Best of LinkedIn: Defense Tech CW 40/ 41

00:00:00: Provided by Thomas Allgaier and Frenus, based on the most relevant posts on LinkedIn about defense tech in CW-forty and forty-one, Frenus is a B to B market research company that equips product and strategy teams with market and competitive intelligence across the defense industry.

00:00:15: Welcome to the deep dive.

00:00:17: Our mission today really is to distill what's happening in defense tech.

00:00:20: We're looking just at the key LinkedIn posts from the last couple of weeks.

00:00:23: That's CW-forty and forty-one.

00:00:25: Yeah, it's definitely a busy time and looking at the source material, you can really see some clear strategic movements emerging, especially in Europe and among allies.

00:00:35: Right.

00:00:35: What are the big ones you're seeing?

00:00:36: Well, three things really stand out.

00:00:38: A huge push towards autonomy, machine speed.

00:00:41: Then a real focus on hardening that counter UAS perimeter.

00:00:45: Okay.

00:00:46: And finally, a big drive to accelerate industrial capacity, you know, making sure everything worked together better, air, land, sea, space, interoperability.

00:00:54: That counter UAS piece, the hardening the perimeter, that seems like a good place to start.

00:00:59: The sources definitely confirm uncrewed aerial systems UAS, they're just central now.

00:01:04: Absolutely central.

00:01:05: ISR drones, tactical UAVs, they're fundamental to land warfare concepts we're seeing discussed.

00:01:11: And that means, well, a desperate need for constant surveillance and making that kill chain faster.

00:01:16: Exactly.

00:01:17: And the tactical response counter UAS or CUAS, it's evolving incredibly fast.

00:01:23: It's not just one magic bullet anymore.

00:01:25: No.

00:01:26: No, the consensus is really about layered approaches, you know, blending detection, AI for classification, different kinds of interceptors.

00:01:34: But the threat isn't just military now, we've seen that quite clearly.

00:01:38: You

00:01:38: mean civilian infrastructure?

00:01:39: Precisely.

00:01:40: National security folks are flagging urgent CUAS gaps right here at home.

00:01:45: Benjamin Wolba mentioned that Munich Airport shut down.

00:01:48: Oh yeah, I saw that unauthorized drone right.

00:01:50: Canceled over thirty flights.

00:01:51: Yeah, exactly that kind of disruption.

00:01:53: It's becoming a real security headache for civilian areas not just battlefields

00:01:57: in the markets responding.

00:01:58: Oh, definitely lots of tech being thrown at it.

00:02:00: We saw Lockheed Martin talking up their sanctum counter UAS system AI driven

00:02:05: sanctum, right?

00:02:05: What makes that stand out?

00:02:06: Well multiple sources pointed to it as embodying what's needed now Smart AI, flexible, open architecture system.

00:02:14: Open

00:02:15: architecture that keeps coming up.

00:02:16: It does.

00:02:17: In layered defense, you know, tackling threats at different ranges, different altitudes, it ticks all those boxes.

00:02:23: And

00:02:23: the investment must be huge.

00:02:25: Gitarth Rajneesh Vaishnav shared that drone shield news.

00:02:28: The new, thirteen million dollar R&D place in Adelaide.

00:02:31: Yeah.

00:02:32: Shows real strategic growth commitment.

00:02:34: But

00:02:34: Raven Decker was pushing for urgent capabilities in the Netherlands too.

00:02:38: It feels very immediate, this need.

00:02:40: It is immediate, but the really interesting part, I think, is the tactical innovation.

00:02:44: Ivane Maizaya introduced this concept, the Bait Interceptor Drone.

00:02:48: B-Bait.

00:02:49: What's that?

00:02:49: It's a compact drone launched from a larger carrier UAV.

00:02:53: The idea is it autonomously goes after massed aerial threats.

00:02:57: Like

00:02:57: those cheap drone swarms, she-head types.

00:02:59: Exactly like those.

00:03:00: It's designed specifically to counter that kind of threat.

00:03:03: Which takes us beyond just the tech, right?

00:03:05: There's an economic angle.

00:03:06: A

00:03:06: huge one.

00:03:06: That's the core insight, really.

00:03:08: Why is BET potentially so important?

00:03:10: Okay, what?

00:03:11: Affordability and speed.

00:03:13: Right now, you see countries using incredibly expensive fighter jets.

00:03:16: Fifty million bucks, maybe?

00:03:18: But

00:03:18: you've done a twenty thousand dollar drone.

00:03:19: Exactly.

00:03:20: It's unsustainable.

00:03:21: The BAT concept offers an automated economical counter.

00:03:25: It replaces that ridiculously costly practice.

00:03:28: That economic shift is, I think, going to define the next wave of air defense.

00:03:33: Makes sense.

00:03:34: Speed and economics driving things.

00:03:36: But Tom Adams brought up a complication.

00:03:38: The legal side.

00:03:39: Ah,

00:03:39: yes.

00:03:40: The regulatory hurdles.

00:03:42: He

00:03:42: pointed out the legal risks with unauthorized CUAS tech, like public safety bodies, airports, local police.

