Unmanned Systems: Air, Ground & Maritime
Unmanned systems across all domains: aerial, ground and maritime drones in defence and security.
Military drones in Belgium: Land Component expands UAS ecosystem around drone unit in Peutie
Since September 2025, a dedicated unit in Peutie has maintained the Belgian forces’ micro drones, with mini and small drones following from June 2026. A training programme with industry, simulators and new capabilities against hostile military drones complete the picture.
AI drone network: Bundeswehr successfully continues trials in Ohrdruf
After the first test series in the Altmark, more complex scenarios followed in Ohrdruf: the Bundeswehr’s AI-supported drone network hit static and moving targets. Panzerbrigade 45 in Lithuania is to be equipped with it in 2027.
Drone battery with over 500 Wh/kg: Sion Power unveils Licerion cells for military systems
Longer flight time, more payload, less weight: with two lithium-metal Licerion cells, Sion Power is targeting unmanned military systems. One cell is intended for loitering munitions, the other as a rechargeable drone battery for long missions.
Loitering munition FV-014: Bundeswehr awards Rheinmetall major contract
A framework contract worth billions and a first call-off of around 300 million euros: the Bundeswehr is ordering the FV-014 loitering munition from Rheinmetall. Qualification starts in the second quarter of 2026, with deliveries from the first half of 2027.
Counter-UAS on an autonomous truck: Epirus, GDLS and Kodiak AI present Leonidas AGV
High-power microwave meets autonomous driving: with the Leonidas AGV, mobile counter-UAS is set to protect military sites, ports and major events against drones and swarms. A prototype is on show in Huntsville, Alabama.
Drone fleet for Poland: Tusk launches initiative in Rzeszów drawing on Ukrainian combat experience
Polish money, Ukrainian battlefield experience and EU funds: this combination is to create Poland’s own drone fleet. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Yulia Svyrydenko presented the project in Rzeszów.
USV: gunboats without a crew
Peter Symonds de Montfort, founder of Sigmund Naval & Marine Ltd, designs unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for maritime operations. The first USV model is soon to be launched. An interview on design, armament and missions.
Drone technology from Lviv: Sinelink, Ukraine’s hidden AI drone radio network
A briefcase on the smallest stand at the Drone Autonomy Symposium holds drone technology already built into almost all the AI drones on display: Sine Engineering’s Sinelink networks drones, navigates without GPS and enables group operations from one ground station.
AI drones: how Ukraine is driving artificial intelligence forward in the drone war
More drones than pilots, crowded airspace over the front and the question of friend or foe: for Kyrylo Budanov and Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, the next step leads via AI drones. What the modules can do and who decides on their success.
Camcopter S-100 for the Hellenic Navy: Schiebel completes acceptance tests of the first two systems
In February the contract for four systems for Greece’s new FDI frigates was signed; now the first two Camcopter S-100 have passed acceptance at the Kotroni helicopter base. This clears the way for operational use.
Drone warfare: Pentagon plans to increase the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group budget 242-fold
Pete Hegseth’s department wants to fund around 200,000 autonomous systems with the new drone warfare budget. David Petraeus warns, however: without new doctrine, training and forms of command, the investment will remain expensive inventory.
Loitering munition “Hornet”: how the Marsianer-2 over Donetsk is changing the rules of the game in Ukraine
Behind the AI-controlled drone that Russia fears as the “Marsianer-2” (“Martian-2”) is the start-up White Stork of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Russian analyses paint a detailed picture of the loitering munition – from GPS-free navigation to its disguised radio link.
Reconnaissance drones for the US Army: Quantum Systems wins Vector AI contract
The contract under which the US Army is ordering the Vector AI system from Quantum Systems is worth around 14.1 million euros. The reconnaissance drones are to strengthen brigades and provide insights for the future MRR programme.