While defense industry entrants are bringing welcome competition to Pentagon modernization efforts, the heritage defense giants are also working with some of the new firms on microelectronics advancements, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said on Tuesday. Such collaboration has included defense heavyweights Lockheed Martin [LMT], Northrop Grumman [NOC], and RTX [RTX] and relative newcomers Anduril, Epirus, and Tignis, she said. California's Epirus specializes in high-powered microwave counter drone systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced electronics, while the Seattle-based Tignis focuses…
