UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Aviation Week • Chen Chuanren

China's 16‑ton Jiutian 'Nine Heavens' UAS completes maiden flight as drone mothership

AVIC's Jiutian (Jiu Tian) large uncrewed aerial system — a 16‑ton 'drone mothership' — completed its maiden flight on December 11 in Shaanxi province, state media said. Footage and AVIC statements show the platform demonstrating swarm‑launch concepts for surface and maritime roles.

2025-12-11T02:26:46.147226-08:00

AINonline

NASA awards Reliable Robotics contract to flight‑test autonomous Cessna 208B Caravan near U.S. airports

2025-12-10T06:38:19.316874-08:00

The War Zone

Australia commits $1.4bn to MQ-28 Ghost Bat after Dec. 8 AIM-120 live-fire kill

2025-12-09T09:11:29.894413-08:00

Air Data News

Poland in talks to transfer remaining MiG‑29 fighters to Ukraine in exchange for drone and missile technology

2025-12-10T01:58:00.407065-08:00

UAV Development & Drone Programs News Timeline

Aviation Week

Edge Autonomy to license Penguin C MK2.5 VTOL military drone for production in Taiwan UAS maker Edge Autonomy will license production of its Penguin C MK2.5 vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft in Taiwan. The Penguin C MK2.5 is already in service with the U.S. military and will be produced locally under the licensing deal.

2025-12-12T12:37:57.811079-08:00

Edge Autonomy to license Penguin C MK2.5 VTOL military drone for production in Taiwan

FlightGlobal

Saab's Rainforest to flight‑test unmanned Ruby in 2026 with 'software‑defined' fuselage Saab's internal innovation unit The Rainforest will conduct a 2026 flight test of its unmanned Ruby vehicle, using what it describes as "the world's first software-defined aircraft fuselage." The flight will validate an airframe whose functions are controlled and updated through onboard software rather than fixed hardware.

2025-12-12T09:09:33.210408-08:00

Saab's Rainforest to flight‑test unmanned Ruby in 2026 with 'software‑defined' fuselage

Aviation Week

Quantum Systems wins Bundeswehr order for 147 Twister ISR systems, with options for 600 more Quantum Systems has won a Bundeswehr tender to supply its Twister reconnaissance drone as the ALADIN system’s successor across Germany’s armed services. The agreement contains a fixed order for 147 systems and related services, with options for up to 600 additional systems — potentially 747 aircraft in total.

2025-12-12T04:13:34.056867-08:00

Quantum Systems wins Bundeswehr order for 147 Twister ISR systems, with options for 600 more

Unmanned Airspace

NPS-led multi-sensor counter-drone prototype completes first at-sea field tests aboard Dutch FRISC during NATO Bold Machina A rapidly developed, NPS-led multi-sensor counter-drone prototype completed its first at-sea field tests in September during NATO's Bold Machina exercise in the Netherlands, operating passively aboard a Dutch Navy FRISC. The trials aimed to demonstrate maritime detection and classification of small UAS in an operational environment.

2025-12-12T02:15:37.914862-08:00

NPS-led multi-sensor counter-drone prototype completes first at-sea field tests aboard Dutch FRISC during NATO Bold Machina

unmannedsystemstechnology.com

Boeing, Insitu and TNO advance MRaISR multi‑mode radar ISR capabilities Boeing, Insitu and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) announced progress on their Multi‑function Radar Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (MRaISR) programme, detailing advances in multi‑mode radar ISR capabilities aimed at integration onto airborne and uncrewed platforms for tactical sensing.

2025-12-11T23:45:18.923909-08:00

Boeing, Insitu and TNO advance MRaISR multi‑mode radar ISR capabilities

Aviation Week

Engine-makers Vie for Booming Collaborative Combat Aircraft Market Engine makers are escalating bids to supply powerplants for the emerging collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) market, as U.S. and allied programmes commit to spend several billion dollars over the next five years. The race for CCA propulsion capacity is intensifying procurement and industrial strategy decisions.

2025-12-11T15:09:50.334085-08:00

Engine-makers Vie for Booming Collaborative Combat Aircraft Market

tectonicdefense.com

Neros and Israel’s Kela to build a fiber‑optic drone, announced days after partnership American FPV drone maker Neros Technologies said this morning it is building a fiber‑optic drone with Israeli firm Kela Technologies in an exclusive release to Tectonic. The announcement comes just a week after the two companies announced an official partnership.

2025-12-11T07:44:27.470233-08:00

Neros and Israel’s Kela to build a fiber‑optic drone, announced days after partnership

Aviation Week

China's 16‑ton Jiutian 'Nine Heavens' UAS completes maiden flight as drone mothership AVIC's Jiutian (Jiu Tian) large uncrewed aerial system — a 16‑ton 'drone mothership' — completed its maiden flight on December 11 in Shaanxi province, state media said. Footage and AVIC statements show the platform demonstrating swarm‑launch concepts for surface and maritime roles.

2025-12-11T02:26:46.147226-08:00

China's 16‑ton Jiutian 'Nine Heavens' UAS completes maiden flight as drone mothership

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