Partnership announced in Taiwan
Shield AI and Thunder Tiger Corp. announced a memorandum of understanding on May 12, 2026, to integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software into Thunder Tiger’s unmanned systems portfolio in Taiwan, starting with unmanned surface vessels.
The companies said the first milestone will place Hivemind as the AI pilot on a Thunder Tiger USV, with a live demonstration planned for this summer. The event is intended to show how autonomous maritime systems can navigate, respond, and conduct operational tasks at sea.
Initial scope and testing plan
Under the agreement, integration and testing will follow a phased process. The companies said this will include simulation-based testing, hardware-in-the-loop integration, and live vehicle testing.
The stated objective is to validate coordinated operation among multiple autonomous systems across Thunder Tiger’s platforms. That includes testing whether maritime and aerial systems can function as a mixed fleet and perform as a multi-agent team in operational conditions.
Focus on maritime and cross-domain autonomy
Hivemind is Shield AI’s core autonomy software and is designed to enable systems to sense, decide, and act without continuous human control. In this agreement, the software is intended for use across Thunder Tiger’s maritime and aerial unmanned systems, beginning with USVs.
Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng said the partnership is aimed at supporting Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense with asymmetric capabilities and is part of the company’s broader strategy in Taiwan. He also said Hivemind has previously been integrated on dozens of platforms in multiple domains and that the Taiwan effort will support cross-domain, multi-agent teaming in contested environments.
Thunder Tiger board director and general manager Gene Su said the company’s systems are built for operational use cases ranging from coastal defense to broader multi-domain missions. He said integrating Hivemind is intended to add autonomous decision-making and improve the ability of individual platforms to operate independently or as part of a coordinated team.
Broader Taiwan presence
Shield AI said the agreement builds on its existing contracts and agreements in Taiwan related to AI-piloted unmanned systems and teaming. The company also pointed to its in-country presence, including an office in Taipei 101, as part of its effort to support the development, fielding, and sustainment of autonomous defense capabilities in partnership with local industry.
Company background
Shield AI, founded in 2015, develops autonomy software and aircraft, including Hivemind, V-BAT, and X-BAT. The company said it operates offices and facilities across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Thunder Tiger Corp., listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange as 8033, manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and related systems. Its products are used in defense, inspection, disaster response, and other mission-focused applications.
The release also noted that Thunder Tiger’s FPV platforms have been approved under the U.S. Department of Defense Blue UAS program, a designation tied to cybersecurity, supply chain integrity, and non-PRC sourcing requirements used in allied procurement.

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CBO Estimates Long-Term Cost and Scope
The Congressional Budget Office said May 12 that the proposed “Golden Dome for America” missile defense architecture could cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years. CBO’s estimate, totaling $1.191 trillion, includes roughly $1.025 trillion in acquisition and average annual operation and support costs of about $8.3 billion. The office said the figure reflects a broad mission set: defense of the entire United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, against ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missile, and other aerial threats through multiple overlapping layers.
CBO’s estimate is far above the $185 billion figure previously associated with Pentagon planning, but the gap appears tied to different assumptions on time frame, architecture, and which budget accounts are included.
Space-Based Interceptors Drive the Largest Share
The largest cost element is a boost-phase interceptor layer in low Earth orbit. CBO modeled 7,800 interceptor satellites in near-polar orbits at about 300 to 500 kilometers altitude. The constellation is sized to counter a raid of 10 intercontinental ballistic missiles launched nearly simultaneously, with two intercept attempts per target.
The concept relies on destroying missiles during the first three to five minutes of flight, before they can deploy reentry vehicles or penetration aids. CBO said that because satellites in low orbit are constantly moving and subject to atmospheric drag, sustaining 7,800 on station would require roughly 30,000 interceptor satellites over 20 years, with replacement about every five years.
