Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
A U.S. Air Force F-22 pilot directed Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft during flight for the first time. The demonstration shows a crewed fighter pilot commanding an autonomous aircraft in flight, a step toward operating crewed and uncrewed aircraft together on combat missions.
UAV Development & Drone Programs
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A U.S. Air Force F-22 pilot directed Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft during flight for the first time. The demonstration shows a crewed fighter pilot commanding an autonomous aircraft in flight, a step toward operating crewed and uncrewed aircraft together on combat missions.
The U.S. Army is shaping a concept for units to launch long-range LUCAS one-way attack drones against targets including enemy warships and ballistic missiles. The plan points to a role for the drones in extending Army units’ reach against high-value targets, though the article provides no deployment timeline or force size.
Iridium says its satellite communications help keep soldiers and unmanned systems connected beyond line of sight, while its navigation technology is designed for environments where GPS is disrupted. The discussion highlights the role of resilient connectivity and positioning in military operations.
Germany had aimed to become the first European country to field a collaborative combat aircraft by 2029, but a change in its plans to acquire Boeing’s MQ-28 drone wingman has put that timeline in doubt, according to a Boeing official. The shift leaves the country’s path to the milestone uncertain.
The Pentagon selected KBR’s Firefly system for a pilot program to test defenses against adversarial drones at U.S. military installations. Separately, Hanwha Systems said two laser weapons intercepted all three target drones in a demonstration for the South Korean Army, underscoring parallel efforts to develop directed-energy counter-drone capabilities.
A Turkish Aerospace official said during a visit to the company’s Ankara facility that a second production line will enable output of one Anka 3 every five months. The announcement signals an expansion of manufacturing capacity for the upgraded unmanned aircraft.
High activity
Ukraine is testing an experimental interceptor drone as Russian forces expand the use of jet-powered attack drones capable of flying at up to 600 km/h. Separate reporting describes Russia rapidly completing a large drone launch base, while Belgium has pledged 10 F-16s to Ukraine, which officials say can help strike the new threat.
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