Transport
Teams of U.S. Air Force and industry planners, operators and technologists gathered in a conference room in 2024 to imagine an air war over Taiwan, but this wargame came with a twist. The advent of collaborative combat aircraft (CCA)—a family of largely autonomous, jet-powered combat aircraft capable
Transport
On September 9th, Sichuan Tengdun Science and Technology Co., Ltd. learned that its independently developed large-scale modular commercial drone recently conducted a high-load continuous airdrop test at Zigong Lantian Airport. The drone dropped three packages totaling 1.2 tons at an altitude of 300 meters, with a landing
Transport
Through an ongoing collaboration, NASA and the Department of War are working to advance the future of modern drones to support long distance cargo transportation that could increase efficiency, reduce human workload, and enhance safety. Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley recently participated in
Transport
This summer offshore wind giant Ørsted is using heavy-lifting cargo drones to carry out the largest programme of offshore equipment deliveries that has ever been done outside the military - including Hornsea 1 & 2, the largest offshore wind farms in the world. Ørsted and its UK-based drone operator
Transport
A fledgling industry called Advanced Aerial Mobility, or AAM, is getting a jumpstart from the state. Michigan has awarded $4.1 million in grants to help develop the new technology, which uses unmanned drones over short to medium distances to move materials. Charlie Tyson, the technology activation director with the
Transport
* Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it is partnering with Zipline, the world's largest autonomous delivery system, to fly digital orders to guests' locations in greater Dallas. A small number of Zipline users will have access to Zipotle starting today, ahead of a broader service launch in the
Transport
A new startup has a contract with the Air Force’s innovation arm and a prototype to test its new concept: a network of “flying pickup truck” drones to solve the problem of logistics in the vast Pacific. * Grid Aero debuted its “Lifter Lite” drone Aug. 18, as the firm
Transport
Amazon’s experimental service with delivery drones has encountered some turbulence in the past few months, and a recent incident in the West Valley, caught on camera, involving a package and a pool, is raising concerns. Also known as MK30s, the drones can carry up to five pounds and deliver
Transport
* Skyports Drone Services, a global player in drone delivery and inspection services for healthcare, maritime, logistics and energy use cases, and AZ Turnhout, the main healthcare provider in the Turnhout region, has launched an on-demand medical drone delivery trial in Kempen, Belgium. Commencing on August 1st, the service will
Transport
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,
Transport
* Vodafone has collaborated with Manna Air Delivery in Ireland, a company with six years of experience in urban drone deliveries, to remotely pilot a delivery drone over two kilometres using Vodafone’s mobile network. Enabling Communication in the Skies Manna, which has completed approximately 200,000 deliveries, recently worked with
Transport
National Health Service drones will fly over Kensington Palace, Hyde Park and Oxford Circus under new plans to ferry urgent medical samples across London. Plans for autonomous flights between 12 hospitals in the capital have been submitted to the airspace regulator in what could lead to a city-wide drone