🚤 Saronic & NVIDIA Partner to Accelerate Edge AI Autonomy for Unmanned Naval Vessels

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

💥 Vermeer Raises $10M to Expand Drone Navigation Tech for GPS-Denied Environments — Read More

🛰️ Airbus, Leonardo & Thales Finalize Landmark Space Merger to Boost Europe’s Strategic Autonomy — Read More

🚤 Saronic & NVIDIA Partner to Accelerate Edge AI Autonomy for Unmanned Naval Vessels — Read More

⚔️ Ukraine’s “Sea Baby” Naval Drone Adds Firepower with MLRS and Gun Mounts — Read More

🔭 Europe Develops Laser-Based Drone Shield to Counter Expanding UAV Threats — Read More

🎱 Plus 11 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

💥 Vermeer Raises $10M to Expand Drone Navigation Tech for GPS-Denied Environments — Read More

• Boston-based Vermeer secured a $10M round led by Draper Associates to scale its optical navigation platform designed for GPS-denied and jammed environments. The startup already supports U.S. and Ukrainian operations, providing drones with visual-inertial odometry for precise navigation under heavy interference.

• The company’s approach uses onboard computer vision to create real-time environmental maps—reducing reliance on satellite signals and increasing mission reliability in contested zones.

• Vermeer plans to use the funding to expand its software integrations, accelerate deployment across NATO partners, and adapt its navigation stack for larger ISR and loitering platforms, strengthening autonomy under electronic warfare conditions.

🛰️ Airbus, Leonardo & Thales Finalize Landmark Space Merger to Boost Europe’s Strategic Autonomy — Read More

• The three European aerospace giants formally completed a long-discussed merger of their space divisions, creating a unified entity with around €6.5 billion in annual turnover. The move consolidates manufacturing, R&D, and satellite capabilities under a single European champion.

• The merger supports EU ambitions for “strategic autonomy” in space and complements the IRIS² constellation program—a European response to Starlink—by aligning resources across defense, communications, and observation domains.

• Analysts say the alliance aims to reduce intra-European competition, build scale to challenge U.S. and Chinese players, and anchor future defense-space initiatives under the European Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030.

🚤 Saronic & NVIDIA Partner to Accelerate Edge AI Autonomy for Unmanned Naval Vessels — Read More

• Texas-based Saronic announced a partnership with NVIDIA to integrate high-performance edge computing aboard its unmanned surface vessels, bringing AI model training and inference directly to sea.

• The collaboration will leverage NVIDIA’s Jetson and Isaac platforms to accelerate autonomous decision-making cycles—enabling real-time object detection, navigation, and swarm coordination without reliance on cloud connectivity.

• Officials said the partnership aligns with broader U.S. Navy modernization goals to field AI-ready platforms capable of distributed maritime operations and persistent ISR across contested littorals.

⚔️ Ukraine’s “Sea Baby” Naval Drone Adds Firepower with MLRS and Gun Mounts — Read More

• Ukraine’s domestic naval drone “Sea Baby,” credited with multiple strikes in the Black Sea, is now armed with a gyro-stabilized gun mount and a ten-round Grad MLRS system, significantly expanding its offensive reach.

• The upgraded variant reportedly carries reinforced engines and has achieved a range of roughly 1,500 km, with both remote and autonomous control modes for long-range raids on Russian naval assets.

• Ukrainian officials called the enhancements a major leap in unmanned maritime warfare, integrating modular strike packages and setting a precedent for multi-role surface drones in active combat.

🔭 Europe Develops Laser-Based Drone Shield to Counter Expanding UAV Threats — Read More

• European defense consortia are advancing a laser-enabled “drone shield” project aimed at neutralizing small UAVs and loitering munitions with directed energy rather than kinetic interceptors.

• The initiative builds on existing DEW programs from Germany, France, and the U.K., uniting them under a shared R&D framework to create interoperable systems for continental defense.

• Officials describe the system as a step toward a “European Air and Drone Defense Shield,” complementing NATO capabilities while demonstrating Europe’s intent to harden against the growing saturation of inexpensive, swarm-capable drones.

🌏 Other Important News

🛡 Land

• Army reveals formal requirements for new self-propelled howitzer competition. Read More

• Estonia signs deal for South Korean Chunmoo rocket launchers while continuing HIMARS talks. Read More

🚀 Space

• As space weapons proliferate, spy satellites gain new duties. Read More

• Lockheed invests in Venus Aerospace propulsion breakthrough. Read More

• Europe’s strategic autonomy push fuels space mega-merger. Read More

• European Council backs Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 with new “Space Shield” concept. Read More

• North Korea conducts fresh hypersonic missile test. Read More

⚓ Maritime

• U.S. forces strike eighth suspected narco-boat in regional crackdown. Read More

🧠 C2 & AI

• Industry groups push to keep open-source measures in annual intelligence bill. Read More

🌍 Policy

• U.S. national security strategy could redefine homeland defense. Read More

• Senate Democrats press IG nominees over independence under Trump. Read More

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