Drones (Page 5)

Latest in Drones

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

Announced today, the Quarterhorse Mk 1 first took to the air last week at Edwards Air Force Base, California, when it “achieved stable flight and landed smoothly,” according to the company. “Mk 1's flight validated our rapid, iterative approach to airplane development and advanced our mission to radically accelerate aviation,” Hermeus added.
Drones

First Flight For Quarterhorse Prototype That Aims To Lead To A Reusable Hypersonic Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 28, 2025

Myanmar rebels claim they shot down a government Mi-17 helicopter with an FPV drone.
Drones

Mi-17 Appears To Have Been Downed By FPV Drone In Myanmar

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 22, 2025

We now have our first look at an actual prototype of General Atomics' YFQ-42A 'fighter drone.'
Drones

Our First Look At The YFQ-42 ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 19, 2025

Russia has followed Ukraine’s lead in adapting the propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft as an ad-hoc drone-killer. The Yak-52B2 includes a sensor turret to help detect long-range one-way attack drones and has a shotgun mounted under the wing for shooting them down. While it appears that Ukrainian Yak-52s have had some success in the counter-drone role, the appearance of the Yak-52B2 provides more evidence of the pressure that Ukrainian drone strikes are placing on Russia’s traditional air defenses.
Drones

Russia Testing Shotgun-Armed Yak-52 Trainer Aircraft To Down Ukrainian Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 19, 2025

Ukrainian officials were in Washington this week to hammer out details of a potential $50 billion drone deal.
Drones

Our Best Look Yet At Ukraine’s AIM-9 Sidewinder-Toting Magura-7 Drone Boat

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 15, 2025

The future of the Navy NGAD crewed aircraft program remains in limbo.
Drones

Fate Of Navy’s F/A-XX Future Fighter Is In Limbo (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 14, 2025

F-47 has a range of 1,000+ nautical miles.
Drones

F-47 Now Has An Officially Stated Combat Radius Of 1,000+ Nautical Miles

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 14, 2025

Russia is taking a page out of Ukraine's play book and creating Naval drone regiments
Drones

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Navy Creating New Drone Regiments In Wake Of Enemy Successes

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 13, 2025

General Atomics Long shot drone.
Drones

Air-Launched ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Being Eyed By Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 13, 2025

The U.S. Air Force’s new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones are being developed around fundamentally different understandings of maintenance, logistics, and sustainment, with a heavier focus on commercial-off-the-shelf components, than the service’s existing crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Drones

USAF Wants Collaborative Aircraft Fleet To Stress Parts Commonality For Forward Operations

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 9, 2025

Two new drone designs, Apollo and Athena, are in development at Kratos with a particular focus on collaborative operations with other crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and an eye toward sales in Europe.
Drones

Two Secretive Loyal Wingman Drones Aimed At European Market In Development From Kratos

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 9, 2025

AV introduced its new Kraken3 uncrewed surface vessel at the SOF Week conference in Tampa
Drones

New Drone Boat Unveiled At Special Operations Conference In Afterglow Of Ukrainian Success

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 9, 2025

Pakistan claims it downed more than two dozen Israeli-made Harop drones as the conflict with India intensifies.
Drones

Israeli-Made Harop Attack Drones Launched By India By The Dozens, Pakistan Claims

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 8, 2025

Red Cat drone interview.
Drones

We Talk About The U.S. Army’s New Black Widow Short-Range Recon Drone With Red Cat

By Jamie Hunter, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 8, 2025

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers
Drones

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 7, 2025

AeroVironment has rolled out a new long-range loitering one-way attack drone called Red Dragon that the company designed to operate with very "limited user interaction."
Drones

Red Dragon Highly-Autonomous One-Way Attack Drone Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 6, 2025

Raytheon has begun test flights of its compact PhantomStrike radar, which features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and gallium nitride (GaN) technology. Most significantly, the manufacturer claims that PhantomStrike — which has already been ordered by Poland — brings all the benefits of an AESA antenna at a much lower price point than other radars in its class.
Drones

PhantomStrike Low-Cost Lightweight AESA Radar Flies For First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 6, 2025

XQ-58 rocket launch from its rail launcher system.
Drones

Kratos Close To “A Couple” Final Versions Of XQ-58 Valkyrie For The Marines

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 5, 2025

Small missile for CCA and fighter aircraft sought by USAF.
Drones

Air Force Looking For Cheap Air-To-Air Missile Half The Size Of AMRAAM

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 5, 2025

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know
Drones

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 5, 2025

Procurement of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle for the U.S. Army may end, with the drone being among the platforms that the service could lose under a wide-ranging force-structure overhaul. The development comes as the drone’s manufacturer continues to develop modernized versions of the Gray Eagle, as well as add new equipment and capabilities.
Drones

Stop Buying MQ-1C Gray Eagle Drones Army’s Top Leadership Decrees

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 2, 2025

Marine AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s Mystery Missiles Identified
Drones

Marine AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s Mystery Missiles Identified

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 1, 2025

Making Sure Wingman Drones Don’t Hit Their Crewed Companions Still A Challenge Marines Say
Drones

Making Sure Wingman Drones Don’t Hit Their Crewed Companions Still A Challenge Marines Say

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 30, 2025

Lumberjack strike munition from Northrop Grumman
Drones

Lumberjack Jet-Powered One-Way Attack Munition Can Drop Its Own Precision Bomblets (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 30, 2025

The U.S. Marine Corps has received an Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) weapon in order to facilitate experimentation with the use of high-power microwave (HPM) technology in the increasingly volatile low altitude air defense (LAAD) role. This kind of counter-drone system is increasingly seen as a critical layer in force protection and urgently needed to enhance current and future ground-based air defense (GBAD) capabilities.
Drones

Marines Get Their First High Power Microwave Weapon For Taking On Drone Swarms

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 29, 2025

We now have more clarity on the U.S. Air Force’s plans for its second tranche of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, known as Increment 2. This includes the likelihood of a lower-cost CCA Increment 2 as well as the drone’s integration with assets in addition to fighters, including the B-21 stealth bomber and E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Drones

Air Force’s Next Batch Of Collaborative Combat Drones Could Be Less ‘Exquisite,’ Cheaper

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters
Drones

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

What actually are the Houthis' air defense capabilities? That's a clear question with at best a murky answer, but here is what we know.
Drones

What Air Defenses Do The Houthis In Yemen Actually Have?

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 23, 2025

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) addresses the need for a long-endurance, armed (up to four HELLFIRE missiles), UAS that offers greater range, altitude, and payload flexibility.
Drones

MQ-1C Gray Eagle Is Shooting Down Drones With Hellfire Missiles In Tests

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 18, 2025

The British Army has, for the first time, used a directed-energy weapon to bring down a swarm of drones during trials. The Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon demonstrator, or RF DEW, reflects a fast-growing trend to harness news ways of neutralizing the drone threat, both on the battlefield and for homeland defense.
Drones

British High-Power Microwave Weapon Successfully Tested Against Drone Swarms

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 17, 2025

XQ-58 with landing gear.
Drones

XQ-58 Valkyrie With Built-In Landing Gear Shown In New Rendering

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 16, 2025