🧠 Anthropic Flags AI-Driven Hacking Campaign Linked to Chinese State-Backed Actors — Read More

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🛩️ F-22 Pilot Commands MQ-20 Avenger Drone Wingman in Mock Combat Demo — Read More

🛡️ “Golden Dome” U.S. Missile Shield Faces Massive Technical, Cost, and Deterrence Hurdles — Read More

🧠 Anthropic Flags AI-Driven Hacking Campaign Linked to Chinese State-Backed Actors — Read More

🎯 Turkey’s New Tolga SHORAD Crushes Drones in Live-Fire, Hits Perfect Kill Rate — Read More

👁️ MQ-9B SkyGuardian Gets AEW&C “Sixth Sense” to Spot Missiles, Drones, and Fighters — Read More

🎱 Plus 7 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🛩️ F-22 Pilot Commands MQ-20 Avenger Drone Wingman in Mock Combat Demo — Read More

• General Atomics disclosed that an F-22 Raptor pilot directed an MQ-20 Avenger drone through a mock combat mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range, in an internally funded demonstration. The event was timed with the Dubai Airshow and is framed as a pathfinder for crewed–uncrewed teaming with future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) fleets.

• The trial integrated L3Harris’ BANSHEE tactical datalink and Pantera software-defined radios into both the F-22 and the Avenger, tied together via Lockheed Martin’s open radio architecture and the GRACE mission-computer module. A tablet-based Pilot Vehicle Interface in the Raptor cockpit gave the pilot end-to-end command-and-control of the MQ-20 during the flight.

• Air Force documents cited in the report reaffirm the F-22 as the “threshold platform” for CCA control, with integration into F-16s, F-35As, F-15E/EX, and later sixth-gen fighters under consideration. The service envisions ordering 100–150 CCAs in the first increment alone, using risk-tolerant drones to offset adversary mass and dense air defenses.

🛡️ “Golden Dome” U.S. Missile Shield Faces Massive Technical, Cost, and Deterrence Hurdles — Read More

• Golden Dome, modeled loosely on Israel’s Iron Dome but scaled to defend the entire United States, is being designed to counter ICBMs, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons—far beyond Iron Dome’s smaller-area, ballistic-focused mission. The Pentagon has earmarked about $175 billion and put Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein in charge, with new acquisition authorities meant to move faster than traditional programs.

• Experts warn that coverage and interceptor “absentee ratio” challenges explode once maneuverable cruise and hypersonic threats are included. Satellites in low-Earth orbit move quickly relative to the Earth, meaning large constellations and frequent replenishment are required to maintain global tracking and engagement windows, driving both technical complexity and life-cycle costs sharply upward.

• Strategists argue Golden Dome will be watched closely in Moscow and Beijing, potentially seen as undermining mutual deterrence and spurring new countermeasures—from anti-satellite attacks to cyber and electronic warfare aimed at surveillance and C2 networks. Analysts say if Russia and China aren’t at least “irritated” by the system, it likely isn’t imposing enough cost on their strike concepts.

🧠 Anthropic Flags AI-Driven Hacking Campaign Linked to Chinese State-Backed Actors — Read More

• Anthropic reported that it disrupted a cluster of accounts using its Claude AI model in support of a sophisticated hacking operation traced to infrastructure associated with China. Investigators said the actors were experimenting with AI to streamline reconnaissance, scripting, and troubleshooting of cyber tools rather than inventing entirely new attack techniques.

• The company described how attackers probed Claude for help refining phishing lures, drafting more convincing emails, and debugging malware or exploitation scripts—essentially using AI as a productivity amplifier. Anthropic emphasized that many tasks mirrored what human operators already do, but could now be executed faster, at a greater scale, and with greater consistency.

• Anthropic said it terminated the suspect accounts, shared indicators with U.S. authorities, and called for stronger safeguards around model access, logging, and abuse detection. The episode underscores concerns that state-backed hackers will increasingly weaponize commercial AI services, forcing providers and governments to harden defenses against AI-assisted campaigns.

🎯 Turkey’s Tolga SHORAD Crushes Drones in Live-Fire, Hits Perfect Kill Rate — Read More

• Turkey’s new Tolga short-range air defense (SHORAD) system is presented as a next-generation counter-drone solution, combining modern radar and counter-UAS technology in a compact package. In recent live-fire tests highlighted by the report, Tolga engaged drones in a series of scenarios and achieved a perfect kill rate against the targets presented.

• Tolga sits within a broader push by Ankara to field layered air defenses tailored to the small UAS threat, complementing longer-range missile systems. The article frames the system as part of Turkey’s drive for indigenous, export-ready weapons, leveraging its experience from conflicts where cheap drones have proven disproportionately disruptive on the battlefield.

• The coverage positions Tolga as a contender in the global counter-drone market, especially for nations seeking affordable, mobile SHORAD solutions that can keep pace with evolving UAS tactics. Perfect-score trials are intended as proof points for reliability and effectiveness, though details on engagement envelopes and sensor suites remain limited in the public description.

👁️ MQ-9B SkyGuardian Gets AEW&C “Sixth Sense” to Spot Missiles, Drones, and Fighters — Read More

• General Atomics and Saab are integrating an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) package onto the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, effectively giving the long-endurance drone a “sixth sense.” The upgrade adds wide-area early warning, simultaneous target tracking, and networking that tie the aircraft into line-of-sight and satellite-linked combat systems, extending surveillance reach at a lower cost than traditional AEW platforms.

• The enhanced SkyGuardian is described as able to detect and help counter guided missiles, hostile drones, fighter aircraft, and bombers, pushing AEW coverage into regions where dedicated manned assets are too scarce or expensive to operate. A demonstration in Southern California next year will showcase the integrated Saab AEW&C suite on the MQ-9B airframe.

• SkyGuardian’s baseline performance—long range, high-altitude endurance, multi-mode radar, EO/IR sensors, and optional precision weapons—makes it a natural candidate for persistent AEW&C. General Atomics pitches the configuration as a way for operators to build resilient, distributed air-defense architectures against both high-end cruise missiles and massed drone threats.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• Morocco to Buy 10 Airbus Multi-Purpose H225M Helos — Read More

• GA-ASI Demonstrates MQ-20 in Crewed–Uncrewed Teaming Test — Read More

• Sweden Tasks Terasi with New Defense Communication Networks — Read More

• Dubai Airshow: Drones Take Center Stage on Day 1 — Read More

🛰️ Space

• DHS Wants Satellite Volunteers to Test New Cyber Tools — Read More

• Cyber Command & Army Explore Future of Helicopter Training — Read More

🛡️ Land

• Russia Fields Flamethrowers with Anti-Drone Defenses — Read More

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