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Secretive ultra-quiet special operations drones, now designated RQ-29s, that have been operating in the Middle East for years might now be headed for the Pacific.

Super Quiet Special Operations Drones May Migrate To Pacific Theater

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Aug 14, 2024
A new Russian design for a ‘loyal wingman’-type supersonic drone has been unveiled, marking the country’s latest foray into unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs). Interestingly, the Kronshtadt company that designed the Grom (meaning Thunder) previously displayed another UCAV under the same name. The new version of the Grom is very different, however, stressing performance and simplicity over low-observable features and other advanced technologies.

Russia’s Aspirational Grom Combat Drone’s Design Totally Changes, Ditches Stealth For Speed

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Aug 14, 2024
Chinese drone maker Tengden says it has conducted the first flight of a new cargo drone with a multi-metric-ton cargo capacity.

Chinese Cargo Drone Capable Of Carrying Two Tons Has Flown

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Aug 12, 2024
Model 407 optionally manned drone Northrop grumman

Northrop’s Stealthy Loyal Wingman Drone Breaks Cover And It Has A Cockpit

By Tyler Rogoway
Updated on Aug 9, 2024
Defense technology contractor Anduril has announced plans to build a novel “hyperscale” production facility that will be able to churn out significant numbers of different military products, including uncrewed combat aircraft and autonomous underwater vehicles. The project closely aligns with the Pentagon’s aim of securing the ability to manufacture at scale, to meet future demands, especially for uncrewed systems that would be critical in potential peer-state conflicts.

“Hyperscale” Weapons Factory Vision Outlined By Anduril

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Aug 8, 2024
Kratos, manufacturer of the XQ-58 Valkyrie, has confirmed that a new version of the drone is in the works that will feature built-in landing gear, which points to a larger derivative possibly with greater performance.

New XQ-58 Valkyrie Variant With Built-In Landing Gear To Fly Soon

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Aug 8, 2024
Ukrainian drone operators are increasingly taking the fight to the Russian helicopters operating over and around the battlefield, by launching direct attacks with first-person view (FPV) drones. While there has been one previous report of a Russian rotorcraft successfully being attacked by a drone and several videos showing near-misses, the increasing quantity of such incidents indicates that this is now becoming a more established practice.

Russian Mi-28 Havoc Attack Helicopter Engaged In Mid-Air By Ukrainian Drone

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Aug 7, 2024
Video clips have emerged showing Chinese maritime special operations forces using multiple types of bird-like drones.

Chinese Sea Dragon Commandos Show Off Drones That Look Just Like Birds

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Aug 3, 2024
Baba Yaga Drone Ukraine

Ukraine’s “Baba Yaga” Drones Now Appear Capable Of Launching Guided Munitions

By Tyler Rogoway
Updated on Aug 2, 2024
Composite image from Navy's Silent Swarm 2024 event

Silent Swarm Exercise Accelerates Navy’s Path To Distributed Electronic Warfare Future

By Oliver Parken
Posted on Aug 1, 2024
The US Air Force's top officer in Europe has highlighted how kamikaze drones present threats, as well as opportunities, especially for smaller friendly countries that might not be able to afford higher-end capabilities.

Long-Range Kamikaze Drones Offer ‘Cheap’ Strike Opportunities For U.S., Allies: USAF General

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 31, 2024
Russian Telegram channels say a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter was down by a drone, the first time that has happened.

Ukraine Situation Report: Russians Say Mi-8 Hip Helicopter Was Shot Down By Drone

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 31, 2024
New Russian drone in use in Ukraine.

New Russian Long-Range Drone Appears In Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jul 30, 2024
The U.S. Air Force is planning to retire its remaining RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance drones by the end of the 2027 Fiscal Year. The service says it has become clear that the RQ-4s would be overly vulnerable in any future conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary, but it’s not clear what aircraft (or other assets) might fill the resulting capability gap. This only adds to the growing evidence that a top-secret, high-flying, stealth spy drone, commonly referred to as the RQ-180, or variants or derivatives thereof, is getting close to entering service, if it isn’t already being employed operationally on some level.

Air Force Chief Hints At Existence Of Clandestine Spy Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 26, 2024
US Special Operations Command has been tasked to lead the so-called "left-of-launch" fight against drones before they can get airborne or maybe are even produced in the first place.

Destroying Drones Before Launch Is Becoming A Major Mission For U.S. Special Operators

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 25, 2024
Ukraine's low-cost acoustic drone detection network is gaining increasing interest from the U.S. and allies.

