Propulsion
Ukraine’s New Drone Motors Hit 400 km/h – Fast Enough to Hunt Jet Shaheds
Ukraine can now mass-produce a motor that makes interceptor drones go 400 kilometers per hour, the Brave1 Defense Cluster announced in December.
Latest
Testing
PteroDynamics and AV Demonstrate Integrated EW Capabilities on Transwing VTOL UAS
PteroDynamics and AeroVironment, Inc. recently collaborated for a joint technology demonstration at Silent Swarm 25, hosted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Michigan.
Testing
China’s First Unmanned Convertiplane Makes First Flight
China Science announced on December 18 that the Lanying R6000, the China-developed world’s first 6-tonne tiltrotor aircraft, has completed its maiden flight in Deyang, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Boasting both the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a helicopter and the fast cruising speed of
Military
US Marines Want 10,000 FPV Drones at $4K a Pop
The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for companies that can provide 10,000 first-person view drones by Jan. 1, 2027, according to a recent Request for Information (RFI) on a government procurement website. While just a minute fraction of the number of FPV drones being used by both
Regulations
China Puts Drone Rules into Law as Low-Altitude Economy Takes Off
Beijing adopted sweeping revisions to its decades-old Civil Aviation Law on Saturday, formally bringing uncrewed aircraft such as drones under the national legal framework for the first time and signaling state support for the country’s rapidly growing low-altitude economy.
Military
US Air Force Plans to Start its Own Experimental One-Way Attack Drone Unit
The U.S. Air Force will stand up a new unit to shape how the service fights with low-cost, one-way attack drones.
Military
German Navy to Procure 8 MQ-9B SeaGuardians
The German Navy will receive four Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Systems from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for maritime long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.
Business
European Maritime Safety Agency Selects Airbus Flexrotor Drone for Maritime Surveillance Missions
* Airbus has been awarded a €30 million framework contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services for multipurpose maritime surveillance with the Flexrotor Unmanned Aerial System. These services enhance Coast Guard missions by offering extended coastal range and long-endurance capabilities. “We
Business
US Army Seeks MQ-1C Gray Eagle Replacement
For years, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle has occupied the skies for division-sized formations, but it requires a runway to launch. As battlefields become more complex, autonomized and rife with contested airspace, the U.S.Army wants a more advanced drone that isn’t tied to a runway and
Testing
US Marines Train with M1014 Shotgun as Counter-Drone Solution Against Small Aerial Threats.
U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton used the M1014 shotgun in live counter-drone training during Exercise Steel Knight 25. The drills show how frontline units are adding practical, close-range tools to handle fast, low-flying aerial threats.
Business
Spain's Indra Group Acquires Wake Engineering’s UAS Technology
* Indra Group has reached an agreement with the CPS Group to acquire Wake Engineering’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology, with the aims of further strengthening its standing in the market and accelerating the development of capabilities so as to respond to the Special Modernization Programs and the huge potential
Loitering Munitions - One Way Effector (OWE)
Teledyne FLIR Defense Gets $42.5M US Marine Corps Drone Contract
* Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, recently announced that it has been awarded a $42.5 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command for Delivery Order 3 of its Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program. Teledyne FLIR Defense will deliver more than 600 of