The $35B Secret: Why 'Decision Speed' is the New Gold Rush in Defense
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity Insider News Commentary – The modern battlefield is being rewritten. It is no longer just about who has the biggest guns, but who can make the fastest decisions. This "speed imperative" is fueling a massive surge in the global military AI market, which is projected to rocket from $10.79 billion today to over $35.57 billion by 2035[1]. With hypersonic missiles and autonomous drones shrinking reaction times to mere seconds, global powers are rushing to secure "edge computing" tech that processes intelligence right at the point of action[2]. This shift from data storage to data speed is the primary catalyst for VisionWave Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWAV), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR), Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB), Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE:SPIR), and Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM).
The stakes are massive. Space-based sensing is becoming a critical $13.02 billion industry as missile-tracking constellations become our world's most essential defense infrastructure[3]. In these high-intensity zones, "computational acceleration" has emerged as the ultimate performance metric[4]. Success is no longer defined by raw processing power, but by the ability to collapse the "decision gap" and act while the enemy is still thinking.
VisionWave Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:VWAV) has executed a major strategic expansion with the acquisition of QuantumSpeed™, a pre-commercial computational engine designed to drastically reduce decision latency in defense systems. Supported by a $99.6 million independent valuation by BDO Consulting Group, this technology targets the critical split-second processing gap in modern warfare where standard computing is often too slow.
The acquisition brings a proprietary "Hybrid Successive Approximation" framework intended to compress threat evaluation timelines from minutes into seconds. The transaction includes 3,000,000 common shares and a $10 million promissory note, reflecting insider confidence in the technology's scalability.
"We believe this acquisition has the potential to contribute to redefining the time dimension of intelligence," said Douglas Davis, Executive Chairman of VisionWave. "In modern defense and autonomous operations, the value of data decays exponentially with every second of latency. QuantumSpeed targets the 'action gap' between sensing a threat and responding to it."
While currently in the proof-of-concept phase, the operational goal is clear. VisionWave aims to enable radar systems to assess complex signal environments instantly and allow autonomous platforms to dynamically re-plan missions under contested conditions.
"Every advanced system today eventually runs into the same wall: computation takes too long," added Dr. Danny Rittman, VisionWave CTO. "QuantumSpeed is designed to break that wall - not by adding more hardware, but by changing how computation itself is approached."
This high-speed processing power complements the company's newly strengthened intellectual property portfolio. VisionWave recently announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 12,499,578, titled "Systems and Methods of Real-Time Movement, Position Detection, and Imaging," securing enforceable protection for its core RF imaging and AI platform. This patent solidifies the proprietary tech behind Argus, the company's space-enabled counter-drone system. The IP strategy now targets Argus's core architecture, including the SkyWeave high-frequency communications backbone essential for detection, tracking, and engagement.
Momentum continues across the fleet. The recent acquisition of Solar Drone, a subsidiary of BladeRanger, provides access to massive solar markets in the U.S. and Europe. This follows a successful 100-day proof-of-concept with DB InfraGO AG, validating the tech for critical infrastructure. Additionally, VisionWave is advancing a potential £500,000 program with Evie Autonomous to enhance multi-sensor fusion in its "Varan" Unmanned Ground Vehicles.
By combining the "eyes" of its patented RF imaging, the "brain" of QuantumSpeed, and the "body" of robotic platforms, VisionWave is building a multi-domain autonomy ecosystem. The company plans to fund up to $10 million in U.S. development over the next 6-12 months to push QuantumSpeed toward production readiness.
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Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) announced a three-year renewal of its contract with the DGSI, France's domestic intelligence agency, extending a partnership that has been ongoing for nearly a decade. The agreement relates to the supply of Palantir's proprietary software platform, integration, support and assistance services necessary for deployment and operational use, coming as national security challenges require robust, scalable technological capabilities meeting the highest standards in security, confidentiality and data governance.
"We are very proud to support the DGSI in its crucial work in the service of France and its fight against terrorism," said Alex Karp, co-founder and CEO of Palantir. "This contract renewal reaffirms Palantir's commitment to serving the interests of France since 2016, and ensuring the security of the French people."
