Australia to be first AIM-260A export customer; Epirus wins $11M Marine Corps HPM contract

Companies mentioned: AIM-260A, ATMOS Space Cargo, Astrolight, Australia, CASC, Canadian Space Agency, Epirus, Germany, HAVOC, KNDS, Lockheed Martin, Long March 7A, Marine Corps, NATO, Netherlands, Northrop Grumman, Pentagon, RCT30

Government Contracts

Epirus secured an $11M Marine Corps contract for its HAVOC high-powered microwave system, a vehicle-mounted directed energy weapon designed to neutralize drone swarms in a single burst. This moves HAVOC from testing to production-readiness, and the company says its facilities are already prepared for low-rate production. With existing Army contracts and international customers, Marine Corps adoption represents cross-service validation of HPM as a deployable counter-UAS capability — not just a lab demonstration.

Separately, the Pentagon launched an online marketplace for counter-UAS technology — essentially an Amazon-style procurement portal for defense agencies seeking C-UAS equipment. This procurement innovation could lower barriers for smaller defense tech vendors to reach end users, though it also risks commoditizing solutions in a domain where integration and concept of operations matter as much as individual widgets.

KNDS won a joint German-Dutch order for 69 additional RCT30 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, further cementing the Boxer platform as the standard NATO wheeled IFV. The cooperative procurement model between Berlin and The Hague continues to serve as a template for allied armored vehicle acquisition at scale.

International Sales

Australia is set to become the first export customer for the AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, America's most advanced and highly classified air-to-air missile. The AIM-260 was purpose-built to outrange China's PL-15 in a contested Indo-Pacific theater. First export approval to Canberra signals program maturity and strengthens the AUKUS technology-sharing framework. For Lockheed Martin, this unlocks a potentially significant FMS revenue stream for what has been a black-world program — and allied interest is likely to cascade once the first export precedent is set.

Partnerships & Dual-Use Tech

Astrolight and ATMOS Space Cargo announced plans for the first in-flight laser communication link between a reentry vehicle and a satellite. While this is an early-stage demonstration, maintaining optical comms through the plasma sheath during reentry is a problem the defense community has been trying to solve for decades. Success here would have immediate implications for military hypersonic programs and warhead telemetry.

What to Watch

• The Pentagon's new counter-UAS marketplace could reshape how C-UAS startups reach military buyers — watch whether companies like Epirus and other directed energy players participate or pursue direct contracting. If the marketplace gains traction, it may accelerate procurement cycles but compress margins.
• The Senate's passage of a stopgap funding bill keeps government operations running but perpetuates the continuing resolution pattern that freezes new program starts and disproportionately hurts smaller defense tech firms dependent on fresh contract awards.
• China's Long March 7A failure adds to reliability concerns for CASC's medium-lift workhorse. Persistent issues could accelerate PLA interest in commercial Chinese launch providers, mirroring the Pentagon's own embrace of commercial space — a dynamic worth tracking for competitive intelligence on Chinese space defense capabilities.

Deals & Contracts

Epirus — Government-backed Funding ($11M)

General Defense Tech

An $11M Marine Corps contract moves Epirus's HAVOC high-powered microwave system from testing into production-readiness — a critical inflection point for directed energy as a practical C-UAS tool. With existing Army contracts and international buyers already in the pipeline, cross-service adoption by the Marines validates HPM counter-swarm capability and positions Epirus for a larger LRIP award if HAVOC performs at scale.

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Lockheed Martin — Government-backed Funding

General Defense Tech

Australia becoming the first export customer for the highly classified AIM-260A JATM is a watershed moment — this next-gen air-to-air missile was designed to outrange China's PL-15, and first export approval signals both program maturity and deepening US-Australia defense integration under AUKUS. For Lockheed Martin, this opens an FMS revenue stream for what has been a black-world program and could catalyze additional allied purchases.

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KNDS — Government-backed Funding

General Defense Tech

A joint German-Dutch order for 69 additional RCT30 Boxer wheeled IFVs continues European rearmament momentum and consolidates KNDS's position as the dominant NATO wheeled combat vehicle platform. The cooperative procurement model between Germany and the Netherlands is increasingly a template for how smaller NATO allies can achieve scale economies on armored vehicle programs.

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Astrolight — Strategic Partnership

Space Defense

Astrolight and ATMOS Space Cargo are pursuing the first in-flight laser communication link between a reentry vehicle and an orbiting satellite — a technically demanding demonstration with clear dual-use implications. Establishing optical comms through the plasma-heavy reentry phase has been a longstanding challenge with direct military relevance for hypersonic glide vehicles and future ICBM warhead communication architectures.

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Tags: counter-uas, directed energy, european defense, foreign military sales, government contract, space communications