The Hatch Report (Issue #29) – Industry Activity Updates

This issue covers 22 defense tech industry updates that caught my eye—including contract awards, product updates, teaming arrangements, funding rounds, and field test results.

The Hatch Report

May 16, 2025

DoD Contract Awards

1) Pacific Defense Strategies: $9.1M from ONR for AI/ML-enabled EW mission orchestration under iCMOSS 2

Supports development, integration, and demonstration of an AI/ML-enabled common EW sensor-effectuator under the Intelligent C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (iCMOSS) 2 initiative
iCMOSS 2 aims to enable a new class of tactical sensors through modular, AI-driven orchestration and mission planning for Electronic Warfare (EW) operations
Aligned with the Future Naval Capability (FNC) Ubiquitous Edge program, which seeks to create a distributed, AI-enabled architecture for sensing, processing, and electronic attack at the tactical edge
$9.1M total contract value. Fully obligated at award via FY24 Navy RDT&E funds (which expire at the end of the current FY)
Awarded under ONR Long-Range BAA N00014-24-S-B001; number of proposals not disclosed due to rolling submission model

2) Sandtable: $38.6M firm-fixed-price contract from Army for AI-enabled decision support workflows

Supports Army efforts to integrate AI and automation into mission planning, analysis, and operational workflows—pending specific order scope
Work locations and funding to be determined with each order
Contract includes ordering through May 2030, indicating a multi-order structure

3) Solvus Global: $90M firm-fixed-price contract from Army for high-deposition additive manufacturing

Supports rapid production of large metal components to enhance sustainment, prototyping, and supply chain resilience across Army systems
Work locations and funding to be determined with each order
Contract runs through May 2030

4) Danbury Mission Technologies: Second Delivery Order on $136M Army IDIQ for AN/VVR-4 Laser Detecting Systems

Enhances U.S. Army vehicle survivability with improved laser threat detection
$136M IDIQ ceiling awarded in Aug 2023; second delivery order issued under 5-year contract
New task order covers AN/VVR-4 systems, test hardware, and support services
Systems demonstrated strong performance in Army testing; intended for multiple ground vehicle platforms
ARKA’s Danbury Mission Technologies is the prime; contract managed by Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal

5) JJR Solutions: $62.5M from NAVSUP for sustainment of Naval Autonomous Data Collection System

Supports long-term sustainment, enhancement, and technical improvement of NAVSUP’s Naval Autonomous Data Collection System—critical for logistics and supply chain modernization
$62.5M total potential value. $16.7M firm-fixed-price task order awarded under BOA. $12.2M obligated at award:
- $7.2M from FY25 Other Procurement (Navy)
- $3.1M from FY25 RDT&E (Navy)
- $2.0M from FY25 Operations & Maintenance (Navy)
Task order includes one-year base with four one-year options. If exercised, PoP extends to May 2030

6) Odyssey Systems: $45.7M from Space Systems Command for Space Domain Awareness advisory support

$150.8M total contract value. $19.3M obligated at modification via FY25 O&M ($7.2M), Procurement ($780K), and RDT&E ($11.3M)
Contract modification (Option Year 3) to existing task order under FA8823-22-F-0008
Work performed in Colorado Springs through May 9, 2027

7) RSC2: Wins $83M Army Task Order to Support Global Aerostat ISR Mission

Effort supports Persistent Surveillance Systems–Tethered (PSS-T), PSDS2, and Tethered UAS (TeUAS) portfolios—enabling ISR, FMV, C-UAS, and early warning capabilities.
Work spans CONUS, OCONUS, and Customs and Border Protection missions; positions RSC2 as a small business capable of executing global ISR support operations.
Delivery team includes Tenax, Peerless, Booz Allen, Xander, Navmar, Aspen, and Elevated Technologies.
Marks RSC2’s third major Army win in 8 months, reinforcing momentum in contested C5ISR support.

