🤝 Centcom forms first bilateral AI task force with UAE

NIST launched the AI Technology Evaluation on Monday, a voluntary testbed giving researchers isolated infrastructure to grade models against blind data that cannot be used for training.
First evaluations begin in August 2026, focused on image analysis by large vision language models across quantum science, genomics, and public safety.
The program creates a common federal rubric for model performance, extending Commerce's existing evaluation arrangements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI.

DARPA funded seven competing teams under its Rads to Watts program to build radiovoltaic cells that convert nuclear radiation directly into electricity.
Program manager Tabitha Dodson said heat management hardware, not the reaction itself, has blocked transportable nuclear power, and radiovoltaics sidestep that constraint.
Targets exceed 10 watts per kilogram against roughly 2.5 for current radioisotope systems, with uses spanning tactical radios, satellites, and forward-base generators.

North Vector Dynamics introduced the CM-70, a 3-kilogram precision-guided interceptor with a 3.5-kilometer range built to engage Group I through III drones.
The missile relies on semi-active laser guidance rather than GPS or radio links, keeping it functional in jammed and communications-denied environments.
Launchable from ground, vehicle, and airborne platforms, the CM-70 targets the cost gap between cheap attack drones and million-dollar air defense interceptors.

AeroVironment and Applied Intuition are integrating Acuity ISR/Strike software into the Mayhem 10 so a single operator can direct swarms or hunter-killer teams.
The Mayhem 10 carries a 10-pound payload, flies more than 60 miles, assembles and launches in under five minutes, and is built for GPS-denied conditions.
Both firms are pitching the pairing to the Army's Launched Effects program, though neither would confirm whether an existing contract covers the work.

US Central Command announced Task Force Talon Synapse, a roughly 20-person American and Emirati team based in Abu Dhabi covering AI, data, and cybersecurity.
The memorandum of understanding remains unsigned, with Centcom aiming to complete it in the weeks ahead before the task force reaches full capacity.
A former senior defense official called the announcement unusually broad and questioned classification levels, network protection, and what the UAE receives in return.

Air Combat Command awarded Leidos a task order worth up to $717 million to continue intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations support.
The award covers a one-year base period plus four one-year options, with work performed at more than 35 locations in the US and overseas.
Leidos has held the prime role since 2019, and the extension keeps its analysts, trainers, and threat specialists embedded alongside Air Force units.

NVIDIA and 36 other hardware and software companies formed the Open Secure AI Alliance to press for continued access to open-source AI models.
Members point to last week's Hugging Face breach, contained using the open GLM 5.2 model, as evidence defenders need models they can inspect and run themselves.
The group is urging policymakers to treat open models as defensive assets rather than liabilities; OpenAI and Anthropic are not among the members.

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