Autonomy is transforming every domain of national security, reshaping how the United States and its allies deter conflict, safeguard troops, and maintain global stability. To explore this rapidly evolving landscape, NightDragon recently hosted its NightVision: State of Autonomy virtual event featuring Saronic Co-Founder and CTO Vibhav Altekar, Epirus CTO Michael Hiatt, and NightDragon investors Morgan Kyauk and Hannah Huffman. Together, they examined the technological breakthroughs driving autonomy, the national security implications, and the opportunities and challenges ahead for innovators building in this space.
The event builds on a recent Market Report released by NightDragon examining the different ways autonomy is changing the national security, defense and cybersecurity markets. Read that full report on the state of autonomy here.
A full recording of the three-part event can be found below.
Additionally, here are some takeaways from the NightVision State of Autonomy event:
1. Autonomy is accelerating across all five domains of warfare—plus cyber.
AI has rapidly enabled startups to bring autonomous capabilities to air, sea, ground, space, and cyber. Morgan Kyauk noted that the pace of innovation since the emergence of modern generative AI has opened the door for commercial technologies to quickly move into defense. Real-world use cases in Ukraine and the Middle East have further catalyzed adoption, proving how autonomy can dramatically change the cost curve and tactical effectiveness.
2. National security demand is rising as autonomy both saves lives and reduces cost.
From large USVs to swarms of low-cost drones, autonomy allows the U.S. and allies to field more systems at lower cost—creating strategic advantages in future conflicts. This combination of force protection and mass manufacturability has made autonomy a top national priority.
3. Manufacturing at scale is becoming a defining challenge—and differentiator.
Hannah underscored that the U.S. faces a stark manufacturing deficit, particularly compared to China’s massive shipbuilding and robotics output. The companies that master manufacturing throughput, supply-chain control, and repeatable production will be the ones capable of meeting DoD demand and shaping the future force.
4. Counter-autonomy is now as important as autonomy itself.
With drones proliferating globally, the rise of “one-to-many” attacks has rendered traditional one-to-one air defense models insufficient. Epirus CTO Michael Hiatt explained how high-power microwave systems and sensor fusion are critical to neutralizing swarms efficiently and affordably. Their recent demonstration—disabling 49 drones in under a second—underscores how counter-UAS requires entirely new architectures, not incremental upgrades of legacy systems.
5. Vertical integration is becoming the winning model for next-gen defense companies.
Both investors and operators stressed the importance of companies owning their hardware, software, supply chain, and product feedback loops. This approach enables faster innovation, tighter security, and more rapid iteration with warfighters.
6. Human-machine teaming is the future—not full automation overnight.
Autonomy doesn’t remove humans from the loop; it changes the nature of their role. Saronic’s Vib Altekar described a “seven-star” user experience—one where operators feel confident, informed, and minimally burdened. Reducing manual interventions, improving operator trust, and designing interfaces that feel intuitive are essential to successful real-world deployment.
7. Maritime autonomy is poised for a breakout moment.
Despite massive investments in automotive and aerial autonomy over the last decade, the maritime domain remains relatively underdeveloped. Saronic is filling this gap—building vessels from six feet to over 150 feet, all designed with autonomy, manufacturability, and data collection in mind. Vib Altekar emphasized that building ocean infrastructure and robotics is foundational to global trade, deterrence, and national security.
8. Multi-domain integration will mirror the architecture of the internet.
True autonomy requires systems across space, air, land, sea, and subsea to communicate, share data, and adapt in real time. Vib pointed out that this vision resembles the internet: open protocols, distributed systems, and flexible integration layers. Advances in AI models will accelerate this convergence, making it easier for autonomous assets to build shared situational awareness across domains.
9. AI-enabled cyber threats are coming—and autonomous cyber defense must follow.
While AI hasn’t yet transformed offensive cyber at scale, Morgan Kyauk warned that it’s imminent. As attackers adopt AI to increase speed and complexity, autonomous defense will be essential for triage, patching, detection, and response. The future of security is already shaping up as AI-versus-AI.