Unmanned Systems News
The latest news on unmanned systems, counter-UAS and the defence industry, from Europe and around the world.
Cargo drone Victor U250: Rheinmetall, ERC and NRW plan production in North Rhine-Westphalia
A letter of intent signed at ILA Berlin 2026 is to bring the heavy-lift cargo drone Victor U250 to North Rhine-Westphalia. Rheinmetall and ERC System are counting on local supply chains, the state on funding, site selection and supported certification.
Counter-UAS from a single source: EOS completes acquisition of MARSS defence business
Effectors meet AI-supported command and control: following the completed acquisition, Electro Optic Systems is integrating MARSS's NiDAR platform. The goal is counter-UAS from first detection to engagement – with the MARSS brand and management unchanged.
Drone production in Germany: Skyeton, Onberg and Ondas sign MoU on the Raybird UAS
Ukrainian combat experience meets German precision manufacturing: at ILA Berlin 2026, three companies agreed to ramp up drone production for Europe. Skyeton's Raybird UAS is planned as the first project.
Ground drones with Steyr power: Steyr Motors engine to drive RTC's Cornus UGV
After unmanned surface vessels, Steyr Motors is opening up another field: the Cornus UGV from Slovenian manufacturer RTC is getting an engine from Steyr. The company sees significant growth potential in the ground drones segment.
Ground drones for Romania: Hanwha and Milrem Robotics join forces in UGV programme
At BSDA 2026 in Bucharest, Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Aerospace Romania and Milrem Robotics signed a trilateral agreement: wheeled and tracked ground drones are to be combined, and production and technology transfer brought to Romania.
Ground drones for Ukraine: Milrem Robotics and VDL Defentec start Themis production in Born
A new final assembly line for the Themis UGV is running in the Netherlands. The first vehicles built there went to the Dutch government, which is passing them on to Ukraine – the start of more than 100 ground drones financed by the Netherlands.
Drone Dominance Program: Pentagon selects eleven suppliers for "Gauntlet 2"
Under the Drone Dominance Program, around 300,000 low-cost FPV attack drones are to go to the US armed forces by 2027. After the first test round with 25 suppliers, eleven companies remain – with larger quantities and falling prices.
Drone production at the front: how Nordyn is changing war logistics with mobile micro-factories
Nordyn is moving drone production, including assembly and maintenance, into mobile micro-factories on vehicles and trailers. Head of engineering Vitalii Pogrebniak explains why distributed units are harder to hit – and where the real bottleneck lies.
Defence tech from Munich: ARX Robotics announces next growth phase and new brand
A new headquarters with production in Munich, an office in Berlin and twice as many employees by the end of 2026: defence tech provider ARX Robotics is expanding and presenting a new global brand identity.
Counter-drone for the Pentagon: Droneshield wins Joint Interagency Task Force 401 contract
EUR 21.4 million over five years: Droneshield will supply mobile and fixed counter-drone solutions for the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and must also procure and install third-party systems.
Combat drones from Turkey: Indonesia buys twelve Bayraktar Kizilelma UCAV for its air force
Twelve Kizilelma firm, forty-eight more as an option: Indonesia is turning to Turkey for combat drones. Global Data sees this as a leap for the country's air warfare – and points to local production, teaming with the Kaan and the Strait of Malacca.
Ground drones for the US Department of War: American Rheinmetall and Harbinger develop new UGV
Integration expertise from American Rheinmetall meets Harbinger's hybrid drive-by-wire platform: together, the two companies aim to deliver affordable, scalable ground drones for combat and logistics. First demonstrations are planned for the summer.
Reconnaissance drones for Romania: Quantum Systems to supply more Vector via SAFE
Romania's Ministry of Defence is enlarging its Vector fleet and financing the additional reconnaissance drones through the EU instrument SAFE. For Quantum Systems, the order is one of the very first SAFE projects.