FlightGlobal
• Greg Waldron
The U.S. Navy is moving multiple uncrewed and advanced-weapon concepts toward operational use: Boeing received a $562 million contract for three MQ-25A Stingrays, Castelion secured a potential $200 million Blackbeard production order, and Textron Aviation and Merlin unveiled a pilotless SkyCourier military resupply concept.
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GE Aerospace is developing a combined booster-and-cruiser all-up-round test bed for the Defense Innovation Unit, while AEVEX won up to $92.2 million to modernize SkyRange hypersonic telemetry and communications. Separately, BAE Systems launched Shadow EW, a family of compact electronic-warfare systems for crewed and uncrewed small airborne platforms.
The U.S. Air Force has designated General Atomics’ CCA as the FQ-42 Vengeance and Anduril’s aircraft as the FQ-44 Fury. The service plans to field at least 500 semi-autonomous combat aircraft by 2032, with an FQ-44 production mock-up displayed at AFA Air, Space & Cyber.
Qantas has opened a Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide’s central business district, consolidating product managers, digital-experience designers, software engineers, and data and AI specialists. The center will develop digital travel experiences and advance the airline group’s use of artificial intelligence.
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The U.S. Navy is moving multiple uncrewed and advanced-weapon concepts toward operational use: Boeing received a $562 million contract for three MQ-25A Stingrays, Castelion secured a potential $200 million Blackbeard production order, and Textron Aviation and Merlin unveiled a pilotless SkyCourier military resupply concept.
The U.S. Air Force must develop trustworthy artificial intelligence capable of countering fast, reckless enemy AI agents operating with less oversight, experts say. The challenge highlights the need to balance speed and autonomy with controls that preserve confidence in AI-enabled military decision-making.
Textron Aviation is studying an autonomous military-cargo version of the Cessna SkyCourier that removes the conventional cockpit and creates space for a new forward-loading arrangement. The concept explores how distributed autonomy and revised fuselage access could support future unmanned logistics missions.
Satellite operators are repositioning around sovereign space strategies, integrating capabilities across multiple domains and collaborating more closely with the technology ecosystem. The shift highlights how defense requirements and artificial intelligence are reshaping satellite operators’ roles beyond traditional space-based services.
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Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the United States has deployed space-control weapons on orbit, marking the first public disclosure by a U.S. official, according to the reports. He did not identify the systems or say whether they are kinetic or non-kinetic.
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