Ground and Surface Layers Expand Coverage
For exo-atmospheric midcourse defense, CBO included the existing Ground-Based Interceptor field at Fort Greely, Alaska, plus two new upper wide-area sites. Each new site is modeled with 60 Next-Generation Interceptors in silos, a Long-Range Discrimination Radar, a command facility, and local THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 MSE defenses to protect the site itself.
The lower wide-area layer would add four Aegis Ashore sites equipped with SPY-6 radars, Mark 41 launch cells, and 48 SM-3 Block IIA interceptors each. CBO estimated deployment at nearly $4 billion per site and annual operating costs at about $170 million. Supporting systems would include over-the-horizon radar, Sentinel radar, THAAD, Patriot MSE, and counter-drone defenses.
Regional Sectors and Tracking Network
CBO’s homeland air and missile defense grid centers on 35 regional sectors. Each would include a command center, one Aegis-based radar, 24 Sentinel MPQ-64A4 radars, eight Glide-Phase Interceptors, four SM-3 Block IB missiles, 20 SM-6 Block IB interceptors, 32 THAAD interceptors, and 84 Patriot MSE missiles. CBO estimated this regional layer at $187 billion over 20 years.
The plan also depends on a major sensor network: 108 tracking satellites in low Earth orbit and 27 in medium Earth orbit, at an estimated 20-year cost of $90 billion. The purpose is to detect launches, maintain tracking on ballistic and hypersonic threats, and provide targeting data to ground radars and interceptors.
Limits, Industry Demands, and Strategic Effect
CBO said the notional architecture would be most effective against limited attacks by regional adversaries or smaller strikes by a peer state. It emphasized that the ability to engage incoming weapons does not guarantee a successful intercept. A large-scale Russian or Chinese strike could still saturate the system through volume, decoys, maneuvering payloads, cyber and electronic attacks, or strikes on satellites and supporting infrastructure.
The U.S. Space Force has already awarded contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to 12 companies for space-based interceptor work. Major contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Boeing, and launch providers such as SpaceX, are expected to compete for larger roles. CBO said schedules will depend not only on funding, but also on industrial capacity for satellites, interceptors, radars, software, launch services, and communications networks.

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Deployment Halted After Initial Movement
The Pentagon has canceled the planned deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to Europe after elements of the unit had already begun moving into the theater, according to U.S. officials.
A Defense Department memo issued May 1 stopped the rotation, which was expected to send nearly 4,000 soldiers to central and eastern Europe for several months, primarily in Poland. Officials said a portion of the brigade’s advanced echelon had already arrived in Poland and has now been directed to return to the United States.
The reason for the cancellation has not been publicly explained. Military Times first reported the decision.
Rotation Was Tied to Operation Atlantic Resolve
The Texas-based brigade was scheduled to replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, as part of a routine rotational presence supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve, the U.S. mission to strengthen NATO’s posture in central and eastern Europe.
The canceled movement comes as the White House has announced plans to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe by about 5,000 troops. A defense official said the broader cuts include removing one of the four rotational brigades previously assigned to the region.
Operation Atlantic Resolve expanded significantly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when the United States increased forces along NATO’s eastern flank. According to a defense official, that posture had risen to two division headquarters and five brigades, but has since been gradually reduced to one division headquarters and three brigades.
Advance Team Had Already Begun the Handover
Members of the brigade’s advanced echelon were already in Europe when the order was canceled. Those troops had deployed ahead of the main body to conduct the handoff with the outgoing unit and prepare for follow-on training with allied and partner forces.
The Army had announced the rotation in March. Soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team had completed extensive pre-deployment preparation, including two rotations at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
The brigade had also been designated as a “transform in contact” unit, a label used for formations testing and integrating new technology and tactics during training before operational deployment.
Ceremony Proceeded the Day the Memo Was Issued
On May 1, the brigade held a color-casing ceremony, a traditional event marking a unit’s departure for deployment. During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Tom Feltey, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, emphasized the strategic signaling associated with sending an armored brigade combat team overseas.
The same day, the Defense Department announced the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany following a review of the American military presence in Europe.