Ukraine’s Acoustic Drone Detection Network Eyed By U.S. As Low-Cost Air Defense Option

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 24, 2024
The ballooning cost of the US Air Force's Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program is one of the drivers behind uncertainly over the future of its sixth-generation combat jet effort, which could evolve into a fully uncrewed platform.

Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter Uncertainty Tied To Sentinel ICBM Woes

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 24, 2024
General Atomics has revealed a new fifth member of its Gambit modular drone family that is carrier-capable and that could represent a step forward in a broader naval aviation vision for the United Kingdom and other countries.

New Carrier-Based Version Of The Gambit Family Of Combat Drones Is In The Works

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 23, 2024
Laser dazzlers could defend tanks from one-way attack drones.

Laser Dazzlers For Defending Tanks Against Marauding Drones Are An Untapped Countermeasure

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 18, 2024
The US Marine Corps is looking at new "buckshot-like" ammunition for its rifles, advanced optics, add-on jammers, and other new counter-drone capabilities for smaller units.

Shotgun Pellet-Like Rifle Ammo, Gun-Mounted Jammers On Marine Anti-Drone Wishlist

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 15, 2024
With one million FPV drones pledged to Ukraine by an international coalition, the need for pilots is only going to increase.

Ukraine’s FPV Drone Obstacle Course Teaches How To Chase Vehicles, Fly Into Windows

By Howard Altman
Posted on Jul 13, 2024
Northrop Grumman has offer a new and interesting look at its secretive XRQ-73 drone.

Our Best Look Yet At The XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Stealthy Flying Wing Drone

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 10, 2024
A video has emerged showing a Greek warship knocking out a Houthi drone, in one of the latest such incidents in an ongoing campaign that has been waged by the Iranian-backed rebel group since last November, in the wake of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In this encounter, the Greek Navy frigate apparently used its 127mm main gun, reinforcing the utility of these weapons against drones, while the drone itself was seen adjusting its flight altitude to make it harder to intercept.

Greek Warship Guns-Down Houthi Drone In New Video

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jul 9, 2024
Ukraine’s unorthodox efforts to develop ways of defeating Russian drones have taken an apparent new turn, with the appearance of a light airplane carrying a sharpshooter to intercept uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). At this stage, few details about the concept are available, but it’s notable that the aircraft in question — the Ukrainian-made Aeroprakt A-22 ultralight — is a type that we have seen in the past adapted as one-way attack drone, something you can read more about here.

Ultralight Drone Hunting Planes Now In Use In Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jul 8, 2024
In a bizarre turn of events, Chinese-made Wing Loong drones, apparently headed to Libya, have been seized by Italian authorities off the coast of southern Italy. The disassembled drones were in crates that were marked as containing parts for wind turbines, in what seems to have been an effort to evade a United Nations arms embargo imposed on Libya.

Chinese Wing Loong Drones Disguised As Wind Turbines Seized By Italy

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jul 3, 2024
Kratos has developed a new launch trolley that allows its XQ-58 drones to take off from traditional runways.

XQ-58 Valkyrie Can Now Take Off From Runways Thanks To New Launch Trolly System

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 3, 2024
MQ-9 with new electronic warfare pod

New Electronic Warfare Pod Turns Marine MQ-9 Reaper Into “A Black Hole”

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Jul 3, 2024
Russia has unveiled a counter-drone interceptor, a single-use drone with an explosive warhead that’s expressly designed to bring down the kinds of Ukrainian uncrewed aerial vehicles that have taken a steady toll of Russian troops and equipment on the battlefield. The Vogan-9SP counter-drone interceptor was developed by Russia’s Red Line company, seemingly a new entrant in the field.

Russia Jumps Into Purpose-Built Drone-Hunting Drone Weapons Space

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jul 2, 2024
The US Air Force is taking a second look at the crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet it is developing under the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative to see where costs could be cut, even at the cost of losing certain capabilities.

Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter’s Future Increasingly Uncertain

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 2, 2024
Anduril and General Atomics have shared new details about progress and challenges, including on production and autonomy issues, as part of the Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

Construction Of First Collaborative Combat Aircraft Drone Has Begun At General Atomics

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jul 1, 2024
The US Air Force's Air Mobility Command has outlined a critical need to give its fleets new counter-drone defenses they can use wherever they go.

