Drones (Page 4)

Latest in Drones

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, commonly referred to as the service's "Air Boss," is still "eagerly awaiting" a new F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter despite the uncertainty now swirling around that program.
Drones

F/A-XX Next Generation Naval Fighter Selection Could Still Happen

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 25, 2025

Naval aviators need to be able to trust any future drone wingmen as much as their human counterparts, a U.S. Navy strike fighter tactics instructor has told TWZ.
Drones

Navy Fighter Pilots Need To Gain Trust In Pilotless Wingmen By Actually Flying With Them

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 22, 2025

Columbia lost a UH-60 to a drone attack.
Drones

Colombian Black Hawk Downed By Drone Is A Glimpse Of What’s To Come (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Aug 22, 2025

A former high-ranking FAA and White House official offers his take on the Jersey Drone scare.
Drones

What Were The New Jersey Drones? Former High-Ranking FAA Official Gives His Take

By Howard Altman

Updated on Aug 21, 2025

The use of a laser directed energy weapon to take down what was thought to be a cartel drone crossing the border near Texas highlights the challenges the U.S. faces in protecting its skies.
Drones

Fiber Optic FPV Drones Featured In Navy Electronic Warfare Exercise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 20, 2025

A recently emerged image shows a very large, low-observable, flying-wing aircraft flying in China. While the identity of the aircraft cannot be definitively established, it matches, in many respects, the appearance of the huge drone that TWZ was first to identify in satellite imagery dating from earlier this summer, and which you can read more about here.
Drones

Large Stealth Flying Wing Aircraft Photographed Over China

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 20, 2025

Pickle Fork-Like Stealthy Drone With Buddy Refueling Capability Being Developed By Kratos (Updated)
Drones

Pickle Fork-Like Stealthy Drone With Buddy Refueling Capability Being Developed By Kratos (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 19, 2025

New views of Chinese ‘loyal wingman’ type drones, or at least mockups thereof, that are set to make their debut at a major upcoming military parade have emerged.
Drones

Glimpses Of China’s New Air Combat Drones Emerge Ahead Of Massive Military Parade

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 17, 2025

The recent use of a laser directed energy weapon to take down an aerial object in Texas highlights policy challenges in protecting U.S. skies.
Drones

FAA Insider Opens Up About Drone Incursions Over Military Bases

By Howard Altman

Updated on Aug 15, 2025

Ukraine has carried out an audacious drone strike on the Caspian Sea port of Olya, in Russia’s Astrakhan region, hitting one cargo vessel that Kyiv says was being used to transport arms from Iran. U.K.-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to TWZ that this is the first time that a direct attack of this kind had been made on Olya and that it had resulted in one ship sunk. It also appears to be the first time that Ukraine has successfully targeted any kind of vessel in the Caspian Sea area.
Drones

Ukraine Sinks Russian Cargo Ship In Caspian Sea

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 15, 2025

Our Best Look At DARPA’s Defiant Uncrewed Surface Ship
Drones

Our Best Look At DARPA’s Defiant Uncrewed Surface Ship

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 13, 2025

A Customs and Border Protection MQ-9 flew deep into Mexico today.
Drones

U.S. MQ-9 Drone Just Flew A Mission Deep Into Mexico

By Howard Altman

Posted on Aug 13, 2025

A small U.S. Army quadcopter carrying a Claymore mine recently knocked down another small uncrewed aerial system in a test.
Drones

Claymore Mine-Armed Drone Tested by U.S. Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 13, 2025

Last week, it was reported that German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is awaiting a billion-dollar order from the German Armed Forces for its Skyranger anti-aircraft gun. During a recent earnings call, the firm’s CEO, Armin Papperger said that he expected Skyranger contracts from the German military worth between $7-9 billion to be signed this year. The systems would be delivered by 2035.
Drones

Germany To Bet Big On Skyranger Gun System To Address Growing Drone Threat

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 12, 2025

More MQ-58 Variants In The Works After Marines Move To Make Valkyrie A Full Program Of Record
Drones

More MQ-58 Variants In The Works After Marines Move To Make Valkyrie A Full Program Of Record

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 12, 2025

Russia is now using Shahed drones to drop mines.
Drones

Russia’s Shahed-136 Drones Are Laying Anti-Tank Mines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 11, 2025

Bizarre footage has emerged from Russia, showing what’s claimed to be part of an experiment to integrate a counter-uncrewed aerial system (CUAS) interceptor drone on a MiG-29 Fulcrum jet fighter. On closer inspection, the quadcopter drone is lashed to the fighter using zip ties and, even if that weren’t the case, the overall practicality of the solution is extremely questionable — to say the least.
Drones

Russian MiG-29 Fitted With An “Interceptor Drone” Is A Laughable Mess

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 11, 2025

A recently released picture of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Bainbridge offers a good look at new launchers for Coyote counter-drone interceptors installed on the ship.
Drones