Recent Mission History and Wider Context
The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team last deployed to Europe in 2023. Some of its soldiers had also recently participated in the Army’s 250th birthday parade in Washington, D.C.
The cancellation reflects a broader shift in force posture after the U.S. buildup that followed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While U.S. officials have not detailed why this specific brigade rotation was halted, the decision indicates that the reductions now underway are affecting operational deployments already in progress.

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We’re happy to announce that Apple Login has now been added across all Uncrowned Empire sites.
This new option joins our existing login methods, including Google Login and standard username/email login, giving members and new users another simple way to access our communities.
More Ways to Sign In
You can now use Apple Login on:
Uncrowned Empire
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Whether you prefer using Apple, Google, or a traditional account login, the goal is to make accessing our sites easier while keeping the experience flexible for different users.
Why This Matters
Small quality-of-life improvements like this are part of our broader effort to make the Uncrowned network easier to use, easier to join, and more welcoming to returning members.
We know every extra step can be a barrier, especially for new users. Adding Apple Login gives people another trusted sign-in option and helps make account creation a little smoother across the network.
Standard Logins Are Still Available
Nothing is being removed. If you already use a standard login or Google Login, you can continue using those just as before.
Apple Login is simply another option for anyone who prefers it.
Thank you for being part of the Uncrowned Empire as we continue improving the experience across all of our sites.
— The Uncrowned Empire Team
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Contract and purpose
U.S. Special Operations Command is evaluating a mobile software platform designed to give operators in the field direct access to commercial satellite imagery and imagery analytics on handheld Android tactical devices. The effort is being led by Austin-based geospatial data firm SkyFi under a Phase I prototyping contract of undisclosed value.
According to the company, the award was made through the Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Center. SkyFi said the work includes development of a prototype platform, called the Sovereign Intelligence Platform, along with an Android Tactical Assault Kit, or ATAK, plugin and exploratory field testing with SOCOM personnel.
Integration with ATAK devices
ATAK is widely used by military and law enforcement units on ruggedized smartphones and tablets for battlefield awareness, mapping, and mission coordination. The platform supports a growing ecosystem of plugins and data services that combine maps, friendly force tracking, drone video, sensor inputs, and other operational information in a single interface.
SkyFi’s objective is to add commercial Earth-observation data to that environment. The company aggregates imagery and analytics from a large network of commercial providers rather than operating satellites itself. It says its marketplace includes optical imagery, synthetic aperture radar, hyperspectral data, and related analytics from more than 150 satellite providers.
Shift toward tactical-edge access
The project reflects a broader shift in how military users consume intelligence as commercial satellite constellations expand and cloud-based delivery improves. Instead of relying only on imagery routed through centralized analysis centers, operators increasingly want direct access on mobile devices during missions, particularly in dispersed or communications-constrained environments often described as the tactical edge.
Under current processes, personnel typically submit imagery requests before operations through centralized channels, with limited ability to retrieve archived imagery or request new collections once deployed. SkyFi’s software is intended to let users preload relevant local data before a mission, pull archived imagery in the field, and request new collections when connectivity is available.
Technical limits and bandwidth constraints
Some functions still depend on cloud access, including direct satellite tasking. Bandwidth is a central constraint, particularly in denied or degraded communications environments. Rather than pushing large imagery volumes to deployed forces, the concept emphasizes delivering smaller, localized datasets tied to the user’s operational area.
SkyFi chief executive Luke Fischer, a former U.S. special operations aviator, said the company built the software for military users seeking faster access to imagery and AI-enabled analytics on mobile devices. He also said the company has tested similar direct-to-device imagery systems with military units outside the United States for more than a year.
Broader market and potential users
Although the current work is focused on SOCOM, the model has potential applications beyond defense. SkyFi said it is also marketing related capabilities to civilian agencies and emergency-response organizations that already use ATAK, including law enforcement, firefighting, and forestry services.
