Colin Demarest

Arlington

Future of Defense Reporter at Axios

💥💥💥 @axios. “A rascal.” Ex-@C4ISRNET, @EMPublications, @aikenstandard. Why you love to stunt but ain’t got no skrilla 💸 colin.demarest@axios(dot)com.

Articles

How Ukraine carried out its "Spiderweb" surprise attack

5 days ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest |Dave Lawler

Ukraine over the weekend unleashed more than 100 drones on Russian military sites thousands of miles away from the front lines — a clandestine operation some have compared to Japan's surprise assault on Pearl Harbor. Why it matters: The coordinated attacks, code-named "Spiderweb," are a serious blow to Moscow's reputation and materiel. They also comprise one of the most audacious moves in recent warfare.
How Ukraine's "Spiderweb" ensnared Russia

5 days ago | flipboard.com | Colin Demarest |Dave Lawler

14 hours ago Playbook: Russia’s Pearl Harbor With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD IT ALREADY: My wonderful Playbook colleague Dasha Burns launched her new Sunday show podcast “The Conversation” yesterday, kicking off her inaugural show with TV star turned MAGA world fave Dr. Mehmet Oz. They covered Medicaid cuts, drug … 1 day ago Ukraine destroys 40 aircraft deep inside Russia ahead of peace talks in Istanbul KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone attack has...
Army weapons shake-up backed by Hegseth and other Trump picks

1 week ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk in March. Photo: Nicole Mejia/DVIDSDefense Secretary Pete Hegsethand the wider Trump White House are providing "air cover" for the U.S. Army's ongoing vehicle-and-weapons upheaval, the service's top civilian told Axios. Why it matters: System shocks are exactly that — a shock. Executing them requires support, especially at such a politically volatile moment.
Trump's Golden Dome will have to survive Beltway bloat

1 week ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

President Trump, a Golden Dome graphic and the Oval Office. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesIntercepting missiles — hitting a bullet with a bullet — is difficult. Overcoming bureaucracy may be even harder. The big picture: President Trump's Golden Dome, a continent's worth of 24/7 overhead defense, will be a jigsaw puzzle of ideas, authorities, personalities, contractors, procurements, production lines, users, fixers, technological leaps and diplomacy.
Beltway bloat could doom Trump's Golden Dome

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Colin Demarest

7 hours agoTrump Gets Openly Ridiculed After 'Unhinged' New Claim About CanadaCritics made comedy gold out of the president's latest attempt to convince Canada to become a U.S. state. President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed he finally found a way to get Canada to “consider” becoming a U.S. state. But not many people are buying it.
Exclusive: Electronic warfare startup CX2 snags $31 million

2 weeks ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosDefense-tech upstart CX2 plans to hire more people and accelerate development of its electronic warfare tools on the heels of a $31 million raise, executives told Axios. The big picture: Mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum is a life-or-death matter, and the U.S. has for years let its electronic warfare arsenal atrophy. "We are in the position now of firing multimillion-dollar missiles at $20,000 drones and $10,000 jammers," CEO Nathan Mintz told Axios.
Robert Cardillo: The world is "owned by those who ask"

2 weeks ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Planet Labs PBCRobert Cardillo, the chief strategist and chairman of the board atsatellite imagery firmPlanet Federal, wants you to be rested and inquisitive. Asked in an interview with Axios what advice he'd give his younger self, he offered: "My quick answer is get more sleep. But I strongly believe the world is owned by those who ask.""If you keep that unasked question in your head, it's not doing anyone any good," he said.
Red 6 targets pilot training woes with airborne augmented reality

2 weeks ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

A peek inside the Red 6 hangar in Orlando, Florida. Photo: Colin Demarest/AxiosIn a small hangar east of downtown Orlando sits a custom two-seater aircraft hardwired for combat. It carries no missiles under its wings. It has no concealed weapons bay. And it has no refueling probe. It does, however, host the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS), which can simulate all of the above. The big picture: Training and rehearsal are cornerstones of military success. But it's easier said than done.
Screaming Eagles will be first to get U.S. Army's MV-75

2 weeks ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

Bell Textron's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft tech demonstrator. Photo: David Hylton/DVIDSThe 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, will be the first to receive the MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft. Why it matters: The Bell Textron-made tiltrotor will replace a significant portion of the Black Hawk helicopter fleet. The yearslong FLRAA competition pitted some of the biggest names in defense against each other. Driving the news: Vice Chief of Staff Gen.
Trump and Hegseth unveil $175 billion plans for Golden Dome missile shield

2 weeks ago | axios.com | Colin Demarest

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Cabinet meeting April 30. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Trump on Tuesday touted $25 billion in initial funding for the "Golden Dome" and put Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations, in charge of realizing the hemispheric missile shield.