Coyote Loitering Drone Interceptors Have Arrived On U.S. Navy Destroyers

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Aug 11, 2025

The turboprop-powered Zlin Z-137 Agro Turbo is seen swooping low over a Ukrainian cornfield, very much its traditional operating environment. In this case, however, it sports a single R-73 air-to-air missile under each wing. The agricultural plane also appears to have received a military-style dull gray overall paint scheme, with white identification stripes on the rear fuselage to reduce the risk of ‘friendly fire.’ Details of the date and location of the video are not immediately available.
Drones

Crop Duster Armed With Air-To-Air Missiles Appears In Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 8, 2025

Russia radar strikes by FPV in crimea
Drones

Uncrewed Boats Launch FPV Drone Strike On Key Russian Radars Located On Crimea’s Southern Tip

By Howard Altman

Posted on Aug 7, 2025

Another chinese stealthy tailless combat jet emerges.
Drones

New Chinese Stealth Tactical Jet Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 5, 2025

Ukraine rescued a stranded soldier via drone and electric bike
Drones

Drone-Dropped Electric Bikes Save Ukrainian Soldier Trapped Behind Enemy Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 1, 2025

Russia's use of jet-powered Shahed drones adds another layer of pressure on Ukraine's air defenses.
Drones

Russia’s Jet Powered Shahed Kamikaze Drone Is A Big Problem For Ukraine

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 31, 2025

The Navy's new plans for a family of uncrewed surface vessels (USV), focused more on modular, containerized payloads than specific hull designs, are coming into sharper focus.
Drones

Navy Unmasks Its Vision For Fleet Of Uncrewed Modular Surface Attack Craft

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 31, 2025

Mexican cartel members reportedly fought Russians in Ukraine to learn how to use FPV drones against domestic rivals.
Drones

Cartel Members Fought In Ukraine To Learn FPV Drone Skills: Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 30, 2025

An American who invests in defense technology for Ukraine opens up about why the country has become a global powerhouse and why you should care.
Drones

Critical Weapons Development Lessons From Ukraine Are Not Being Learned By The West

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 30, 2025

Ukraine has hit a key Russian rail line for the third time in as many days.
Drones

Ukraine Repeatedly Targets Key Rail Line Deep Inside Russia With Drone Strikes

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 29, 2025

Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy, which comes ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year.
Drones

MQ-25 Stingray Carrier-Based Uncrewed Tanker Ground Testing Now Underway

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 29, 2025

Russia is now using decoy drones made up entirely of Chinese components according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Drones

New Russian Drone Made Completely Of Chinese Components: Ukrainian Intelligence

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 22, 2025

Army promotes grenade dropping drone
Drones

Army Touting Grenade Dropping Drone Shows Just How Alarmingly Behind The Curve It Still Is

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 21, 2025

Ukraine is recruiting additional troops to fight the increasing Shahed drone threat.
Drones

Ukraine Scrambling To Fight Against Growing Russian Shahed-136 Threat

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jul 21, 2025

Satellite imagery of preparations for a major upcoming military parade in China points to the possibility that one or more 'loyal wingman' type drones, or at least mockups thereof, are set to be revealed.
Drones

China’s New Drone Wingmen Look Set For Military Parade Unveiling

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 21, 2025

L3Harris has formally rolled out its modular Wolf family of "launched effects vehicles," which includes the Red Wolf, configured for long-range precision strikes against targets on land or at sea, and the Green Wolf fitted with an electronic warfare payload.
Drones

‘Wolf Pack’ Of Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Unveiled By L3Harris

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 18, 2025

U.S. special operations Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA) surveillance drones, which are based on a popular civilian powered glider design, are set to gain the ability to launch smaller uncrewed aerial systems.
Drones

Super Quiet Special Operations Drones Being Modified To Launch Smaller Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 11, 2025

The Pentagon has announced sweeping new changes intended to surge the fielding of small drones, including weaponized types, across the entire U.S. military.
Drones

Pentagon Just Made A Massive, Long Overdue Shift To Arm Its Troops With Thousands Of Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 11, 2025

F-22 Raptors Will Be First To Control ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Drones

F-22 Raptors Will Be First To Control ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 3, 2025

Retire Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan talked to use about the strain Middle East deployments are adding to the aging fleet of cargo jets and refueling tankers and offered his insights into a host of other topics.
Drones

KC-135 Tankers Set To Get Drone Launchers

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jul 2, 2025

A-10 firing rockets
Drones

A-10 Warthog Already Has The Capability To Use Laser-Guided Rockets To Shoot-Down Drones

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jul 1, 2025

North Korea is reportedly sending 25,000 workers to Russia to build and learn how to operate drones.
Drones

North Korea Sending Russia Thousand Of Workers To Build Shahed Drones: Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 19, 2025

MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones have demonstrated their ability to engage an aerial target while under the direction of the crew of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Drones

MQ-28 Ghost Bats Controlled From E-7 Wedgetail In Loyal Wingman Test

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 19, 2025

ONE WAY EFFECTOR represents a trade-off between the need for mass and performance at lower cost to meet the challenges faced by armed forces in a high-intensity context. ONE WAY EFFECTOR is a new attrition proposition based on feedback from the armed forces, particularly from the conflict in Ukraine.
Drones