Fischer said ATAK has more than 500,000 users across military, public safety, and government communities. SkyFi added that engineers with prior experience at Uber helped develop the application, with the design centered on moving geospatial information more directly to frontline users.

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Trijicon Adds Green Dot Option to SRO Line
Trijicon has expanded its Specialized Reflex Optic lineup with a green-dot SRO configured with a 2.5 MOA aiming point. The new version is offered in two anodized finishes, Matte Black and Coyote Brown, and retains the same core format as the existing SRO models aimed at competitive and target shooters.
The SRO remains centered on a large, unobstructed field of view and parallax-free glass, features that have made the optic a common choice for pistol-mounted competition use.
Why Trijicon Is Offering Green
According to Trijicon, the move responds to customer demand for a green-dot variant. The company says the human eye is most sensitive to green wavelengths, which can make the dot appear brighter and easier to acquire in daylight, even at lower brightness settings.
Trijicon also states that green illumination can be easier to see in fog, haze, and visually busy backgrounds. The company further notes potential benefits for reduced eye strain during long shooting sessions and improved clarity for some users with astigmatism or red-green color blindness.
Controls, Brightness, and Battery System
The optic uses an LED system with eight brightness settings, including two night-vision-compatible modes and one super-bright setting, plus an automatic brightness mode. Two button-lock functions are included: Lock-Out mode secures the auto-brightness setting for applications such as carry or hunting, while Lock-In mode holds a user-selected brightness level for competition use.
Power comes from a single top-loading CR2032 battery, allowing replacement without removing the optic from the slide. Trijicon rates battery life at two years of continuous operation at setting 4 of 8.
Mounting and Shared Footprint
The green-dot SRO uses the same footprint as the Trijicon RMR, allowing installation on RMR-cut slides without additional hardware in many cases. Trijicon says pistols using Glock MOS, Springfield OSP, Walther PDP, or H&K VP9 Optics Ready systems will require the company’s SRO mounting kit, listed as AC32085.
The optic is also compatible with suppressor-height iron sights, preserving co-witness options on many handgun setups.
Construction and Adjustment Details
The housing is built from 7075-T6 forged aluminum and is rated waterproof to 10 feet, or 3 meters. Windage and elevation adjustments are tool-less, with 1 MOA per click and 150 MOA of total adjustment travel.
Other listed specifications include 1x magnification, dimensions of 2.2 by 1.3 by 1.4 inches, and a weight of 1.6 ounces.
Models and Pricing
Trijicon lists the green-dot SRO in Matte Black under model number SRO2-C-2500027 and in Coyote Brown anodized under model number SRO2-C-2500035.
MSRP is set at $853 for the black version and $898 for the coyote brown model.

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Budget plan expands Coast Guard specialized forces
The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking about $80 million in its fiscal 2027 budget proposal to expand its Deployable Specialized Forces and establish a new Special Missions Command, according to service officials and budget documents. The plan would add more than 650 personnel, including 130 assigned to the new command and 525 distributed across operational units.
A Coast Guard spokesperson declined to provide the current size of Deployable Specialized Forces, though prior government reports have estimated the community at about 2,000 personnel. The units include divers, port security detachments, maritime security teams, and tactical boarding elements trained in both law enforcement and military-style operations.
New command to centralize oversight
The Special Missions Command is planned for Kearneysville, West Virginia, near existing Department of Homeland Security facilities. Once established, it would assume control of Deployable Specialized Forces units that currently report through the Coast Guard’s Atlantic and Pacific Area commands, while the units themselves would remain at their present locations around the country.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said the reorganization is intended to improve coordination as the pace of missions increases. In a statement, Lunday described the move as an investment in readiness for homeland protection and support to the joint force.
Tactical law enforcement capacity set to grow
The personnel increase would support four additional Tactical Law Enforcement Teams, or TACLETs, according to the service. Those teams, in existence since the 1980s, specialize in maritime interdiction and include boarding officers and precision marksmen capable of disabling suspect vessels by firing on engines from helicopters.
