UAV Development & Drone Programs News

eVTOL Insights

High activity

Vigilant Aerospace and ANRA showcase shared airspace awareness tools for public safety and drone operations

Vigilant Aerospace demonstrated its FlightHorizon TEMPO software during a public safety exercise in Williston, North Dakota, while ANRA Technologies introduced VISTA, a receive-only app that displays nearby drone positions and flight intent from UAS traffic management services. Both efforts aim to give responders and commercial operators a shared view of nearby airspace activity.

The Hill

Tillis seeks Pentagon IG probe into Ukraine’s loss of Starshield access

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) says he and Senate colleagues will ask the Defense Department inspector general to investigate Ukraine’s sudden loss of access to Starshield, the military version of Starlink. The disruption reportedly hampered Ukrainian forces’ ability to intercept Russian drones.

Reuters

High activity

Ukraine fields jet-drone interceptors as Russia expands attack base

Ukrainian engineers are developing AI-guided, jet-powered interceptors against Russia’s faster Shahed/Geran-4 drones, while charity Come Back Alive has supplied frontline units with 80 interceptors for about $302,000. Satellite imagery also shows a new Russian drone facility in Rostov region that grew from an empty field to a site spanning about 126 soccer pitches in six weeks.

Reuters

Russia builds major new drone attack base in six weeks, satellite images show

The War Zone

U.S. Army made Merops interceptor a program of record in 142 days

The low-cost interceptor drone, rushed to NATO partners after incursions by other drones, has become a case study in the Army’s effort to field emerging capabilities quickly. The Army says Merops moved to program-of-record status in just 142 days, signaling a fast-track approach to acquiring counter-drone systems.

The War Zone

High activity

U.S. Army to grow space workforce toward 1,000 and test stratospheric balloons

The Army is expanding its new Space Operations Branch as it develops capabilities to counter adversaries’ use of satellites to track and target ground forces. It plans tests of high-altitude balloons and stratospheric payloads next year, and has already rushed balloons to support operations in the Middle East.

Reuters

SpaceX restricts Starlink use in Ukraine, hampering drone operations and air defense, Ukrainian officials say

Ukrainian officials say restrictions on Starlink are disrupting drone attacks and air defense, renewing scrutiny of the satellite network’s role in the war. Related reports describe possible throttling, attacks on Starlink-related infrastructure and the importance of conventional data links as alternatives.

FlightGlobal

Airbus Helicopters readies HTeaming crewed-uncrewed system for year-end service entry

Airbus Helicopters says its HTeaming technology is ready for service introduction by year-end. The system lets helicopter crews task activities involving drones and is pitched as an agnostic capability, allowing rotorcraft operators to work alongside uncrewed aerial systems.