Unmanned Systems News
The latest news on unmanned systems, counter-UAS and the defence industry, from Europe and around the world.
Droneshield: Michael Powell takes over operational leadership as Chief Operating Officer
Droneshield is reshaping its operational leadership for the next phase of growth. The new Chief Operating Officer, Michael Powell, brings more than 25 years of leadership experience, including at Thales Australia and Knorr-Bremse.
Counter-UAS by laser: Inleap Photonics launches with Inleap Fastlight Shield
Light instead of ammunition: the new German company Inleap Photonics aims to neutralise drones in fractions of a second with Inleap Fastlight Shield. A funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds is set to speed up market entry and scaling of the counter-UAS system.
Loitering munition in Alpine trials: French Army tests drones from EOS Technologie
Ground station at 2,250 metres, flights up to 5,000 metres, minus 7 degrees and gusts of up to 70 km/h: mountain gunners of the Armée de Terre spent two days testing the Veloce 330 loitering munition and the Rodeur 330 in high mountains.
Quantum Systems buys Hacker Motor: drone manufacturer brings propulsion technology in-house
100 per cent of the shares, all sites and employees retained: with Hacker Motor, Quantum Systems is taking over a long-standing key propulsion partner – and aims to secure the European supply chain for unmanned systems.
Loitering munition: Stark signs another contract with a European armed force
Signed in early February, first delivery in the same month, all systems by the end of August: the German defence tech company Stark reports a new order for loitering munition – and its move into a new market.
Counter-drone defence: why electronic systems remain indispensable despite fibre-optic drones
Fibre-optic-guided drones have made electronic countermeasures obsolete – or so a common argument goes. Stephan Kraschansky of Aaronia Austria disagrees and explains the role electronic warfare plays in counter-drone defence.
Starlink drones: Russian Molniya drones become a serious threat to Ukraine
Terminals attached with adhesive tape turn cheap Russian Molniya drones into Starlink drones against which electronic countermeasures have so far been powerless. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is counting on SpaceX – but a solution is still pending.
Combat drone Camcopter S-301: Schiebel shows armed version in the Middle East for the first time
Rocket launchers and laser-guided missiles from Thales, up to 24 hours of endurance: at UMEX 2026 in Abu Dhabi, Schiebel presented the Camcopter S-301 combat drone – an unmanned helicopter system.
Drone strikes in Crimea: SBU destroyed a total of 15 Russian military aircraft in 2025
Fighter jets, helicopters and transport aircraft hit on the ground: new videos from the Security Service of Ukraine document drone strikes on airfields in Crimea. It remains unclear which carrier systems brought the drones to their targets.
Autonomous vehicle xRift: SteerAI shows driverless off-road platform at UMEX
Up to 500 kilograms of payload, no driver on board: with xRift, SteerAI from the United Arab Emirates is bringing an autonomous vehicle for industrial and military missions in the Gulf region. First series vehicles are planned for the end of the year.
Reconnaissance drone Vector: Quantum Systems takes third place at "Army of Drones 2025" in Ukraine
Judged by those who use the systems in combat: at the Ukrainian event "Army of Drones 2025", the Vector reconnaissance drone from Quantum Systems came third in the ISR category – a few months after joining the Brave1 Marketplace.
Industry NewsElectronic warfare: Stark builds its Nordics presence with a new site in Sweden
A first step into the Nordic region: German loitering munition manufacturer Stark is opening an electronic warfare base in Stockholm. The background is the German-Swedish innovation partnership of November 2025.
Shield AI appoints Mark Pfeiffer as Head of Business Development for Austria, Germany and Czechia
Three markets, one new lead: at Shield AI, Mark Pfeiffer will in future be in charge of business in Austria, Germany and Czechia. The industry expert previously worked for IABG, Hensoldt Analytics and SAIL Labs, among others.