Addressing Naval Technology Gaps for Defense Innovation

⚓️ The Department of the Navy just dropped its tech wish list—are you on it? If you’re working in AI, quantum, or cyber… attention! The DON Chief Technology Officer just released its Priority Technology Areas (PTAs) memo, and it reads like a roadmap for where defense innovation dollars and attention are headed. 🧠 AI/Autonomy – Human-machine teaming, edge AI, and trustworthy models. They’re not looking for “cool,” they’re looking for combat-ready. 🔐 Quantum – From uncrackable comms to quantum sensing and navigation, this isn’t sci-fi anymore—it’s “send me a quad chart.” 📡 Transport/Connectivity – Think mesh networks, 5G/FutureG, anti-jam links, and edge cloudlets. Because disconnected warfighters aren’t an option. 🚀 C5ISR & Naval Space – Multi-INT fusion, space-based PNT, and interoperable kill webs. Sensor to shooter, faster and smarter. 🛡 Cyber/Zero Trust – They want ABAC, ZTA, OT security, and cyber deception. The castle-and-moat days are over—think nano-segmentation. 👀 Want to align your tech with warfighter needs or pitch your solution with confidence? This memo is your new cheat sheet. 📎 #DualUse #DefenseTech #NavyInnovation #FuturesWarfare #DeepTech #AI #CyberSecurity #Quantum #C5ISR #EdgeComputing #ZeroTrust #GovTech

British defence innovators are taking their most advanced drones and uncrewed boats abroad- not because of demand, but because of UK regulation. According to The Times, some companies report it would take five staff six months to complete Civil Aviation Authority paperwork, while similar approvals in Spain or Canada take just weeks. One Plymouth-built vessel, Oceanus12, capable of 7,500 nautical miles and 60 days at sea, can only be trialled in a 1 sq km patch of sheltered UK water... The mismatch is striking: the Ministry of Defence is urging faster innovation to counter new threats, yet firms say outdated safety codes and approval systems make it “commercially unviable” to test at home. Marine AI and Zero USV warn that the rules are written for a decade-old paradigm - remote control, not autonomy - leaving Britain’s naval ambitions exposed. In 20 months, only one uncrewed system has received approval from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and that was a remote-controlled boat backed by government. The core tension is clear: how do you balance safety with speed in defence innovation? If approvals continue to lag, is the UK at risk of becoming a buyer of foreign-tested technology rather than a leader in fielding its own? #defence #drones #innovation #regulation #uncrewed

Lt. Colonel J. L. Schley, in his 1929 book "The Military Engineer," highlighted a common pitfall in military strategy: a focus on preparing for past conflicts instead of future ones. Drawing a parallel, the US shipbuilding industry faces a similar challenge in envisioning its evolution. Attempting to compete with China and other shipbuilding nations by simply subsidizing the cost gap for currently conventional ships is unlikely to succeed. Instead, the industry should focus on “leapfrogging” traditional approaches to ship design, construction, and functionality. Notably, opportunities such as deploying compact nuclear reactors to replace slow-speed marine diesel engines and advancing autonomous vessel technology stand out as transformative possibilities. TerraPower and Core Power are collaborating on the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), the world’s first fast-spectrum salt reactor. The MCRE is expected to reach criticality by late 2025 at the Idaho National Laboratory and will inform the design and licensing of future commercial reactors. Core Power’s vision includes applying advanced nuclear technology to maritime uses, which could significantly reduce carbon emissions and provide a competitive edge for domestically built ships. While these advancements are still several years away, the ongoing work deserves greater attention from those seeking to deploy capital into ship construction facilities. Similarly, recent rapid progress in aerial drone technology suggests a promising pathway for autonomous marine vessels. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is well advanced in developing a regulatory framework for Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), with a target of May 2026 for finalizing and adopting a non-mandatory MASS code. The adoption of a mandatory code is targeted for mid-2030, with entry into force by January 1, 2032. Collaboration amongst regulators, legislators, labor and vessel operators in taking an active role in making the US a leader in advancing the design and operational framework for the construction and use of these future vessels should be a key objective.  Conventional commercial vessel designs have changed little over the past 40 years. Wouldn’t it be great if the application of US technological prowess could be marshalled to lead to something other than a new social media application?  #USshipbuilding #nuclearships #autonomous

