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• Charles Alcock
Two Anduril YFQ-44A uncrewed fighters completed a joint formation sortie, with Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software controlling two of the jets. Separately, the Royal Navy plans to demonstrate Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue from a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier in 2027 as it develops a crewed-uncrewed Hybrid Air Wing.
UAV Development & Drone Programs
Latest source-backed stories
Allen Control Systems has launched a new division focused on developing lasers to counter drones, entering a field drawing growing Pentagon interest. The weapons use concentrated energy beams to heat and destroy targets, according to the announcement summary.
Shield AI says its Hivemind software enabled two U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft to fly in a multi-ship formation for the first time and perform coordinated beyond-visual-range counter-air tactics. The combat maneuvers were simulated, demonstrating software-enabled coordination between the uncrewed aircraft.
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Two Anduril YFQ-44A uncrewed fighters completed a joint formation sortie, with Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software controlling two of the jets. Separately, the Royal Navy plans to demonstrate Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue from a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier in 2027 as it develops a crewed-uncrewed Hybrid Air Wing.
AirSight says its AirGuard software fuses radar, radio-frequency and Remote ID data to detect, identify and track drones around prisons and stadiums. Separate trials in Enschede and the Washington, D.C., region are testing detection capabilities as public-safety agencies seek better visibility of unauthorized small aircraft.
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Ring’s Drone Cam autonomously flies between rooms to investigate suspicious activity, streams live video and can record at night; it is priced at $249.99. Amazon also introduced a $1,000 AI-powered robot for business patrols, extending the company’s security products beyond fixed cameras and doorbells.
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The UK Civil Aviation Authority has granted Amazon’s Prime Air a world-first SAIL 4 safety approval, allowing the company to expand drone deliveries over more densely populated areas of Darlington. Amazon says the change will bring faster service to thousands more customers.
The award funds integration of Merlin Labs’ autonomous flight technology into the Lockheed Martin C-130J cockpit, moving the program into system integration, testing and safety evaluation. The work advances toward future flight testing of the autonomy system on SOCOM’s Super Hercules fleet.
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