The $161B Shift: How New Tech is Shrinking Battlefield Decision Times

February 03, 2026 at 10:05 AM EST

NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA News Group News Commentary – Modern warfare is changing fast, and global military spending is moving away from old-school hardware toward tech that can actually "see" through the fog of war. Right now, the race to eliminate battlefield blind spots is pushing the C5ISR market toward a massive $161.46 billion valuation by 2026^[1]. It is a high-stakes shift where AI and robotics are no longer just optional; they are becoming the backbone of defense, with sector spending expected to hit nearly $30 billion next year^[2]. This creates a pivotal opportunity for agile players like VisionWave Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: VWAV), General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) (NYSE: GD), Astronics (NASDAQ: ATRO), Vuzix (NASDAQ: VUZI), and Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, all within the cognitive electronic warfare value chain.

Smart money is clearly rotating into cognitive electronic warfare, a specialized niche projected to grow from $0.58 billion to $0.70 billion in 2026^[3]. The goal is simple: use adaptive sensors to neutralize threats before they even become a problem. Big institutions are already positioning for edge AI dominance^[4]. By processing data right on the drone or vehicle instead of sending it to a distant server, these systems deliver the split-second decisions needed to survive in contested zones. It is all about scalable technology that keeps forces a step ahead of emerging threats.

VisionWave Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: VWAV) just announced it's nearing completion of AstraDRC™, a patented semiconductor design tool that automatically fixes chip design errors. The proof-of-concept is scheduled for demonstration with a major AI microchip semiconductor corporation, marking a notable expansion beyond the company's core defense and autonomous systems business.

AstraDRC™ tackles a persistent bottleneck in advanced chip manufacturing. When engineers design complex microchips containing billions of components, they must comply with intricate manufacturing rules. Violations of these Design Rule Check (DRC) standards typically require time-consuming manual corrections that can delay production schedules by months. VisionWave's technology automatically identifies and corrects these violations while maintaining the chip's electrical design and layout integrity.

The system incorporates layout compaction capabilities designed to reduce chip footprint, improve routing efficiency, and increase silicon utilization. For semiconductor manufacturers, better utilization translates to higher yield per wafer and improved economics at scale, particularly for advanced-node devices. VisionWave leverages its qSpeed™ computational acceleration engine to process the massive complexity of modern AI chips, which can contain billions of devices, in practical timeframes.

The company detailed the AstraDRC ™ technology through its joint venture with Boca Jom, Ltd. The platform supports advanced manufacturing nodes including 5nm, 3nm, and smaller geometries across digital, analog, RF, and mixed-signal design domains. It accommodates FinFET, GAAFET, and multi-patterning layout requirements for both flat blocks and hierarchical integrated circuits.

VisionWave indicated that AstraDRC™ aligns with its longer-term semiconductor strategy, which includes designing proprietary application-specific AI microchips for select defense and civilian applications. The company aims to deliver a combined hardware and software AI stack optimized for performance, power efficiency, and mission-specific reliability in edge environments where size, weight, power constraints, latency, and operational robustness matter most.

The company operates as a dual-market autonomous systems and sensing technology holding company spanning defense and commercial infrastructure.

As disclosed by VisionWave Holdings Inc. in its recent Form 8-K and accompanying press releases, the strategic acquisition of SaverOne (NASDAQ: SVRE) is intended to serve as VisionWave’s primary operating arm for RF development. Through this transaction, VisionWave effectively consolidated SaverOne’s entire RF-focused workforce — a task force of more than 30 specialized engineers — to accelerate the execution and completion of its VisionRF technology platform.

VisionWave has stated that it intends to integrate its proprietary RF sensing technologies into SaverOne’s existing Vulnerable Road User (VRU) platform, combining RF-based sensing with AI-driven analytics to address concealed, obscured, and non-line-of-sight threats. As the Company noted, these developments represent a transition from platform formation into active execution, with defined development and commercialization pathways.

VisionWave further disclosed that a VisionRF proof-of-concept is under development, with a demonstration and evaluation scheduled with a major AI microchip semiconductor corporation. Collectively, these disclosures indicate a focused effort to move rapidly toward a commercially deployable RF-based solution, rather than a long-term or speculative research initiative.”

