UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Breaking Defense

Arizona desert counter-drone experiments aim to inform CENTCOM operations

Officials said experiments in Arizona expose forces to intense heat, wind, dust and glare—the conditions they face in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility. The trials are intended to draw operational lessons for countering drones in an environment where those factors can challenge personnel and equipment.

The War Zone

Sikorsky’s Black Hawk 2070 plan pairs UH-60 upgrades with pilotless U-Hawk

Sikorsky’s planned UH-60 upgrade suite includes new engines, greater range, launched effects and expanded autonomy, alongside the uncrewed U-Hawk. The company’s “Black Hawk 2070” strategy calls for the pilotless aircraft to fly this year, extending the platform’s role beyond crewed helicopter operations.

Aviation Week

Navy adds $150 million to Shield AI’s X-BAT program, bringing combined funding to $400 million

The U.S. Navy has awarded Shield AI an additional $150 million to develop X-BAT, a vertical-takeoff-and-landing tactical aircraft designed to operate autonomously without a runway. The award brings total public and private investment in the program to $400 million, with Shield AI also investing in its development.

Navy Times

High activity

Pentagon backs missile-defense production, X-BAT drone development and counter-drone weapons

Raytheon won a multiyear U.S. contract worth up to $6.3 billion to produce and sustain Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors as the Pentagon seeks to replenish missile-defense inventories. Separate efforts include Navy-backed development of Shield AI’s X-BAT, testing directed-energy counter-drone weapons and a Space Force award to map private investment in emerging technologies.

AeroTime

Meteomatics unveils Strato, a reusable drone designed to replace weather balloons

The Swiss weather-intelligence firm says its Strato drone has reached 34,245 feet and can operate in temperatures as low as -65°C. Meteomatics positions the reusable aircraft as an alternative to weather balloons, which it says cost $150,000 to $200,000 annually per station.

AINonline

U.S. Navy tests adaptive autonomy integration on General Atomics’ MQ-20 drone

The U.S. Navy tested autonomy integration with General Atomics’ MQ-20 drone, including elements that can modify a mission plan in real time. The test points to work on how adaptive autonomy can be incorporated into unmanned aircraft missions.

Reuters

MyDefence launches wearable AI drone detector designed to identify signals beyond its threat library

Wingman Edge analyzes radio-frequency activity to detect and classify drone signals, controllers and communications links, as well as Wi-Fi, analogue video and previously unknown signals. The system is designed to recognize activity beyond signals already recorded in a threat library.

Reuters

Dutch firm uses AI to help drone systems 'talk' on Ukraine's battlefield