The Shahed drone was originally developed in Iran and sold to Russia in 2022. For Tehran, it became a way to secure financial inflows and gain access to sensitive information (with suspicions that the Kremlin is assisting with nuclear weapons expertise). For Moscow, it provided ready-made drones without the delays
CCA
The U.S. Navy has awarded contracts to four major aerospace prime contractors — Anduril, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Atomics — for 'conceptual designs' for a carrier-based autonomous combat drone, according to a Navy document obtained by Breaking Defense. Additionally, Lockheed Martin is under contract for the drone’s
* General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) deployed an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)-configured MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), Washington, to support its Open House event on August 23. The naval air station’s Open House showcased cutting-edge naval aviation capabilities as well as
C-UAS
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) website just posted U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike actually firing air-to-air optimized variants of the laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rocket. The test images were all taken on May 22, 2025. This is a still relatively new
C-UAS
Waves of drones tumbled out of the sky above Camp Atterbury, Indiana, on Tuesday, their mechanical death throes punctuating what was otherwise a quiet morning. Why it matters: Drone swarms are a nightmare for security officials all over the world, whether they're overwhelming a Russian air base or
Testing
* ZeroAvia has announced that it has completed a full flight profile ground test of its certification-intent low temperature proton exchange membrane (LTPEM) fuel cell power generation system (PGS) for the ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain. The test simulated a 250 nautical mile flight in a Cessna Caravan 208b aircraft, equivalent to flying
The massive military parade in Beijing has provided a much closer look at some of the country’s new air combat drone initiatives. Of these various drone designs, one, in particular, stands out. This is a low-observable tailless design that is also very large, broadly equivalent in size to China’
Weapons Systems / Lasers
* AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the successful delivery of the first two mobile counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) prototype Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) to the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) as part of the first increment of the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) prototyping effort. The
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is asking members to take a survey on any concerns they may have regarding the use of drones ,and the FAA’s recently issued notice of proposed rulemaking covering Part 108 beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The
As UAS technology continues to evolve, so does the need for smarter, more resilient landing techniques. While VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) systems have gained attention for their versatility, an alternative is proving to be efficient, reliable, and mission-ready: deep stall landings. Used by battle-proven UAS like the RQ-35 Heidrun,
Video
Dive into the fascinating history of the Harrier Jump Jet—a revolutionary VTOL aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, reshaping aerial combat in ways the world had never seen. From its roots in WWII VTOL research to the Harrier’s iconic role in conflicts like the Falklands War, we
Business
As resilient navigation becomes an increasingly critical focus within the UAS industry, UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía is reinforcing its leadership by collaborating with Septentrio, part of Hexagon, to ensure compatibility with advanced GNSS receivers featuring high-precision RTK (Real Time Kinematic) capabilities combined with AIM+ anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology. The anti-spoofing