In this in-depth interview for the National Defense Magazine, I got right into the AUKUS security partnership. As I see it, frankly, the current pace of tech innovation within our defence industrial bases isn’t cutting it. China’s rapidly closing the gap, and in some areas, they’re pulling ahead. That’s a stark reality, and yes, a lot of effort is going to tackle this challenge. AUKUS is part of the answer. It's designed to create a blueprint for allied industrial cooperation to bolster our collective technological edge and strengthen our defence capabilities. But, and this is a big but, we can't afford to treat this as just another bureaucratic exercise. We need to break from the "business as usual" mindset that often stifles innovation, a point that is well recognised by AUKUS governments. Here's where we need to focus: 📡Clear Demand Signals: Industry needs to know precisely what we need. Vague pronouncements won't cut it. We need specific requirements to drive focused development and priorities need to be identified. 🚀Risk Tolerance: We must be more willing to take calculated risks. The innovation cycle thrives on experimentation, and that inevitably involves some degree of failure. We need to create an environment where failure is seen as a learning opportunity, not a career-ending event. 💰Private Capital: We're not going to solve this with government funding alone. We need to tap into the vast resources of the private sector. That means creating incentives and removing barriers to private investment in defense innovation. 🪟Information Sharing: The current system for sharing classified information and technology is clunky and inefficient. We need a streamlined, secure system, ideally a joint classified cloud, to facilitate seamless collaboration. 🪐Expanding the Net: We need to look beyond the traditional defence primes. There's a wealth of innovation happening in smaller companies and startups, and we need to find ways to bring them into the fold without risking their agency, intellectual property or spirit of innovation. https://lnkd.in/gvQ2aFgr

Innovation is great—but only if it survives the fight. 🥊 The Navy’s current missile reloading process presents a significant logistical bottleneck. As a data point, in the Red Sea, warships defending cargo ships from Houthi rebels must leave station to reload at distant ports in Greece or Spain—a round trip of 8 to 12 days, plus loading time, consuming 200,000 to 300,000 gallons of fuel. At $4 per gallon, this means $800,000 to $1.2 million per trip, not to mention the operational impact of pulling ships from the fight for extended periods. This highlights a critical readiness gap and places further strain on already overtasked MSC oilers. While at-sea reloading was first proposed in the 1990s, the challenges seemed insurmountable—until now. The Navy’s new Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) offers a potential game-changer. But relying on overstretched MSC ships alone creates serious risks in a conflict. The solution? A distributed logistics strategy that combines TRAM with: 1️⃣ Edge manufacturing for in-theater repairs. 2️⃣ Forward-deployed stockpiles for redundancy. 3️⃣ Uncrewed systems to reduce vulnerabilities. Resilience and redundancy will determine success in sustaining combat power. #NavalLogistics #Resilience #EdgeManufacturing #Innovation

$448M. 7 shipyards. 100+ suppliers. One AI operating system. The Navy just made its largest AI investment in industrial applications. Target: submarine production. December 9, 2025. Secretary Phelan announced Ship OS alongside Palantir CEO Alex Karp. Two-year deployment. Then recurring revenue if it works. The problem it solves. China launches 3 submarines for every 1 the U.S. builds. American shipyards run on legacy systems that don't talk to each other. Bottlenecks hide in spreadsheets until they become 18-month delays. Ship OS changes the architecture. Palantir's Foundry platform pulls data from ERP systems, sensors, and supply chain logs into one view. AI identifies chokepoints before they cascade. Predictive analytics flag risks. Automation handles tasks that used to take humans weeks. The proof already exists. • Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: Material reviews dropped from weeks to under an hour • Submarine planning: 160-hour task cut to 10 minutes • Real-time optimization across 4 public and 3 private shipyards Three shifts this signals. 1. Production velocity becomes the metric. China's shipbuilding advantage isn't technology. It's throughput. Ship OS treats industrial output like a warfighting capability. Because it is. 2. Commercial AI enters the industrial base. Palantir built its platform for enterprise data problems. Now it's running submarine production. The wall between commercial tech and defense manufacturing just got shorter. 3. Suppliers become part of the network. 100+ critical suppliers get connected to the same system. Visibility into the entire production chain, not just what happens inside shipyard gates. $448M buys deployment and scaling. After two years, shipyards pay for access. If it works, this becomes one of Palantir's largest programs. If it doesn't, the submarine gap widens. The strategic math is simple. Submarines take 7-10 years to build. China isn't waiting. Neither can the U.S. Ship OS is a bet that AI can compress timelines the Pentagon couldn't fix with money alone. Who adapts faster wins. That's the doctrine now. ---------- Like this content? Join our newsletter. Link located below my name 👆

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 The U.S. defense budget request for FY2026—$848 billion in base funding, plus $113 billion in supplemental—sends a clear message: 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. Most interesting is how this readiness is being approached. We’re seeing a dual strategy unfold:  𝟭. 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽𝘀 The proposal to acquire Finnish-built icebreakers—potentially in collaboration with Aker Arctic Technology Inc—reflects a pragmatic step to 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. These vessels are vital for Arctic operations, and Finland’s expertise offers a 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 while U.S. investments ramp up.  𝟮. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 In parallel, Davie’s planned acquisition of Gulf Copper’s Galveston yard signals a strategic push to expand drydock capacity and boost production in the Gulf—𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 Partnerships with firms like Aker Arctic bring more than vessels—they deliver 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲. From hull design to polar operations, this kind of 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 can strengthen U.S. yards long term, especially when combined with advanced tools like 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, which are increasingly being used to accelerate component production and retrofit workstreams. 𝟰. 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 The confluence of these efforts—a strong federal budget push, strategic international procurement, and private-sector investment in U.S. yards—signals that a new chapter may be underway. One where the U.S. strengthens its polar presence, expands shipyard and drydock capacity, and accelerates industrial resilience across both coasts. And the scope is global. From Arctic operations to Indo-Pacific deterrence, maritime readiness is now a blend of targeted procurement, infrastructure investment, and strategic posture—spanning icebreakers, drydocks, and forward-deployed fleets. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: To restore America’s maritime dominance, secure strategic trade routes, and support a resilient ocean-based sector for the decades ahead. The coming months will reveal how well these parallel investments—foreign and domestic, commercial and defense—can converge into a revitalized industrial base. And I believe there's real momentum building. 💬 What opportunities do you see in this moment? How can we scale domestic capability while engaging trusted partners? Let’s connect if you’re working at the intersection of industrial strategy, technology transfer, or Arctic operations.