Supported by a French team with France-based leadership and governance, Palantir's solutions have supported the French internal intelligence service in critical work including during major national events such as the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The renewal confirms Palantir's role as a technological partner standing with French institutions responsible for national security.
Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB), received an $816 million contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency to design and manufacture 18 satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 program under the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The award is Rocket Lab's largest single contract to date and includes a $806 million base contract plus up to $10.45 million in options, with additional subsystem opportunities that could take the total capture value to approximately $1 billion.
"The Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation is part of the U.S. Space Force's strategy to counter rapidly evolving global threats, ensuring the nation's defense capabilities remain ahead of adversaries," said Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab Corporation. "As the only commercial provider producing both spacecraft and payloads in-house for the SDA Tracking Layer, Rocket Lab is delivering a truly disruptive solution that combines speed, resilience, and affordability."
Rocket Lab will deliver satellites equipped with advanced missile warning, tracking, and defense sensors to provide global, persistent detection and tracking of emerging missile threats including hypersonic systems. This contract builds on Rocket Lab's existing $515 million award to deliver 18 satellites for SDA's Transport Layer-Beta Tranche 2 program, bringing total contract value awarded to Rocket Lab by SDA to more than $1.3 billion.
Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE:SPIR) has been awarded a contract for the Missile Defense Agency Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense SHIELD indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $151 billion. This contract encompasses a broad range of work areas enabling rapid delivery of innovative capabilities to the warfighter with increased speed and agility through Spire's fully deployed satellite constellation and expanding multi-band RF capabilities.
"Spire's fully deployed constellation and expanding multi-band RF capabilities are delivering the kind of timely, actionable intelligence that today's defense missions demand," said Quintin Jones, Vice President and Head of North America at Spire Global, Inc. "We're excited for the opportunity this creates to bring our space-based sensing, rapid data delivery, and sovereign-ready solutions to more national security partners and are committed to empowering U.S. and allied forces to operate with greater awareness, precision, and resilience in an increasingly contested world."
Through its multipurpose satellite constellation, Spire captures and analyzes radio frequency signals, delivering defense-grade intelligence that strengthens situational awareness for U.S. and allied partners. The company's RF data is processed through secure, cloud-based infrastructure and is available in sovereign-ready configurations for customers requiring full control over mission infrastructure.
Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) has been awarded a 5-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from United States Space Force's Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office with a potential value of up to $85.8 million. The System Infrastructure Transformation and Hybridization contract enables technological refreshes, lifecycle upgrades, and security enhancements to the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services Service Center, Technical Support Center, and Defense Ground Station as a follow-on contract to the Gateway Evolution Contract awarded to Iridium in 2019. The Iridium network provides resilient, mission-critical communications that warfighters need anywhere in the world, even under adverse weather conditions, with SITH representing the latest of three core EMSS contracts between Iridium and the USSF.
"Through this contract, Iridium and the U.S. Space Force will continue to innovate and deliver resilient, secure and highly reliable mission-critical communications," said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president, Iridium. "Our solutions with the Department of Defense are designed to serve every layer of the warfighter's P.A.C.E. plan. We look forward to supporting the U.S. and our allies through new technology introductions and ongoing collaboration."
Powered by the only truly global low-Earth orbit network, Iridium's voice and data solutions elevate situational awareness for military forces and provide precise tracking of critical assets in the harshest environments delivering performance and reliability that is not easily duplicated. The company's expertise in satellite operations and network management is integral as it works to establish the ground Operations and Integration segment for Tranche 1 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Article Sources: https://equity-insider.com/2025/09/25/the-ai-defense-technology-developments-on-the-rise-in-2025-26/
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SOURCES CITED:
- https://www.precedenceresearch.com/artificial-intelligence-in-military-market
- https://www.govconwire.com/articles/dod-edge-computing-ai-5g-research-development
- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/space-sensors-market-105871
- https://www.militarytimes.com/space/2026/01/05/space-warfare-in-2026-a-pivotal-year-for-us-readiness
