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Special Report
2 Actively Managed Defense ETFs That Can Pivot as the War Evolves
Written by Nathan Reiff. First Published: 4/1/2026.
Key Points
- Two prominent actively managed ETFs holding defense stocks have surged in recent months even as the broader market has faltered.
- IDEF has wide latitude in seeking out global defense names, giving it excellent room to pivot in light of new information related to geopolitical conflicts.
- ARKX is a space-focused fund that has considerable overlap with defense industry names as well.
- Special Report: The Biggest IPO Ever: Claim Your Stake Today
As actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) gain popularity versus passive funds, investors may find them advantageous for timely issues such as the ongoing Iran conflict. A key benefit of active funds is that managers can adjust portfolios in real time in response to market developments, while many passive funds track indices that are rebalanced only periodically.
Active funds typically charge higher annual fees, but they may justify the cost if they deliver superior performance in fast-moving markets. The conflict in Iran is a case in point: with near-constant updates on U.S. objectives and strategy — and major upheaval in energy markets — defense stock investors must be nimble. The active defense ETFs below can help investors outsource those day-to-day decisions.
A Broad International Defense and Security Fund, but With Minimal Performance History
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The iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (NASDAQ: IDEF) targets companies likely to benefit from rising global defense and security spending. Its portfolio spans aerospace, defense, infrastructure and cybersecurity firms worldwide, with roughly 60% of holdings based in the U.S. Other notable country exposures include South Korea, the United Kingdom and Japan.
IDEF’s holdings are positioned to gain from increased government defense spending triggered by geopolitical turmoil, making the fund responsive to conflicts such as those in Iran and Ukraine.
The fund holds about 111 stocks, with the top 10 representing more than 42% of the portfolio. Those top holdings include major U.S. defense names like RTX Corp. (NYSE: RTX) and Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT), alongside international companies such as Rheinmetall (OTCMKTS: RNMBY) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (OTCMKTS: MHVYF) (see top holdings).
Despite concentration in several large names, IDEF is relatively diversified for a defense-focused ETF. Its expense ratio is a modest 0.55% for an actively managed fund. However, it lacks a long track record — launched in May 2025 — so it has less than a year of performance history. Since launch it has returned more than 25%, despite a roughly 15% pullback in the last month amid broader market declines.
A Space-Focused Fund With a Defense Angle
The ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (BATS: ARKX) combines a space-focused theme with exposure to defense-related companies. Space technology and defense overlap significantly — firms working on intelligent devices, autonomous mobility, reusable rockets and related innovations often serve both commercial space and defense markets.
ARKX’s investable universe is relatively small: the fund holds under three dozen positions, making it fairly concentrated. It carries a higher expense ratio than IDEF, with an annual fee of 0.75%.
Investors should note that ARKX is not a pure-play defense fund; it includes mainstream companies such as Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), though typically at smaller weightings than core defense names (see its portfolio).
ARKX has a longer track record than IDEF — roughly five years since launch — and a one-year total return near 60%. That performance follows a recent roughly 13% decline.
Given its thematic focus, ARKX is more likely to adjust weightings than to change its underlying stock roster in response to news. Even modest allocation tweaks can materially affect returns in a rapidly shifting market.
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