David Zakariaie

This is not how you win #WW3. The US has become the high-cost producer of everything defense-related. The F-35 is not a new new thing. It is just the best expression of an old thing. At multiples of the cost. The new new thing is a drone. An F-35 is a very expensive drone with a pilot riding in it instead of controlling it from the ground. The only reason to put a human in a drone is to prevent jamming of the control of the drone. Is the juice worth the squeeze? It is $7mm per year just to keep an F-35 operational. That's a lot of drones. The problem to be solved is not how to get humans to ride more expensive jet fighters. The problem to be solved is how to prevent jamming of drones. #defenseinnovation Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) European Defense Investor Network Heather Jo Richman United States Department of DefenseUnited States Air Force #drones Creighton Holt Timothy D. Otten Graham Scarbro Defense News Defense One Drones https://lnkd.in/gjEK4HtB

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What do the following have in common? 🏛️ US Congress 👨‍🔬 Merlin Labs 🛩️ Safran ⛓️‍💥 Israeli Hostages 🚀 Boeing’s disastrous engineering ⚽️ and Soccer They’re all top news this week! Clearly, I’m behind schedule today and there’s a lot to dissect in the news. First, the House Appropriations Committee did its committee markup on the Defense Appropriations bill this week. Watch for a lot of interesting insights to come in the near future on that. Second, we’re continuing to see VC firms raising funds to focus on hard tech and defense tech. Hopefully, this will quickly translate into opening the spigot for startups, but that still remains muted—although there were some defense or defense-adjacent investments announced this week. More movement in the M&A sphere with Merlin Labs acquiring EpiSci and Italy finally approving French firm Safran’s acquisition of Eurofighter component maker Microtecnica. Geopolitically, Israel rescued four hostages captures on 7 Oct, at the cost of several hundred Palestinian lives. The US has proposed a ceasefire plan, now endorsed by the UN Security Council, although Hamas has asked for some amendments. Russia is floating part of its navy in the western hemisphere near Cuba and China may be attempting to probe Taiwanese naval defenses. In space, Boeing’s Starliner craft is stranded with its return date pushed to 22 June, amid multiple leaks from the spacecraft, just the latest in what feels like dozens of major engineering mishaps from one of the largest aerospace and defense companies. How have shareholders NOT demanded the heads of the entire board, yet. Finally, the UEFA European Championship 2024 kicks off today at 3:00pm Eastern at Munich’s Allianz Arena, where Germany is heavily favored to beat Scotland. Dive in to these and other issues surrounding aerospace and defense technology. #defense #defensetechnology #venturecapital #technology #news https://lnkd.in/erMZDUMQ

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Great Article. The Defense Industry is not the Defense Industry that Eisenhower warned us about 60+ years ago. And DoD approach is largely to blame, NOT greedy 'arms dealers'. I've experienced contract negotiations where we provided a product at well below 'market value', yet the focus was on how much profit was written into our price. Never mind that profit is what pays for innovation, pays for a contractor to go out on a limb to listen and provide a solution to what are 'known' defense shortfalls. Defense leaders have been screaming to get private capital to invest in the defense market, but why would they when their returns are capped at around 10%? Much better investment to buy real estate, invest in Google (27% returns), or Microsoft (44% return), or Apple (34%). Bottom line, you get what you pay for. If you cap returns, companies have less capital and less incentive to go beyond 'requirements' and provide cutting edge tech to our warfighter. They simply cannot afford it, and the contracting largesse of the DoD actually discourages it. It's like keeping gifted and talented kids moving through school at the same speed a the lowest common denominator.

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Data is going to be the main Counter-UAS asset. Not EW, not cyber takeover, not radar in Ku band, not acoustic, not actual IFF, not soft kill, not hard kill, not counter-UAS drones, not energy weapons. Data. If NATO fully embraces C-UAS and microUAS as data sources and hubs, if after transparent battleFIELD we move towards transparent SKIES, no adversary will be able to match such an operational picture. Obviously not non-state actors, but even Russia or Iran won't be able to compete. Both with real-time and historical data series, we can understand and make machine-augmented decisions. This implies a substantial investment (time, financial resources, human and tech resources). But there is no other way. And the way forward is through NATO. Unless a partner chooses to fight alone (which is unlikely), NATO, with its standards and procedures, is where this transformation will take place. CC Christian Brose