Inspired By Ukraine War, Europe Is Developing Shahed-Style One-Way Attack Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

The latest addition to General Atomics' MQ-9B medium-altitude long-endurance drone family is set to be an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) configured version.
Drones

MQ-9B Airborne Early Warning Variant Could Fill Major Aerial Surveillance Gaps

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

Spike launcher found in Iran after attacks by Mossad agents.
Drones

Spike Missiles That Destroyed Air Defenses From Inside Iran Were Remotely Operated

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 16, 2025

Mysterious chinese flying wing aircraft that could be the H-20 bomber appears in satellite image.
Drones

Massive Stealth Flying Wing Emerges At Secretive Chinese Base

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jun 14, 2025

A Prediator-B drone, most likely operated by Customs and Border Protection, flew deep into Mexico on Wednesday.
Drones

Department Of Homeland Security Predator B Drones Are Orbiting Over Los Angeles

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jun 11, 2025

APKWS rockets were kept from Ukraine to be used to defend US in the Middle East.
Drones

Counter-Drone Weapons Diverted From Ukraine To Middle East Amid Rising Tensions, Hegseth Confirms

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 11, 2025

In an exclusive interview with The War Zone, Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, commander of the Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), talked about his game-changing sea drone campaign against Russia.
Drones

AIM-9X Being Used By Ukraine’s Drone Boats To Engage Russian Jets, Not AIM-9M

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jun 10, 2025

Russia giving North Korea Shahed 136 production capability.
Drones

Russia Giving North Korea Shahed-136 Attack Drone Production Capability: Budanov

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jun 9, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) says it has developed upgrades for a family of modular, rapidly deployable protective structures to improve their ability to shield against drone attacks.
Drones

Growing Drone Threats Lead To Army Modular Shelter Kit Improvements

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 9, 2025

Russia launched revenge attacks across Ukraine for the destruction of its bombers.
Drones

Russia Executes Revenge Strikes Against Ukraine For Blowing Up Its Bombers

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 6, 2025

Inside frontline drone operations in ukraine
Drones

Ukrainian Commander’s Exclusive Insights On Brutal Drone Warfare On The Frontline

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 4, 2025

New satellite imagery and an official video has revealed more about the scale of destruction and damage inflicted on Russian airfields in Ukraine’s unprecedented covert drone attacks last weekend. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, published previously unreleased drone footage showing the attacks underway.
Drones

Confirmed Losses Of Russian Aircraft Mount After Ukrainian Drone Assault

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 4, 2025

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery that TWZ has exclusively obtained from ICEYE points to multiple Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers having been damaged or destroyed at Belaya Air Base.
Drones

Latest On Russian Aircraft Loss Assessments From Ukrainian Drone Strikes

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 3, 2025

Royal Navy wants to arm carriers with drones and long-range missiles
Drones

Royal Navy To Arm Its Carriers With Long-Range Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 3, 2025

Hardened aircraft shelters are up for debate as Russia experienced a major attack from Ukrainian drones.
Drones

Mass Drone Attack On Exposed Russian Bombers Puts Spotlight On Hardened Aircraft Shelter Debate

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jun 3, 2025

More details are emerging about the scope of the massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russian bombers and how it was pulled off.
Drones

What We Know About Ukraine’s Mass Drone Assault On Russian Bombers

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 2, 2025

The future of Russia's bomber fleet after Ukraine's mass drone attack.
Drones

What Ukraine’s Unprecedented Drone Attack Means For Russia’s Bomber Force

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 2, 2025

Russian sources claim Its force are using a Chinese laser to down Ukrainian drones.
Drones

Chinese Laser Weapon Is Claimed To Be In Russian Service

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 1, 2025

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) claims it show down a Russian jet target drone converted to be a weapon.
Drones

Weaponized Russian Jet-Powered Target Drone Shot Down Over Black Sea: Ukraine

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 30, 2025

We now have a picture showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle down-range in the Middle East with an air-to-air loadout that includes six seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as four AIM-9X and four AIM-120 missiles.
Drones

F-15E Armed With Drone Killing Laser-Guided Rockets Appears In Middle East

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Pilot-optional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters could be coming in the future as Lockheed Martin looks for ways to ensure the jets remain relevant for decades to come.
Drones

What We Just Learned A More Advanced “Ferrari” F-35 Could Include

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Taiwan is looking to boost its drone boat capabilities amid a growing threat from China.
Drones

Taiwan To Hold Major Drone Boat Test Exercise As It Falls Behind In Fielding This Critical Capability

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 29, 2025

A Ukrainian commander opens up about the benefits and challenges of using fiber optic cables to control first person view (FPV) drones.
Drones

Inside Ukraine’s Fiber-Optic Drone War

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 28, 2025

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded General Atomics a contract for work on what is described as a "hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fan next-generation intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/strike unmanned aerial system," or GHOST.
Drones

Hybrid-Electric GHOST Strike-Recon Drone In The Works For USAF

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 28, 2025