Congressional reports have previously identified more than a dozen TACLETs based in California and Florida, with roughly 230 members in total. The budget proposal also calls for new boat crews and direct-action sections within Maritime Safety and Security Teams and Maritime Security Response Teams, each of which has been reported to have more than 300 personnel.
Demand rising across drug and migration missions
The Coast Guard said Deployable Specialized Forces have been used increasingly for cocaine interdiction under Operation Pacific Viper, as well as immigration enforcement off coastal California and along the Rio Grande River. Service officials also said the units have deployed aboard Navy ships and worked with Marine Corps elements over the past year.
Many of these teams were created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as counterterrorism units. Their current use has increased sharply under President Donald Trump’s policy of treating drug cartels as terrorist organizations. The Coast Guard describes some of its boarding teams as capable of seizing self-propelled semi-submersibles used to transport cocaine and conducting fast-rope boardings onto large commercial vessels at sea.
Pentagon support and scrutiny of operations
Deployable Specialized Forces have also supported the Defense Department’s Operation Southern Spear, launched in 2025 to disrupt what the administration calls “narco-terrorist networks.” The operation has included strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats.
Those actions have drawn criticism from advocacy groups. Nonprofit monitors say the strikes have killed nearly 200 people. Human Rights Watch has called the deaths extrajudicial killings, while the ACLU has argued the strikes are unlawful. The administration has continued to frame the effort as part of a broader campaign against cartel-linked trafficking networks.
Wider Coast Guard funding request
Beyond the specialized-forces expansion, the administration’s fiscal 2027 request seeks a broader $2.1 billion increase for the Coast Guard. Budget documents say that funding would support new aircraft, new vessels, and infrastructure improvements.
If approved, the specialized-forces initiative would mark one of the service’s most significant recent efforts to consolidate and expand units built for high-risk interdiction, port s...

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FY27 plan seeks limited overseas shipbuilding authority
The U.S. Navy’s Fiscal Year 2027 Shipbuilding Plan asks Congress to allow a limited use of allied shipyards for auxiliary vessels and selected components of combatant ships, framing the move as a way to supplement domestic capacity rather than replace it.
According to the plan, building and maintaining ships in the United States remains central to President Donald Trump’s shipbuilding agenda and to efforts to strengthen the U.S. industrial base. But the document says the Navy will assess overseas options if the domestic industry cannot meet the required schedules.
Foreign yards proposed for non-sensitive modules
Under the proposal, U.S. prime contractors would receive greater flexibility to subcontract certain work to foreign partners, particularly for “non-sensitive modules” such as hull structures for surface combatants. The Navy said this would let it preserve U.S.-led ship designs, including destroyer programs, while taking advantage of advanced manufacturing capacity in allied yards.
The plan separately raises the possibility of building a small number of auxiliary ships overseas. Those vessels support combat operations by carrying fuel, ammunition, and other supplies to front-line naval forces.
Debate follows earlier public comments
The new plan follows comments made at the Sea-Air-Space exposition in April by then-Navy Secretary John Phelan, who said the service was examining foreign shipyards for both auxiliary and combatant work. He cited U.S. labor shortages as a contributing factor.
At the same event, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the government would look to alternative shipyards if traditional suppliers could not deliver ships on time and on budget. Subsequent reporting said Trump opposed the idea of building Trump-class battleships abroad, reflecting broader administration messaging that U.S. naval expansion should reinforce domestic shipyards.
Battleship program details confirmed
The shipbuilding plan also confirms that the future Trump-class battleship will be nuclear-powered. The Navy’s long-range objective is an inventory of 15 battleships by 2056, with the first ship scheduled for delivery in 2036.
That timeline is notably later than the 2028 delivery target Trump had previously sought for the class. The plan does not indicate that the lead battleship would be built overseas.
Funding and fleet expansion goals
For FY27, the Navy is requesting $65.8 billion for shipbuilding, matching the service’s budget submission released in April and aligning the proposal with Trump’s “Golden Fleet Initiative.”
