Reuters
• Julie Zhu, Lisa Baertlein
Asia’s air-cargo growth engine is shifting as the AI buildout accelerates semiconductor manufacturing around key regional hubs. Airlines are redesigning routes and networks to prioritize shipments tied to chip production, replacing earlier momentum driven by cross-border e-commerce growth.
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Elroy Air is equipping its Chaparral autonomous drone with three unattended delivery modes, aimed at heavy-cargo logistics for defense and commercial supply chains. The update is tied to a U.S. Army contract, reinforcing a focus on autonomous, “lights-out” cargo drops rather than manned transport or controlled delivery.
Asia’s air-cargo growth engine is shifting as the AI buildout accelerates semiconductor manufacturing around key regional hubs. Airlines are redesigning routes and networks to prioritize shipments tied to chip production, replacing earlier momentum driven by cross-border e-commerce growth.
The US Air Force conducted another exercise using Anduril’s YFQ-44A collaborative combat aircraft to explore realistic uncrewed fighter operations. The effort focuses on developing tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for future collaborative combat aircraft employment.
Skywave and Iridium/Orbcomm-backed services have formed a strategic partnership to embed Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) into Skywave’s industrial IoT offering for heavy equipment OEM customers. The move brings Iridium’s satellite connectivity to a new OEM segment and marks the first collaboration between the two companies.
UK defense firm MGI Engineering has launched its T-022 Vortex autonomous collaborative platform, positioning it as an “ACP” built from the outset to operate alongside crewed jets as part of a coordinated team. The company says the high-performance platform will be promoted for a UK requirement.
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SpaceX’s shares fell again as investors priced in a major supply event: an Aug. 6 lock-up expiration releasing up to 911.5 million shares, far larger than the current public float. The selloff has wiped more than $1 trillion in market value and deepened Elon Musk’s wealth decline amid Tesla/SpaceX financial turbulence.
Anduril has produced its first YFQ-44A Fury at its Ohio Arsenal-1 facility, marking a key CCA production milestone. The USAF is also building the employment doctrine for the Fury and YFQ-42A Dark Merlin prototypes, while planning MQ-9A Reaper replacement concept refinement to start in Q1 FY2027.
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