Pentagon stages first ‘Top Drone’ school for operators to hone skills
Industry and military drone operators flew tethered and untethered first-person drones through a course designed to test endurance and maneuverability.
Europe
UK to produce Ukraine-designed interceptor drones, supply thousands
The envisioned interceptor has proven “highly effective” against Shahed one-way attack drones, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
This Estonian firm helps launch Ukraine’s combat drones
“Whenever you see a long-range drone hit a target inside Russia, it is likely that our launcher was used by the Ukrainian military to facilitate that."
A ‘drone wall’ and Ukraine pact: the EU ups its ambitions on defense
Von der Leyen also announced new “reparation loans” to support Ukraine, coming from Russian assets frozen in European bank accounts.
Poland says it shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace
Poland’s armed forces were on a heightened state of alert overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday because of nearby Russian strikes against Ukraine.
Ukraine weighs lifting arms-export ban to make drones in Europe
The Kyiv government wants to piggyback on a prospective membership in the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force and produce drones in member countries.
US Army soldiers kick the tires on a new class of multipurpose drones
Soldiers tried their hands at Launched Effects, service's latest buzzword for drones doing everything from reconnaissance to strike missions.
Army picks 3 startups to fast-track self-driving squad vehicle
The Army has struggled to achieve fully-autonomous vehicles because of the inherent challenges on a modern battlefield not found on predictable roadways.
Pentagon forms new task force to fast-track counter-drone capabilities
The creation of the new task force also puts an end to the Joint Counter-small UAS Office, which was formed in 2019 and led by the Army.
Finland seeks demining robots amid exploding focus on combat robotics
Manufacturers of unmanned ground vehicles have seen new contracts mushroom within and outside of Europe.
NATO beware: Drones can’t replace tanks, experts warn
Rather than exploiting Russia’s weaknesses, a drone-centric NATO could be playing to Russia’s strengths, some experts warn.
Cummings fine-tunes Hellhound drone for Golden Dome mission
Cummings Aerospace has designed a larger version of its Hellhound to meet Golden Dome homeland missile defense needs.
Joby, L3Harris developing autonomous aircraft for defense missions
The companies plan to start flight tests this fall and be ready to demonstrate operational capabilities in government exercises by 2026.
Behind attacks on Ukrainian cities, Russia is building a drone empire
Moscow's drone strategy has been unique in the emphasis it places on supporting startups and small enterprises around the country.
Pentagon unit seeks Ukraine-like conditions for drone testing
Most commercial firms can't access test space where they can refine their products under conditions they might face in the field. DIU wants to change that.
These wargames explored drone attacks on US military bases
Many of the details of these wargames are classified, but one key finding is that protecting domestic U.S. bases can’t be just the military’s job.
Pentagon picks finalists for Replicator 2 counter-drone demo
The chosen firms will participate in a live demonstration at U.S. Northern Command’s Falcon Peak exercise later this year.
