The Air Current
• Carter Johnston
The Pentagon is rapidly procuring small hybrid-electric drones to restore a critical surveillance capability in the Middle East, as combat losses make the MQ-9 Reaper fleet increasingly costly to sustain. The effort signals a shift toward cheaper, more numerous unmanned systems for contested operating environments.
UAV Development & Drone Programs
Latest source-backed stories
The Pentagon is rapidly procuring small hybrid-electric drones to restore a critical surveillance capability in the Middle East, as combat losses make the MQ-9 Reaper fleet increasingly costly to sustain. The effort signals a shift toward cheaper, more numerous unmanned systems for contested operating environments.
Australia’s Royal Australian Air Force has reached major milestones across three intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance fleets in six months: completing its P-8A Poseidon force and declaring initial operational capability for the MQ-4C Triton and MC-55A Peregrine, according to the Department of Defence.
Boeing subsidiary Insitu and Gogo Special Missions have completed testing of a Group 3 uncrewed aerial system fitted with Gogo’s Galileo HDX antenna and connected to Eutelsat’s OneWeb satellite network. The effort gives military operators another high-speed connectivity option beyond SpaceX’s Starlink.
Textron Aviation has completed assembly of the 500th Cessna Citation Latitude at its Wichita facilities, marking a decade of deliveries for the midsize business jet. The Latitude entered service in 2015, offers a 2,700-nautical-mile range and seats up to nine passengers.
Boeing Defence Australia selected Lite Coms to supply tactical satellite terminals for the Australian Defence Force’s beyond-line-of-sight communications program, while Boeing subsidiary Insitu and Gogo Special Missions completed testing of a lightweight Galileo HDX solution integrated onto a Group 3 uncrewed aircraft.
A think tank is advocating specialized, missile-carrying collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to protect airborne support assets from China’s growing long-range air-to-air missile capability. The concept would use uncrewed aircraft as escorts to counter threats against tankers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, and other high-value enablers.
Helicopter operator Bristow has reserved 15 early-delivery Chaparral hybrid-electric cargo drones, tripling its initial reservation commitment. The move provides an early commercial signal for cargo-drone demand and positions Bristow to expand beyond conventional rotorcraft operations as the aircraft becomes available.
High activity
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has delivered an FQ-42A Vengeance to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, where the aircraft will continue regular test and evaluation operations. The handover marks the latest step in advancing the platform’s operational assessment with the U.S. Air Force.
Create a free account to see more recent UAV Development & Drone Programs stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
The drones section on Hype offers a comprehensive look at the rapidly evolving world of unmanned aerial vehicles. Our expert analysis covers the latest advancements in drone technology, regulatory changes, and the expanding use of drones across industries, from commercial delivery to environmental monitoring.
