A new class of contractor is forcing the Pentagon to rethink how it builds, buys, and fields the technology that keeps the country secure. Industry insiders call them "neoprimes," a new generation of venture-backed, software-first companies, primarily based in Silicon Valley, that are disrupting the traditional defense industrial base. They are building platform-level technology companies whose products happen to serve the Department of Defense as a primary customer, shifting the focus from "exquisite" legacy hardware to AI-powered, autonomous systems designed to meet the speed of modern warfare. In the last six months, they've landed the largest enterprise contracts in Pentagon history, been tapped to build the software layer for the country's most expensive weapons program, and forced legacy giants like Lockheed Martin to admit publicly that they are now, in some cases, the subcontractor.

This week's Intelligence Report goes deep on the neoprimes: who leads them, how they compete, why the primes are scrambling to adapt, and what it all means for the future of American defense technology.

What's Inside The Report:

Let’s get into it.