NEWS

DoW vs Anthropic

Pete Hegseth has threatened to list Anthropic as a ‘supply chain risk’, meaning no defence contractor could use it. This comes after Anthropic tried to set conditions for what its AI could be used for. The red line for Anthropic seems to be around the use of AI for final targeting decisions without human intervention.

This reminds me of the debate around submarines in the early 1900s. As the technology was being born, there were ethical objections to its use, largely on the grounds that it was ungentlemanly to sink a ship without first offering it the chance to surrender. Then Germany adopted unrestricted submarine warfare in 1914.

The reality is that we have already moved away from human intervention. Ukraine and Russia are using AI for final targeting as it obviates the need for a communications link back to a controller, making them resistant to jamming. For the moment that is just for the final ‘terminal guidance’ stage of a mission. But I suspect that once technology allows for a fully AI-controlled mission is available, it will be used.

And Pete Hegseth has a point. No government can give suppliers a veto on policy. And it would be unwise to buy technology from a company that might turn it off. As Ukraine has discovered with Starlink.

UK announces £500m air defence package

Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Britain launched a programme to develop low-cost drones and air defence systems based on expertise gathered from Ukraine.

What’s surprising here is how quickly this technology is gathering pace, and the pan-European approach that has (thankfully) emerged. Catalysed by Russian drone incursions, defence ministries across Europe are now taking the threat seriously. This year the continent is expected to spend more on defence than at any time since the Cold War.

If this cooperation holds, it may mark the beginning of a genuinely integrated European air defence layer. That is good news for companies developing counter-drone technologies.

NATO plans Arctic surveillance

NATO is poised to step up its military presence in the Arctic region with a new surveillance mission modelled on that taking place in the Baltic Sea.

It comes as little surprise that interest in the Arctic is suddenly increasing. Although, for now, Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the attention of the world has turned to the area and Western nations are looking to increase their defensive posture where they have exposure there.

That is because it is likely to become a major shipping lane as the polar ice cap continues to recede. Ships leaving ports in China will save days of transit as they ferry goods to consumers in Europe.

And it’s Russia’s home turf. Moscow has spent over a decade rebuilding Arctic bases, modernising its Northern Fleet, and embedding air defence and radar coverage across its polar coastline. As ice recedes, the distance between economic opportunity and military vulnerability will narrow. NATO is right to focus some effort there.

FUNDRAISING

iSpace, a Chinese space launch company, raised a $729m Series D++.

Code Metal, an American developer of code for mission critical industries, raised a $125m Series B led by Salesforce Ventures.

Aalyria, an American developer of software and laser communication terminals, raised a $100m Series B at a $1.3bn post-money valuation. The deal was co-led by Battery Ventures and J2 Ventures.

SatVu, a British developer of space-based thermal imaging, raised a £30m round co-led by NATO Innovation Fund and Armira.

Frankenburg Technologies, an Estonian developer of C-UAS technology, raised a €30m Series A led by Plural.

Tytan, a German developer of C-UAS technology, raised a €30m Series A led by NATO Innovation Fund.

Chariot Defense, an American builder of power systems for defence, raised a $34m Series A led by Andreesen Horowitz.

Vizzia, a French producer of video surveillance cameras and AI software, raised a €30m Series B led by Base10 Partners.

VulnCheck, an American developer of real-time exploit and vulnerability intelligence, raised a $25m Series B led by Sorenson Capital.

Seasats, an American builder of long-endurance USVs for defence, and commercial use, raised a $20m Series A led by Konvoy Ventures.

Agile Space Industries, an American developer of in-space propulsion, raised a $17m Series A co-led by Caruso Ventures and Howdy Partners.

Aliro Technologies, an American developer of quantum networking security, raised a $15m round led by Gutbrain Ventures.

Sophia Space, an American developer of a space-based computing network that processes satellite data in orbit, raised a $10m seed round co-led by Alpha Funds, KDDI Green Partners Fund and Unlock Venture.

Farsight Vision, a Ukrainian developer of an AI-driven geospatial awareness and response system, raised a €7.2m seed round from Axon.

Breaker, an Australian developer of software to turn robots into autonomous teammates, raised a $6m seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.

The Fourth Law, a Ukrainian developer of autonomy technology for aerial and other hardware systems, raised an undisclosed amount from Axon.

IQM, a Finnish developer of superconducting quantum computers, announced plans to go public via a SPAC, valuing the company at $1.8bn.

Inflection, an American developer of neutral atom quantum computers and quantum sensors, went public via a SPAC, valuing the company at $1.8bn.

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