VisionWave also acquired the QuantumSpeed ™ computational acceleration engine, independently valued at $99.6 million, designed to compress decision latency from minutes to seconds in time-critical applications.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for VisionWave Holdings at: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/09/11/the-ai-defense-technology-developments-potentially-relevant-in-2025-26/

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) (NYSE: GD) was awarded a $988 million Ship and Air Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Systems Support contract in December to continue modernizing the U.S. Navy fleet. The contract features a one-year base period, four one-year options, and a six-month option for comprehensive C5ISR systems integration across all surface combatant ships including guided missile ships, aircraft carriers, Coast Guard vessels, and unmanned platforms.

"C5ISR systems are foundational to how our Navy senses, communicates and fights in the modern battlespace," said Brian Sheridan, GDIT senior vice president for Defense. "We look forward to continuing to deliver innovative solutions to ensure these vital systems operate at peak performance and enable our warfighters to stay ahead of emerging threats."

GDIT will provide integration, engineering, procurement, logistics and installation services to enhance operational effectiveness and readiness of naval forces. GDIT has decades of experience delivering mission-critical services to the Navy, supporting advanced electronic warfare technologies for airborne platforms, training support services for more than 100,000 sailors worldwide, and advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions for Navy Enterprise Service Desk modernization.

Astronics (NASDAQ: ATRO) has announced the release of FaultFinder Electronic Troubleshooting System, a compact circuit card test and troubleshooting system designed to identify and evaluate system faults with unparalleled accuracy while offering powerful reverse-engineering capabilities. The newest addition to the PinPoint family of products eliminates much of the guesswork and manual effort traditionally required for troubleshooting operations.

"Maintenance teams face unprecedented challenges as systems grow more complex, and downtime becomes increasingly unacceptable," said Tim Webb, Astronics Test Systems Sr. Director of Sales. "FaultFinder ETS not only simplifies troubleshooting but also helps teams restore operations faster than ever before, leading to greater reliability and cost savings."

FaultFinder ETS features automated fault detection that quickly identifies and isolates issues in systems significantly reducing diagnostic time. The modular and scalable design is easily adaptable for a range of applications from small legacy diagnostics to large-scale system maintenance in a variety of environments.

Vuzix (NASDAQ: VUZI) highlighted strategic actions underscoring growing momentum in security and defense markets by showcasing OEM waveguide capabilities at SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas following successful demonstrations at CES 2026 of a fully functional military helmet in collaboration with Collins Aerospace. Vuzix engaged with select defense and security community members focusing on waveguide performance, system-level integration and manufacturability supporting defense customers evaluating AR-enabled solutions across land, air and mission platforms.

"Our continued engagements with leading defense contractors reflect the evolution of Vuzix' defense strategy," said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. "By leveraging our advanced see-through display technologies, U.S.-based waveguide manufacturing capabilities, and deep IP portfolio, we are well positioned to deliver mission-ready optical solutions that meet the stringent performance, durability, and integration requirements of next-generation military systems."

Vuzix recently launched a dedicated Defense section on its website consolidating OEM waveguide offerings, key military use cases and solutions tailored to defense requirements. Vuzix holds more than 475 patents and patents pending in optics, head-mounted displays and augmented reality wearables while serving enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets.

Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, was awarded a $197 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for the MS-110 Multispectral Reconnaissance System including production, aircraft integration and engineering support for the Polish Air Force. The contract provides Poland as the first NATO member and fourth global air force to acquire the advanced reconnaissance capability featuring seven reconnaissance pods with sophisticated hardware and software utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly process and interpret day and night, wide-area, and long-range imagery.

"The MS-110 system brings advanced capability by pushing next-generation processing to the tactical edge to defeat camouflage and decoys in near real time," said Dan Theisen, president of Advanced Products and Solutions at Raytheon. "This capability empowers the U.S. and our allies to maintain a strategic advantage in an evolving global defense landscape by bolstering survivability, responsiveness and wide area surveillance."

The MS-110 provides improved intelligence advantage over legacy systems through multispectral imaging, common ground coverage across all bands and improved area coverage at long ranges. Work will be conducted in Westford, Mass. with completion expected by August 2031, supporting RTX's 2025 sales of more than $88 billion.

Article Sources: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/09/11/the-ai-defense-technology-developments-potentially-relevant-in-2025-26/

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The $161B Shift: How New Tech is Shrinking Battlefield Decision Times

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