☢️ For the First Time in Decades, the U.S. and Russia Have No Limits on Nuclear Weapons

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

☢️ For the First Time in Decades, the U.S. and Russia Have No Limits on Nuclear Weapons

🏭 Lockheed Martin to Launch C2 Software Factory in Saudi Arabia

🛰️ Vantor Wins $5.3M NGA Contract to Spot Terrain Changes Using Commercial Satellite Data

📡 US, Japan Break Ground on ‘Industry-First’ Multi-Band Satellite Terminal

☣️ Robots Step In: US Army Explores Next-Gen Chemical Defense

🎱 Plus 17 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

☢️ For the First Time in Decades, the U.S. and Russia Have No Limits on Nuclear Weapons — Read More

• New START’s limits, notifications, and inspection regime have lapsed after the treaty’s final extension, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear powers without binding caps for the first time in decades. The piece emphasizes how verification visits to missile, bomber, and submarine bases were central to stability and predictability.

• The report argues the breakdown is political and timing-driven: extension happened in 2021, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made follow-on negotiations effectively impossible. It notes Putin floated an informal one-year “handshake” continuation of limits without inspections, and that U.S. leadership has not accepted it.

• Experts warn the risk is less “tomorrow’s nuclear launch” and more an expensive, destabilizing arms competition—potentially with Russia and China simultaneously. Former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth highlights the budget reality: the U.S. is already modernizing its nuclear triad at enormous cost, and unconstrained growth would collide with debt, domestic priorities, and conventional-force needs.

🏭 Lockheed Martin to Launch C2 Software Factory in Saudi Arabia — Read More

• Lockheed says the new Saudi-based “Software Factory” will become a hub for developing, integrating, and iterating command-and-control software inside the Kingdom, aligning with Riyadh’s localization push and Vision 2030 goals. Analysts frame it as moving beyond MRO and component work toward sovereign digital capability and systems integration.

• The article points to concrete early progress: Saudi interns working alongside Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) Advanced Electronics engineers reportedly built an integration that pulled commercial aircraft location data into Lockheed’s CommandIQ common operating picture in under two weeks—used to illustrate speed, talent development, and practical collaboration.

• Commentators suggest the factory won’t immediately reshape Lockheed’s broader global supply chain (still largely U.S./NATO-centric), but could improve resilience and reduce regional disruption risk while enabling faster customization for Saudi-operated systems like THAAD. The emphasis is on reusable software components, rapid prototyping, and regional C2 solutions that could scale across platforms.

🛰️ Vantor Wins $5.3M NGA Contract to Spot Terrain Changes Using Commercial Satellite Data — Read More

• Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence) landed a $5.3 million award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to deliver automated analytics that flag real-time changes in the physical terrain—supporting mapping and intelligence missions. The award is tied to NGA’s Luno program, which is designed to pull in commercial data and AI-driven analytics at scale.

• Under the task order, the company plans to fuse data from multiple space-based sensors—combining electro-optical imagery and synthetic aperture radar—to detect changes in infrastructure and land use. The pitch is that multi-sensor alignment improves change-detection reliability and produces more actionable “change insights” than imagery alone.

• Reporting notes this is Vantor’s first award under the Luno B contract vehicle, positioning it as an on-ramp to recurring NGA work if performance is strong. The broader message: NGA is pushing unclassified commercial GEOINT and automated analytics into routine workflows, and vendors that can integrate diverse sensor feeds cleanly have a competitive edge.

📡 US, Japan Break Ground on ‘Industry-First’ Multi-Band Satellite Terminal — Read More

• Kymeta and Japan Display Inc. are developing a low-profile “metasurface” satellite antenna meant to provide multi-band connectivity from a single terminal—positioned as an “industry-first” attempt to combine compact form factor, rapid network switching, and scalable manufacturing in one system.

• The terminal is designed to hop between satellite links quickly, so units can access different networks without carrying multiple antennas. The article also stresses signature management: reduced radio and heat emissions are highlighted as a way to lower detectability during sensitive operations and reduce the operational penalty of staying connected.

• The practical value proposition is flexibility at the tactical edge: one terminal supporting multiple bands and faster switching could simplify vehicle/ship integration, speed comms contingency planning, and reduce logistics burden. If the metasurface approach scales, it could broaden adoption of low-profile SATCOM for contested environments where emissions and setup time matter.

☣️ Robots Step In: US Army Explores Next-Gen Chemical Defense — Read More

• The Army is surveying industry for an Autonomous Decontamination System (ADS) that can detect, neutralize, rinse, and verify chemical/biological contamination using autonomous ground and air robotic platforms. The goal is to keep soldiers out of hazardous zones while improving speed and repeatability for decon of vehicles, buildings, and terrain.

• The notice calls for systems that can apply neutralizing agents precisely, then confirm surfaces are actually clean—treating “verification” as a core requirement, not an afterthought. Industry responders are asked to detail navigation approaches (GPS, cameras, sensors) and how autonomy holds up in complex field conditions.

• The Army frames ADS as a manpower and readiness lever: robotics take over labor-intensive decon tasks so units can focus on other missions while lowering the logistical burden of prolonged cleanup operations. Importantly, the posting is described as a market survey—not yet a contract—signaling requirements-shaping and vendor scouting are underway.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• Airbus, Singapore gains certification for A330 MRTT automatic air-to-air refuelling — Read More

• Boeing’s Block 3 MQ-28 Ghost Bat to gain weapons bays, longer wings — Read More

• Babcock, Aselsan partner to explore RAF electronic warfare training system — Read More

• Indonesia signs letter of intent to close in on Leonardo M-346 order — Read More

• US approves $12bn F-15 sustainment, PATRIOT missile sales to Saudi Arabia — Read More

• France’s new targeting tool sharpens Arsenal’s battlefield coordination — Read More

• Pentagon must consider force structure in mass drone rollout — Read More

🛰️ Space

• GAO report on missile warning satellites — Read More

🌊 Sea

• Raytheon to bolster Tomahawk and SM-6 production in critical munition deal — Read More

• Coast Guard commits $323M to modernizing future Polar Security Icebreaker homeport — Read More

🛡️ Land

• Marines attack helicopters to get long-range maritime strike, electronic warfare missile — Read More

• Marines drill on establishing arming, refueling point at remote Tinian Island in the Pacific — Read More

• Army plans for division to receive NGC2 production ecosystem in FY27 — Read More

• Army moves 3 companies to Phase III of Flight School Next competition — Read More

• Australia builds next-gen nuclear battery with 3D printing — Read More

🏛️ Policy

• New START expires: Will a new US-Russia nuclear arms race follow? — Read More

• EXCLUSIVE: HASC chair seeking $450B for defense in reconciliation — Read More

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