Drones (Page 6)

Latest in Drones

A slender, partially covered naval ship that recently emerged in Washington state is the Defiant, a new medium-sized uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed from the keel up to operate without any humans ever onboard.
Drones

Mysterious Naval Vessel Spotted In Washington State Is A New DARPA Drone Ship

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 4, 2025

The U.S. Air Force has designated the drones that General Atomics and Anduril are currently developing as part of the first phase, or Increment 1, of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program as the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, respectively.
Drones

‘Fighter Drone’ Designations Officially Assigned To Collaborative Combat Aircraft By USAF

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 4, 2025

The U.S. Air Force expects to continue utilizing QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) drones converted from F-16 Vipers fighters through at least 2035 despite moving in recent years to wind the program down.
Drones

QF-16 Zombie Vipers To Keep Flying And Dying Into The 2030s

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 3, 2025

The Army tested a new unit, called a Multi Purpose Company, to find and engage with the enemy.
Drones

New Scout Unit That Heavily Leverages Drones, Electronic Warfare Tested By U.S. Army

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 27, 2025

The U.S. Air Force's force design director says analyses to date show the service will face more operational risk and be less able to achieve assigned objectives without a new crewed sixth-generation combat jet.
Drones

Axing Next Generation Fighter Would Leave Air Force Worse Off: Force Design Boss

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 26, 2025

South Korea today unveiled a new stealthy loyal wingman-type drone, the Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System, or LOWUS, which it plans to operate alongside the locally developed KF-21 Boramae next-generation fighter, among others.
Drones

South Korea’s Loyal Wingman Air Combat Drone Unveiled

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 25, 2025

China’s Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base
Drones

China’s Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Feb 25, 2025

The Marines have been sent to Finland to help protect undersea cables.
Drones

Drone-Equipped U.S. Marines Now Helping Protect Baltic Sea Submarine Cables

By Howard Altman

Updated on Feb 21, 2025

The U.S. Air Force, in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is still exploring concepts for a reusable hypersonic air vehicle capable of performing strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Drones

New Hypersonic Strike-Recon Aircraft Effort Eyeing Prototype Development By 2030

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 20, 2025

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a presence patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 11, 2025. As a highly maneuverable and agile platform with a proven record in air-to-air combat and air-to-ground attack, the Fighting Falcon is well-equipped to engage with threats to regional security and deter further aggression in the AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske)
Drones

F-16s With Larger Laser-Guided Rocket Loads, Drone Kill Marking Emerge Over Middle East

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 19, 2025

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is reportedly flying unarmed MQ-9 Reapers inside Mexican airspace to snoop on drug cartels.
Drones

CIA MQ-9 Reapers Are Covertly Spying On Mexican Drug Cartels: Reports

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 18, 2025

Top Ukrainian nuclear experts are concerned that the drone strike on the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant radiation shield could have lasting affects.
Drones

Hole Blasted By Drone In Chernobyl’s Radiation Shield: What We Know

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 14, 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

Drones Over U.S. Bases May Be Threatening Spy Flights: NORTHCOM Commander

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 13, 2025

Members of Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron-234, (VMGR-234) provide aerial refueling to French Mirage 2000 Fighters from a K C-130J over Djibouti, May 24, 2021. VMGR-234 supports Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) with aerial refueling operations, extending the reach of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Drones

French Fighters Downed “Nearly A Dozen Drones” In Red Sea Combat

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 11, 2025

Russian troops built a mesh net 'tunnel' to protect against Ukrainian FPV drones.
Drones

Russians Erect Mesh Net ‘Tunnel’ Over A Mile Long To Counter Ukrainian FPV Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 10, 2025

Indian drone maker NewSpace Research and Technologies has officially unveiled a new jet-powered loyal wingman-type drone called Abhimanyu.
Drones

Indian Naval Collaborative Drone Concept Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 10, 2025

The Russians say they thwarted a plot to blow up FPV drone operators with explosive-laden goggles.
Drones

Explosive-Laden Goggles Sent To Russian FPV Drone Operators

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 7, 2025

A video showing testing of the Chinese GL-6 hard-kill active protection system underscores how systems like this to provide a valuable additional layer of defense against uncrewed aerial threats, including highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones, something TWZ has previously explored in an in-depth feature.
Drones