Built-In Counter-Drone Defenses Sought For Air Force Transports, Tankers

By Eric Tegler, Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jun 29, 2024
A propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft has appeared with an impressive collection of kill marks displayed on its fuselage; seemingly confirmation of its success having been impressed into service as a drone-killer. While we reported on a series of previous videos showing the use of Soviet-era Yak-52s to attack Russian drones, the latest evidence suggests that the unorthodox solution could be becoming a more important part of Ukraine’s multilayered air defenses.

Yak-52 Kill Marks Hint At Success In Ukraine’s Drone War

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jun 25, 2024
A secretive stealthy drone being developed under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft (SHEPARD) Demonstration program has now been designated the XRQ-73.

Shadowy XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Stealthy Flying Wing Drone Emerges

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jun 24, 2024
Ukraine is ramping up its attacks on Russian ISR drones to reduce their situational awareness.

Ukraine Situation Report: Drone-On-Drone Aerial Engagements Ramp-Up

By Howard Altman
Posted on Jun 19, 2024
The US government has approved potential sales of Switchblade 300 and ALTIUS 600M loitering munitions to Taiwan.

Sale Of Over 1,000 Kamikaze Drones To Taiwan Points To Grand “Hellscape” Counter-China Plans

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Jun 19, 2024
German defense contractor Rheinmetall is pitching a containerized launcher for use with Hero family loitering munitions.

Shipping Container Launcher Packing 126 Kamikaze Drones Hits The Market

By Joseph Trevithick
Updated on Jun 17, 2024
A pair of apparent mockups of the Chinese GJ-11 Sharp Sword uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) have emerged at a site just over a mile from where the country is building the first of its new monster Type 076 amphibious assault ships.

Mockups Of China’s Sharp Sword Stealth Drone Appear Near New Supersized Amphibious Warship

By Joseph Trevithick
Updated on Jun 14, 2024
These before and after satellite images from Planet labs shows that Russian Su-34 Fullbacks may have been damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack.

Ukraine Strikes Blow To Russian Su-34 Fullback Base

By Howard Altman
Updated on Jun 14, 2024
Anduril’s Fury

Top Air Force Officer Doubles Down On Aerial Combat Drones With Short Life Spans

By Joseph Trevithick
Updated on Jun 14, 2024
The Airbus Wingman concept aircraft, which broke cover earlier this week, was formally unveiled at the ILA Berlin aerospace show today. More details have now also come to light about the program, which Airbus leadership says should provide a unit cost that’s equivalent to one third that of a modern crewed fighter.

The Airbus Wingman Stealth Drone: What We Learned In Berlin

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Jun 5, 2024
DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - MAY 1: A drone operator, a Ukrainian soldier of the 56th Motorized Brigade with the call sign "Indianets", prepares a combat FPV drone in the Bakhmut area on May 1, 2024 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Ukrainian drones operators of the 56th Motorized Brigade are using combat FPV drones to destroy enemy targets and conduct round-the-clock reconnaissance in the Bakhmut area. (Photo by Yevhenii Vasyliev/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Competition To Supply Ukraine With FPV Drones Gets Underway

By Oliver Parken
Posted on Jun 4, 2024
European aviation consortium Airbus has unveiled a new stealthy fighter-sized loyal wingman-type drone concept

Stealthy Fighter-Like Wingman Drone Concept Unveiled By Airbus (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Oliver Parken
Posted on Jun 4, 2024
Officials at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina are looking into the possibility of erecting physical barriers to protect F-15E Strike Eagles there from drones.

Enclosures To Defend F-15Es From Drone Attacks Eyed At Seymour Johnson AFB

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on May 30, 2024
New video purports to show the first Russian FPV drone attack on a Ukrainian sea drone.

Russian FPV Drone Seen Attacking Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessel For The First Time

By Howard Altman
Posted on May 30, 2024
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen designs from Northrop Grumman and Sikorsky for the next phase of its AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) X-plane demonstration program. The effort aims to develop and test in flight an X-plane that will offer long endurance and the ability to launch and recover from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without additional infrastructure equipment. It’s part of an increasing focus on expeditionary deployments of the kind that will be required in a future conflict in the Pacific.

