![eSR-73_Motor_Test_Drone_Approved_076-21OpEdMain](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/eSR-73_Motor_Test_Drone_Approved_076-21OpEdMain-350x176.jpg)
![With Navy exercise, unmanned surface vessel firm Saronic sees ‘next step’](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/saronic-e1712494431340-225x150.jpg)
“We are in active conversations with many of the stakeholders who are relevant to things like Replicator and we’re excited to collaborate with the government when the time is right,” Saronic exec Rob Lehman told Breaking Defense.
By Aaron Mehta![Palmer Luckey on Anduril’s growth plans, a future IPO and how ChatGPT has impacted AI](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/palmer-luckey-anduril-scaled-e1693501685479-225x150.jpg)
“I can’t really imagine a world where something like a Joint Strike Fighter program goes to a privately traded company,” Luckey told Breaking Defense. “I can’t imagine that ever happening.”
By Aaron Mehta![In race with China, SOCOM must leverage private equity, say experts and VCs](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/230515_socom_tech_4428339-scaled-e1684164099190-225x150.jpg)
“We are witnessing a cultural shift. Engineers want to work on problems for the DoD. We’re going to have an explosion of defense technology. Capital is following the engineers and following DoD opening of the aperture who want innovation,” said Alex Moore, partner at 8VC.
By Andrew White![It’s time for new incentives for defense primes to invest in startups](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/05/220524_AI_robot_hand_laptop_GettyImages-1202870693-scaled-e1666716055157-225x150.jpg)
“If we are to meet the innovation goals of the NDS, we must incentivize the primes to move beyond the short-term partnership model and encourage them to form more holistic relationships with promising early-stage companies, including investment into operating businesses,” writes Chip Walter.
By Chip Walter![Raytheon’s venture capital arm makes big bet on commercial hypersonic plane startup](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/hermeus-225x150.jpg)
An investment into a startup like Hermeus that is looking at commercial hypersonic tech could lead to leap-ahead approaches that benefit defense applications.
By Valerie Insinna![US space industry ‘tactically strong’ but lacks long-term investment, study finds](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/11/Screen-Shot-2021-11-18-at-10.30.56-AM-225x150.png)
Despite investments of nearly $200 billion in commercial space since 2012, the US will lose what the authors paint as a vital race with China without more strategic vision, study sponsored by DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit says.
By Theresa Hitchens![Aerospace Industrial Base Can’t Handle The Future: Mitchell Institute](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/12/F-35-assembly-line-225x150.jpg)
The F-35 aside, the report recommends that the Air Force “resist future participation in any joint aircraft procurement or development programs.”
By Theresa Hitchens![Eye On JADC2, Lockheed Explores Unique 5G-SATCOM Network](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-03-23-at-11.43.08-AM-225x150.png)
It’s sort of like we’re exclusively dating. We agreed to not see other people right now but we haven’t committed to anything else yet,” explained one Lockheed Martin official.
By Theresa Hitchens![Lockheed Martin Ventures Scouts Next-Gen AI/ML Tech](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/12/artificial-intelligence-gov-site-225x150.jpg)
“There’s a massive scramble for autonomy engineers, software — you name it,” says Chris Moran, Lockheed Martin executive director.
By Theresa Hitchens![Startups Need Free Data To Work With Army: Venture Capitalists](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/07/58336-225x150.jpg)
Because open-source software lacks the same kind of cyber certification that comes with more sensitive information, it is fertile ground for start-ups looking to work on military data, provided each service makes an open-source library available.
By Kelsey Atherton![Air Force To Pump New Tech Startups With $10M Awards](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/10/roper-225x150.jpeg)
The Air Force’s new investment strategy is designed to “catalyze the commercial market by bringing our military market to bear,” says Roper.
By Theresa Hitchens![Techstars Grooms 10 Tech Startups For Air Force](https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/Will-Roper-pitchday-225x150.jpeg)
Of 20 commercial startups the Techstars Air Force Accelerator has helped, 19 have gone on to win a collective $20-plus million in DoD Small Business Innovation Research contracts.
By Theresa Hitchens
Masao Dahlgren in this op-ed offers reasons why venture capitalists and the Pentagon aren’t yet on the same page, and calls for them to work together so that both can reap the benefits.
By Masao Dahlgren