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Raytheon receives $335m contract to build more SM-6 missiles
On April 24, 2026, the U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $335 million contract modification to produce Standard Missile-6 Tactical All-Up Rounds through May 2030. Production is distributed across seven locations, including Tucson, East Camden, and Wolverhampton. Raytheon has invested nearly $900 million over three years to expand capacity to meet unprecedented demand driven by operational use in the Red Sea. The contract funds manufacturing, assembly, testing, and delivery of the multi-mission missile system.
Microsoft reports surge in CAPTCHA and ClickFix credential theft tactics
Microsoft Threat Intelligence recorded 8.3 billion email-based phishing threats in Q1 2026, with credential harvesting remaining the dominant goal. Attackers increasingly combined QR codes, fake CAPTCHA gates, and ClickFix tricks to steal credentials. CAPTCHA-gated phishing volumes doubled in March to 11.9 million attacks. QR code phishing volumes increased 146% from January to March. Despite disruptions to the Tycoon2FA platform, attackers shifted infrastructure and continued using these evasion techniques. Defenders are advised to focus on layered email and identity controls.
Samsung warns RAM shortage will intensify through 2027
Samsung memory chip executive Kim Jaejune warned that the global RAM shortage is set to continue and intensify through 2027 due to AI data centre demand outpacing supply. This shortage is already driving price increases for smartphones, laptops, and gaming handhelds. The forecast follows reports suggesting the supply-demand gap may not close until 2030. Additionally, a planned 18-day strike by Samsung's labour union starting May 21 could further constrain output from the company, exacerbating the supply constraints for consumers and device makers.
Mark Zuckerberg attributes Meta layoffs to capital expenditure on AI infrastructure
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated at a town hall that recent and upcoming layoffs are driven by rising capital expenditure on AI compute infrastructure rather than AI productivity gains. He described a trade-off between spending on infrastructure and personnel costs. Chief People Officer Janelle Gale did not rule out further job cuts, while CFO Susan Li noted the optimal workforce size remains unknown. Meta raised its 2026 capex guidance to $125-$145 billion, causing shares to fall 9% after hours.
US debt crosses 100% of GDP as Big Tech AI buildout competes for capital
US debt held by the public exceeded 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II, reaching 100.2% at the end of March. The annual interest bill now surpasses defence spending. This milestone coincides with Big Tech companies committing $660 to $690 billion in AI capital expenditure for 2026. Both the government and the technology sector are financing these activities through the same debt markets, raising concerns about capital market sustainability and rising borrowing costs.
US Army awards contract for THOR backpack drone to Mistral Inc
On 1 May 2026, the US Army Contracting Command awarded Mistral Inc. a contract for the THOR Group 2 unmanned aircraft system. Developed by FUSE, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd., the backpack-portable, fully autonomous VTOL drone supports company-level reconnaissance, surveillance, and resupply. The agreement involves Mistral, FUSE, and Avandra LLC to ensure US-based sustainment and support infrastructure for the system.
White House restricts Anthropic Mythos model access amid national security concerns
The White House has requested that Anthropic halt further expansion of access to its Mythos AI model, citing national security risks and concerns over cyber capabilities. This intervention represents an ad-hoc government control of AI deployment without specific legal authority or concrete thresholds. The move creates an informal licensing regime, raising questions about the lack of formal regulation and the potential for executive discretion to guide critical business decisions regarding dangerous AI technologies.
Indra leads European SHIMBAD programme to develop 4D multiband radar
Indra leads the SHIMBAD R&D programme, a European Defence Fund initiative costing €42.5 million, to develop the first fully European 4D multiband radar for military vessels. The project aims to enhance surveillance against hypersonic missiles, drones, and uncrewed surface vessels. Indra coordinates a multinational consortium to design and validate a scalable prototype of a 4D AESA antenna capable of simultaneous multi-band operation. The Spanish Navy drives the initiative to define future operational requirements, while the system is intended to strengthen European technological sovereignty and interoperability across navies.
Public sector agencies shift focus from individual productivity to mission outcomes with agentic AI
Public sector organizations are transitioning from using AI for individual tasks to orchestrating end-to-end processes via agentic AI. IDC survey data indicates 65% of US agencies plan to allocate 11% or more of their IT budget to AI in 2026, expecting measurable value within 12 months. Key shifts include investing in measurable impact, adopting open architectures to avoid silos, moving from human-in-the-loop to human-in-the-lead models, implementing rigorous governance for trust, and prioritizing sovereign AI for data control. Experts from Elastic and IDC emphasize the need for unified platforms and strategic autonomy to drive scalable mission success.
Leidos wins $869m Army MACRO II contract
Leidos has secured a potential five-year, $869 million contract from the U.S. Army to support military decision-making through artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. The Mission Awareness Capabilities Ramp-up and Optimization, or MACRO, II contract aligns with Leidos NorthStar 2030 strategy. Under the agreement, the company will design, develop and integrate secure systems to help warfighters process data and generate operational insights across multiple domains. This award is part of Leidos broader efforts to support equipment, software and air defense initiatives for the Army.
