UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Reuters • Nerijus Adomaitis

Up to 25 hot-air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes force hours-long closure of Vilnius Airport

Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and prompted an hours-long shutdown of Vilnius Airport with flights suspended while authorities investigated. The incident comes amid heightened vigilance after recent drone-related disruptions across Europe.

2025-10-04T16:44:41.487568-07:00

Reuters

Multiple drone sightings force overnight closure of Munich Airport; dozens of flights grounded and ~3,000 passengers stranded

2025-10-02T18:13:55.693135-07:00

Reuters

Drone sightings force Munich Airport to suspend operations for second night, stranding thousands

2025-10-03T21:00:21.187197-07:00

The Verge

Two Prime Air drones collide with construction crane in Tolleson; FAA opens probe and deliveries suspended

2025-10-02T08:00:09.771886-07:00

UAV Development & Drone Programs News Timeline

Reuters

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Up to 25 hot-air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes force hours-long closure of Vilnius Airport Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and prompted an hours-long shutdown of Vilnius Airport with flights suspended while authorities investigated. The incident comes amid heightened vigilance after recent drone-related disruptions across Europe.

2025-10-04T16:44:41.487568-07:00

Up to 25 hot-air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes force hours-long closure of Vilnius Airport

Associated Press

Unidentified drone incursions over EU and NATO airspace spark pan‑European security alert A wave of unidentified drone flights over EU and NATO airspace in recent weeks has alarmed officials and the public, prompting investigations, airport closures and military alerts. Authorities across member states are mounting coordinated air‑security responses amid heightened tensions with Russia.

2025-10-04T08:44:18.625659-07:00

Unidentified drone incursions over EU and NATO airspace spark pan‑European security alert

Reuters

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Drone sightings force Munich Airport to suspend operations for second night, stranding thousands Munich Airport suspended operations for a second consecutive night after multiple suspected drone sightings, canceling and diverting flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded; the airport said it would gradually resume service from 0700 local time (0500 GMT) as authorities investigate.

2025-10-03T21:00:21.187197-07:00

Drone sightings force Munich Airport to suspend operations for second night, stranding thousands

Reuters

Northrop tests higher‑calibre, extended‑range cannon rounds as low‑cost counter‑drone option Northrop Grumman is testing higher‑calibre, extended‑range cannon rounds as a lower‑cost method to shoot down high‑flying UAS, following battlefield feedback from Ukrainian forces facing swarms of unmanned aircraft. The tests aim to provide an affordable, scalable kinetic option for air‑defence and platform self‑protection against massed drone attacks.

2025-10-03T08:24:10.131291-07:00

Northrop tests higher‑calibre, extended‑range cannon rounds as low‑cost counter‑drone option

politico.eu

Belgium opens probe after 15 drones detected over Elsenborn training area amid Europe-wide incursions Belgium opened a probe after 15 unidentified drones were detected over the Elsenborn military training area in the country's East Cantons early Friday. The flyover is the latest in a wave of suspicious drone incursions across Germany and wider European airspace that have triggered airport closures and military alerts.

2025-10-03T02:38:17.932092-07:00

Belgium opens probe after 15 drones detected over Elsenborn training area amid Europe-wide incursions

DroneXL

Two Chinese nationals arrested for drone operations near Bardufoss F‑35 base amid European drone security crisis Norwegian authorities arrested two Chinese nationals in northern Norway after they were caught operating a drone near Bardufoss Airport, a dual‑use facility that hosts F‑35 operations. The detention comes amid a broader European drone security crisis prompting airspace restrictions and military responses.

2025-10-02T22:00:25.196892-07:00

Two Chinese nationals arrested for drone operations near Bardufoss F‑35 base amid European drone security crisis

Reuters

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Multiple drone sightings force overnight closure of Munich Airport; dozens of flights grounded and ~3,000 passengers stranded Munich Airport closed overnight on Oct. 2–3 after multiple drone sightings, grounding dozens of flights and leaving about 3,000 passengers stranded. The episode — part of a wider wave of European airspace disruptions — prompted Germany to pledge tighter laws to speed detection and takedown of unauthorized drones.

2025-10-02T18:13:55.693135-07:00

Multiple drone sightings force overnight closure of Munich Airport; dozens of flights grounded and ~3,000 passengers stranded

Breaking Defense

Picogrid adds 'universal translator' to Palantir Maven; Legion integrated with Northrop Grumman’s AiON Picogrid added a 'universal translator' to Palantir Maven and integrated its Legion software with Northrop Grumman’s AiON counter‑drone system, creating direct data pathways between Picogrid's tools, Palantir's Maven environment and a major contractor's operational counter‑UAS stack for faster interoperability in operational deployments.

2025-10-02T13:24:57.062430-07:00

Picogrid adds 'universal translator' to Palantir Maven; Legion integrated with Northrop Grumman’s AiON

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