Chinese Tank’s Active Protection System Seen Intercepting Drone-Fired Rocket Propelled Grenade

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 7, 2025

Iran has finally shown a drone taking off and landing on – in the latter case with the help of arresting gear – the deck of the country's unusual new 'drone carrier,' the Shahid Bagheri. Newly emerged imagery also shows various drones and crewed helicopters on the flight deck, which has a ski jump at the bow end, including the appearance of 'drones' styled after the infamous Qaher 313.
Drones

Iran’s Wacky Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Service

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 6, 2025

HELIOS laser fired from the USS Preble.
Drones

Navy HELIOS Laser Aboard USS Preble Zaps Drone In Latest Test

By Geoff Ziezulewicz, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Feb 4, 2025

A relatively low-cost cruise missile that the U.S. Air Force is now developing could transform into an air-launched counter-drone weapon.
Drones

Cheap Cruise Missile Program Set To Evolve Into Air-To-Air Drone Interceptor

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 31, 2025

U.S. Navy officials have laid out several priorities they say are key to ensuring the service's carrier air wings will be able to succeed in future conflicts, especially a high-end fight in the Pacific.
Drones

Carrier Air Wing’s Key Priorities To Win In Future Pacific Fight Laid Out By Navy

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 30, 2025

Ukraine's Magyar Birds drone unit is now using a system to counter Russian fiber-optic-controlled FPV drones.
Drones

Ukraine Discloses New Method To Defeat Russian Fiber-Optic-Controlled FPV Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 30, 2025

U.S. Air Force F-16 Vipers have been using 70mm laser-guided rockets to down Houthi drones during operations in and around the Red Sea in the past year.
Drones

F-16s Have Been Using Laser-Guided Rockets To Shoot Down Houthi Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

Airbus and Navantia will explore the integration of the Sirtap drone on the LHD Juan Carlos I. Both companies have signed an agreement on board the Navy's flagship to study the possible use of the RPAS from its deck.
Drones

Spain Wants To Convert Its Aircraft Carrier For Drone Operations

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 28, 2025

President Donald Trump has laid out a vision for a new Iron Dome air and missile defense system to shield the U.S. homeland, which directly hearkens back to the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).
Drones

Weaponizing Space Key To Trump’s Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield Vision

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 28, 2025

An Air Force C-32A VIP transport jet, on a special mission for President Donald Trump, had to delay its landing at Joint Base Andrews because F-16C Vipers were scrambled to intercept a drone.
Drones

C-32 Forced To Delay Landing After F-16s Scrambled To Intercept Drone Near Capital

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 27, 2025

One of Ukraine’s Cold War-era Leopard 1 main battle tanks survived as many as a dozen hits from Russian first-person view (FPV) attack drones, according to Ukrainian sources. The incident underscores the proliferation of this particular threat on the battlefield but also points to the effectiveness of the ‘up-armored’ version of the venerable Leopard 1, examples of which have received a variety of different protective measures in Ukrainian service.
Drones

Ukrainian Leopard 1 Tank Survived A Dozen Drone Strikes: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 24, 2025

The U.S. Air Force's XQ-67A drone is set to receive modifications and upgrades to demonstrate its ability to perform certain missions as part of a program called Demon Ape.
Drones

XQ-67 Getting Overhauled With New Capabilities As Part Of Demon Ape Program

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 24, 2025

F-35 AI-Enabled Drone Controller Capability Successfully Demonstrated
Drones

F-35 AI-Enabled Drone Controller Capability Successfully Demonstrated

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 23, 2025

An intense video has emerged in Russia, showing a portion of a Ukrainian drone strike, including the interception of one of the drones by what seems to be a Pantsir short-range air defense system. Footage showing the successful interception of Ukraine’s long-range one-way attack drones by Russian ground-based air defenses is not generally common and this one reinforces the challenge posed by these relentless Ukrainian attacks against Russian infrastructure and military facilities.
Drones

Extremely Low Altitude Shootdown Of Ukrainian Drone By Russian SAM Caught On Video

