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HII and MetalCraft Marine successfully complete DIU prototype testing for the Watcher, an autonomous USV powered by HII’s Odyssey control system. HII press release HII announced that the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has officially recognized the successful completion of the company’s Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) prototype project, featuring the Watcher small Unmanned Surface Vessel (sUSV), which is based on HII’s ROMULUS-25 Unmanned Surface Vessel and powered by HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System (ACS). The DIU recognition follows HII’s delivery and successful sea testing of two autonomous Watcher ROMULUS-25 vessels in December 2025 under a DIU contract to develop…

Boeing revealed an ultra-low-cost radar seeker Tuesday as this year’s Space and Missile Defense Symposium kicked off in Huntsville, Alabama, pitching it as a way to get missile guidance on more weapons for less money.Installed in the nose of a missile or bomb, the seeker locates the target and guides the weapon toward it. Seekers are among the most expensive parts of a guided weapon, and Boeing’s argument is that their cost is what limits how many the military can buy.Boeing’s Ultra Low-Cost Seeker, or ULCS, is an active seeker, meaning it emits its own radar signal rather than relying…

Rafael’s latest Litening targeting pod, equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), reportedly played a significant role during the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran. By combining radar imaging with advanced electro-optical sensors, the upgraded system enables fighter aircraft to detect, identify, and engage targets in all weather conditions—even through cloud cover and at extended stand-off ranges. According to Israeli sources, the upgraded Litening SAR combines the pod’s well-established electro-optical capabilities with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), significantly expanding its ability to detect and engage targets under challenging battlefield conditions. Seeing Through Clouds The addition of a high-performance SAR sensor enables…

Islam Makhachev believes Ilia Topuria will become a UFC champion again, but is unsure of one thing. Topuria, after dominating the featherweight division, laid hands on lightweight gold after a brutal KO win against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025. While he was expected to successfully defend the title against his next opponent, Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, Topuria suffered a devastating setback. ‘The Highlight’ handed Topuria a brutal beatdown, eventually forcing a TKO via corner stoppage at the end of round 4. It also marked ‘El Matador’s first loss in his MMA career, even giving rise…

There may already be six Rocky movies and three Creed spin-offs out there for your viewing pleasure, but if like us, you just can’t get enough of the “Italian Stallion,” the news that Anthony Ippolito is set to channel Sylvester Stallone—to tell the fabled story of how the original movie got the green light, will be welcome news. And, if the newly released trailer is anything to go by, the box office can take our money right now. What Is the ‘I Play Rocky’ Movie About? Stallone fans already know that he was a struggling actor, failing to find his…

Terry Gerton When people talk about military and AI, oftentimes they jump straight to autonomous weapons. What have you seen in terms of the real challenges commanders are trying to solve when they talk about deploying AI? Ian Kalin Well, thank you for the question and for this opportunity to talk about what’s needed by frontline warfighters. From our experience and what I’ve seen as a veteran, the military commanders are not asking for AI. They have functions that they care about every day, how to take care of their troops, how to accomplish their mission, the resiliency of supply…

Terry Gerton Back in March, the Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply chain risk. This seems to be the news item that keeps on giving because a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. But let’s start where we are today. What is actually happening inside the defense sector to contractors as the Pentagon begins enforcing these restrictions on Anthropic? Ryan Frazee Yeah, so it’s been an interesting situation to watch. As you mentioned, it’s fluid and evolving day by day. Where we are now is the Pentagon has issued two separate supply chain designations. One of them…

The UK’s Project Crenic initiative will realise new counter-improvised explosive device and counter-uninhabited aerial vehicle jammers for dismounted troops, and to protect vehicles.The UK’s Project Crenic counter-improvised explosive device and counter-uninhabited aerial vehicle capability is facing delays.Reports emerged in June that deliveries of the United Kingdom’s Project Crenic Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system could be delayed by two years. The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) had originally planned to commence deliveries in 2026. The reports continued that British government documents had revealed that the country’s armed forces are now unlikely to receive the first Crenic systems until at least 2028.As…

Key PointsDARPA’s Lift Challenge concluded after seven days, with Team Avidrone winning first place at a 3.84 to 1 payload-to-weight ratio.Avidrone’s Katana helicopter drone carried 112.4 pounds (51 kilograms) while weighing 29.3 pounds (13.3 kilograms), earning $1.25 million.A team of engineers have proved that a helicopter design older than most of their grandparents can still out-fly the strangest, most futuristic drone shapes engineers could dream up. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon’s advanced research arm known for funding technologies that eventually reshape entire industries, announced that its Lift Challenge had wrapped after seven days of competition, crowning Team…

LAS VEGAS — After spending roughly six weeks analyzing Dominion voting systems used in Puerto Rico’s 2024 elections, Mojave Research came back to the Trump administration with findings that startled its researchers. The systems contained at least a dozen high- or critical-severity software vulnerabilities. Passwords were reused, firewalls were disabled and basic cryptographic protections were poorly implemented. And in Puerto Rico, active cellular hardware modems opened additional pathways into underlying software that was thought to be isolated.But the small cybersecurity firm found no evidence that any of those weaknesses had actually been exploited, or that votes had been changed. The company…