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So another MQ-9 has reportedly been shot down over Yemen, the fourth since November. IMHO the Defense UAS problem is really quite simple, if your system cannot be considered "survivable" then you need to consider it attritable. The days of pattern of life monitoring for 24 hours before an operation using an undefended MALE are well and truly over. We havent even seen the start of the proliferation of UAS designed as Kinetic C-UAS, once that happens this whole thing is going to get even more ugly. My 2 cents for those willing to listen, invest in survivable exquisite platforms and lots and lots of attritable systems. Undefended systems operating between 5-15k feet at 80kts with an EO/IR turret are not going to last long in any current or future conflict. #UAS #REAPER #UAV #Militaryaviation #YEMEN #Futurewars

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I am not a current drone pilot, but I've become increasingly interested in it since the start of the Ukraine war. The Senate is holding a vote on the NDAA today and this is part of that bill. “Countering CCP Drones Act” (HR 2864) could pass and ban the only high quality drone sold to the US consumer market. I've been learning about types of drones, transmitters, headsets, builds and mods. It started as watching FPV (First person view) flights, moved to product reviews and then build videos. That's my level of knowledge. In that time, I've found that DJI is the premier (by a lot) commercial and consumer drone maker in the world. They are the entry for most recreational drone pilots. This all started here before the US recognized that the PRC is positioning themselves as an adversary, and DJI built a relatively benign to positive reputation. That is solid now and the lack of viable competitors is certainly a factor. They also have decent social media capabilities. So their customer base is standing up for them. People love flying their drones, and don't want to give it up! That's totally understandable too. The difficulty here is that drone piloting is a critical, yet unrecognized skill. Ukranian pilots have shown just how powerful this skill can be. It is also a way for young people to make money. There are entire industries rising from various aspects of drone piloting. DJI is a legitimate threat due to their CCP ties, the sending of data back to China, to include high res images of areas where the drones fly and data it accesses through the phone app. But we need a US or at least a friendly company to step in to supplant DJI for consumer use, not only commercial. And then there's the FAA and its unfriendly attitude towards drones, but that's a rant for another day...

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The lack of understanding on both ends of the spectrum re: Country of Origin bans highlight a larger problem that we have in Western political dialogue - it also creates misunderstandings about #NDAA #blueUAS and #GreenUAS that has prevented a lot of progress. In the short term, we need the *commercial* market adoption of UAS (no matter where from) to help fuel the industry for Western firms. Ban em - eventually, but not until we have viable and commercially available alternatives.

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Gen. Allvin's remarks underscore a pivotal shift in Air Force strategy towards collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), highlighting a deliberate departure from the longevity model typical of traditional aircraft fleets. Emphasizing flexibility and modularity over multi-decade service life, Allvin advocates for CCAs that swiftly evolve with technological advancements, ensuring they remain relevant and cost-effective within a shorter operational span. This approach not only aligns with Air Force efforts to enhance mission versatility and affordability but also reflects broader trends in defense innovation, where adaptability and rapid iteration are prioritized to meet evolving threats and operational needs. In the evolving landscape of defense contracting, the Air Force's shift towards CCA presents a distinct opportunity for industry players to focus on agility and technological integration. By prioritizing modularity and rapid upgrade cycles, companies can differentiate themselves in a competitive market striving to support the Air Force's vision of affordable mass through drone wingmen. Leveraging CRG's expertise in navigating complex defense acquisitions and managing lifecycle challenges, industry partners can enhance their capabilities to secure and sustain contracts in this dynamic environment. Explore how CRG can empower your organization to excel in defense contracting at https://crgroupinc.com/ or contact us at contact@crgroupinc.com. IL - VA - DC - Dubai, UAE. #CRG #USAF #AirForce #DefenseInnovation #CollaborativeCombatAircraft #AirForce #DefenseContracting #Aircraft #AircraftInnovation #DoD #DIB #GovCon #MilitaryContracts #CCA #Drones

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This one has me puzzled. I agree friendly drone ID is now a major problem, but the commercial drone industry has fifty-cent piece-sized remote ID/ADS-B systems, and the US Army has card-deck-sized NATO Mode V IFF systems from companies like uAvionix Corporation. Why don't the UAS program offices put these systems on every drone they acquire? What about NATO and the US treaty partners? Can they add drone IFF to their priority "to-do lists?" (And, yes, the measurement provided uses the English measurement system and not the metric.) #counterUAS #usarmy #usmarines #uas #drones

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Defensive missiles cost multiples of the price of an offensive missile. The same is true for drones. The cost to take out a drone by the US military is $100,000, according to this article. There are two implications of this. 1. Whoever can lower that cost seems to have a contract opportunity with US DoD. 2. You can make war very expensive for the US by putting up a lot of drones that require a $100k response. I would bet that lesson has not been lost on the Chinese.

