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XTEND CEO: Defense Companies Focus on Wrong Metric

September 9, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

Defense investors rely on outdated metrics.
Artificial intelligence makes traditional metrics less predictive.
Operational learning velocity is a key future metric.
Software-defined defense changes competitive advantage.

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Strategic Implications

This shift may indicate that defense companies prioritizing software updates and adaptability could gain a competitive edge. The emphasis on operational learning velocity suggests that companies able to quickly integrate field feedback into deployable capabilities may outperform those focused solely on hardware production, which could alter the defense industry landscape.

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What Happened

Artificial Intelligence Changes Defense Industry Landscape

XTEND AI Robotics CEO Aviv Shapira argues that traditional metrics used to evaluate defense companies, such as contract wins and production capacity, are becoming less relevant due to the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in the industry. Instead, Shapira suggests that operational learning velocity, or the speed at which a company can turn field feedback into deployable capability updates, will be a key metric in the future. This shift reflects a broader trend towards software-defined defense systems that can continuously improve through software updates, as reported by Benzinga.

Source | Originally Published: September 8, 2026

Companies Mentioned