Lockheed Martin invests in Fortem Technologies to boost counter-drone production
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 1
Lockheed Martin invests in Fortem Technologies to boost counter-drone production
10 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 1
The $25 million investment, disclosed last week, supports the Utah-based startup as the Pentagon opens procurement to smaller suppliers beyond traditional prime contractors.
Executives say the shift favours cheaper, faster-built systems shaped by drone and electronic-warfare lessons from Ukraine and Iran, while startups still face uncertain demand and pressure to prove manufacturing scale.
Fortem is among a wave of venture-backed defence companies competing for new programmes, but industry leaders expect only a limited number to survive as larger contractors retain production advantages.
Could the Pentagon’s new procurement strategy actually deliver faster, cheaper, and more innovative weapons—or will production and scale-up challenges stall progress?
As both the U.S. and Canada bet big on AI and autonomy for defense, what safeguards ensure these untested systems won’t introduce new vulnerabilities?