TAMPA, Florida. AeroVironment (AV) is showcasing MAYHEM 10, a modular, multi-role launched weapon designed for contested environments, at SOF Week 2026 this week.

TAMPA, Florida. U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will not tolerate closed, proprietary systems -- and is actively working to reopen legacy platforms that have become locked to single vendors, Melissa A. Johnson, acquisition executive at USSOCOM, told industry attendees during her keynote at SOF Week 2026.

SOF WEEK, Tampa Florida. Engineers at AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (made two additions to the company’s AV_Halo unified mission software platform: AV_Halo INSTINCT, a next-generation autonomy framework for multi-platform uncrewed systems (UxS), and AV_Halo DETECT, an advanced radio frequency (RF) sensing and security solution for contested and denied environments. They re debuting the capability at SOF Week this week in Tampa.

SOF WEEK 2026--TAMPA. Leonardo DRS announced the launch of its Tenum 640 Orbit uncooled long-wave infrared (LWIR) thermal camera module optimized for uncrewed air, ground, and maritime platforms at SOF Week 2026, currently underway in Tampa.  

TAMPA, Florida. The January seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during Operation Absolute Resolve has set a new benchmark for how U.S. Special Operations Forces will operate in future conflicts, said U.S. Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), during his keynote address at SOF Week 2026.

SOF WEEK 2026--TAMPA. Radio-frequency (RF) platform provider Hidden Level will highlight its advanced passive radar and counter-uncrewed aerial system (UAS) sensing capabilities during this week's SOF Week 2026 as it seeks to demonstrate to showgoers its low-signature, integration-ready technology that enhances situational awareness, force protection, and decision advantage for Special Operations forces operating in contested environments. 

AUSTIN, Tex. Hyliion Holdings, which develops modular power plant technology, announced that the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have chosen the USX-1 Defiant -- a fully autonomous medium uncrewed surface vessel (USV) -- as a candidate test vessel for Hyliion’s KARNO onboard power-generation technology.

Ahead of SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Global SOF Foundation President & CEO Stu Bradin discusses the rapid growth of the event, the launch of the new “Outpost” aviation and drone hub at Peter O’Knight Airport, and why special operations continues to gain strategic importance worldwide.

TAMPA, Florida. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Department of War's Chief Technology Officer, will headline a panel discussion on lethal artificial intelligence and autonomous systems at SOF Week 2026 on May 20, joining senior industry leaders to address what organizers are calling the evolution of America's "asymmetric edge" in special operations.

SOF WEEK 2026. The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will host a live cpabilities demonstration during SOF Week 2026 outside of the Tampa Convention Center. USSOCOM collaborates with 10 partner nations, taking over the Tampa Bay waterfront for a simulation featuring the future of special operations technology and tactical innovation on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

SOF WEEK 2026--TAMPA. Satellite communications provider iDirect Government (iDirectGov), announced the release of its WCore virtualized waveform core and hardware abstraction layer that it says transforms an appliance into a software-defined modem (SDM) capable of operating seamlessly across multiple waveforms.

ADELAIDE, Australia. L3Harris Technologies annouced delivery of its advanced robotic systems designed to protect Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel during dangerous tasks, including neutralizing explosive devices and responding to hazardous-materials threats. 

TAMPA, Florida. SOFWERX, the nonprofit innovation lab that helps small and non-traditional defense firms do business with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), has contracted $503 million through 1,824 purchase orders and commercial agreements -- more than quadrupling the $116 million figure reported at SOF Week 2023, said Leslie Babich, director of SOFWERX, during a session at SOF Week 2026.

TAMPA, Florida. Learning how to operate in a radio frequency (RF) environment that is heavily contested is one of the chief challenges facing U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and figuring out autonomous trust will be key to that effort, said David Breede, Deputy Director for Acquisition at USSOCOM, during his keynote at SOF Week 2026.

SOF WEEK 2026--TAMPA. Defense technology Quantum Cyber is exhibiting its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system-of-systems platform for autonomous warfare, counter-uncrewed systems, and border security applications at this week's SOF Week 2026 exhibition (May 18-21) in Tampa, Florida.