The Trump administration’s imposition of 25% tariffs on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum for national security purposes has been met with broad opposition by the Pentagon, the defense industry and key Republican members of Congress.

At immediate issue is the unpredictable impact on global supply chains and likely retaliation by targeted countries.

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​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

As potential adversaries continue work in hypersonic weapons, America’s top nuclear commander, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, “We don't have any defense that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us. Both Russia and China are aggressively pursuing hypersonic capabilities. We've watched them test those capabilities."

With that backdrop, the Pentagon has announced that it will not be making any more announcements about its work on hypersonic weapons. 

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​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

As near-peer competitors of the U.S., like China and Russia, continue their technological advances in space, new protocols will be required to balance competing interests in space development and defense.

For example, a system capable of satellite recovery and repair can quickly be directed to an offensive mission against a competitor’s satellites. Issues like “space stalking” with such dual-purpose systems placed in orbit near our most critical space assets need to be addressed early.

When is it appropriate for nations to pre-emptively defend their satellite network but avoid the charge of initiating hostilities? Click here for Dr. Brian G. Chow’s thoughtful white paper published in the recent Strategic Studies Quarterly.

​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

“Error is as important as malevolence… I probably wouldn’t use the word ‘stupidity,’ [because] the people who make these mistakes are frequently quite smart, [but] it’s complex and the technologies are so opaque that there’s a limit to our understanding.”

That’s former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig in an interview with Breaking Defense’s Sydney Freedberg about the challenges of human decision making in a fast-moving and complex modern battlespace. 

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​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

Rapid breakthroughs in computer processing speed and real-time analytics allow combat platforms like the F-35 to constantly upgrade their capabilities from enhanced radar systems and improved seeker guidance to faster sensor-to-shooter targeting.

Integrated software is also increasingly relevant to modern maintenance and logistics support as combat systems are increasingly able to run self-diagnostics and identify support requirements. 

Click here for why the U.S. Air Force believes software will the key to F-35 battlespace dominance for the next 50 years.

​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

In 2015, millions of Americans, including everyone who ever held a security clearance, had their Office of Personnel Management (OPM) records stolen by a Chinese cyberattack that secured the most detailed personal information ever hacked.

Since that material has not been either ransomed back or sold to third parties, Ian Brown offers a thought experiment of how the Chinese might exploit this massive collection of sensitive data. 

​Click here for his vision of a potential Chinese “trust attack.”

​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

First discovered as early as the 1930s, graphene aerogel possesses amazing characteristics with important uses from satellites to clothing.

Lightweight, impervious to extreme temperatures but strong as steel, graphene aerogel is finding increased uses in defense and consumer goods. 

​Click here for Futurism’s informative video demonstrating this material.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

As U.S. intelligence and Special Forces continue the largely unseen fight against terrorist networks, digital forensics has come to play an important role.

Sophisticated enemies use various data encryption and hiding techniques like steganography, hashing and writing data inside device operating systems.

I’ll have a deeper exploration of this for you in our next essay but for now, click here for more.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

The human body has amazing abilities to adapt and respond to damages from pathogens to environmental stress.

Now researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have undertaken a project to explore whether the human genome can be switched on to counter a wide range of threats from viral infections or opioid overdose to gamma radiation.

The PReemptive Expression of Protective Alleles and Response Elements (PREPARE) program will explore ways to activate the body’s defenses by temporarily and reversibly tuning gene expression to bolster natural defenses against a given threat. 

​Click here for more.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.