard deadline that experts call aggressive and a $10B Army backstop contract already in place.
Army Orders Ghost-X Drones With Named Sensor Payload, $16.8M
The U.S. Army awarded Anduril Industries a $16.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for Ghost-X small drones paired with Trillium HD45LP imaging payloads, signaling the platform's shift from directed requirement to production procurement.
Corpus Christi votes on $978.8M seawater desalination plant this month
Corpus Christi City Council is poised to approve a final design-build contract for a $978.8M seawater desalination plant by Acciona Agua and MasTec, needed by November 2026 to avoid a Level 1 water emergency—marking the largest water infrastructure commitment in South Texas in a generation.