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
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
Law Enforcement
An MQ-9 Guardian medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) flew deep into Mexico last week, according to flight tracking data. What at least appears publicly to be a very rare event comes as the Trump administration has reportedly authorized the military to take
C-UAS
* Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced that is has successfully completed its first series of open-water demonstrations of its advanced maritime Mission Equipment Package (MEP) for counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) naval fleet protection. The DRS maritime MEP is a scalable C-UAS system based on DRS’s proven land-based mobile short-range air defense
AI
* Auterion, the international defence software company and provider of AI-powered drone software solutions, has announced a landmark commitment to deliver 33,000 artificial intelligence-driven drone 'strike kits' to Ukraine. The initiative, backed by a $50 million Pentagon contract, represents a major step forward in supporting Ukraine’s defense
The German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems says it is working on developing a mothership drone called Sparta. As a company spokesperson told hartpunkt, the system, which is currently being developed in Ukraine, is expected to reach series production by the end of the year. He also pointed out that the
VTOL
In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. The sleek, runway-independent uncrewed aircraft can be launched from the decks of ordinary warships – even in
The 'Pavuk Dopkhina' (Dophin Spider) drone, is cutting-edge technology developed by the 3rd Assault Brigade and Omnitech, with support from Brave1, according to a post on the official Telegram channel of Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation. The name “Dophin” honours a
C-UAS
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is poised to secure up to $9 billion in a massive contract from the German Armed Forces for its Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft gun system, with deliveries expected by 2035. The announcement, made by Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger during a recent earnings call, signals a significant investment
Following a November 2022 Pentagon report on China’s military build-up that used the term “uncrewed aerial systems,” the “uncrewed” adjective has become an increasingly fashionable alternative to the previously dominant “unmanned” descriptor. The term has been used in DoD, NATO, and congressional defense publications, by defense contractors like Lockheed
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the first flight of an MQ-9A Reaper, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24, equipped with the SkyTower II and RDESS/SOAR pods. The Command defined this as a critical step toward Initial Operational Capability (IOC) later this year.
VTOL
* Piasecki Aircraft Corporation has announced the next evolution in autonomous VTOL logistics: KARGO II, a new larger-capacity version of the KARGO UAV medium-lift unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) acquired from Kaman Air Vehicles in April 2025. Featuring substantial payload, drivetrain, and performance upgrades, KARGO II complements KARGO UAV to meet the