Application Briefs

Defense

C-UAS Tactical Vehicle Testing

American Rheinmetall recently conducted a live-fire demonstration of its Ultra-Short Range Air Defense counter-uncrewed aerial system system integrated onto a tactical vehicle during testing at the Big Sandy Range in Arizona. Read on to learn more.

Briefs

Unmanned Systems

The Drone Equation: Proportional Response to the UAS Threat

Drones do not follow predictable patterns. They can fly high and fast or low and slow with minimal radar signatures, attacking individually or in swarms from kilometers away or at the fence line. This operational flexibility demands layered defense architecture. Read on to learn more.

Briefs

Unmanned Systems

Army Researchers Design 3D-Printed Soldier Portable Autonomous Reconnaissance Transitioning Aircraft

Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory harnessed bottom-up Soldier innovation to develop an experimental 3D-printed small unmanned aerial system that was demonstrated at the inaugural U.S. Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama. Read on to learn more.

Application Briefs

Photonics/Optics

Marines Evaluate Fiber-Optic FPV Drones

U.S. Marines with Marine Expeditionary Force partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit and industry professionals during a three-day event in January to evaluate first-person view small uncrewed aerial systems that use fiber optic cables, marking the U.S. Marine Corps’ first field evaluation of the technology for sUAS employment in contested environments. Read on to learn more.

Application Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

A Shipping Container That Builds 50 Interceptor Drones a Day

Sensofusion has developed the Tactical Drone Factory: a fully self-contained drone manufacturing facility built inside a standard shipping container. Equipped with industrial 3D printers, an electronics assembly station, and a complete parts inventory, a single Drone Factory can produce approximately 50 interceptor drones per day. Read on to learn more.

Briefs

Aerospace

Teaching Robots to Fly Like Birds

A bird banking in a crosswind doesn’t rely on spinning blades. Its wings flex, twist and respond instantly to its environment. Engineers at Rutgers University have taken a major step toward building birdlike drones that move the same way. Read on to learn more about it.

Briefs

Manned Systems

Virginia Tech Experts Accelerate Skydio Drone Flights Over People and Vehicles

Operators using a drone from the leading manufacturer in the U.S. can now conduct missions over people and vehicles much easier and with even greater confidence in their safety. Read on to learn what this means.

Application Briefs

Defense

Airbus Equips Kratos Drones for German Air Force UCCA System

Airbus is working to offer the German Air Force an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft system by 2029. Read on to learn more.

INSIDER

Weapons Systems

Airbus Tests Low Cost Missile on New Bird of Prey Interceptor Drone

Airbus completed the first demonstration flight of its new Bird of Prey drone, featuring a low-cost interceptor missile, at a military training area in northern Germany.

Articles

Unmanned Systems

Success at Sea: NIWC Atlantic Uncrewed Surface Vessel Completes Fastest Transatlantic Crossing

Scientists with Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic’s Unmanned Naval Innovation Team reached a historic milestone on Sept. 9, 2025 when they recovered a U.S. Navy-sponsored Lightfish uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in Troia, Portugal, following its harrowing — and completely solo — transatlantic crossing. This fully autonomous vessel accomplished the journey in just over two months, nearly 12 days faster than the last known previous attempt of its kind. Read on to learn more.

News

Unmanned Systems

Times Microwave Systems Launches New Levitate RF Cable Assemblies for UAV Avionics

Designed for both military and commercial radio frequency (RF) systems, the Levitate line features an ultra lightweight construction with minimal signal loss,...

INSIDER

Unmanned Systems

Central Command Claims Strikes on 5,000 Targets in Operation Epic Fury

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claims to have struck more than 5,000 targets during the first 10 days of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing war between the U.S.,...

INSIDER

Unmanned Systems

Leonardo to Provide AW149 for UK's New Medium Helicopter Program

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced a £1 billion contract award for new medium helicopters (NMH). Under the program, Leonardo will build and deliver 23 of its latest...

