Pentagon IT Consolidation: Dell won a ~$9.7B, five-year deal to consolidate Microsoft software licensing across the U.S. military, intelligence community, and Coast Guard, aiming to cut duplicative spending by about $422M a year. Space Force Network Build: SpaceX secured a $2.29B contract for the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, targeting a secure, high-speed satellite communications layer to move sensor and weapons data for missile defense and other missions. Australia Maritime Patrol Upgrade: The final P-8A Poseidon aircraft arrived for Australia, completing a 14-jet fleet to boost maritime surveillance and deterrence, with sustainment tied to local industry. Defence Cyber Push: Google Cloud launched AI Threat Defense to counter AI-powered cyberattacks by continuously monitoring, prioritizing, and automating fixes using threat intel and Wiz tech. UAV Swarm R&D (Spain): Spain’s FENIX programme will test heterogeneous UAV swarms for surveillance and reconnaissance, including autonomy and sensor sharing in contested conditions. AI Defence Training (South Korea): NC AI was selected to lead a Hyundai Rotem consortium for a physical-AI “world model” simulator and modular robotics system to narrow the sim-to-real gap for combat systems. Legal/Readiness Fallout (Australia): Australia filed its largest-ever lawsuit against 3M over PFAS “forever chemical” contamination from firefighting foam used at 28 defense bases, seeking over A$2B. Budget Signal (New Zealand): NZ’s Budget 2026 boosts defence capability planning and intelligence funding, including a new tech accelerator unit and modernised training. Iran-US Tensions & Energy Shock: Oil jumped after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted a U.S. airbase in retaliation, underscoring how fast conflict headlines are feeding into defence and supply-chain risk.