8) Northrop Grumman: $25.7M from MDA for continued IRBM/ICBM target systems support

Extends production, integration, and support of Intermediate-Range and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (IRBM/ICBM) target systems to prevent a testing gap pending follow-on contract
Contract value increased to $1.922B with $25.7M added under this modification
Performance extended from Jan 1 to Sept 30, 2026; covers flight test execution, new target development planning, integration, and logistics support
Work performed in Chandler, AZ, and Redstone Arsenal, AL
FY26 RDT&E funds will be used on this effort.
Sole-source extension authorized via amended J&A (Feb 2025) to maintain continuity of effort; original J&A approved July 2023

Share The Hatch Report

Industry Activity

9) Govini: Integrates Anthropic's Claude to Accelerate Defense Acquisition AI Workflows

Integration aims to enable agentic workflows, expedite reporting, and deepen insights from Govini’s National Security Knowledge Graph (NSKG).
Ark is currently used across all U.S. military departments to support acquisition functions from supply chain to sustainment.
Anthropic’s Claude brings advanced, steerable AI to complement Govini’s domain-specific datasets and software for mission-critical decision-making.

THR’s Take

The Govini–Anthropic partnership is a leading indicator of a broader trend: increased teaming between foundation model developers and a range of defense-focused firms. While integrating LLMs into DoD systems remains complex—due to security, compliance, and operational hurdles—those who solve these challenges will gain a durable edge. The moat won’t come from the model alone, but from how well it’s embedded into mission workflows.

A key next step for the industry is to take a clear-eyed look at the current state of LLM–defense partnerships. That means segmenting where and how LLMs are being employed—whether in back-office automation, mission planning, warfighter interfaces, or intel analysis—and identifying who is seeing real traction. Where are deployments delivering measurable value? Where have they fallen short? Are they having an impact on RFP outcomes? Understanding these patterns will help inform smarter investments, partnership strategies, and bid proposals.

10) Raft: StarSage Becomes First Agentic AI to Interface with Live USAF Tactical Systems

StarSage, developed by Raft under the Air Force’s ABMS Transformational Models of Battle Management initiative, became the first agentic AI to connect with and operate across live USAF tactical systems during Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5).
During the exercise, StarSage successfully integrated with two Control and Reporting Center Tactical Operations Center-Light (TOC-L) units—one in Guam and one at Nellis AFB—and communicated via live radios with near-flawless performance under degraded conditions.
The AI received and responded to real-time voice commands from human operators, delivered BMC2 inputs, and interfaced with the Air Force’s Distributed Mission Operations Center and LINK-16 tactical data network—demonstrating machine-speed C2 decision support.
Raft engineers resolved a previously unknown TOC-L filter issue, enabling seamless AI integration.

11) Armada–Second Front–Microsoft: Deploy DevSecOps Platform at Tactical Edge

Second Front’s Frontier platform successfully deployed on Microsoft Azure Local, hosted within an Armada Galleon modular edge data center.
Deployment enables secure DevSecOps workflows for mission-critical applications—including sensor fusion and operational planning—at the tactical edge.
Armada provides the ruggedized compute and communications infrastructure; Second Front delivers compliant application deployment; Microsoft contributes the hybrid-cloud backbone.
Marks operational realization of “build once, deploy anywhere” DevSecOps model, tailored for disconnected and contested environments.

12) AI Strategy Corp: Announces A New Era for Acceleration of DoD Technologies Spelling the End of the "Valley of Death"

9-HI (pronounced “Nine High”) is a human-AI collaborative software platform designed to identify, evaluate, and accelerate defense technologies before traditional acquisition begins—effectively moving scouting and risk assessment “left of contract.”
Built using insights from over 15,000 historical DoD projects and funded through SBIR Phases I–III, 9-HI combines AI-driven analytics with human SME input to rapidly assess product-market fit, simulate deployment scenarios, optimize development pathways, and assemble tailored transition teams.
The 9-HI platform was recently used to rapidly transitioned Goodman Technologies’ SwarmStopper™ and Holosail into the U.S. Army’s “Transformation In Contact” (TIC) initiative through an Army Scouting demonstration contract beginning June 2025.
SwarmStopper™ is a low-cost ($350/round) man-portable anti-drone system developed and validated in under a week—dramatically faster than the standard 30+ month DoD tech transition timeline.
Holosail is a cyber-hardening solution offering point-to-point, cloudless security across tactical and edge networks; it was also cleared for TIC field testing through the 9-HI platform.

