MilitaryF-22 Controls Unmanned General Atomics MQ-20 Drone In Industry Demo General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) on Nov. 17 announced the successful test of an F-22 Raptor fighter controlling an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) for the first time in…
AI & AutonomyFlight Debut for Shield AI X-BAT Could Come Next Fall Shield AI plans to conduct initial vertical takeoff and landing demonstrations of its X-BAT drone fighter jet “as early as fall 2026, followed by all-up flight testing and operational validation in 2028,”…
MilitaryBoeing Says MQ-28 Demonstrations Prove Operational Effectiveness Boeing on Sept. 1 said it and the Royal Australian Air Force have proven the “operational viability” of the MQ-28 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) through a series of capability demonstrations that concluded…
UnmannedMQ-4C Approved For Initial Use Despite Deficiencies That Could Prevent Mission Success, Says Pentagon Auditor The Navy “failed to effectively manage the operational capabilities” of the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft program, declaring Initial Operation Capability (IOC) before undergoing an initial testing phase despite having several important deficiencies,…
MilitaryHundreds Of Switchblades Delivered So Far In First Replicator Tranche, DIU Official Says The contractor supplying Switchblade loitering munitions to the Defense Department under the first phase of the Replicator initiative has delivered “hundreds” of systems to a customer who has fielded them, a Defense…
AI & AutonomyAfter FTUAS Cut, Army Looks To Field Brigade UAS In FY ‘26 To Replace Shadow Drones After cancelling the Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) program, the Army plans to begin procuring initial brigade-level unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capabilities in fiscal year 2026 to address its requirement to field a…
AI & AutonomyAirbus Flight Tests Unmanned Helicopter With Shield AI’s Autonomy Pilot Airbus Group’s U.S. defense business recently conducted the first flight test of an unmanned H145 helicopter using an autonomy pilot software from Shield AI in support of a Marine Corps aerial logistics…
MilitaryRed Cat Expects LRIP Order Soon For Army’s SRR Small Drone, ‘Aggressive’ Ramp Up In FY ‘26 Red Cat Holdings has said it’s expecting a low-rate production order “very soon” for the Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) small drone program, noting the service’s plan for a “significant” fielding ramp…
AI & AutonomyHASC Wants USAF to Lay Out Plan for Full-Scale Production of CCA Increment 1 The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) wants the U.S. Air Force to lay out its plan for full- scale production of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 1. “The committee expects the Air…
MilitaryDoD, Partners Demonstrate Beyond Line-Of-Sight Drone Cargo Flights In National Airspace A Defense Department development program to demonstrate uncrewed aerial logistics beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) in the national airspace has resulted in a series of successful flights, an important milestone for potentially making…