🚢 Startups & Sea Power: Why is it So Hard for Startups to Work With the Navy? Despite bold rhetoric and growing threats, the U.S. Navy lags behind other services in working with startups and adopting emerging technologies. We dug into the data — and it’s not pretty: 📉 Only 4% of venture-backed defense startups' contract revenue comes from the Navy (vs. 31% Army, 37% Air Force). 📉 Navy awarded just 16% of startups their first AI contract (vs. 60% for the Air Force). 📉 Only 1% of NAVSEA contracts use flexible OTA agreements. 📉 Just 8% of NAVSEA’s FY25 contracts are new, open, and don’t require a facility clearance. Why? 1️⃣ The Navy spends the most on big platforms (ships, aircraft) startups can't build. 2️⃣ It underutilizes startup-friendly contracting tools (OTAs, SBIRs). 3️⃣ Its acquisition offices are often risk-averse and overly complex. 💡 But there are bright spots — like PEO Digital and NAVWAR — showing how the Navy can buy better tech, faster. 🛠️ Startups can win by building software-first products, finding internal champions, and targeting pain points with real budget. ⚙️ Primes should partner with startups to fill software talent gaps. 📊 Investors must play the long game — Navy contracts are lumpy, slow, and political. 🏛️ Most of all - the Navy must evolve: 1️⃣ Empower innovation offices. The Navy needs to create a supercharged prototyping office to build new naval platforms. DoD and Navy innovation tools are SBIR-sized and can't bite off ship-sized prototyping, testing, and tech. 2️⃣ Use more flexible contracts. It's actually way less work for everyone. 3️⃣ Create smoother transition paths for new tech. Most of all, create a set of DOTMLPF training wheels that starts the new tech on COCO and slowly hands off responsibility to sailors --> driving maintenance, training, and ops toward GOGO Maggie Gray and I wrote a whole piece on this. We pulled data. We talked to builders. And we asked innovators what they needed. Check out the full essay linked in first comment. 🧭 The Indo-Pacific fight will be maritime. The Navy must move faster to innovate and outpace its adversaries. We don’t have time to wait. #defensetech #defense #attritable #survivable #expendable #ukraine #russia #china #taiwan #defensetechnology #pentagon #dod #nationalsecurity #technology #drones #autonomous #autonomoussystems #UAV #UGV #USV #UUV #UxV #shipbuilding #manufacturing #industrialpolicy #industry #production #readiness #regulation #congress #venturecapital #vc #exits #firstbreakfast #resilience 

🇩🇰 Denmark Just Put its Money Where its Security is. The UK Should, Too. Denmark has announced $8.5bn in new defence spend, split between Arctic & Greenland security (ships, MPA, drones, radar, subsea cable, new Arctic Command HQ) and 16 additional F-35s (taking its fleet to 43). This isn’t theatre; it’s a clear signal about contested Arctic–North Atlantic realities and the race for domain awareness, resilience and reach. Meanwhile, the UK still debates whether to invest, as peers accelerate where and how. If allies with smaller economies can move at speed, what’s our excuse? What the UK should do now (no more consultations, action!) 👊Set a hard floor of 3% GDP on defence with a ring-fenced innovation top-slice tied to deployable outcomes (USV/UUVs, counter-drone, hypersonic defence, space ISR). 👊North Atlantic first, fund maritime patrol, seabed infrastructure protection, and subsea cable resilience as strategic deterrence, not utilities. 👊Buy attritable mass, accelerated procurement of uncrewed surface/subsurface fleets and autonomous logistics to complement (not just admire) carriers. 👊Reduce single-point tech risk, diversify beyond any one commercial satcom constellation; build sovereign/European comms redundancy into every program. 👊Fix assurance at the speed of innovation, fast-lane safety/cyber/EW certification for startups so valid kit can get to the fleet this fiscal year, not the next decade. 👊Industrial sovereignty, long-lead munitions, sensors, and propulsion onshore or allied, and enforced performance clauses on primes to deliver, not just bill. Denmark’s message is simple, the Arctic and North Atlantic are in play, and investment is strategy. The UK can either lead the allied innovation curve or trail it. Choose.🤷♂️ #DefenceInnovation #UKDefence #NATO #ArcticSecurity #NorthAtlantic #SovereignCapability #MaritimeAutonomy #AIDrivenWarfare #Gwilly #StrategicAndDisruptive