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 21, 2025

Drone scare New Jersey
Drones

FBI’s New Jersey Drone Scare Investigation Has No Suspects

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 21, 2025

The U.S. Navy's use of expendable Nulka decoys in combat has highlighted the need to expand the ability of its ships to launch off-board decoying electronic attacks, including ones lasting tens of minutes or more.
Drones

Nulka Combat Use Shows Warships Need Longer-Lasting Electronic Warfare-Enabled Decoys

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 20, 2025

In the coming weeks, drone boats will be plying the waters of the Baltic Sea helping to detect and deter undersea cable sabotage as part of Baltic Sentry.
Drones

Drone Boats Being Rushed To Help Prevent Baltic Seafloor Cable Sabotage

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

After spending years charting a way forward to a family of unmanned surface vessels in a specific array of sizes and configurations, the Navy is eyeing a major course alteration that would see it pursuing a simpler and more interchangeable design.
Drones

Navy To Simplify Drone Ship Plans, Focus On Containerized Payloads That Look Alike

By Hope Hodge Seck

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

Littoral Combat Ship Can Now Rapidly Shoot Down Aerial Drones With Hellfire Missiles
Drones

Littoral Combat Ship Can Now Rapidly Shoot Down Aerial Drones With Hellfire Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

A Russian decoy drone was engaged by Ukrainian air defenses over Kyiv today, close to where President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of one of Ukraine’s staunchest military allies. The drone’s presence further underscores the threat posed by long-range Russian uncrewed aerial vehicles, and the incident coincided with Starmer announcing that the United Kingdom would provide Ukraine with additional mobile air defense systems.
Drones

This Is The Type Of Russian Decoy Drone Shot Down Over Kyiv As Britain’s Prime Minister Met Zelensky

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 16, 2025

Navy MH-60 drone kill in the Red Sea.
Drones

Navy MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter Has Shot Down Its First Drone

By Hope Hodge Seck

Updated on Jan 16, 2025

General Atomics has offered a look at a new air-to-surface missile it is developing.
Drones

New Air-Launched Cruise Missile Teased By General Atomics

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 15, 2025

Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone strikes in the war, hitting targets in about a dozen regions inside Russia
Drones

Mass Ukrainian Drone Onslaught Strikes Targets Across Western Russia

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 14, 2025

A greater focus on long range strike capabilities is among the alternatives the U.S. Air Force is considering to a costly new crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet as part of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems. A lower-cost design focused primarily on acting as a 'quarterback' for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones is also still on the table.
Drones

$20 Billion Price Tag To Complete Development Of USAF’s Next Generation Fighter (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 13, 2025

The CL-415 Super Scooper damaged by a drone while fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles should be dropping water on the flames again by earlier next week. Meanwhile, firefighters will receive two additional planes.
Drones

Two More CL-415 Super Scoopers On The Way To Fight Palisades Fire After One Damaged By Drone

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 10, 2025

The second tranche of U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones could be between 20 to 30 percent more expensive per airframe than those in the first batch.
Drones

Second Batch Of Air Force CCA Drones Could Be 20 To 30 Percent Pricier Than The First

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 10, 2025

CL-415 super Scooper working for Cal Fire
Drones

One Of Just Two CL-415 Super Scooper Planes Taken Out Of Palisades Fire Fight By Drone

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 10, 2025

Hades ALEs
Drones

Army Wants To Test Air-Launched Drones From A Global Express Business Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 9, 2025

The U.S. Navy's Ohio class guided missile submarine USS Michigan made notable use of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) in the course of operations between October 2022 and January 2024 it has emerged. During that time, the boat and its crew completed at least three secretive "national security" missions, as well as ones involving special operations forces, "in hostile and challenging environments."
Drones

Ohio Class Guided Missile Submarine Deployed Underwater Drones On Award Winning Secret Missions

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 9, 2025

A new independent report says that U.S. airbases have been left worryingly vulnerable, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, by a lack of investment in new hardened aircraft shelters, or even unhardened ones.
Drones

Lack Of Hardened Aircraft Shelters Leaves U.S. Airbases Vulnerable To China New Report Warns

