Unmanned Systems: Air, Ground & Maritime
Unmanned systems across all domains: aerial, ground and maritime drones in defence and security.
Attack drone S-70 Okhotnik-B: Russia shoots down its own “super drone” over Ukraine
At first it looked like a downed Su-25, then photos and videos showed a Russian S-70 Okhotnik-B attack drone. The wreck lies on Ukrainian-controlled territory – the cause of the loss of control remains unclear.
FPV drones on a cable: Russia increasingly deploys wire-guided drones
What began in February as a wreckage find and was still seen as an experiment in summer now worries Ukrainian drone experts: wire-guided FPV drones are immune to jammers, deliver better images and hit extremely accurately.
Camcopter S-100 for EMSA: Schiebel supported coastguard over the English Channel and North Sea
Belgian and French maritime authorities received support from the air: on behalf of EMSA, Schiebel's Camcopter S-100 flew from Gris-Nez – from search and rescue missions to emissions monitoring.
Quantum Systems and ARX Robotics found the UXS Alliance
With the UXS Alliance, Quantum Systems and ARX Robotics want to bring together companies working on unmanned systems in all domains. It will be based in Berlin, centred on a software framework that connects systems regardless of manufacturer.
Akinci combat drone receives Aselsan's Tolun IIR glide bomb
The Bayraktar Akinci combat drone gains another Turkish precision weapon in Aselsan's Tolun IIR. In a test firing on 17 September it hit a target 20 kilometres away, while Baykar announced the more powerful Akinci C.
Bayraktar TB2 S5 retired: Türkiye bids farewell to first drone of its type after 10,000 flight hours
After 750 missions and 10,000 flight hours, the Turkish military has retired its first Bayraktar TB2. The aircraft with tail number S5 is not quite finished, however: manufacturer Baykar will keep using it for training and test flights.
Drone war in Ukraine: Magyar expects a “truly unmanned war” within six to eight months
At the Yalta European Strategy Forum, commander Robert Brovdi, known as Magyar, spoke about his “Birds of Madyar”, the costs of the drone war and a future without pilots. He addressed two messages directly to Ukraine's partners.
AI-controlled drone swarm: Airbus, Quantum Systems and Spleenlab demonstrate autonomous swarm technology
A drone swarm of Vector, Scorpion and Airbus drones flew under the control of a mission AI at the Airbus Drone Center near Manching. The results of the Bundeswehr study KITU 2 are also to support major programmes such as MGCS and FCAS.
Drone submarine Kronos: from billionaire's toy to weapon for littoral warfare
At IDEX in Abu Dhabi it still sat inconspicuously on the sidelines: the Kronos drone submarine from Highland Systems. Designed for yachts, it is now to fire torpedoes or deploy special forces – when it will be operational remains open.
Shahed drone with Ukrainian SIM card: why Russia builds 4G modems into the Geran-2
Commercial 4G modems, Ukrainian SIM cards, even a Wi-Fi camera taped on: what the wreckage of the Shahed drone reveals about data transmission and navigation – and where the system's weak point lies.
Interceptor drone instead of missile: Ukraine's “Dronopad” to shoot down 1,000 Russian reconnaissance drones
With pickups, Starlink and modified FPV drones, mobile “cover groups” hunt Russian reconnaissance drones. The “Dronopad” project is only the first step: next, Ukraine plans a fixed-wing interceptor drone and one against the Geran.
Drone training in the Bundesheer: Army school in Wiener Neustadt trains dozens of drone operators
Even before the first tactical drones arrive at the end of the year, the Bundesheer's drone training is under way: at Flugfeld West, around 20 soldiers learn theory, law and flying practice – the nucleus for several hundred operators.
Sea Guardian for the Japan Coast Guard: JCG orders two more systems from General Atomics
The Japan Coast Guard has operated a Sea Guardian under an operating contract since April 2022. Now the JCG is buying two systems of its own from GA-ASI, with delivery planned as early as next year.