A startup called Valinor has just unveiled what is essentially a field hospital in a box—one with integrated software and data connectivity missing from today’s battlefield medicine. Harbor is a 20-foot shipping container that can be modified for different types of battlefield care, such as immediate damage control or prolonged casualty care. The exterior can be hardened against ballistics and it can be modified to power anti-drone defensive systems. Anduril is partnering with Valinor to allow telehealth over Anduril’s Lattice mesh network, in order to better manage the electro-magnetic signatures coming to and from the unit, to make it more difficult to target by enemy drones, etc. Luke Sciulli, head of medical innovation at Valinor, spoke with Defense One about the idea. He’s a former Army medic who has made […]

President Donald Trump claims not to email or text and has been impressed that “everything is computer” inside a Tesla. But for all of his Luddite tendencies, there’s one field of technology he has embraced since his return to the White House: cryptocurrency. Trump has positioned his administration as a champion of the digital currency industry, and his adoption of crypto is also widely believed to be an avenue for personal enrichment. ‘Eviscerating’ financial boundariesThe “winds are shifting” at the Securities and Exchange Commission under Trump as the agency moves toward a “more structured, innovation-friendly approach to digital assets,” said Forbes. At the same time, the president’s personal and familial involvement in the crypto field — including the launch and sale of his eponymous $TRUMP memecoin — has “intensified scrutiny” […]

The Department of Homeland Security has dismissed the members of its advisory committees—including the Cyber Safety Review Board, which investigates major cybersecurity incidents—as part of a Trump-administration drive to cut costs at the agency, according to three people familiar with the matter. An internal Jan. 20 memo from DHS Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman said, “In alignment with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security, I am directing the termination of all current memberships on advisory committees within DHS, effective immediately…Future committee activities will be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities. To outgoing advisory board members, you are welcome to reapply, thank you for your service.” NPR first reported the […]

Incoming President Donald Trump and advisor Elon Musk have promised to reform Pentagon spending, a long-sought goal for officials on both sides of the aisle. But while current and former officials told Defense One the new administration could make some changes, reforms to the way Congress allocates funding and provides oversight would still be necessary for a true overhaul.  Trump and Musk, tapped to run a new Department of Government Efficiency, have floated a variety of ideas to reform Pentagon purchasing, such as ditching the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in favor of drones. Trump has been critical of the military-industrial complex, but in his first term signed larger and larger budgets for the Defense Department. Musk, the richest defense contractor in the world, has targeted the federal workforce for cuts, pushed for more accounting transparency, and wants to […]

The heavy-lift New Glenn rocket reached orbit during its maiden flight on Thursday, bringing Blue Origin, a private company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, one step closer to competing with launch titan SpaceX.  The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Thursday morning, following several weather-related delays and technical setbacks that had pushed the launch back several days. The company achieved its primary goal of reaching orbit, but fell short of its stretch goal: bringing the first-stage booster back for reuse. Landing the booster on the first try was an “ambitious goal” but the company “learned a lot from today” and will try again during its next launch this spring, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in a statement. Blue Origin aims to become the second medium- or heavy-lift company, after […]