Pentagon’s $820M PDW Loan and U.S. Drone Manufacturing
The Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital has issued a conditional loan commitment of up to $820 million to PDW Holdings, a manufacturer of drones and autonomous systems. The funding…
The Pentagon Closed the Waiver Window. The Defense Industrial Base Has 17 Months to Answer.
On July 20, 2026, the White House signed an executive order that reshapes how defense suppliers source critical materials. Beginning January 1, 2027, the Department of Defense will largely stop…
Raytheon’s MALD Restart Reveals How Defense Manufacturing Actually Works Now
Raytheon is restarting production of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy in Tucson, Arizona. On the surface, this is a routine story about a defense contractor responding to demand from the United…
What the CMMC Suspension Tells Us About How We Build Secure Manufacturing
I have spent my career at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and national defense. When the Department of War suspended CMMC Phase II requirements on July 13, 2026, I read it as more than…
The Million-Drone Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
The Department of Defense wants one million drones. The headlines focus on software, AI, and autonomy. But I keep thinking about something far more mundane.Turbine blades.Every turbine-powered drone…
The FY2027 SBIR Rule That Just Killed the Spray-and-Pray Strategy
I’ve spent years navigating federal innovation funding. I’ve watched companies submit to every open topic. I’ve seen the volume strategy work for some and fail for most.Starting October 1, 2026, that…
For 55 Years, Defense Acquisition Optimized for One Thing: Avoiding Blame. Four Generals Just Declared That Era Over.
I’ve spent years watching defense contractors navigate a system designed to protect everyone except the warfighter.The incentive structure was clear: don’t fail publicly. Deliver late but compliant….
How I Read Defense Policy Documents as Procurement Roadmaps (And You Should Too)
Most manufacturers treat the 2026 National Defense Strategy like political theater. They skim the executive summary, nod at the China focus, and move on.I read it differently.When I see…
The Defense Industrial Base Doesn’t Need More Innovation Theater
The intersection of defense industrial base modernization, advanced manufacturing, and federal innovation policy is not a niche.It is the center of where American industrial capacity gets rebuilt or…
The Strategic Window for Production-Ready Deep Tech in Defense: What I’m Seeing Right Now
I’ve been tracking defense acquisition reform for years. But what’s happening right now is different.Four major shifts are converging simultaneously: acquisition reform moving to a wartime footing,…