The U.S. Department of Defense's Drone Dominance Program targeting 200,000 autonomous systems by 2027, combined with historic defense budgets ($1T FY2026, $1.5T FY2027 proposal), is accelerating procurement of AI-driven autonomous platforms. Major defense contractors including AeroVironment, Elbit Systems, Leonardo DRS, and Unusual Machines are securing significant contracts and awards. VisionWave Holdings announced its first signed Latin American defense order alongside a presentation to 580+ investors, positioning itself as an emerging player in the autonomous systems market.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT) shares rose 12.06% after reporting Q4 2025 results with revenue of $2.148 billion (slightly missing consensus) and expanded margins. The company's order backlog reached $28.1 billion with 54% scheduled for 2026-2027. Strong performance across most segments, particularly in C4I/Cyber (19% Y/Y growth) and ISTAR/EW (39% Y/Y growth), was offset by a 14% decline in Aerospace revenues. The company declared a $1.00 per share dividend and highlighted over $500 million in R&D investments including AI enhancements.

Ten large-cap stocks were top performers during the week of March 2-6, 2026, driven by strong earnings, raised guidance, bullish analyst calls, and strategic catalysts. The Trade Desk led with a 26.7% gain following OpenAI advertising discussions and insider buying, while Intuit surged 19.25%, Guidewire jumped 17.99% on better-than-expected results, and LyondellBasell soared 17.65% on analyst upgrades.

Prominent investor Steve Eisman advises against overreacting to the Iran war, recommending investors maintain their current strategies rather than make reactive trades. While geopolitical crises typically have limited long-term market impact, some sectors like defense may benefit from increased spending. The article suggests selective investments in defense-related assets could be reasonable, but warns against drastically changing investment plans based on short-term news.

Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, defense stocks rallied with drone makers Ondas Holdings and Elbit Systems gaining 10% and 7% respectively. Ondas, a small defense tech company with rapidly growing revenue, is believed to have been involved in the strikes and announced a $10 million strategic investment. Elbit Systems, the primary drone supplier for the Israeli Defense Forces, benefits from increased demand due to regional conflict and maintains a substantial $25.2 billion order backlog.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ: ESLT) stock rose 1.66% in premarket trading Tuesday following the announcement of approximately $435 million in new defense contracts spanning six years. The contracts include advanced defense systems and land systems. This comes after a January 26 announcement of a $228 million contract from General Dynamics for Iron Fist Active Protection Systems for U.S. Army Bradley vehicles. The company maintains a strong order backlog of $25.2 billion as of September 30, 2025.

The maritime surveillance and intervention market grew from $31.39 billion in 2025 to $34.64 billion in 2026 (10.4% CAGR) and is projected to reach $49.51 billion by 2030 (9.3% CAGR). Growth drivers include rising maritime security threats, offshore energy expansion, autonomous systems advancements, and increased military spending. Key players are developing advanced technologies like underwater surveillance systems and expanding through strategic acquisitions.

Nukkleus Inc. (NASDAQ:NUKK) has completed its acquisition of Tiltan Software Engineering Ltd., an Israeli defense technology company with 30 years of expertise in AI-driven simulation, synthetic data generation, and GPS-denied navigation systems. The acquisition, valued at approximately $14 million, strengthens Nukkleus's position in the rapidly growing defense AI market, which is projected to grow from $28 billion to $65.5 billion by 2034. Tiltan's technology is embedded in systems used by major Israeli defense contractors including Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The small caliber ammunition market is projected to grow from USD 5.7 billion in 2024 to USD 7.0 billion by 2029, driven by increasing defense budgets, geopolitical conflicts, and rising public safety concerns.

Nukkleus announced its acquisition target Rimon is set to benefit from a major Iron Dome expansion deal signed by Israel's Ministry of Defense, with significant U.S. defense funding supporting increased production of missile defense system components.

Elbit Systems reported strong Q3 2025 results with $1.92 billion revenue, $25.2 billion order backlog, and adjusted EPS of $3.35, beating consensus estimates. The company secured a significant $2.3 billion international contract and saw growth in land and cyber revenues.

Nukkleus announced a $14 million acquisition of Israeli defense technology firm Tiltan, focusing on AI-driven simulation and GPS-denied navigation tools. The deal caused Nukkleus stock to surge nearly 40% as investors viewed the strategic expansion positively.