3 Under-The-Radar Defense Tech Stocks — Small Caps With Real Pentagon Contracts

While Wall Street fixates on Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) and the hyperscaler AI arms race, a cluster of small-cap defense tech companies is building contract backlogs that suggest the real AI spending wave hasn't fully arrived yet.

Benzinga • 15 hours ago

Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) Discusses Strategic Partnership to Manufacture and Market Loitering Munition Systems for U.S. Defense Transcript

Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) Discusses Strategic Partnership to Manufacture and Market Loitering Munition Systems for U.S. Defense Transcript

Seeking Alpha • Jun 9, 2026

Palladyne AI and IAI Form Partnership to Manufacture and Sell Combat-Proven Loitering Munition Systems to the U.S. Department of War

SALT LAKE CITY & TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palladyne AI and IAI Form Partnership to Manufacture and Sell Combat-Proven Loitering Munition Systems to the U.S. Department of War.

Business Wire • Jun 8, 2026

Palladyne AI to Participate in Jefferies 2026 Defense Tech Summit

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palladyne AI Corp. (NASDAQ: PDYN and PDYNW) (“Palladyne AI”), a U.S.-based defense and industrial technology company delivering embodied AI-powered collaborative autonomy solutions, advanced avionics, precision-manufactured components, UAVs and advanced aerospace engineering services, announced today that Ben Wolff, President and CEO, will participate in a fireside chat at the 2026 Jefferies Defense Tech Summit on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Presentation Details Dat.

Business Wire • Jun 3, 2026

Palladyne AI Appoints Retired Lieutenant General Sean Bernabe and Retired Brigadier General Gwyn Armfield to Defense Advisory Board

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palladyne AI Corp. (NASDAQ: PDYN and PDYNW) (“Palladyne AI”), a U.S.-based defense and industrial technology company delivering embodied AI-powered collaborative autonomy solutions, advanced avionics, precision-manufactured components, UAVs, and advanced aerospace engineering services, today announced that retired Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe and retired Brig. Gen. Gwyn Armfield have joined the Company's Defense Advisory Board. The appointments come as Palladyne AI sca.

Business Wire • Jun 1, 2026

Palladyne AI: Autonomy And The 'Relentless Wolfpack'

Palladyne AI is transitioning from an AI software innovator to a vertically integrated defense contractor, leveraging recent acquisitions and major DoD partnerships. PDYN expects 2026 revenues of $24–27 million, with recent contracts and a $17 million backlog supporting sequential quarterly growth, though profitability is unlikely before 2030. The company's edge-AI and swarm autonomy platforms have secured significant wins, including US Navy and Air Force contracts, positioning PDYN to benefit from long-term defense modernization tailwinds.

Seeking Alpha • May 28, 2026

Palladyne AI Announces Employee Equity Awards

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palladyne AI Corp. (Nasdaq: PDYN and PDYNW) (“Palladyne AI”), a U.S.-based defense and industrial technology company delivering embodied AI-powered collaborative autonomy solutions, advanced avionics, precision-manufactured components, UAVs, and advanced aerospace engineering services, today announced that effective May 20, 2026, the Compensation Committee of Palladyne AI's Board of Directors approved the grant of, in the aggregate, 91,528 restricted stock units.

Business Wire • May 22, 2026

Palladyne: Betting On Swarm AI And Defense Automation

Palladyne AI Corp. is evolving into a vertically integrated defense contractor, targeting automation and AI-driven defense and industrial markets. PDYN reported $3.5M in quarterly revenue, missing estimates, but maintained full-year guidance of $24–27M, citing delayed government contracts and strong backlog growth. Gross margin was 30% at 30% manufacturing utilization; significant margin improvement is expected as scale increases and software revenues ramp.

Seeking Alpha • May 9, 2026

Palladyne AI Reports First Quarter 2026 Results

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Palladyne AI Reports First Quarter 2026 Results.

Business Wire • May 5, 2026

Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Seeking Alpha • May 5, 2026