Over the longer term, the plan calls for expanding the Navy’s inventory to 450 platforms by 2031. That total includes battle force ships, auxiliary vessels, and unmanned systems, indicating that future fleet growth is expected to rely on a mix of traditional manned warships, logistical support ships, and autonomous platforms.
The proposal now places Congress at the center of the next decision: whether to preserve an almost entirely domestic build model or give the Navy narrow authority to use allied shipyards to ease production constraints while keeping U.S. shipbuilding as the stated priority.

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Final Freedom-Class Ship Delivered
The future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) has arrived in Ohio ahead of its scheduled commissioning on May 16, 2026, concluding the U.S. Navy’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship production run. Cleveland is the 16th and final Freedom-variant ship built for the Navy by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, and the fourth Navy vessel to bear the Cleveland name.
Its commissioning will also set a precedent: the Navy says Cleveland will be the first U.S. Navy ship commissioned in the state of Ohio. The ship’s arrival closes a program launched in the early 2000s to field fast, shallow-draft combatants for operations in coastal waters.
Program Background and Build History
The littoral combat ship program began in 2002, with the Navy pursuing two designs: the Freedom-class monohull from Lockheed Martin and the Independence-class trimaran from General Dynamics. Odd-numbered LCS hulls used the Freedom design, while even-numbered ships followed the Independence variant.
Marinette Marine received Cleveland’s construction contract on January 15, 2019. The ship was launched on April 15, 2023. During that sideways launch, Cleveland was involved in a minor collision with a tugboat. No injuries were reported, and damage was described as limited and above the waterline. The yard later indicated future launches would use a shiplift for greater control.
Capabilities and Operational Role
As delivered, Cleveland adds one more fast surface combatant optimized for patrol, maritime security, and operations in confined or shallow waters. Freedom-class ships use a combined diesel and gas-turbine propulsion system driving four waterjets, allowing speeds above 40 knots and a shallow draft suited to chokepoints and near-shore environments.
The class was equipped with a 57mm Mk 110 gun, a Rolling Airframe Missile launcher, radar, and electronic warfare systems, and aviation support for MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aircraft. Later ships also gained over-the-horizon strike capability through the Naval Strike Missile. Their COMBATSS-21 combat management system, derived from Aegis architecture, improved integration with wider fleet and allied networks.
Criticism and Strategic Reassessment
The LCS program faced sustained criticism over cost growth, mechanical issues, survivability concerns, and limited firepower. Several early hulls are already slated for early retirement as the Navy weighs maintenance costs against changing operational demands.
Those concerns intensified as China expanded the People’s Liberation Army Navy and fielded layered anti-access systems, including long-range anti-ship missiles, submarines, drones, and modern surface combatants. In that environment, the Navy increasingly questioned the suitability of lightly armed coastal warfare ships for contested Pacific operations.
Transition to a Different Fleet Mix
Even so, the Freedom-class served as an important testbed for distributed maritime operations, validating concepts centered on dispersing sensors, missiles, unmanned systems, and reconnaissance assets across more numerous platforms.
Cleveland, therefore, arrives at a transition point in Navy force design. The Pentagon is shifting toward more heavily armed and survivable warships, particularly the Constellation-class guided missile frigate, which is expected to provide more vertical launch capacity, stronger anti-submarine warfare, improved radar performance, and greater endurance for high-intensity conflict.
Industrial and Doctrinal Legacy
The Freedom-class program sustained shipbuilding jobs and preserved industrial expertise now feeding into next-generation frigate production. That industrial continuity remains strategically important as the United States seeks to expand naval output.
USS Cleveland marks the end of a divisive acquisition program, but also a bridge between eras. While debate over the class’s value is likely to continue, its contribution to modular mission systems, unmanned integration, and networked distributed operations remains part of the Navy’s evolving approach to Indo-Pacific warfare.

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