Defense

A test aboard the research vessel Haiyang Dizhi 2 demonstrated a compact, self-contained actuator capable of cutting undersea structures more than two miles down, raising fresh concerns about the resilience of the cables that carry 95 percent of intercontinental internet traffic.

British and Norwegian forces tracked an Akula-class attack submarine and two GUGI deep-sea research vessels operating near critical undersea cable infrastructure north of the UK for over a month before the Russian fleet withdrew.

The Netherlands signed a $627 million contract with Raytheon for a complete Patriot fire unit to rebuild air defense capacity after donating systems to Ukraine, rushing to secure a production slot before a 2033 backlog.

Attacks on desalination facilities in Bahrain, Iran, and Kuwait have demonstrated that the Gulf's water infrastructure — supplying up to 90 percent of drinking water for some nations — is an exploitable strategic weakness in the ongoing regional conflict.

A RUSI Journal paper argues that restoring peatlands, wetlands, and forests along Eastern European frontiers could impede mechanized forces while delivering climate and biodiversity benefits at a fraction of the cost of traditional anti-tank defenses.

The contract modification funds engineering, integration, and long-lead production work for the Conventional Prompt Strike program as USS Zumwalt prepares for live-fire testing following its January sea trials.

The Army consolidates 120 Anduril procurement actions into one decade-long framework, with an $87 million counter-UAS task order as the first draw.

The Army says its first hypersonic missile battery is weeks from full fielding, yet the Pentagon's testing office warns it lacks the data to assess whether the weapon actually works in combat.

The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, targeting military and nuclear infrastructure across multiple cities.

A dispute over AI guardrails for military use has put Anthropic's $200M Pentagon contract at risk, exposing a systemic tension between AI safety commitments and national security demands.