– Boeing is designing a larger, land-based version of its uncrewed MQ-25 tanker, targeting U.S. Air Force (USAF) future refueling plans including topping up Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) in contested airspace. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
General Atomics Says its Collaborative Combat Aircraft is Like a Bic Lighter
– General Atomics, which is one of two finalists for the first increment of the USAF’s high-stakes Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program gave The War Zone a close look at their design, as well as the closely related XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) drone. The company brought the CCA model and the actual XQ-67A OBSS to the show floor at the Air & Space Force Association’s annual Air, Space, Cyber convention just outside of Washington, D.C. Continue reading
Lockheed Eyes Low-Cost Attritable Drone for CCA Increment 2
– Lockheed Martin, having “gold-plated” its initial bid for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, will focus on lower cost, more attritable aircraft in its proposal for the second increment, the head of the company’s legendary Skunk Works division told reporters Sept. 17. Continue reading
Airbus and Quantum Systems Progress Autonomous Swarm Technology
At the beginning of August, a demonstration took place at the Airbus Drone Center near Manching, which marked the culmination and conclusion of an intensive research phase as part of the Bundeswehr study KITU 2 (Künstliche Intelligenz für taktische UAS; Artificial Intelligence for tactical UAS). The aim of the study was to develop innovative solutions for the AI-supported control of swarms of drones. Continue reading
Brazilian Army Tests XMobots Nauru 1000C VTOL Drone for Surveillance Missions.
The Brazilian Army has integrated the Nauru 1000C drone into its operations, in collaboration with the Brazilian manufacturer XMobots. This unmanned aerial system (UAS) is designed for defense and surveillance missions. Operational tests were conducted by the 7th Mechanized Cavalry Regiment from August 27 to 29, 2024, in Sant’Ana do Livramento to assess its capabilities. Continue reading
Russian Man in Florida Arrested for Illegal Export of Military Drone Technology
Denis Postovoy, 44, a Russian citizen living in Sarasota, Florida, was arrested this morning in Sarasota, Florida on an indictment charging him with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, to commit smuggling, to commit money laundering, and to defraud the United States. Continue reading
Thales to Create New Hybrid Testing Environment
– Thales in the UK, under contract from the UK Government Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is promoting crewed-uncrewed integration, developing a system of systems digital twin environment for experimentation on the operation of Land Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS). Continue reading
Kratos Completes Significant Milestone on Cost Optimized Limited-Life Turbofan Engine
– Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that Kratos Turbine Technologies has successfully completed a ground test campaign of a Cost-Optimized, Limited-Life Turbofan Engine. The engine testing was managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Turbine Engine Division (AFRL/RQT) under the Attritable Cost Optimized Limited Life Engine Technologies (ACOLLET) program. Continue reading