13) Raft: Supports Indo-Pacific C2 Ops with AOC Anywhere During Balikatan 25

Raft’s Air Operations Center (AOC) Anywhere platform enabled forward-deployed operational C2 for the 613th AOC during Exercise Balikatan 25, the largest annual U.S.-Philippines joint military exercise.
Delivered real-time mission planning and execution from a contested edge location in the Indo-Pacific, showcasing capability in distributed operations.
Platform integrates AI/ML, real-time data, and C2 tools; features include single sign-on, multi-tenancy, and secure application access via an App Store.
Key deployment included Parsons’ C2Core system, enabling collaborative air war planning by geographically dispersed users.
Developed with Pacific Air Forces and delivered in under seven months in partnership with Red Hat and Parsons.

14) Trillium Engineering: Demonstrates GPS-Denied Geolocation Accuracy with GD-Loc on Group 2 UAS

GD-Loc achieved Category 1 accuracy (<6 meters) without GPS, sustaining precision across the flight—validating its utility for ISR and targeting in contested environments.
This builds on Trillium’s earlier showing at the Army’s PNTAX exercise, where GD-Loc performed reliably under live GPS and comms jamming.
GD-Loc delivers real-time, GPS-independent coordinates out to 5 kilometers, and is optimized for Trillium’s gimbals but supports integration across diverse UAS platforms.
Trillium, based in Hood River, Oregon, develops advanced gimbaled EO/IR camera systems for defense primes, aircraft manufacturers, and military end users.

15) QinetiQ US: Wins $49.4M Army IDIQ for Battlefield Sensor Data Collection and AI Integration

The initial $4.9M task order will support Project Linchpin and broader AI/ML R&D.
Project Linchpin is the Army’s first AI program of record, focused on delivering secure, scalable, and trusted AI/ML capabilities—initially for sensor-to-shooter targeting and decision support systems like TITAN.
Work centers on enhancing and integrating Enhanced OPFOR Sighting Unit Kits to collect battlefield sensor data for AI training and evaluation.
Kits are the only ARL-approved vehicle-mounted system for data collection at Army Combat Training Centers.
Task order includes development of AI Target Recognition (AiTR) inference hardware standards and integration with top-performing government and commercial models.
Five-year IDIQ; initial task order performance spans two years.

16) Vatn Systems: Launches Skelmir S12 AUV-Torpedo and Scales Production with New Facility

Skelmir S12 is a 12.75-inch diameter hybrid platform designed for both autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and lightweight torpedo missions; deployable from submarines, surface vessels, and aircraft
New Portsmouth, RI manufacturing facility enables output of up to 2,000 vehicles per year—10x current industry norms—using modular design and vertical integration
Palantir partnership enables digitized manufacturing and AI-driven production insights to accelerate scale and efficiency
AUV variant has completed its first exercise; initial production run sold to government customers with deliveries starting in 2025; torpedo variant slated for production and delivery in 2026
Founded in 2023 and has raised $13 million in seed funding.

17) Reflect Orbital: Raises $20M Series A to launch sunlight-reflecting satellite constellation

Round led by Lux Capital, with Sequoia Capital and Starship Ventures participating.
Company aims to reflect sunlight to Earth for use in energy, civil infrastructure, and defense applications.
First satellite launch slated for Spring 2026, starting with limited “World Tour” lighting demos in 10 iconic global locations.
Over 260,000 sunlight service applications received from 157 countries following initial campaign.
Funding will support team growth, operational scale-up, and customer acquisition ahead of planned commercial rollout.

