California-based Reach Power has demonstrated a Persistent Overwatch Wireless Energy Recharging (POWER) system that beams targeted radio frequency (RF) energy directly to drones mid-flight, enabling continuous airborne operations without battery swaps or landings. The company demonstrated the technology at a Pentagon-sponsored Joint Interoperability Field Experimentation showcase, achieving what it described as "perpetual flight."

Reach emerged as one of 24 winners among more than 800 participants in the Army's xTechSearch 9 competition, completing all phases, from white paper review to live presentations, before Army and Department of Defense officials. The win secured both prize money and an invitation to an Army innovation program.

With a Phase I contract now underway, Reach will develop a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) based on Army mission requirements and will work directly with soldiers to refine the system for field use. CEO Chris Davlantes said the company has already demonstrated the ability to extend drone flight "by an order of magnitude in real-world environments."

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in an April 14 letter to Sen. Ron Wyden that it had received "multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater." This is the first official acknowledgment that US forces in an active war zone have been targeted using commercially available smartphone location data sold through data broker networks.

A bipartisan group of legislators, including Rep. Pat Harrigan, a former Army Special Forces officer, sent a follow-on letter to the Pentagon warning that commercial location data enables adversaries to identify troop movements and "pattern of life," creating actionable targeting for missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. Wyden called for treating the advertising data industry as "a national security threat."

Lawmakers urged the Pentagon to disable unique advertising IDs on military-issued devices, turn off location sharing by default in the field, and steer personnel away from data-harvesting browsers. The Pentagon did not return press queries, and legislators said their efforts to obtain additional information from military officials had been unsuccessful.

The Pentagon awarded Dell Federal Systems a $9.7 billion Core Enterprise Technology Agreement (CETA) to consolidate all Microsoft software, services, and licenses across the Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community, and Coast Guard. The five-year blanket purchase agreement is the second iteration of the Enterprise Software Agreement and is managed by the Navy on behalf of all DoD organizations.

DoD Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies framed the contract as "digital connective tissue" for Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), supporting AI and data analytics while ensuring operational continuity for classified and disconnected environments. The agreement is expected to generate $422 million in annual savings, with that figure projected to grow as consolidation expands.

The CETA does not represent new funding; it consolidates existing IT budgets from across the services into a single contract vehicle, enabling faster software and cloud acquisition and eliminating fragmented procurement. Officials said the primary benefit is the ability to renegotiate "at our size and scale."

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that the US fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) and up to 290 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors during Operation Epic Fury, far outpacing annual production rates. Replenishing TLAMs could take until 2030 or 2031; THAAD reserves may not recover until mid-to-late 2029. The report warns this creates a "window of vulnerability" for a potential Western Pacific conflict.

CSIS identified the challenge as time, not money: rebuilding complex weapons inventories requires expanding production capacity, which cannot be accelerated overnight. The think tank noted that China's awareness of the US drawdown may factor into its strategic calculations, though its lack of recent combat experience may "preserve deterrence until inventories are restored."

Defense Secretary Hegseth acknowledged that replenishment will take "months and years," depending on the system, and said that production ramp-ups are underway. President Trump separately met with executives from BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and others, and announced that CEOs "agreed to quadruple production of the 'Exquisite Class' weaponry."

Thales has been selected by the UK's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) to develop next-generation electro-optic countermeasure concepts under the Next Generation Soft Kill (NGSK) program, partnering with British firm QinetiQ. The goal is to make armored vehicles harder to detect, track, and target by integrating advanced sensors and countermeasures for current and future UK land platforms.

Multiple candidate concepts will be assessed throughout the program, with a single design selected for deeper development and testing. The chosen concept must align with the UK's Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) architecture, which supports scalable protection technologies across the land vehicle fleet.

Thales will contribute its expertise in threat-warning sensors, defensive aids systems, and electro-optic technologies, while QinetiQ will conduct a capability evaluation to ensure operational suitability. The NGSK program is positioned to demonstrate how integrated sensors and electro-optic countermeasures can improve vehicle survivability while supporting the UK's sovereign defense industrial base.

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