ASML dominates global semiconductor manufacturing equipment market
ASML, based in Veldhoven, Netherlands, controls the production of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines essential for manufacturing advanced semiconductors. In 2025, the company reported sales of €32.7 billion, with projections for 2026 between €34 and €39 billion. These machines are critical for chipmakers like TSMC and Samsung to produce processors for AI models, including those designed by NVIDIA. The article highlights the strategic importance of ASML's technology in the global supply chain and the emergence of a network of alumni-founded deep tech companies.
OpenAI limits access to GPT-5.5 Cyber following security concerns
OpenAI has restricted access to its new GPT-5.5 Cyber security tool to selected specialists only. The model, designed for penetration testing and vulnerability analysis, poses misuse risks. Following criticism of rival Anthropic's similar restrictions, OpenAI is collaborating with the US government to establish rigorous validation criteria for legitimate cybersecurity professionals before expanding availability.
Google in talks with US Department of Defense to deploy AI for any lawful government purpose
Google is reportedly negotiating with the US Department of Defense to deploy its advanced AI models in classified environments for any lawful government purpose. This agreement marks a significant shift in Google's stance on military partnerships, following its earlier withdrawal from Project Maven. While the deal aims to shape AI deployment within legal boundaries, it has sparked internal employee protests and raises concerns regarding the ethical implications of using AI in strategic military planning and decision-making.
London financial services adopt AI compliance tools to enhance efficiency
Approximately 75% of UK financial organisations have integrated AI systems into their compliance, risk monitoring, and customer onboarding infrastructure. The Financial Conduct Authority supports this shift through an outcomes-focused regulatory style and a 'Supercharged Sandbox' partnership with Nvidia. Technologies such as NatWest's 'Cora' and Zopa's initiatives have reduced false positives in fraud detection by 40% to 70% and accelerated onboarding times from weeks to minutes. While the FCA emphasises national competitiveness, it warns of concentration risks and the need for explainability by late 2026.
BYD increases ADAS pricing due to AI-driven DRAM shortages
BYD raised the price of its God's Eye B advanced driver-assistance system by 21% from 1 May 2026, increasing costs from 1,200 to 1,500 euros. The manufacturer cites global hardware cost increases, specifically driven by DRAM shortages. Major memory producers Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron prioritise data centre AI demands over automotive needs, causing delivery times to exceed 58 weeks and projected DRAM price increases of 70% to 100% in 2026. Additionally, the phase-out of older DRAM generations by 2028 necessitates costly system redesigns for vehicles still relying on this technology.
Hackers compromise PyTorch Lightning to steal developer credentials
Security researchers identified a supply chain attack targeting PyTorch Lightning versions 2.6.2 and 2.6.3, uploaded on 30 April 2026. The malicious packages contained credential-stealing malware designed to harvest GitHub tokens, SSH keys, and cloud secrets. The threat, linked to the Mini Shai-Hulud campaign and TeamPCP, also affected npm and PHP ecosystems. Compromised versions have been removed from PyPI, with version 2.6.1 currently deemed safe.
Adversaries collecting encrypted data for future quantum decryption
State-level actors and cybercriminals are actively intercepting and storing encrypted data today to decrypt it later using future quantum computers. This 'harvest now, decrypt later' strategy targets long-lived sensitive data in government, healthcare, finance, and blockchain sectors. Experts warn that data requiring confidentiality into the 2030s is already at risk, necessitating an immediate migration to post-quantum cryptography to prevent irreversible future exposure.
Saber Astronautics executes live satellite jamming from Space Symposium exhibit floor
Saber Astronautics demonstrated a live satellite jamming operation using its Space Battle Management System Singularity platform at the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. The commercial software platform coordinated electromagnetic effects against an authorized satellite link in a controlled environment, showcasing real-time capabilities previously restricted to classified settings. The event highlighted the potential for rapid deployment of space effects tools without traditional long acquisition cycles, drawing significant interest from military and space operations personnel.
BAE Systems develops dual-use surveillance and weaponisation technologies
BAE Systems has developed and deployed dual-use technologies including the Azalea satellite cluster, Phasa-35 high-altitude pseudo-satellite, and Nautomate autonomous vessel control systems. These products are marketed for military operations, border enforcement, and disaster relief but possess capabilities for weaponisation and interception of migrants. The company also offers digital intelligence tools like IntelligenceReveal and ILAS for surveillance and risk assessment. BAE has faced criticism regarding sales to regimes with poor human rights records, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, and allegations of corporate espionage against the Campaign Against Arms Trade.
Canonical says its web infrastructure is under a sustained cross-border attack
Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, reports that its web infrastructure is currently experiencing a sustained, cross-border attack. The incident has affected various services including the main website, blog, and potentially repositories, with some users reporting issues accessing the security repo servers. While a recently disclosed vulnerability nicknamed 'Copy Fail' was mentioned, it remains unclear if this is the cause of the current disruption. A cybersecurity firm claims a hacktivist group has claimed responsibility and sent an extortion message, though this has not been confirmed by Canonical.