George K. Kollitides II

Austin Gray delivers some excellent analysis on M&A in the defense industry, suggesting that emerging, growth stage companies are driving a new competitive landscape. This is good defense because it will: 1. Grow Multi-Domain Capability 2. Strengthen Supplier Base 3. Provide investors with Liquidity https://lnkd.in/e_weVf2v

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Big win for America’s space economy. Making spaceport bonds tax exempt treats space like the important transportation and trade mechanism it is. This will: ✅ Unlock private capital ✅ Lower infrastructure costs ✅ Accelerate the buildout of U.S. launch capacity ✅ Create high-tech jobs in spaceport states like Florida, Texas, and beyond Thank you to Senators Scott, Moody, Lujan, and Reps. Dunn and Carbajal and all the policy’s champions for recognizing the vital role spaceports play in America’s future. Now the work begins: leveraging this new tool to build, finance, and grow the infrastructure that will drive the next space era. https://lnkd.in/eJEw2dwT

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We live and operate in a highly interconnected world, defense supply chains are incredibly brittle and not resilient, very intricately tied to foreign suppliers—a reality that recent defense industry analysis confirms. Critcal question isn’t just about identifying foreign dependencies, but about achieving true Supply Chain Illumination (SCI): the analytical process that provides complete transparency and visibility into supply chain entities, products, parts, and raw materials to identify risks and enable proactive mitigation. We operate today in an environment where roughly half of critical parts have at least one major risk factor, yet most organizations lack the end-to-end visibility needed to understand who or what is touching their supply chains. The parallel to our aviation infrastructure is striking. The brand new air traffic control system unveiled in May 2025 replacing decades-old technology with state-of-the-art fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies across 4,600+ sites—demonstrates how critical infrastructure modernization requires complete transparency and real-time visibility. Just as the new ATC system will provide controllers with unprecedented situational awareness to ensure aviation safety, supply chain illumination is key critcal to give organizations the visibility needed to secure their critical dependencies. We can’t secure what we can’t see. Supply chain illumination isn’t just good business practice—it’s a national security imperative. #SupplyChainSecurity #SupplyChainIllumination #BNATCS #ReadyNow #weareparsons

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The fourth annual Airship AI technology event successfully concluded its first week with engaging discussions featuring analysts from ROTH Capital Partners, Northland Securities, Inc., Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, and The Benchmark Company, LLC. Key sessions delved into a comprehensive review of the 2024 results, provided insights into the 2025 roadmap, and offered a detailed exploration of the evolving AI trends in physical security and public safety. As we commence the second week of our event, our focus shifts towards showcasing the latest AI-driven technology solutions that address current and emerging challenges for our federal, state and local, and commercial customers. #AI #Technology #Security #PublicSafety #Innovation #aiforgood #dhs #doj

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The defense sector is at a pivotal moment. JCIDS has become an unwieldy beast, stifling innovation and operational agility. It's time for a bold move - as Dan Patt and Bill Greenwalt argue in Required to Fail - JCIDS is beyond redemption. They propose the Joint Operational Acceleration Pathway (JOAP), a budget-driven model focused on real-world experimentation rather than endless paperwork. Imagine: • JOAP: Instead of thick requirements docs, prioritize prototyping and user feedback. • Joint Acceleration Reserve (JAR): A strategic holdback in service budgets to fund truly joint capabilities. • Mission Engineering and Integration Activity (MEIA): A lean organization for swift project execution. The defense tech landscape is shifting with companies like Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries challenging traditional giants. Elon's influence at the Pentagon could be the catalyst for change, emphasizing efficiency over bureaucracy. • End JCIDS: It's time to break free from bureaucratic quagmires. • Embrace Speed: Move from planning to prototyping to production at pace. • Foster Innovation: Encourage a culture where new players can thrive alongside established firms. The future of defense isn't in more docs but in arming warfighters with cutting-edge, rapidly deployable tech. Let's make this the moment we redefine how the DoD innovates. Read the latest from Matt and I on Defense Tech and Acquisition https://lnkd.in/eHqVZExg

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China just reminded us who really holds the keys to our defense supply chain. - 90% of the rare earths and critical minerals that power drones, missiles, night vision, and targeting systems come from Beijing. - Export taps tighten, prices spike. One U.S. supplier was quoted 60x the normal price for samarium (the metal that keeps jet engine magnets from melting). - Another drone motor company had to delay deliveries for two months while hunting for non-Chinese magnets. This isn’t a “future problem.” It’s leverage. And it’s already hitting everything from FPV drones to missiles to bullets. The Pentagon says no Chinese magnets by 2027. That’s fine on paper. But right now? - Primes are down to “safety stock.” - Startups never had stockpiles to begin with. If we want to keep building the systems that matter, we need: 1. Domestic production 2. Allied production 3. Real stockpiles If 90% of your supply chain runs through your pacing threat, that’s not a strategy, it’s a liability.

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The Aerospace Industries Association weighs in on #tariffs and the #productioneconomy for the American #aerospace and #defense industry. In a letter to the United States Trade Representative, AIA outlined key areas for consideration as the #Trump Administration continues to adjust #trade policy for the United States. Some takeaways: ➡️ The Trump Administration's 2025 Trade Policy Agenda called for an American "production economy" focused on creating high-wage manufacturing jobs for all, is a boon for innovation, and contributes to U.S. national defense. There is no better example than American #aerospace and #defense. ➡️ U.S. #aerospace has grown over 2,100% since the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft went into force in 1980. It's a best-in-class- example of how trade agreements may be negotiated with U.S. interests at the center and lead to sustained growth for U.S. This is the way. ➡️ As we continue to build rebuild the defense industrial base, trade policies - including #tariffs - must consider how inadvertent effects may hinder the military’s readiness and effectiveness to protect United States national defense and security. Chapter 98 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which allows for duty-free entry "which is necessary in the interest of the common defense and security" should be used to exempt those items from #tariffs. Bottom line: the intersection of #trade and #tariff policy impacts the U.S. defense industrial base and #aerospace industry. This letter outlines some of the ways A&D accelerates the #productioneconomy objective. #trade #tariffs #aerospace #defense #trump #defenseindustrialbase #DIB

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