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• Hanneke Weitering
Robinson Unmanned used a remotely piloted R44 Airtruck to demonstrate offshore cargo operations in Louisiana, including landing on an offshore-style deck. The flights highlight a potential role for helicopter-based unmanned aircraft in cargo missions alongside tactical drones and heavier-lift UAS.
UAV Development & Drone Programs
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Robinson Unmanned used a remotely piloted R44 Airtruck to demonstrate offshore cargo operations in Louisiana, including landing on an offshore-style deck. The flights highlight a potential role for helicopter-based unmanned aircraft in cargo missions alongside tactical drones and heavier-lift UAS.
Boeing plans to propose the Australian-developed MQ-28 Ghost Bat to Japan as Tokyo develops SHIELD, a coastal defense network centered on unmanned aircraft and crewed-uncrewed teaming. The offer follows Boeing’s partnership with Germany and a recent U.S. Air Force evaluation of the drone.
India’s Defence Acquisition Council has approved proposals worth ₹1.1 lakh crore, taking approvals this year to ₹1.6 lakh crore and those since 2025 to ₹13 lakh crore. The package includes long-range hypersonic weapons, Sukhoi-30 upgrades, mine-laying systems, indigenous warship engines and continued AMCA development.
A steady stream of reported drone incursions over NATO’s eastern frontier this summer is putting alliance airspace under growing pressure. The incidents underscore how unmanned aircraft are creating a persistent security challenge across Europe, where airspace itself has become an operational front line.
Stratolaunch’s massive unmanned carrier aircraft has returned to Long Beach Airport nearly six years after its public unveiling. The aircraft was originally designed to carry rockets aloft and support small-satellite launches, offering an alternative air-launch platform for commercial space missions.
Saab says potential customers are interested in pairing General Atomics’ LoyalEye surveillance system, mounted on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, with its piloted GlobalEye airborne early-warning aircraft. The concept would combine uncrewed and manned surveillance capabilities in a single operational package.
Residents of Boryspil, a satellite town of Kyiv, are adapting to a new reality of near-constant Russian drone attacks. For Kostyantyn Kuts, regular nighttime air raids have become routine, but the intensity and persistence of activity over the past week mark a notable change.
Fresh airborne photographs provide the clearest view yet of China’s large WZ-X stealth drone, highlighting an unusual wing design. The configuration may reflect requirements for very-high-altitude, long-endurance flight and offers new clues about the aircraft’s aerodynamic and mission priorities.
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