Articles

Manned Systems

How Forterra Is Enabling Modular Military Vehicle Autonomy

What are autonomy-enabling modules, and what type of autonomous applications is Forterra enabling with these new modules? Check out some of our Q&A session with Patrick Acox, Forterra Vice President of Defense Growth, during his appearance on the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to answer these questions and more.

Podcasts

Energy

Sesame Solar's Nanogrid Tech Promises Major Gains in Drone Endurance

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast, Sesame Solar Co-founder and CEO Lauren Flanagan explains how the company’s new mobile hydrogen‑powered nanogrids are redefining what’s possible for long‑range drone operations. Listen now!

Podcasts

Unmanned Systems

How a New DHS Office Is Redefining Counter Drone Deployment

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast, Jeffrey Starr, CMO of D‑Fend Solutions, breaks down what this new office means for advancing counter‑UAS capabilities in civilian airspace. We also explore DHS’s newly announced $115 million investment in counter‑drone systems to help secure America250 celebrations and FIFA World Cup 2026 venues.

Podcasts

Manned Systems

SiPhog Technology: Enabling GPS‑Independent Flight for Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, we sit down with the CEO of Anello Photonics Mario Paniccia to explore how their breakthrough SiPhog technology is transforming drone navigation. Listen now!

Podcasts

Aerospace

How Sift's Unified Observability Platform Accelerates Drone Innovation

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast, we learn about a new tool that could help manufacturers optimize the way they design and create new drones. Austin Spiegel, CTO of Sift, is the guest to explain their "unified observability platform" and how drone manufacturers can leverage it to optimize their design, validation, manufacturing, and overall engineering processes from prototype to operations.

INSIDER

Unmanned Systems

APFIT Invests $50 Million into US-Made Drone Battery Production for Air Force, Army, Navy, and SOCOM

The Defense Department’s APFIT program has committed up to $50 million to Packet Digital to fast-track production of advanced batteries...

INSIDER

Unmanned Systems

New Defense Department Program Seeks 300,000 Drones From Industry by 2027

The U.S. Department of War, on Dec. 2, outlined a new program where it is seeking the development of more than 300,000 drones "quickly and inexpensively" from...

Podcasts

Unmanned Systems

How Packet Digital Is Scaling Domestic Drone Battery Manufacturing

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Packet Digital CEO Terri Zimmerman breaks down the company’s push to expand U.S.-based production of advanced lithium-ion batteries for military unmanned aircraft systems. Listen now!

Podcasts of the Month

AR/AI

Aerospace & Defense Podcasts

Listen to four Aerospace & Defense Technology podcasts from the last month.

INSIDER

Sensors/Data Acquisition

F-22 Pilot Controls Drone With Tablet

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®, with industry partners and the U.S. Air Force, controlled an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) from the cockpit of a fifth generation fighter jet while in flight.

INSIDER

Weapons Systems

USNORTHCOM's Counter-UAS Fly-Away Kit Achieves Operational Certification

An 11-person team from U.S. Northern Command deployed to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota at the end of October to provide counter-small uncrewed aerial system...

Podcasts

AR/AI

How Forterra Is Enabling Modular Military Vehicle Autonomy

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Patrick Acox, Forterra Vice President of Defense Growth, is the guest to explain how the company provides autonomy-enabling modules for a wide variety of military applications.

Podcasts

Aerospace

Autonomous Drones Harness Wind for ISR and Counter UAS

Rob Creighton, Windlift Founder & CEO, is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain how Windlift's autonomous tethered drone system leverages wind to power a wide variety of defense applications.

INSIDER

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Anduril Completes First Semi-Autonomous Flight of CCA Prototype

Anduril Industries has started flight testing its prototype Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the YFQ-44A, at an Air Force research facility in California.

INSIDER

Weapons Systems

A New AI-Piloted VTOL Fighter Jet for Contested Environments

Shield AI unveiled its new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter jet, X-BAT, during an event held in Washington D.C. last week.

Podcasts

Unmanned Systems

Autonomous Targeting Systems for a New Autonomous Ground Vehicle

Bryan Bockmon, CEO of AimLock, is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to discuss their new partnership with Overland AI and the future of autonomous targeting systems in modern warfare.