News

Breaking Defense • Diana Stancy

Saronic and Castelion to conduct 2027 sea-launch demo of Blackbeard hypersonic strike from Marauder MUSV

Saronic Technologies and Castelion say they will integrate Castelion’s Blackbeard low-cost hypersonic strike missile with Saronic’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Marauder for a maritime launch demonstration in 2027. The partnership frames the sea-launch approach as a credible deterrence option.

2026-06-11T12:19:53.778202-07:00

Aviation Today

DARPA invites 72 teams to compete in Heavy Lift Challenge, pushing drone designs to carry 4× their own weight

2026-06-11T12:02:51.029440-07:00

Reuters

Dassault seeks compensation from Airbus over procurement changes tied to the delayed Eurodrone

2026-06-11T11:42:33.682288-07:00

Reuters

Meloni presses NATO to rebalance defence spending toward drones, satellites and data as Italy boosts outlays

2026-06-11T10:28:21.166363-07:00

News Timeline

Breaking Defense

Saronic and Castelion to conduct 2027 sea-launch demo of Blackbeard hypersonic strike from Marauder MUSV Saronic Technologies and Castelion say they will integrate Castelion’s Blackbeard low-cost hypersonic strike missile with Saronic’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Marauder for a maritime launch demonstration in 2027. The partnership frames the sea-launch approach as a credible deterrence option.

2026-06-11T12:19:53.778202-07:00

Saronic and Castelion to conduct 2027 sea-launch demo of Blackbeard hypersonic strike from Marauder MUSV

Aviation Today

DARPA invites 72 teams to compete in Heavy Lift Challenge, pushing drone designs to carry 4× their own weight DARPA has invited 72 teams to demonstrate innovative drone designs for its Heavy Lift Challenge, targeting aircraft capable of carrying at least four times their own weight. The selection signals a push toward higher payload-to-weight UAS architectures and manufacturing approaches that can scale.

2026-06-11T12:02:51.029440-07:00

DARPA invites 72 teams to compete in Heavy Lift Challenge, pushing drone designs to carry 4× their own weight

Reuters

Dassault seeks compensation from Airbus over procurement changes tied to the delayed Eurodrone Dassault Aviation is pursuing compensation from Airbus over alleged procurement changes affecting the delayed Eurodrone programme, according to three sources. The dispute escalates tensions after the partners’ wider fighter-jet collaboration collapsed, underscoring mounting friction in Europe’s defence-industrial cooperation.

2026-06-11T11:42:33.682288-07:00

Dassault seeks compensation from Airbus over procurement changes tied to the delayed Eurodrone

Reuters

Meloni presses NATO to rebalance defence spending toward drones, satellites and data as Italy boosts outlays Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says Italy will raise its official defence budget this year, while urging NATO allies to rethink spending priorities. Her argument is that modern warfare is increasingly shaped by drones, satellites and data—raising the stakes for how alliance resources are allocated.

2026-06-11T10:28:21.166363-07:00

Meloni presses NATO to rebalance defence spending toward drones, satellites and data as Italy boosts outlays

AINonline

Swarm Aero moves to production-ready large military drone system, selected Honeywell TPE331 engine Swarm Aero says it is building a production-ready uncrewed air system for large military drone operations, powered by Honeywell’s TPE331 engine. The update links the drone maker’s scale-up effort to a proven commercial/military turboprop core as it transitions from development toward production deployment.

2026-06-11T06:11:36.278631-07:00

Swarm Aero moves to production-ready large military drone system, selected Honeywell TPE331 engine

Air Data News

Greece advances €1B defense package including three Embraer C-390 Millennium airlifters and U.S.-Israeli drones Greece’s parliament committee has approved a program worth up to €600 million to buy three Embraer C-390 Millennium tactical transport aircraft, strengthening the Hellenic Air Force’s airlift capability. The proposal sits inside a separate broader €1 billion defense procurement package that also includes multiple drone types from the U.S. and Israel.

2026-06-11T01:41:07.637543-07:00

Greece advances €1B defense package including three Embraer C-390 Millennium airlifters and U.S.-Israeli drones

FlightGlobal

Kratos to scale Spartan small turbojet engine output to 3,000 units for loitering munitions and cruise missiles Kratos Defense & Security is boosting production of its Spartan family of small turbojet engines used on loitering munitions and cruise missiles, targeting up to 3,000 units for one-way attack drones. The ramp is positioned to support rising demand across missile and UAS customers.

2026-06-11T01:13:26.498907-07:00

Kratos to scale Spartan small turbojet engine output to 3,000 units for loitering munitions and cruise missiles

The War Zone

Germany’s Cobra 600 jet-powered interceptor drone slings IRIS‑T missiles to extend air-defense battery reach Cobra 600 is described as a jet-powered interceptor drone that can carry an IRIS‑T surface-to-air missile hundreds of miles from its runway launch point. By extending engagement distance beyond fixed launch sites, the system is positioned as a way to grow the effective coverage of surface-based air-defense batteries.

2026-06-10T09:56:49.007094-07:00

Germany’s Cobra 600 jet-powered interceptor drone slings IRIS‑T missiles to extend air-defense battery reach

Menu

UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Saronic and Castelion to conduct 2027 sea-launch demo of Blackbeard hypersonic strike from Marauder MUSV

DARPA invites 72 teams to compete in Heavy Lift Challenge, pushing drone designs to carry 4× their own weight

Dassault seeks compensation from Airbus over procurement changes tied to the delayed Eurodrone

Meloni presses NATO to rebalance defence spending toward drones, satellites and data as Italy boosts outlays

News Timeline