The private American company Warhound announced a project to create genetically enhanced working dogs for military and rescue missions, and in parallel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth banned military officials from using non-public information for betting on military operations.
Warhound was founded by Ben Lam, co-founder of the biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, and Palmer Luckey, founder of the defense technology company Anduril. The new company announced initial funding of $ 200 million. It plans to combine genetic technologies, cloning, training and cybernetic devices to help dogs and their handlers better navigate in dangerous environments.
The project is a private company and is not presented as an official Pentagon program. Warhound says it will create dogs with characteristics suited to demanding missions while also seeking to reduce health problems and attrition during training. The company notes that more than 80 percent of U.S. military dogs are sourced from Europe, and fewer than half of the animals that go through the roughly three-year selection and training process actually make it to service.
Cloning, Genetics, and Cybernetics
Warhound will use Colossal’s genetic engineering platform and biobank, as well as Anduril’s technology to equip the dogs and connect them to their handlers. The company says the system could include eye and ear protection, situational awareness software and other devices designed to improve safety on the job.
CEO David Spark said the long-term goal is to create "healthier dogs, better-prepared teams and more service members and rescuers who return home safely." The company says the dogs could be used by police and emergency services in addition to the military. Warhound also says it will provide care for the animals from birth to retirement and procedures for returning them to their former handlers.
Hegseth restricts betting on military operations
In a separate directive, Pete Hegseth banned military personnel, intelligence officers, and other military civilian employees from using classified or nonpublic but unclassified information for betting on platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi.
The memorandum provides for administrative penalties and possible criminal charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or federal law. According to the Associated Press, the directive came months after the indictment of a special forces sergeant who participated in the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Federal prosecutors allege that he used his access to information to bet more than $32,500 on the timing of Maduro's removal. His potential profit exceeded $400,000.
Hegseth also points to another risk: financial interest could influence the decisions of employees involved in logistics, analysis or planning operations. The Pentagon said it had no additional information beyond the text of the memorandum.
Sources: tmcnet.com, apnews.com