This Friday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on future warfare incorporating more AI and unmanned systems, plus missile defense coverage and more.

Traditional weapon systems aren't the way of the future, according to a former Google CEO:

Schmidt: Pentagon buying wrong weapons for future war, must abandon major programs

The Pentagon is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the wrong weapons and must fundamentally restructure its acquisition portfolio -- abandoning most major programs -- to prepare for a future of autonomous, AI-driven warfare, said Eric Schmidt, a retired Google executive with deep ties to both Silicon Valley and the national security establishment.

More unmanned systems and AI coverage:

Air Force wants to buy more than 150 CCAs by 2031

The Air Force is eyeing procurement of more than 150 Collaborative Combat Aircraft through 2031, service leaders revealed last week, signaling for the first time the potential quantity of drone wingmen the service anticipates buying.

AI models spotting cyber risk can help the Pentagon secure its networks, DOD officials say

Artificial intelligence models that specialize in identifying and exploiting cyber vulnerabilities -- like Anthropic's Mythos -- provide an opportunity for the Defense Department to mitigate cyber risk in its systems and build more robust code, Pentagon officials said today at an AI conference in downtown Washington.

Missile defense news:

Pentagon plans Project Maverick: East Coast hypersonic missile test in 2027

The Pentagon next year will attempt to track and shoot down a maneuvering hypersonic missile flying up the U.S. East Coast, the first live demonstration of a layered defense the military has been racing to build against a class of weapons fielded by China and Russia.

Last but by means least, some cyber defense news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

Trump counterterrorism strategy brings up questions over coordination to address offensive cyber ops

Coordinating responses between the public and private sectors will be an important part of the Trump administration's rollout of the national counterterrorism strategy, according to Venable's Stacy O'Mara, who reflected on the incorporation of offensive cyber operations in the new policy document.