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AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

French Rafales reportedly shoot down ~60 Iranian 'Shahed' drones over UAE, raising MICA cost and supply concerns

French Rafale fighters reportedly intercepted roughly 60 Iranian Shahed loitering drones over the United Arab Emirates, relying heavily on MICA air‑to‑air missiles. The engagement exposed the high per‑kill cost of using MICA against cheap expendable drones and raised questions about missile stocks and resupply.

2026-03-20T06:59:42.625199-07:00

FlightGlobal

US approves $16.5B emergency arms package for UAE, Kuwait and Jordan; majority to UAE

2026-03-20T00:29:25.116006-07:00

Reuters

Anduril to start production of Fury 'loyal wingman' high-speed combat drones at new Ohio plant

2026-03-19T15:29:03.882056-07:00

DVIDS / U.S. DoD

AH‑64E Apaches shoot down drones in Germany, proving air‑to‑air C‑UAS capability during Operation Skyfall

2026-03-19T06:05:35.933107-07:00

News Timeline

AeroTime

French Rafales reportedly shoot down ~60 Iranian 'Shahed' drones over UAE, raising MICA cost and supply concerns French Rafale fighters reportedly intercepted roughly 60 Iranian Shahed loitering drones over the United Arab Emirates, relying heavily on MICA air‑to‑air missiles. The engagement exposed the high per‑kill cost of using MICA against cheap expendable drones and raised questions about missile stocks and resupply.

2026-03-20T06:59:42.625199-07:00

French Rafales reportedly shoot down ~60 Iranian 'Shahed' drones over UAE, raising MICA cost and supply concerns

FlightGlobal

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US approves $16.5B emergency arms package for UAE, Kuwait and Jordan; majority to UAE The US State Department approved $16.5 billion in emergency arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, with the UAE receiving the largest share. Packages cover ballistic missile‑defence radars, a $1.86 billion F‑16 weapons package, potential AIM‑120 AMRAAMs, counter‑drone systems and spare parts.

2026-03-20T00:29:25.116006-07:00

US approves $16.5B emergency arms package for UAE, Kuwait and Jordan; majority to UAE

Reuters

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Anduril to start production of Fury 'loyal wingman' high-speed combat drones at new Ohio plant Anduril Industries will begin production in the coming days of its high‑speed 'loyal wingman' combat drone, Fury, at a newly opened manufacturing facility in Ohio. The move reflects a shift from prototyping toward scaled manufacturing of operational unmanned platforms for defense customers.

2026-03-19T15:29:03.882056-07:00

Anduril to start production of Fury 'loyal wingman' high-speed combat drones at new Ohio plant

The Air Current

Swarmer IPO soars as drone firm pivots beyond Ukraine amid drone‑centric Iran conflict Swarmer's IPO dramatically outperformed expectations as investor focus sharpens on unmanned systems while drone warfare becomes central to the Iran conflict. The company says it is pivoting operations beyond Ukraine to position for increased demand and strategic relevance in the region.

2026-03-19T14:59:02.549155-07:00

Swarmer IPO soars as drone firm pivots beyond Ukraine amid drone‑centric Iran conflict

Flying Magazine

Unidentified drones overflew US military base hosting Senator Rubio and senior Pentagon leaders Unidentified drones flew over a U.S. military base housing Senator Marco Rubio and senior Pentagon leaders, prompting local security attention and an immediate assessment by base officials. The Army said there was "no credible threat" but officials will "continue to monitor the situation."

2026-03-19T11:13:59.260721-07:00

Unidentified drones overflew US military base hosting Senator Rubio and senior Pentagon leaders

Via Satellite

SpiderOak wins U.S. Army PMO UAS contract for supply‑chain and cybersecurity assessments SpiderOak has won a U.S. Army PMO UAS contract to conduct supply‑chain analysis and cybersecurity assessments for unmanned aircraft systems. The work will evaluate supplier risk and system cyber posture across PMO UAS platforms, supporting resilience and acquisition decision‑making to inform modernization and fielding.

2026-03-19T08:59:45.891173-07:00

SpiderOak wins U.S. Army PMO UAS contract for supply‑chain and cybersecurity assessments

Aviation Today

Robinson launches 'Robinson Unmanned' and unveils Sikorsky‑autonomy R66 cargo UAS Robinson Helicopter on March 9 launched Robinson Unmanned, a new business unit to develop uncrewed rotorcraft, and detailed an unmanned cargo helicopter offering that integrates Sikorsky’s autonomy flight‑control capability. The initiative extends Robinson’s product line into autonomous cargo UAS and signals OEM entry into rotorcraft logistics missions.

2026-03-19T07:38:36.059152-07:00

Robinson launches 'Robinson Unmanned' and unveils Sikorsky‑autonomy R66 cargo UAS

Via Satellite

Zaluzhnyi: Future conflicts will be fought by autonomous and semi‑autonomous robotic systems Valerii Zaluzhnyi said future conflicts will be fought by 'autonomous and semi‑autonomous robotic systems.' The comment was described as being of interest to a CyberSat audience and underscores autonomy and robotics as focal points in his remarks.

2026-03-19T07:38:26.278144-07:00

Zaluzhnyi: Future conflicts will be fought by autonomous and semi‑autonomous robotic systems

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UAV Development & Drone Programs News

French Rafales reportedly shoot down ~60 Iranian 'Shahed' drones over UAE, raising MICA cost and supply concerns

US approves $16.5B emergency arms package for UAE, Kuwait and Jordan; majority to UAE

Anduril to start production of Fury 'loyal wingman' high-speed combat drones at new Ohio plant

AH‑64E Apaches shoot down drones in Germany, proving air‑to‑air C‑UAS capability during Operation Skyfall

News Timeline