00:03:49: They need clear authority to actually use detection and mitigation tools.

00:03:52: Otherwise you get unintended consequences, legal challenges could actually slow down progress.

00:03:56: Yeah.

00:03:57: That tension, the need for machine speed versus human constraints, legal frameworks that actually leads perfectly into our next theme, doesn't it?

00:04:04: It really does.

00:04:05: AI, autonomy and software, the race for speed.

00:04:08: Okay, let's get into this.

00:04:10: Jonas Singer had that stark quote, latency kills.

00:04:13: Yeah, pretty blunt.

00:04:15: The argument is simple.

00:04:17: You modern combat is too fast for human delay.

00:04:20: You can't afford to have a human in the loop for every decision if you expect to survive complex fights.

00:04:25: So the human moves.

00:04:27: Where?

00:04:27: On the loop, that's the goal.

00:04:29: Machines operate within rules set by humans encoded, lawful constraints like geofences, confidence levels, and then they execute lethal action at machine speed.

00:04:39: The human provides the intent and the boundaries, but the machine acts instantly.

00:04:44: We saw some real tech examples of this.

00:04:46: Daniel Kolfas presented that Airbus Framework, re-legs him, at the NATO CA-IIX-II Forum.

00:04:52: Right, using deep reinforcement learning.

00:04:54: Explain that a bit.

00:04:54: What's it doing for operational planning?

00:04:56: Okay, so essentially it lets the AI simulate thousands, millions of options, combat paths, resource allocations, way faster than a human team could.

00:05:05: It learns by trial and error and simulation rewarding good outcomes.

00:05:08: So instead of weeks planning, it's moments.

00:05:10: Pretty much.

00:05:11: And Harold Mannheim confirmed this isn't just theory anymore.

00:05:14: Airbus is a major partner for the German Bundeswehr's AI transformation.

00:05:19: They're focused on scaling this up.

00:05:21: moving from prototypes to actual series production, integrating it end to end.

00:05:25: And

00:05:26: this push for speed isn't just like a nice to have.

00:05:29: It's being framed as strategically vital.

00:05:31: Absolutely vital.

00:05:33: Sandra Losman echoed the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying, the future is unmanned.

00:05:40: Why?

00:05:40: Cost efficiency?

00:05:41: Sure.

00:05:42: But also human capital efficiency using people smartly and just decisive effectiveness.

00:05:47: No sense.

00:05:48: And Benjamin Tallis made a strong point too.

00:05:50: democracies need AI-driven, autonomous mass capabilities to effectively defend against authoritarian states who might not have the same constraints on human cost.

00:05:58: And you need the hardware for that vision.

00:06:00: Aviv Barzohar and Richard Benton highlighted the Nomadu Avi family from Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky.

00:06:06: Yeah.

00:06:06: VTL, Hybrid Electric.

00:06:07: And critically, Open Architecture.

00:06:09: There it is again.

00:06:10: Why is that so key here?

00:06:12: Because open architecture enables that speed and mass we're talking about.

00:06:15: It means you can plug in third-party software more easily, upgrade faster, scale configurations for different missions, ISR, strike, logistics, land, sea.

00:06:25: Gotcha.

00:06:25: It connects the software potential directly to adaptable hardware.

00:06:29: Exactly.

00:06:30: Which bridges nicely into our third theme, industrial policy, procurement, and resilience.

00:06:36: How do we actually build and pay for all this stuff at scale?

00:06:40: Okay.

00:06:40: Where do we start?

00:06:41: partnerships.

00:06:42: Strategic partnerships are huge.

00:06:44: Preston Feinberg flagged that big UK Palantir deal up to one point five billion investment.

00:06:50: And Palantir setting up their European HQ in the UK.

00:06:53: Right.

00:06:53: It frames defense deals, not just as buying kit, but as engines for national economic and tech growth.

00:06:58: But his

00:06:59: growth, the same as resilience.

00:07:00: Christoph Donique brought up Ryan Middle's massive expansion, sixty three billion backlog, new factories popping up.

00:07:06: And

00:07:06: he asked the crucial question.

00:07:08: Does just being efficient make you strategically resilient?

00:07:11: Well, if you centralize everything into giant, super efficient factories, you create single points of failure.

00:07:18: His argument is Europe needs a balanced, distributed industrial sites, procurement tied to sovereignty metrics, not just sheer volume.

00:07:26: Geographical spread matters.

00:07:28: You can't talk about European defense industry now without talking about Ukraine.

00:07:32: Oleksandr Lysikov announced something big.

00:07:35: A major turning point, yeah.

00:07:37: Ukraine shifting from just defense production for themselves to becoming an exporter, projecting thirty-five billion dollars in production next year.

00:07:45: Wow.

00:07:46: With plans for export hubs in the EU, US, Middle East.

00:07:50: It's forcing a rethink in the West.

00:07:52: Martin Joinsar and Mark A. Whitefeld were clear.

00:07:54: Supporting Ukraine effectively means localization, speed, constant feedback loops.

00:07:59: And Joinser had that really provocative call about procurement.

