Defense Systems

Garland, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Garrett Metal Detectors confirmed that its Paragon walk-through metal detector has completed testing under the UK National Protective Security Authority's Discriminative Metal Detection Systems Test Method, with results now publicly available on the NPSA website.

NPSA testing shows Paragon can screen non-divested individuals for mass casualty threats

The evaluation demonstrated the system's capability for screening individuals who have not removed items from pockets or bags, targeting weapons capable of causing mass casualties. NPSA stated it has confidence that Garrett followed its test method accurately, while clarifying the process is not pass/fail and does not constitute product endorsement.

DeLeon Springs, Fla. – September 15, 2026 -- Sparton DeLeon Springs, LLC and Logos Technologies have combined operations under a new name, Twenty-Six Defense Maritime, marking a rebrand tied to the launch of parent company Twenty-Six Defense, formerly known as Elbit Systems of America.

Twenty-Six Defense emerges as 3,300-employee U.S. defense unit

Twenty-Six Defense, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, operates facilities across eight states and employs 3,300 people supporting the U.S. military. The entity is the American operating segment of Elbit Systems Ltd., a global defense technology company traded on NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ESLT.

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 15, 2026 -- SandboxAQ has completed what it calls the world's first reported test of a magnetic navigation (MagNav) system on an attritable drone platform, integrating its AQNav software into Northrop Grumman's Lumberjack Group 3 unmanned aircraft system.

Test marks first pairing of MagNav with visual navigation on a one-way attack platform

The flight demonstration also represents the first reported instance of a MagNav system operating alongside a visual navigation system on an attritable, one-way attack drone, according to SandboxAQ. Lumberjack, developed by Northrop Grumman in under 14 months from concept to first flight, is designed as a multi-use loitering munition.

Fort Worth, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Elbit Systems Ltd.'s U.S. operating segment will now operate as Twenty-Six Defense, a rebranding that reinforces the Israeli defense contractor's long-term commitment to domestic manufacturing amid U.S. government pressure to expand industrial capacity.

New entity employs 3,300 workers with three decades of military support

Twenty-Six Defense, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, employs 3,300 Americans who have supported the U.S. military for more than 30 years. The company remains a reportable operating segment of Elbit Systems Ltd. and continues to operate under a Special Security Agreement, a structure required for foreign-owned defense contractors handling classified U.S. government work.

Reston – September 14, 2026 -- Seekr and SEMPRE have signed a strategic partnership to run sovereign, explainable AI directly on SEMPRE's hardened edge infrastructure, hardening U.S. critical infrastructure against cyberattacks and grid loss.

Seekr's AI models will execute locally on SEMPRE Total Infrastructure Devices without touching the public internet

Under the agreement, Seekr's sovereign AI platform, SeekrFlow, will operate as a supported workload inside SEMPRE's environment. Models are built, tuned, and executed on each Device's own compute, with no model call and no production data crossing the public internet. The reasoning behind every AI output is recorded on site, remaining accessible to the operator.

Washington – September 14, 2026 -- Knox Systems, the largest FedRAMP and DISA-managed cloud provider, has launched an Impact Level 5 (IL5) environment sponsored by the U.S. Space Force, opening one of the government's most restrictive security tiers to commercial software and AI vendors.

New IL5 boundary extends Knox's defense cloud footprint held since 2019

The dedicated IL5 landing zone is built as a separate security boundary from Knox's existing FedRAMP High and Impact Level 4 environments for the Department of War (DoW). It is designed to host Controlled Unclassified Information and mission-critical National Security Systems, letting technology firms enter the environment without building and operating a standalone government cloud deployment.

Stockholm – September 14, 2026 -- Saab has secured a new order worth approximately SEK 2.9 billion from Sweden's Defence Material Administration (FMV) to continue concept work on the country's future fighter system.

Contract runs through 2028 with extension options

The agreement covers the period 2026-2028, with FMV holding options to extend the work into 2029 and 2030. It builds directly on prior contracts Saab signed with FMV in 2024 and 2025, extending a multi-year technology development pipeline.

Scope covers manned and unmanned system demonstrators

The contract funds flying and ground-based demonstrators, advanced studies, and development of future system concepts spanning both manned and unmanned platforms. Saab's mandate includes work on systems integration, autonomy, signature adaptation, propulsion, digital development, and future production capabilities.

Pittsburgh – September 14, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the A1X, a vacuum anchor weighing 7 kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, designed to speed up fall-protection deployment during aircraft maintenance checks.

Smaller footprint opens access to more aircraft types

The A1X reduces its pad diameter to 350 mm from 480 mm, allowing use on executive jets, private aircraft and smaller commercial planes previously outside the range of MSA's WinGrip technology. The system is approved by Airbus and Boeing, giving maintenance teams clearance to adopt it into standard procedures.

Pittsburgh – September 14, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the WinGrip A1X vacuum anchor, a fall-protection device for aircraft maintenance that weighs 7kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, and shrinks its pad diameter from 480mm to 350mm.

Smaller footprint opens new aircraft segments to WinGrip technology

The reduced pad diameter allows the A1X to be deployed on business jets and private aviation aircraft that previously fell outside the scope of MSA's WinGrip system, alongside commercial airliners. The device is approved for use by Airbus and Boeing, positioning it for adoption as standard equipment across major maintenance operations.

Berlin – September 14, 2026 -- Germany's armed forces will receive approximately €139.7 billion in 2027, combining €109.75 billion from the core defense budget (Einzelplan 14) with nearly €30 billion drawn from the country's special defense fund.

Procurement spending rises to €31.3 billion for military equipment

The 2027 budget increases military procurement outlays to €31.3 billion, alongside a significant boost to research and development investment, according to SPD Bundestag faction representatives Andreas Schwarz, the budget rapporteur, and Falko Droßmann, defense policy spokesperson.

The funding is earmarked to ensure ammunition supplies, vehicle and aircraft readiness, and functional digitalization across the Bundeswehr. Officials stated that new technologies including drones, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and unmanned systems must reach troops faster.