UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Reuters • Alessandro Parodi

Airbus and Kratos Partner to Offer Valkyrie Loyal Wingmen to German Air Force by 2029

Airbus Defence & Space and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have teamed to pitch a European collaborative combat aircraft based on Kratos’s XQ-58A Valkyrie, integrating Airbus mission systems to serve as loyal wingmen for the German Air Force by the end of the decade.

2025-07-16T06:46:55.987817-07:00

DefenseNews.com

PteroDynamics Unveils Trans-Wing UAV Capable of In-Flight VTOL-to-Fixed-Wing Transition

2025-07-14T05:17:39.233743-07:00

AINonline

Textron eAviation Adds Pipistrel Nuuva V300 to Its UAV Cargo Drone Lineup

2025-07-14T10:53:29.840657-07:00

Reuters

Russia launches record 728 Shahed and decoy drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine overnight

2025-07-09T01:19:30.462869-07:00

UAV Development & Drone Programs News Timeline

defence-industry.eu

CAE wins Italian Air Force deal for MQ-9A Block 5 Predator Mission Trainer Plus CAE has been awarded a contract by the Italian Air Force to deliver its MQ-9A Block 5 Predator Mission Trainer Plus, including initial in-service support. Developed with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the PMT Plus is the most advanced Reaper simulator and builds on CAE’s 2018 PMT Block 1 delivery.

2025-07-16T15:27:33.075173-07:00

CAE wins Italian Air Force deal for MQ-9A Block 5 Predator Mission Trainer Plus

Bloomberg

BAE Demonstrates Drone-Launched Laser-Guided Rocket for Cost-Effective Air Defense BAE Systems has successfully used an unmanned platform to fire a laser-guided rocket downing a target drone, marking a key milestone in developing low-cost, scalable counter-UAS capabilities for layered air defense.

2025-07-16T14:55:22.858018-07:00

BAE Demonstrates Drone-Launched Laser-Guided Rocket for Cost-Effective Air Defense

Task & Purpose

Pentagon’s $1 Trillion FY2026 Budget Earmarks Record $179 B for Hypersonics, AI and Drone Swarms The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal tops $1 trillion for the first time, allocating a record-breaking $179 billion to research and development. Funding is concentrated on next-generation capabilities, including hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence initiatives and autonomous drone swarm programs.

2025-07-16T14:07:43.869950-07:00

Pentagon’s $1 Trillion FY2026 Budget Earmarks Record $179 B for Hypersonics, AI and Drone Swarms

Reuters

Airbus and Kratos Partner to Offer Valkyrie Loyal Wingmen to German Air Force by 2029 Airbus Defence & Space and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have teamed to pitch a European collaborative combat aircraft based on Kratos’s XQ-58A Valkyrie, integrating Airbus mission systems to serve as loyal wingmen for the German Air Force by the end of the decade.

2025-07-16T06:46:55.987817-07:00

Airbus and Kratos Partner to Offer Valkyrie Loyal Wingmen to German Air Force by 2029

tectonicdefense.com

Anduril’s Barracuda-100M AAV Completes High-Speed HSMM Flight Tests In May 2025, Anduril’s Barracuda-100M autonomous air vehicle wrapped up another series of U.S. Army High-Speed Maneuverable Missile (HSMM) flight tests, executing complex autonomous maneuvers and demonstrating speeds exceeding 500 knots, reaffirming its long-range precision-strike potential.

2025-07-16T06:34:08.249983-07:00

Anduril’s Barracuda-100M AAV Completes High-Speed HSMM Flight Tests

AeroTime

AI-powered interceptor drones take on Shahed and loitering munition threats Agile, AI-driven interceptor drones are emerging to counter Iran’s Shahed and other loitering munitions in contested battlefields. These high-speed unmanned platforms autonomously detect, track and engage incoming kamikaze UAV threats, promising to strengthen layered air defenses and reduce reliance on legacy systems.

2025-07-16T06:19:36.965370-07:00

AI-powered interceptor drones take on Shahed and loitering munition threats

tectonicdefense.com

Chariot Defense Emerges with $8M Seed to Power Next-Gen Battlefield Systems Chariot Defense, a venture-backed startup focused on edge power management, exited stealth with an $8 million seed round. The company plans to develop high-density energy control and distribution systems to meet the growing power demands of drones, directed-energy weapons, and advanced sensor suites on the battlefield.

2025-07-16T06:18:48.437573-07:00

Chariot Defense Emerges with $8M Seed to Power Next-Gen Battlefield Systems

FlightGlobal

Japan to Acquire Six Shipborne Small UAVs in FY2025 to Bolster Naval Unmanned Capabilities Japan's defence ministry will acquire six shipborne small UAVs in fiscal 2025 as part of a broader effort to integrate unmanned systems across its naval, air and ground forces. The drones will support maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and fleet protection missions.

2025-07-15T22:53:38.783436-07:00

Japan to Acquire Six Shipborne Small UAVs in FY2025 to Bolster Naval Unmanned Capabilities

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