Testing
A first-person view (FPV) type quadcopter drone controlled via a fiber optic cable was among the participants in a U.S. Navy-led exercise earlier this year focused on exploring new distributed electronic warfare capabilities. Fiber optic kamikaze FPVs, which Russia first began using in Ukraine last year and have now
Testing
* Airbus U.S. Space & Defense recently completed its first autonomous helicopter test flight utilizing Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy package. The test flight, which took place in Grand Prairie, Texas, marks a significant step in the development of the MQ-72C Lakota Connector, in support of the U.S. Marine
News
The U.S. Army has requested Fiscal Year 2026 funding for small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS, commonly referred to as drones). These systems support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); target acquisition and strike; electronic warfare operations; and other missions. Congress has expressed an interest in the U.S. military’s
Business
* AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the successful delivery of its Group 2 P550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to the U.S. Army as part of the Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program to support training and operations for Transformation in Contact (TiC) brigades. This initial delivery includes multiple P550 systems along with
Testing
The Lockheed Martin F-35A has completed a first-of-its-kind strike test with the help of a PDW C100 drone. Acting as a laser designator, the drone guided four bombs to target, showing how small unmanned systems can enhance stealth aircraft without risking pilots or ground forces. In a breakthrough for battlefield
Weapons Systems
Taiwan’s armed forces have developed a launch system for AGM-114 Hellfire missiles concealed inside what otherwise looks to be a civilian truck. Taiwanese authorities say the truck-mounted launcher could provide a valuable new means of employing Hellfires, especially if its AH-1W and AH-64E attack helicopters are faced with heavy
Testing
* Electra, in partnership with Surf Air Mobility Inc. and Virginia Tech, successfully completed the first series of public demonstrations of its Ultra Short aircraft capabilities earlier this month. The demos – captured as part of a new video series – highlight how blown lift and hybrid-electric propulsion together enable takeoffs and landings
Transport
A new startup has a contract with the Air Force’s innovation arm and a prototype to test its new concept: a network of “flying pickup truck” drones to solve the problem of logistics in the vast Pacific. * Grid Aero debuted its “Lifter Lite” drone Aug. 18, as the firm
Business
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency has signed a contract with a British company, Operational Solutions Ltd. (OSL), for the purchase of new anti-drone systems. The systems being acquired are known as anti-drone systems, also called "Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems," or C-UAS, which will protect bases as well as
Business
* ParaZero Technologies Ltd. has announced a significant development with a new purchase order for its advanced Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) solution from a reputable defense agency. This achievement reflects ParaZero’s strategic expansion into the defense sector, particularly within the rapidly evolving counter-drone marketplace. Currently, as the prevalence of drones
Business
Fiber laser specialist IPG Photonics has posted sales of $251 million for the second quarter of the year, well above the figure of $225 million that company executives had forecast back in May. CEO Mark Gitin attributed that to the combination of a “modest recovery” in the firm’s key
News
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has introduced a new multi-role unmanned aerial system developed at the state-run Plant 202 in collaboration with private-sector manufacturers. The program, aimed at meeting the demands of asymmetric warfare, emphasizes mass production, low cost, and operational versatility. According to National Defense Online, the lineup