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 8, 2025

Ukraine has claimed that it’s successfully used uncrewed surface vessels (USV), better known as drone boats, to launch aerial drones against Russian targets for the first time. According to Ukrainian authorities, the first-person view (FPV) drones were employed in combat during strikes on Russian ground-based air defense systems. This is the latest development in Ukraine’s Black Sea drone war, which is seeing increasingly innovative use of uncrewed systems, including adapted air-to-air missiles launched from USVs against Russian aircraft.
Drones

Ukraine Claims Its Drone Boats Are Now Launching Kamikaze FPV Drones At Russian Shore Targets

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

A recent satellite image shows what looks to be yet another fighter-esque airframe or test article at Shenyang's main plant in the city of the same name in China.
Drones

Tailless Fighter-Like Airframe Appears At Chinese Jet Manufacturer Shenyang’s Main Plant

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

The Metinvest company is beginning to add armor protection to Ukraine's Western-donated air defense systems.
Drones

New Armor Kits Being Installed On Ukraine’s Western Air Defense Systems

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 3, 2025

Chinese Underwater Sea Glider Drone Caught By Fisherman In The Philippines
Drones

Chinese Underwater Sea Glider Drone Caught By Fisherman In The Philippines

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 2, 2025

Russian forces have begun using improvised counter-drone buggies each armed with a weapon made up of 24 barrels that fire shotgun-like ammunition, as well as six AK-series infantry rifles on a single mount.
Drones

Anti-Drone Weapon With 24 Barrels Firing Buckshot-Like Rounds Emerges On Russian Buggies

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 26, 2024

Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey was one of 22 energy infrastructure sites in the state that the FAA banned drone flights over.
Drones

Nuclear Power Plants Report Massive Uptick In Drone Sightings

By Howard Altman

Updated on Dec 21, 2024

The FAA has banned drone flights over 22 New Jersey power infrastructure sites.
Drones

Drone Flights Banned Over New Jersey Energy Infrastructure Sites

By Howard Altman

Updated on Dec 19, 2024

Bill Kennedy, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron transit alert, marshals a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 26, 2015. The aircraft is loaded with 69 members of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team, their supplies and equipment, and six K-9s, to assist Nepal with rescue operations after the country was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
Drones

New Jersey Base Confirms Multiple Past Drone Incursions… By Contraband Smugglers

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 18, 2024

Swedish defense firm Saab has presented concepts for a potential new-generation crewed fighter and a series of drones that would be intended to work alongside it.
Drones

These Are Saab’s Concepts For Its Next Generation Fighter, Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 18, 2024

Camp Pendleton drone incursions have occurred in recent days.
Drones

Multiple Drone Incursions Confirmed Over Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Updated on Dec 17, 2024

A video and pictures have emerged showing testing of Chinese high-flying and high-speed uncrewed air vehicles related to a design called MD-22, including aerial releases from a TB-001 drone and a high-altitude balloon.
Drones

China Launches Hypersonic Test Planes From Drones, Balloons

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 16, 2024

Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is the latest U.S. military installation to report drone overflights.
Drones

Drone Incursions Closed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Airspace Friday Night

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 15, 2024

Yachts are increasingly getting counter-drone systems
Drones

Counter-Drone Systems For Yachts Are Growing In Popularity

By Eric Tegler

Updated on Dec 13, 2024

A U.S. C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft takes off from Ramstein Air Base. A conference on the Ukraine war was held at the U.S. air base.
Drones

U.S. Air Force Confirms Drone Sightings Over Ramstein Air Base In Germany

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 13, 2024

Federal, state, and local authorities have not been able to corroborate any claimed visual sightings of mysterious drones in the skies over New Jersey, according to a top White House spokesperson.
Drones

None Of The New Jersey Visual Drone Sightings Have Been Corroborated: White House

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Dec 13, 2024

Apparent drones spotted in the skies over New Jersey, some as big as six feet across, look to be operating in a coordinated manner not consistent with hobbyists, according to state and local officials.
Drones

Drones Over New Jersey Show Signs Of Coordination, Elude Helicopters: State Officials

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 12, 2024

Any plans the Air Force might have for new hardened aircraft shelters or other physical defenses at bases are prominently absent from a new infrastructure modernization strategy rolled out today.
Drones

Plans For New Hardened Aircraft Shelters Notably Absent From New USAF Base Modernization Strategy

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 12, 2024