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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
A new type of rifle bullet in Ukraine could give infantry a better way to survive unjammable drone attacks
Drone warfare is driving the creation of a new type of bullet in the Ukraine war. A Ukrainian version is designed to fire from a NATO rifle and spread pellets to kill drones from afar. With unjammable drones on the battlefield, troops need ways to defend themselves with physical force. Anti-drone rifle bullets are emerging in the Ukraine war, potentially giving ground troops a safer option against the cheap drones that are now the battlefield's No. 1 killer. While Russian troops were seen experimenting with such ammo since at least last year's winter, Ukraine's defense innovation program debuted its own version in late June. Brave1 published a video of a soldier filling a cartridge with black and grey-tipped 5.56mm rounds, before loading it into a CZ Bren 2 assault rifle and firing at a drone in a test range. "The goal is for every infantryman to carry these NATO-codified cartridges, enabling them to react quickly to aerial threats," the government organization wrote, adding that the bullets "dramatically increase the chances of downing FPV drones." Brave1 did not publish footage of the bullet's interior design. However, United24 Media, an outlet run by the Ukrainian government, wrote that the bullets use a "custom-designed warhead that creates a dense and rapid fragmentation effect upon firing." In short, the tech would allow soldiers to fire a bullet that travels some distance before dispersing a spread of pellets to strike a first-person-view drone or quadcopter. That could allow infantry to start shooting at attack drones from a safer distance, compared to the last-resort measure of trying to down the threat with a shotgun, which is now the norm across Ukrainian units. The shotgun tactic has become especially needed against the rising use of fiber-optic drones by both sides. These drones receive their signals through long, thin cables instead of radio, meaning they can't be jammed via electronic warfare. As a result, many units carry 12-gauge shotguns with them. A new anti-drone bullet could allow infantry to simply bring extra rifle cartridges instead of a whole separate firearm. Brave1 did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Russian troops are making anti-drone bullets Notably, a similar style of bullet has appeared among Russian forces before. In November, Russia's 74th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade published a photo of a 5.45mm bullet, which is fired by the AK rifle. It was tipped with a heat-shrinking tube. Within the tube, the brigade wrote on its Telegram channel, there are four buckshot pellets meant to disperse and hit Ukrainian drones. It added that when handloading cartridges, troops should alternate between these new bullets and standard rounds or tracer rounds. This design appears to be more of a DIY creation and is distinct from the version that Ukraine's Brave1 showed. It's not clear if the bullet was made widely available for Russian forces. Z Parabellum MD, a pro-war Russian Telegram channel, published a separate video on November 29 showing several men working at a table to snap off the tips of 5.45mm rounds. In the footage, one of the men places heat-shrinking tubes on the bullet by hand. The channel also posted a video of a Russian soldier demonstrating the rounds, shooting them at a metal sheet in a firing range. In another example, a photo that circulated among Ukrainian channels in May showed a presentation board with an assortment of small-arms rounds used to destroy FPV drones. One of these was a 5.45mm round tipped with a casing containing six pellets. The growing appearance of such bullets on both sides shows how rapidly drone warfare is evolving in real time, with roughly three years of war driving a back-and-forth series of new technologies and tactics studied closely by militaries around the world. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palantir Just Launched Warp Speed for Warships. Does That Make PLTR Stock a Buy?
Defense stocks often fly under the radar, but when innovation and military demand collide, the potential upside can be massive. From shipbuilders to software providers, companies serving the U.S. Department of Defense are increasingly tapping into AI-driven tools to accelerate performance and gain long-term contracts. One such company is Palantir Technologies (PLTR), which has gained significant traction in a short time thanks to its deepening ties with the U.S. military. Shopify Stock is a Bargain - How to Make a 3.2% One-Month Yield with SHOP This Analyst Just Doubled His Price Target on AMD Stock How High Can Nvidia Stock Go as Jensen Huang Heads to China? Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! The company just took a major leap forward with the launch of Warp Speed for Warships, a new initiative in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the BlueForge Alliance. Designed to digitally transform America's maritime supply chain and shipbuilding ecosystem, the program aims to accelerate warship production and bolster national defense readiness using Palantir's AI‑powered platforms. With PLTR stock already sitting near all-time highs and institutional buying surging, the launch of Warp Speed could mark a pivotal moment. Here's what investors need to know about Palantir's bold defense push. Founded in 2003, Palantir Technologies is a tech company that develops software platforms for the intelligence community and commercial enterprises globally. The company offers several key products, including Palantir Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and the Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). The company has a market cap of around $335 billion for now. After delivering a strong performance in the previous year, Palantir's shares have continued their upward trajectory in 2025. Despite a broader market selloff, the stock has managed to climb more than 94% year to date, making it the top-performing S&P 500 Index ($SPX) stock this year. At the same time, Palantir's stock currently trades at lofty multiples. PLTR's forward price-earnings ratio stands at around 389 times earnings, reflecting very high growth expectations. Palantir Technologies is expanding its defense business through a major new initiative called 'Warp Speed for Warships,' launched in partnership with the U.S. Navy and BlueForge Alliance. The program aims to connect shipbuilders, suppliers, and defense partners via a real-time digital network to improve delivery speed, coordination, and supply chain efficiency. Funded by the Navy's Maritime Industrial Base office, the initiative extends Palantir's focus beyond submarines to include surface warships. BlueForge's co-CEO said the effort provides U.S. industry with the digital tools needed to meet rising defense demands. Beyond warships, Palantir is gaining traction with other defense contracts. The Pentagon raised its Maven Smart System deal with Palantir by $795 million in May, boosting the total to $1.3 billion through 2029. The company also landed a NATO Maven contract, signaling broader global adoption. Together, these deals reinforce Palantir's growing role in modern military technology. On May 15, Palantir delivered first-quarter results that easily topped expectations across the board. Revenue surged 39% year-over-year to $884 million, with strong momentum in its core U.S. business. Domestic revenue jumped 55% to $628 million, fueled by a massive 71% gain in U.S. commercial sales, which hit $255 million. Government sales weren't far behind, rising 45% to $373 million. Even more impressive was Palantir's profitability. The company posted GAAP operating income of $176 million, or $0.13 on an adjusted basis, good for a 20% margin, while net income came in at $214 million, or a 24% margin. Cash generation was also robust. Palantir pulled in $310 million in operating cash and $370 million in free cash flow, with conversion margins of 35% and 42%, respectively. Management sounded upbeat about the year ahead, raising its full-year revenue forecast to between $3.89 billion and $3.902 billion, reflecting 36% growth. Last week, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives reiterated an 'Outperform' rating on Palantir and raised his 12-month price target to $160, up from $140. The new target implies about 8.5% upside. Ives described Palantir as the 'Messi of AI,' citing a potential $1 billion opportunity in the U.S. commercial sector and continued strength in federal adoption. However, most Wall Street analysts remain cautious. The consensus rating on PLTR stock is still 'Hold,' with many believing the stock has risen too far above its intrinsic value. Based on the average price target of around $106, analysts see a potential downside of around 28%. On the date of publication, Nauman Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
