Welcome to Tuesday's Saved Rounds, where we send out all the goodies we couldn't squeeze into our Sunday newsletter.
📺 PODCAST: Check it out on YouTube or download the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your content.
↪️ Reattack: As some of you astute readers correctly pointed out, on Sunday we skipped the fact that the Air Force tested an air-launched intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) concept with a C-5A Galaxy and a 86,000-pound Minuteman I missile in 1974…and here’s the video! Man, the Cold War was wild!
FYI: The same concept was carried forward to test AEGIS defense systems: C-17s air-deploy an IRBM target to get shot down…and here’s that video.
In that Number
Mach 1.4
NASA’s experimental X-59 supersonic jet reached Mach 1.4 at 55,000 feet during a recent test flight, marking a critical step in preparing for upcoming "quiet thump" acoustic validation trials.
Zoom in
The U.S. Army’s UAS Marketplace is up and running. The digital "Amazon-like" storefront (literally created by Amazon) aims to streamline soldiers' access to Group 1–3 drones.
Zoom in here to learn more about how it works.
They Said It
“If we’re forced into that position, we just make other trade-offs, like against exquisite weapons and systems: How much of those are we willing to sacrifice in place of low-cost autonomous weapons?”
— Emil Michael, Pentagon CTO, regarding the potential budgetary trades if the $350B defense reconciliation bill fails to pass.
Business Breakdown
Saved Rounds
Aerodata AG unveiled a drone prototype that carries 2,800 lbs. and flies 40 hours
MDA Space announced a $620M cash deal to buy Blue Canyon from RTX
Boston Metal closed a $75M funding round to produce critical metals
Foundation Alloy raised $22M Series A to scale advanced metals manufacturing
Limitless Labs raised $20M Series A to expand its manufacturing AI platform
General Atomics joined the Army’s ERAP extended range 155mm program
Neros surpassed 1,000 drones a month in production for the first time
Frankenburg & Milrem Robotics partnered on counter-UAS missile defense
Rotron Aerospace flight-tested a new UK long-range strike missile
Destinus built its 1000th engine for cruise missiles
Lockheed Martin secured a $2.3B Navy contract for F-35 sustainment
Harbinger unveiled the Praesidia, a hybrid EV UGV platform
Thales’ laser-guided rockets now have a LiDAR prox sensor to target drones
Poland’s first three F-35s officially entered military service
AeroVironment unveiled the TOM 50 RE, a backpackable bomb disposal robot
Comand AI announced a $32M Series A for AI battle management
Lockheed Martin won a $514M Space Force contract for 2 GPS satellites
LeoLabs deployed the Scout-S 3D search radar to track satellites
Northrop Grumman developed a GaN microchip to enhance wireless signals
Ultra Maritime tested a new sonobuoy for a UK undersea warfare program
Havoc & AZAK signed an MOU to produce autonomous UGVs
GALT Aerospace acquired North Star Scientific to expand its C3ISR portfolio
France bought Latvian BLAZE interceptor drones for its military
Dell won a $1.4B Air Force contract for Microsoft licenses
Canada started negotiations to buy Leonardo M-346 trainer aircraft
MKS unveiled a low-germanium thermal-imaging lens for defense systems
NordSpace opened a rocket factory to scale production in Canada
PiLogic & AFRL partnered to test satellite fault-prediction software
NorthForge built a silent electric motorcycle for Canadian military trials
Katalyst raised $12M to develop its satellite-servicing spacecraft
DARPA wants industry ideas to rapidly reconstitute damaged space systems
Phoenix Tailings received a $500M OSC loan to process rare earth elements
Energy Fuels received a $725M OSC loan to process rare earth elements
Quantum Systems & Tencore won a German MoD contract for 2,000 UGVs
Shield AI & EFA GROUP partnered for Greek autonomous defense software
Divergent unveiled Monolith One, a large-format metal 3D printer
MBDA & Alta Ares partnered to deliver sovereign counter-drone solutions
Thales & Renault Group partnered to produce TOUTATIS loitering munitions
BAE Systems selected MARSS to provide command-and-control for BATS
MBDA & LUCH partnered to develop Ukraine’s NEPTUNE 2 cruise missile
Alloy Surfaces Company won a $300M Army contract for decoy flares
Aselsan secured a $900M deal to help develop Turkey's Steel Dome
DroneShield & Defenture partnered to develop counter-drone capabilities
Ursa Major & EDGE signed an MoU for solid rocket motor manufacturing
Shield AI offered Poland a role in its X-BAT fighter project
EDGE & Leonardo detailed plans for a defense sensors joint venture
Quantum Space won a Pentagon contract to demo orbital refueling capabilities
Boeing won an $880M Navy contract for P-8A training systems
Rafael & SpearUAV unveiled Iron Wasp, a tube-launched counter-UAS drone
ElevationSpace raised a $40M Series B for space transportation
Electro Optic Systems won a $124M counter-drone order from the UAE
Ondas is acquiring Cyberhawk for $125M
AIRO Group Holdings unveiled the RQ-70 long-range ISR drone platform
Rune Technologies won a $99M Army IDIQ AI-powered predictive logistics
Northrop Grumman won a $398M contract for a jam-resistant satellite
The Navy completed the first F-35C LRASM flight testing
💎 Free Merch! 💎
Don't keep us a secret!
Share the Merge = earn free swag.
It's that simple.
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or copy and paste this link: {{rp_refer_url}}
Interested in advertising?
Contact us here.