18) ICEYE: €200M Deal to Deliver SAR Satellites to Polish Armed Forces

Will deliver 3 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites under the MikroSAR program, with an option for 3 more and ground segment upgrades within 12 months.
ICEYE’s 25 cm-resolution SAR systems support sovereign radar reconnaissance, 24/7 situational awareness, and potential cross-tasking among European allies.
Includes partnership with Polish industry to field a mobile ISR platform offering near real-time tasking, data download, and analysis.

18) X-Bow Systems: Raises $105M Series B Led by Lockheed to Scale Solid Rocket Motor Production

Funds will support expansion of SRM production capacity, innovation efforts, and launch of a new energetics campus near Austin, TX.
X-Bow is the only new entrant integrated into more than 8 SRM programs across strategic and tactical classes; maintains a multi-year flight test backlog supporting hypersonics and other DoD missions.
Developed Rocket Factory in a Box™, a mobile energetics production system offering flexible, deployable SRM manufacturing capabilities.
Investors include Razor’s Edge, Crosslink Capital, Boeing Ventures, Balerion, Capital Factory, Bravo Victor, and others; Union Square Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor.

19) DZYNE: Demonstrates 500-lb Payload Long-Range Grasshopper for Contested Logistics

Platform features in-flight engine start, precision landing, and separation from host aircraft; testing took place at Dugway Proving Ground (UT) and Pendleton UAS Range (OR) in late 2024.
New 125,000 sq ft production facility in Irvine, CA opened in November 2023 to meet anticipated demand.
Developed in partnership with AFRL/RSC, the system supports standoff resupply missions, minimizing risk to manned platforms.
Grasshopper line offers scalable, cost-effective autonomous delivery in high-risk operational contexts; intended for tactical resupply, emergency logistics, and austere environment operations.

20) SeRo Systems: Launches real-time GNSS RFI display to detect GPS jamming and spoofing in live airspace

GRSD integrates SeRo’s MLAT-based surveillance network and an AI-powered predictive engine to forecast GNSS disruptions before aircraft are impacted.
The system provides users—including ANSPs and spectrum regulators—with a live interference intensity map and alerts that identify spoofed vs. correct aircraft positions.
GRSD complements SeRo’s SecureTrack platform, enabling both real-time response and historical analysis of GNSS interference incidents.
Developed in Frankfurt, the system targets rising demand for resilient navigation and spectrum monitoring capabilities across civil and military airspace operations.

21) Reveal: Partners with Maxar to Enhance Farsight for Tactical Geospatial Operations

Reveal’s Farsight is a mobile-first, edge-capable software platform designed for decentralized, comms-limited environments; it rapidly converts ISR inputs into 2D/3D models and supports data exchange with tools like ATAK.
Maxar’s data integration with Farsight improves terrain visualization, coordinate extraction, and mission rehearsal in environments with limited organic ISR, offering a trusted basemap layer for tactical users.
This marks a significant capability upgrade for defense users by delivering fused tactical intelligence directly to end-user devices, supporting faster, more accurate decision-making.
Reveal is a venture-backed firm specializing in AI, computer vision, and edge computing for national security applications.

22) Airspace Link: Launches Real-Time Operations Center for Integrated Drone Oversight

The new capability aggregates live drone missions, crewed aircraft traffic (via ADS-B), weather, B4UFLY briefings, and integrated sensor data into a single operational view.
Built for public safety, government, and enterprise users, the tool includes post-mission analytics, audit logs, and compliance support; future updates will enable real-time telemetry from user-connected drones.

*DISCLAIMER / CAVEATS

This newsletter is not associated with any other person, organization, or entity.
Please respond to this email if you feel a correction is warranted.
Please respond to this email if you have any feedback or recommendations.