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Payload's article "SpaceX Won’t Be Visiting Hubble Anytime Soon" highlights 3 main risks with a commercial crewed mission to repair the aging Hubble Telescope: 1) Operational risks 2) Docking risks 3) Technological risks Two of these make sense, but ....docking? How can we let something so fundamental to spaceflight, that we've been doing since the 1960's, hold us back from ambitious missions like this one (and the dozens of other mission use cases out there). This is a great example of why Obruta is solely focused on developing the next generation of RPOD tech. Spacecraft docking should be so prevalent it is second thought, and I'd like to see a future with accessible and available docking technology so we can fly these kinds of missions, and many more like it. Obruta's making it happen. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gcvvXn-h

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Check out the biggest news in the tech and startup world from last week in under 60 seconds. We cover news from Anduril Industries, Norwest Venture Partners, and Acquired. See you next week!

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May 28, 2024- Synoptic Data, a Public Benefit Corporation signed a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with NOAA’s National Weather Service and Grand Sky Airfield Operations, LLC, to deploy uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) to gather and evaluate the upper air data to determine how it could aid in weather forecasting. The research project will take place at the GrandSKY Flight Operations Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota and gather weather data up to an altitude of 16,900 feet. Real-time data is a necessity for weather forecasting and meteorologists are continuing to improve their accuracy. Ongoing research projects allow the National Weather Service to learn more about our atmosphere and use the information for better forecasts and warnings. NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration announced a new research effort to study how upper air data from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) can aid in forecasting. Synoptic Data is participating in this CRADA (Cooperative Research & Development Agreement) by providing data storage and delivery to the National Weather Service. Read the full story and learn how upper air data will be collected and used for forecasting and warning efforts: https://zurl.co/dAFS Meteomatics AG Grand Sky #uas #upperairdata #soundings #weatherdata

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What's the best training environment for autonomous vehicles? "Bad driving is probably playing a bigger role in the fatality rate than larger cars and longer journeys." This article from Financial Times and John Burn-Murdoch about the crazy US traffic we've all (?) experienced made me think about the development of autonomous vehicles. Companies like Tesla and Waymo are preferably training their autonomous systems on US roads, and now I understand why! It's because they want their systems to be trained under the most difficult circumstances. or It's because a sub-par autonomous driving system can excel among bad US drivers, and it's the fastest way to market acceptance. Either way, as Europeans, we should be grateful that the systems are trained on US roads, where many distracted drivers create fringe situations that would never happen in other parts of the world. Car manufacturers send their development teams to the Nordics to test winter behavior before sending them to the US to get road rage training data... #autonomuscars #fsd #ai #automotive https://lnkd.in/dU7MqW2y

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As a founder, asymmetry is your superpower. This is how you use it to win 🇺🇸🇺🇸

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A few thoughts on why bridging crypto and defence tech is a strategic imperative.

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Genuinely interested in complementary or contradictory opinions/assessments.

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There are two types of successful startups in defense: Cowboys and Farmers. Cowboys, like Anduril, build new defense systems, disregarding legacy requirements to meet the needs of current conflicts. But our defense strategy still relies heavily on legacy systems. GAO found that only 1out of 49 aircrafts met mission readiness goals consistently over the past 11 years. No matter how many new weapons we build, without reliable legacy systems like the C-130 cargo aircraft, we can't support our new systems in theatre. Thats why we need Farmers: companies that ensure our established systems meet their goals. Machina Labs plays both roles: we help manufacture new defense systems faster while also repairing old aircraft like the C-130 to meet readiness goals.

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Let's face it, #CMMC is going to become a MAJOR pain for 400,000+ Defense Industrial Base companies in the next few months. Many have put their head in the sand hoping it would go away. It looks like it won't. If you want to save a bunch of time (and a bunch of money), take a look at our new "CMMC In a Box" product. It helps you generate your various 25+ policies and procedures (like Disaster Recover, Incident Response, CONOPS, Data Spill etc.), your NIST 800-171 control implementation details, and much more. Dozens of companies have used it in beta and it is now open for all Ask Sage customers. VIDEO: https://lnkd.in/eZvFyki8 Ask Sage account: https://chat.asksage.ai - use coupon code GAMECHANGER for a free month! In a Box: https://box.asksage.ai (same account as Ask Sage) Note: you got to laugh at the image generated by DALL-E v3 for this post, but I kept it as is as it's kind of hilarious. #CMMC #GenerativeAI #AskSage

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