Business
The FAA has issued a Screening Information Request (SIR) 697DCK-26-R-00019 for the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site (UASTS) Selection 2.0. This procurement is in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Office (AUS). The FAA-designated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test
Accidents
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed Monday morning off the west coast of South Korea, a South Korean newspaper reported the same day, citing U.S. and South Korean military sources. The Reaper, assigned to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, “experienced an accident
C-UAS
The United States has tested a specialized 5.56×45 mm anti-drone ammunition designed to intercept FPVs and small quadcopters at close range. The round allows a conventional assault rifle to serve as a “point air defence” for infantry. The bullet’s design features a shifted center of mass and
Business
* IonQ, a leading quantum company, has announced a new investment and strategic partnership with Heven AeroTech, a developer of advanced hydrogen-powered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) solutions for defense and aerospace missions. The agreement will enable Heven AeroTech to integrate IonQ’s quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum sensing, and quantum security
Targets
Florida will provide the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with 500 confiscated Chinese drones to be used as target practice at its headquarters in Tampa. The quadcopter drones will be used next month over a three-day period to train elite U.S. troops on how to fend off against
Weapons Systems
* MBDA has been awarded £316 million (USD 413M) contract to deliver new DragonFire systems to the Royal Navy from 2027, after achieving UK first in latest testing by shooting down high-speed drones with new laser system. Britain’s ground-breaking DragonFire laser has shot down high-speed drones in new trials, as
C-UAS
With plans to establish a drone wall to combat a surge in Russian UAV incursions, multiple states in NATO’s Eastern Flank are now adopting Merops, the battle-tested ‘Shahed-killer’ counter-drone system. Merops has been fast-tracked to countries like Poland and Romania, both of which are witnessing mounting drone incursions from
Business
* Shield AI and Destinus have announced a strategic partnership to integrate Hivemind, Shield AI’s mission autonomy software, across Destinus’ aerial platforms. Together, the companies are creating the first scalable, cross-platform autonomy architecture jointly developed by next-generation defence leaders in Europe and the United States. By combining Shield AI’s
C-UAS
Several Ukrainian defence companies are preparing to launch mass production of anti-drone rounds. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the expansion of production, saying the Ministry of Defense has already codified this type of ammunition from several Ukrainian manufacturers and that they are ready for large-scale output. The rounds are intended
Business
* General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a ceiling $9,687,497 cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price, indefinite contract for Kingdom of Spain Air and Space Force MQ-9A remotely piloted aircraft systems contract logistics support. This contract provides logistics support activities including depot repair, engineering services, field team support and
Business
The United States Air Force awarded a $50 million contract for small drones to Anduril Industries last month, a move that could help transform MQ-9 Reapers into drone-launching motherships. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contract is for Anduril’s ALTIUS 600, a small drone that has been involved
Testing
* Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, with industry partners and the U.S. Air Force, controlled an unmanned aerial system (UAS) from the cockpit of a 5th Gen fighter while in flight. During the flight out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, an F-22 Raptor pilot successfully used an open interface in