DARPA’s Naval VTOL X-Plane Drone Program Narrows Down To Two Designs

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on May 22, 2024
An uncrewed ground vehicle launching quadcopter

Army Tests Quadcopter Swarm-Launching Uncrewed Ground Vehicle For Clearing Mines

By Oliver Parken
Posted on May 22, 2024
Airbus’ UH-72 Unmanned Logistics Connector Sets Its Sights On The USMC’s Future Fleet Requirements

Airbus’ UH-72 Unmanned Logistics Connector Sets Its Sights On The USMC’s Future Fleet Requirements

By The War Zone
Posted on May 21, 2024
Personnel from China's PLA engage in counter FPV-drone training

Chinese Soldiers Train To Fend Off FPV Drones

By Oliver Parken, Tyler Rogoway
Updated on May 20, 2024
Ukraine has launched large-scale drone attacks against Russia.

Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv Launches Massive Drone Attack On Russia

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on May 17, 2024
An uncrewed version of the UH-72B Lakota helicopter is among the types now in the running to become of the Marine Corps' next logistics drones.

UH-72 Lakota Drone In The Running To Haul Cargo For The USMC

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on May 14, 2024
LMADIS CUAS

Every Marine A Drone Defender Under Three Part Counter-UAS Plan

By Hope Hodge Seck
Posted on May 13, 2024
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) visits Naval Station Norfolk following a seven-month deployment, May 10. Throughout the ship’s seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations, Carney successfully destroyed Houthi-launched weapons, including land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, and unmanned systems.

USS Carney Destroyed 65 Houthi Targets During Its Cruise

By Howard Altman
Posted on May 13, 2024
Unmanned Long-Endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft crew chiefs, assigned within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, prep an ULTRA aircraft for taxi across the flightline before an early morning takeoff at an undisclosed location, May 7, 2024. ULTRA is an unmanned aerial system capable of flight times up to 80 hours, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to combatant commanders, with a smaller operational footprint than other UAS in its class.

Air Force’s ULTRA Long-Endurance Glider-Like Drone Is Now Operating In The Middle East

By Joseph Trevithick, Thomas Newdick
Posted on May 8, 2024
Rogue 1 the marines' new drone.

Rogue 1 Is One Of The Marine Corps’ Newest Kamikaze Drone

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on May 8, 2024
USMC is wanting to incorporate drones across its forces.

‘Robot Marines’ In Every Formation: Corps’ Robotics Chief Casts Vision

By Hope Hodge Seck
Posted on May 7, 2024
Russian 'turtle tank' seen operating with additional cage armor and an attached mine roller

New Russian Turtle Tank With Cage-Like Armor Emerges On Ukrainian Battlefield

By Oliver Parken
Posted on May 6, 2024
Switchblade 600 Kamikaze Drone Is The First Named Replicator Program Weapon

Switchblade 600 Kamikaze Drone Is The First Named Replicator Program Weapon

By Howard Altman
Posted on May 6, 2024
Israeli forces are shooting down large numbers of their own drones in friendly fire incidents, underscoring challenges the U.S. military will also have to contend with as uncrewed aerial systems become an ever more ubiquitous component of operations.

Israel Is Shooting Down A Lot Of Its Own Drones

By Joseph Trevithick
Posted on May 2, 2024
The Kaman Corporation has announced the first flight of its KARGO UAV, a rotary-wing drone intended for autonomous, expeditionary resupply. The design is aimed for the U.S. Marine Corps, for which Kaman previously developed the K-MAX unmanned helicopter. The KARGO UAV is now competing in the Marines’ Medium Autonomous Resupply Vehicle — Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) program, with a winner due to be selected this summer.

Kaman’s Kargo Logistics Drone For The Marines Now In Flight Test

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Apr 30, 2024
Yak52 engages orlan drone

Ukraine May Now Be Using WWI-Style Air Combat Tactics Against Drones

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman
Posted on Apr 29, 2024
General Atomics has now confirmed that its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone design for the US Air Force is based on its XQ-67A.

XQ-67 Confirmed To Be A Prototype For General Atomics’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Design

By Joseph Trevithick
Updated on Apr 26, 2024
Ukraine appears to have converted a light aircraft to serve as a remote bomber.

Ukraine Appears To Be Using Light Planes Converted Into Reusable Bomber Drones

By Howard Altman
Posted on Apr 26, 2024
The US Air Force has chosen Anduril and General Atomics to move ahead in Increment 1 of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program.

General Atomics, Anduril Move Ahead In Collaborative Combat Aircraft Drone Program (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick
Updated on Apr 24, 2024
Additional details about a breakthrough autonomous dogfight in September 2023 underscore significant challenges still to be addressed.

Next Big Challenge For AI Dogfighting Is Keeping Track Of Enemies Up Close

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Apr 24, 2024