🤝 Lockheed Martin and Google Partner to Advance AI in Defense

In Today’s Defense Brief:

⌨️ DoD Weapons Buyer Nominee Wants Focus on New Tech LINK

🤝 Lockheed Martin and Google Partner to Advance AI in Defense LINK

💰 Boeing Lands $240M Army Contract for MH-47G Block II Chinooks LINK

💻 Experts Warn Pentagon to Embrace Software-Defined Warfare LINK

🚀 US Army Wants to Aggressively Amass Cheap Rockets LINK

📰 Full Breakdown:

⌨️ DoD Weapons Buyer Nominee Wants Focus on New Tech LINK

• Michael Duffey, the Trump administration’s nominee for Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, stated in his confirmation hearing that the U.S. must adopt faster acquisition practices and modernize the Pentagon’s industrial base.

• Duffey emphasized the importance of reducing reliance on traditional, lengthy procurement cycles and instead enabling more nimble, cost-effective solutions through emerging technologies.

• He expressed support for scaling up U.S. production capacity and building resilient supply chains, noting the need to keep pace with geopolitical threats and industry competition.

🤝 Lockheed Martin and Google Partner to Advance AI in Defense LINK

• Lockheed Martin announced a strategic partnership with Google Public Sector to integrate Google Cloud’s AI technology into Lockheed’s military systems and operations.

• The goal is to accelerate the development of AI-driven decision-making tools that can analyze complex battlefield data, improving speed and accuracy in operations.

• Lockheed said the collaboration will help both parties co-develop scalable solutions tailored to defense missions, combining cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and secure data processing.

💰 Boeing Lands $240M Army Contract for MH-47G Block II Chinooks LINK

• Boeing has secured a $240 million contract modification from the U.S. Army to build six MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for Special Operations Command.

• These helicopters are designed to provide heavy-lift support in demanding missions, featuring improved airframe durability, advanced avionics, and increased payload capabilities.

• Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by 2027, according to the Department of Defense contract notice.

💻 Experts Warn Pentagon to Embrace Software-Defined Warfare LINK

• Experts testified before Congress that the U.S. military must transition to a software-defined model of warfare to maintain strategic advantage against China.

• The current reliance on hardware-centric systems is too slow and rigid, they warned, making it difficult to respond dynamically to threats in real time.

• Witnesses urged the Pentagon to prioritize adaptable, upgradable digital systems and rethink acquisition to treat software as a core weapon system.

🚀 US Army Wants to Aggressively Amass Cheap Rockets LINK

• The Army’s acquisition leaders want to significantly expand the procurement of low-cost, unguided rockets as part of a broader strategy to generate mass in combat.

• Officials said inexpensive munitions like 70mm Hydra rockets can be stockpiled in large volumes, allowing commanders to sustain fires without depleting costly precision-guided weapons.

• This shift reflects recent battlefield lessons that emphasize quantity and logistical efficiency as crucial factors in modern large-scale conflicts.

🌎 Other Important News:

• Oshkosh Unveils New Variant of Marine Remote Fires Vehicle LINK

• 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community Released LINK

• US Army Taps HII to Advance Heavy Equipment Launcher (HEL) LINK

• Space Force Certifies Vulcan for National Security Launches LINK

• Raytheon Debuts Coyote LE Small Recon UAV LINK

• Army Teams with Rafael to ‘Americanize’ Spike Missile Family LINK

• Turkish, Egyptian Firms Partner on Unmanned Ground Vehicles LINK

• Lockheed’s Aegis Counters Hypersonic Threat in Navy Test; GA-ASI Flies Belgium’s SkyGuardian LINK

• Hegseth Brings DoD’s Message to Troops in Guam LINK

• SignalGate Scandal Prompts Scrutiny of SECAF Nominee LINK

• Space Force May Use SpaceX Satellites Instead of Building Its Own LINK

• DoD Nominees Pledge Better Tools, Medical Care in Senate Hearing LINK

• Bollinger Wins $951M Polar Security Cutter Contract Modification LINK

• Ukraine’s Triple-Tap Raid on Engels Base Cost Russia $9.6 Billion LINK

• Air Force May Scrap SDA Relay Sats in Favor of SpaceX Alternative LINK

• Trump to Receive ‘Golden Dome’ Defense Options Next Week LINK

• Sweden Is Rearming for War with Russia LINK

• Trump Order Seeks to Outlaw Most Government Unions on National Security Grounds LINK

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