DARPA’s Mandrake 2 satellites: communicating at the speed of light
Mandrake 2's next trick, after demonstrating optical intersatellite links, will be using lasers for space-to-ground communications.
SDA Demos Spotlight Tech Hurdles To JADC2 Backbone
Two of the experiments, each involving two satellites, are focused on laser links: one between satellites themselves; the other from satellites to a MQ-9 Reaper drone on the ground.
The defense intelligence community’s AI and cyber view forward
From AI adoption and agentic systems to Zero Trust and cyber resilience, Breaking Defense’s latest eBook brings together key reporting from DoDIIS 2026 on the technologies and strategies shaping the future of defense intelligence.