00:08:02: Oh

00:08:02: yeah, that was striking.

00:08:03: He said Western procurement offices need to change their processes.

00:08:06: Start treating things like drones and sensors as consumables or a

00:08:10: service.

00:08:11: Not like a tank you buy for twenty years.

00:08:12: Exactly.

00:08:13: Treat them like consumables or a service.

00:08:14: Yeah.

00:08:15: That's a massive mindset shift for traditional defense bureaucracies.

00:08:19: What does that practically mean?

00:08:20: Treating assets as a service.

00:08:22: It means you might buy, say, operational hours or performance outcomes, not just the physical drone.

00:08:28: The contractor keeps updating the software.

00:08:30: that's the service, and the hardware is maybe seen as more expendable, replaceable quickly with the latest version.

00:08:36: So it prioritizes ongoing improvement over waiting for the perfect final product.

00:08:41: Precisely.

00:08:42: Rapid iteration.

00:08:44: And to help bridge that gap, Denise Sviatokum mentioned the Nordar Nexus initiative.

00:08:49: What's that doing?

00:08:50: Connecting Ukrainian companies with Danish support programs, helping them get NATO certification, basically speeding up their integration into the wider European defense industry.

00:09:00: And that integration focus shows up in national plans too.

00:09:03: Pascal M noted Denmark buying more F-thirty-fives and collaborative combat aircraft.

00:09:07: The

00:09:08: drone wingmania.

00:09:09: Specifically

00:09:09: to boost NATO interoperability and support local industry like Turma and Multicut.

00:09:14: It all ties together.

00:09:15: It does.

00:09:16: Which brings us maybe to the last theme, specialization within domains, sea, air, PNT.

00:09:21: Okay, let's start underwater.

00:09:23: Seems like a lot happening there.

00:09:24: Amelia Gould announced Helsing acquiring blue ocean marine tech systems.

00:09:29: Right.

00:09:29: Bringing Helsing's AI focus together with expertise in autonomous underwater platforms to counter nefarious subsea activity.

00:09:38: That

00:09:39: sounds serious.

00:09:39: It is.

00:09:40: And we're seeing coordinated European efforts too.

00:09:43: Jürgen Skrabak detailed the European Defense Agency's twenty twenty six goals.

00:09:48: Underwater domain awareness, uncrewed maritime systems, seabed protection.

00:09:52: And they're using a modular approach.

00:09:54: Yeah, a pragmatic, minimum viable unit concept.

00:09:58: Built around a standard, twenty-foot shipping container.

00:10:00: Why the container standard?

00:10:01: What makes that so useful?

00:10:03: Logistics?

00:10:03: Pure and simple.

00:10:05: If your complex sensor system or drone launcher fits in a standard container, you can deploy it rapidly using existing global infrastructure, cargo ships, military transports, whatever, cuts deployment time dramatically.

00:10:15: Speed and standardization again.

00:10:17: Same in the air domain.

00:10:18: Seems like it.

00:10:19: Paul Lemo highlighted Lockheed Martin firing up their SPY-Seven radar for the Aegis Vessels, another step in modular radar tech.

00:10:26: And Dr.

00:10:27: Dennis G mentioned Vectis focusing on air power integration, making sure different fleets, especially fifth gen like the F- Thirty-Five, can work together seamlessly.

00:10:36: Okay, and finally, that critical bit of infrastructure, PNT.

00:10:40: Positioning, navigation, and timing.

00:10:42: Absolutely crucial.

00:10:43: Eliza Drasny's confirmed it's a major focus in the Baltics, strengthening PNT resilience.

00:10:48: Because GPS can be denied or spoofed.

00:10:51: Exactly.

00:10:52: In a conflict, you have to be able to operate without relying solely on GPS.

00:10:56: So you see civil tech, like from saffron electronics and defense, being transferred into military P&T solutions.

00:11:02: It's driving that civil military tech transfer.

00:11:04: OK, so let's try and pull this all together.

00:11:06: What we've seen across LinkedIn these past two weeks suggests defense tech is really shifting around three core ideas.

00:11:11: I think so.

00:11:12: First, speed, driven hard by AI and autonomy.

00:11:15: Second, mass, fueled by affordable drones and the urgent need for counter drone tech.

00:11:20: And third, industrial resistance.

00:11:22: with Ukraine acting as a catalyst and a broader push for smarter EU industrial policy.

00:11:27: And thinking about that resilience and the procurement changes needed.

00:11:31: Brenda Jacobs point about modular, software-defined systems.

00:11:34: Yeah, that they're, per se, never fully developed.

00:11:38: That thinking completely rejects the old way of doing things, waiting for that perfect, finished, gold standard system.

00:11:45: Right.

00:11:46: Which leaves a really interesting question for you, the listener, to think about.

00:11:49: What big established defense systems out there right now are maybe being held back by that old demand for a gold standard solution?

00:11:56: Yeah, and how different could they be, how much faster, how much more effective, if we truly embraced a software-first service-based approach where improvement is constant.

00:12:05: That's the transformation happening right

00:12:23: now.