an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
June 1990. The Soviets were about to do it again. Not since Sputnik had they so dramatically outpaced the West. They were about to deploy the most advanced vertical takeoff and landing combat aircraft the world had ever seen. The Yak-141, NATO reporting name Freestyle, didn’t just outperform the legendary British Harrier—it made it look ancient. Continue reading
General Atomics is pushing forward with several new technologies shown at Sea Air Space 2025, including, for the first time, a display of a new podded air-to-air laser system on their MQ-9B platform. Continue reading
A 50-kilogram hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle developed by China recently completed a 30-hour continuous flight, setting a new domestic record for similar types of aircraft and reaching an internationally leading level in terms of endurance. Continue reading
Ukraine is fielding carrier drones or motherships to transport FPVs to the target area before launching them. Russian forces reported these as far back as November 2023, and last month Russian news agency TASS stated that Ukraine was carrying out FPV attacks 25 miles or more behind the lines in seven regions, suggesting that use is becoming widespread. Continue reading
Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), a department within Japan’s Ministry of Defence responsible for advanced and emerging technology procurement, recently announced an open competitive tender for the provision of a proof of concept for a ship-launched UAVs. Continue reading
At the 2025 edition of the SOFINS exhibition dedicated to special forces, Aerix Systems presented a drone system based on omnidirectional propulsion technology, designed to operate in both complex civilian environments and demanding military contexts. Continue reading
Ukraine has unveiled its domestically developed laser weapon system, named Tryzub, for the first time. The demonstration was led by Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, during the international conference “European Defence Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defence Industry.” Continue reading
– Shield AI’s V-BAT successfully participated in Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), a Combined, Joint, and multinational experiment held at Fort Irwin, California, in March 2025. V-BAT operated as part of the 82nd Airborne Division’s missions in “The Box,” Fort Irwin’s famously demanding training area in the Mojave Desert. Continue reading