🔷 Saved Rounds 1.6.26

Today is National Technology Day, so enjoy your defense tech Saved Rounds. Due to the holiday break, we have a ton of goodies we couldn’t fit into our Sunday newsletter.

📺 PODCAST: Check it out on YouTube or download the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your content.

Word of the Week

Nifty Nugget: a large-scale 1978 "no-notice" US military exercise that simulated a mass mobilization for a global conflict. The drill was a notorious failure, exposing massive gaps in logistics and communication that resulted in 400,000 notional casualties. Those lessons resulted in the creation of US Transportation Command.

Why it Matters: The FY2026 NDAA officially revives the Nifty Nugget model to stress-test US readiness for a high-intensity conflict in the Indo-Pacific. This new mandate requires the DoW to assess how quickly Reserve forces can deploy to the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea.

In that Number

$11B

The U.S. approved a massive $11B arms sale to Taiwan to strengthen the island’s defense against Chinese military pressure by providing HIMARS rocket systems and drones.

This is the second arms sale to Taiwan announced during the Trump administration’s second term.

Zoom in

The Pentagon released its annual report to Congress on China's military and security developments. The 100-page report is a great 1-stop shop to catch you up on all the dynamics, ranging from China’s intent to achieve the capability for a decisive victory over Taiwan by 2027, its ambitions to be a world-class military by 2049, and the US's positioning in all of it.

Zoom in here.

They Said It

“It will not be the final capability. But we will have the ability to protect and defend the nation against advanced threats by the summer of 2028.” 

— Gen. Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome program lead, setting a target for achieving initial operational capability for the ambitious new homeland air and missile defense shield

 ICYMI

 Together with Winglore Spirits

Winglore is the Spirit of Legends. Founded by combat pilots, made for the squadron. It's not just about what's in the glass. It's who you're raising it with.

By investing in Winglore, you're helping bring world-class American whiskey to the masses. Fuel the mission as an OWNER. Tap the link to invest today!

Support the mission and buy Winglore premium whiskey and swag here!

Saved Rounds

• Leonardo won a US Navy contract for F-35 BriteCloud jamming decoys

• Boeing & Anduril partnered for an interceptor for the Army's IFPC Inc 2 competition

• Canada ordered 6 Bombardier Global 6500 for its air force

• UK Defence Innovation will invest $189M into drone and counter-drone tech this year

• Hanwha announced plans for a $1B US plant for 155mm howitzer charges

• The Army is looking for an S/VTOL drone to replace the MQ-1C Gray Eagle

• Austria bought 12 M-346F Block 20 jets

• China’s new Y-30 medium airlifter completed its maiden flight

• Volatus Aerospace secured a $9M NATO contract for uncrewed ISR training systems

• The Army retired its legacy turboprop spy plane fleet

• PteroDynamics & AV integrated EW capabilities onto the Transwing VTOL drone

• The Air Force purchased 2 747-8s to support the presidential airlift program

• The Army announced a Patriot upgrade for 360-degree over-the-shoulder missile shots

• Rune Technologies joined Lockheed Martin’s $30M NGC2 prototype program

• Robin Radar Systems won a Dutch contract for 100 drone-detection radars

• Spain signed a $5.3B deal for 100 Airbus helicopters

• Oman acquired Chinese SkyShield laser systems for anti-drone air defenses

• Germany expanded its Arrow 3 missile deal to a record $6.5B agreement

• HawkEye 360 closed a $150M Series E funding round and acquired Innovative Signal Analysis

• Lockheed Martin tested its ER GMLRS at 112 km (goal is 150 km, 2X the standard range)

• The MDA issued 1,086 more SHIELD awards for the Golden Dome initiative

• Astrobotic secured 3 contracts totaling $17.5M to advance its reusable rockets

• The Air Force began upgrading the X-62 VISTA with an AESA radar and sensors

• AV delivered 2 JLTV-mounted laser weapon prototypes to the Army

• The Space Force awarded 4 companies a total of $3.5B for 72 missile tracking satellites

• Finland ordered AIM-120D-3 missiles for its F-35A fighter fleet

• CACI is buying ARKA Group for $2.6B to expand space capabilities

• Congress banned defense additive manufacturing machines linked to adversarial nations

• Boeing Defence UK secured a $22.6M extension for the RAF’s Gladiator training system

• South Korea announced a $3.4B investment to build a jet engine for the KF-21 fighter Block 3

• Skydweller won a $1.4M Navy contract for next-gen electric aircraft propulsion

• Velo3D won a $32.6M DIU contract to scale additive manufacturing for defense systems

• Spain signed a $2.8B contract to buy 30 Turkish Hürjet trainers

• France signed a $1.3B contract for 2 Saab GlobalEye radar planes

• The Air Force requested research for integrating Starlink terminals onto AC-130J gunships

• Lockheed Martin won a $328M contract for 66 Legion IRST pods for Taiwan (F-16’s most likely)

• Japan banned Kawasaki Heavy from defense bids over submarine engine data fraud

• Ukraine received a record $45B in military aid in 2025

• The US authorized an $800M security package for Ukraine

• Boeing won a $2B task order for the B-52J engine upgrade program

• Textron signed a deal to supply Beechcraft T-6 trainers to Japan

• Lockheed Martin received a $25B contract mod for C-130J aircraft (previous ceiling was $10B)

💎 Free Merch! 💎 

Don't keep us a secret!
Share the Merge = earn free swag.
It's that simple.

You currently have 0 referrals, only 3 away from receiving Stickers.

Or copy and paste this link: https://themerge.co/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER