News

Reuters

Safran enters exclusive talks to acquire Exail Technologies for ~€2.2–€2.5B to expand in undersea/sea-drone systems

Safran has begun exclusive acquisition discussions for French undersea/sea-drone maker Exail Technologies. Reported terms place the deal at roughly €128.5 per share and around €2.2–€2.5 billion. The announcement comes as Exail’s order book reportedly surged in 2025.

2026-06-26T06:12:41.425090-07:00

Reuters

Airbus and Kawasaki sign MoU to study a Japan-focused anti-submarine warfare Eurodrone variant

2026-06-26T01:12:42.724245-07:00

AeroTime

UK MOD awards £32M-plus to bring PYRAMID open avionics to drones, swarms and GCAP-linked mission systems

2026-06-26T02:41:08.504438-07:00

AeroTime

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors

2026-06-25T01:34:55.946443-07:00

News Timeline

The Air Current

Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat enters Exercise Valiant Shield as first major multinational CCA deployment The MQ-28A Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft is participating in Exercise Valiant Shield for the first time, marking its major-force debut. The event also includes the U.S. military’s first operational use of a stealthy, uncrewed fighter aircraft in a large field training exercise at a remote Pacific airfield.

2026-06-26T10:26:10.484950-07:00

Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat enters Exercise Valiant Shield as first major multinational CCA deployment

Reuters

Safran enters exclusive talks to acquire Exail Technologies for ~€2.2–€2.5B to expand in undersea/sea-drone systems Safran has begun exclusive acquisition discussions for French undersea/sea-drone maker Exail Technologies. Reported terms place the deal at roughly €128.5 per share and around €2.2–€2.5 billion. The announcement comes as Exail’s order book reportedly surged in 2025.

2026-06-26T06:12:41.425090-07:00

Safran enters exclusive talks to acquire Exail Technologies for ~€2.2–€2.5B to expand in undersea/sea-drone systems

AeroTime

UK MOD awards £32M-plus to bring PYRAMID open avionics to drones, swarms and GCAP-linked mission systems The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded over £32 million to four firms to develop software systems that are PYRAMID-compliant for open avionics across drone and swarm applications, including systems linked to GCAP. The funding is aimed at accelerating adoption of PYRAMID on avionics and mission software stacks.

2026-06-26T02:41:08.504438-07:00

UK MOD awards £32M-plus to bring PYRAMID open avionics to drones, swarms and GCAP-linked mission systems

Reuters

❗️

Airbus and Kawasaki sign MoU to study a Japan-focused anti-submarine warfare Eurodrone variant Airbus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have signed an MoU to explore an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) derivative of the U950 Eurodrone, including potential use of Japanese sensors and effectors. The work follows Japan’s observation of the Eurodrone since 2023 and targets a specialized maritime-surveillance/UAS mission set.

2026-06-26T01:12:42.724245-07:00

Airbus and Kawasaki sign MoU to study a Japan-focused anti-submarine warfare Eurodrone variant

AeroTime

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors Estonian startup Frankenburg has opened the first missile manufacturing site in the Baltics in Riga, aiming to mass-produce its Mark I counter-UAS interceptor missile. The company positions the “low-cost” interceptor as a scalable response to rising unmanned-airspace threats across the region, paired with counter-UAS systems and policies.

2026-06-25T01:34:55.946443-07:00

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors

Reuters

Anduril in talks to buy Nissan’s Oppama plant near Tokyo to scale military drone production in Japan Anduril Industries is in discussions to acquire Nissan Motor’s Oppama assembly plant near Tokyo, Reuters reported, as the US defense firm seeks to build and expand military drone production in Japan. The plan signals a new manufacturing footprint to support autonomous weapons and counter-drone demand in the region.

2026-06-24T22:26:25.399960-07:00

Anduril in talks to buy Nissan’s Oppama plant near Tokyo to scale military drone production in Japan

The War Zone

Pocket Fleet of ex-USAF MQ-1 Predators continues as US Navy test assets Ex-U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator drones are still in service—but not in frontline roles. They are operating as a “pocket fleet” of Navy test assets supporting continued experimentation and training within the maritime test community, according to reporting highlighted by Joseph Trevithick.

2026-06-24T10:09:16.271516-07:00

Pocket Fleet of ex-USAF MQ-1 Predators continues as US Navy test assets

Vertical Mag

Skyryse and Robinson to integrate SkyOS into the R66 for a group 4 UAS ISR and MUM‑T ‘collaborative combat aircraft’ concept U.S. startup Skyryse is partnering with Robinson Helicopter to integrate its SkyOS automated flight control system into the Robinson R66 to develop an uncrewed, R66-based Group 4 defense UAS. The SkyOS-powered concept targets autonomous ISR, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM‑T), and air-launched effects (ALE) missions.

2026-06-24T08:29:13.853374-07:00

Skyryse and Robinson to integrate SkyOS into the R66 for a group 4 UAS ISR and MUM‑T ‘collaborative combat aircraft’ concept

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UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Safran enters exclusive talks to acquire Exail Technologies for ~€2.2–€2.5B to expand in undersea/sea-drone systems

Airbus and Kawasaki sign MoU to study a Japan-focused anti-submarine warfare Eurodrone variant

UK MOD awards £32M-plus to bring PYRAMID open avionics to drones, swarms and GCAP-linked mission systems

Frankenburg opens Riga Mark I counter-UAS missile factory to mass-produce low-cost interceptors

News Timeline