Testing
The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMA-263) program team put Long Range Tactical (LRT) systems through their paces during a two-week technical demonstration in Chaptico, Maryland in mid-July. Five vendors attended the event to help inform the Marine Corpsof the functions and capabilities available on the
Testing
— Pierce Aerospace participated in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) technology demonstration, held July 24–25, 2025, at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Unmanned Technology Operations Center in Summit Point, West Virginia. The event brought together senior leadership, including DHS Secretary Kristi
C-UAS
British and American forces have trialled a revolutionary air-to-air counter-drone system for the first time as part of a new Ministry of Defence programme designed to get cutting-edge technology into the hands of soldiers. The system, developed by European tech firm Alpine Eagle, was successfully demonstrated during Project Vanaheim, a
UAM/UTM
* Unifly has taken a significant step toward safe and scalable vertiport operations. As part of the Eureka Project, Unifly tested the seamless integration of its UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform with next generation vertiport systems. The Real-Time Simulation (RTS), held on July 21–22 at INDRA’s facilities, brought together
Testing
Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy. This comes ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year, a goal the Navy has previously said will require “a ton of work” to achieve. Manufacturer Boeing disclosed the
HAPS
High-altitude uncrewed aircraft can remain in the lower stratosphere for extended periods, performing a wide range of Earth observation and communications tasks – from monitoring shipping lanes and supporting disaster response to providing internet access. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now taken an important
Propulsion
* Zepher Flight Labs (ZFL), a Heven company, announced that its hydrogen fuel cell-powered Z1 successfully demonstrated a vertical takeoff at maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), followed by a continuous 11,000-foot climb to a density altitude (DA) of 12,000 feet during the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission phase. Part
Testing
During the last few weeks of June, dozens of aircraft gathered on the flight line at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska as part of Red Flag — a premier, multinational exercise the base hosts each year. The event offers a venue for the U.S. and its allies to demonstrate
Testing
* Schiebel's CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) successfully participated in the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) first-ever Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign, showcasing its autonomous cross- domain logistics capabilities in a complex, simulated operational environment. Held over five weeks at the Italian Army’s Multifunctional Experimentation Centre (CEPOLISPE) and
Weapons Systems / Lasers
For the first time, BAE Systems has launched a precision munition from a multi-rotor Uncrewed Air System (UAS) and successfully destroyed both air and ground targets during trials in the US. This marks a major step forward in the development of a low-cost strike and counter UAS option for frontline
Data Links & Communications
AFRL’s XQ-67A, a second-generation Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP), successfully demonstrated integration of government reference autonomy during a recent flight test in the California High Desert. The flight showcased the integration of government-owned autonomy on the XQ-67A, paired with active tactical data-link communications, to enable dynamic mission execution and real-time
Testing
The UK Royal Navy has launched a significant new phase in unmanned systems integration by testing the Malloy Aeronautics Heavy Lift Drone aboard the British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment, Operation Highmast. On July 9, 2025,