Loitering Munitions

Latest in Loitering Munitions

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers 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."

Red Dragon Highly-Autonomous One-Way Attack Drone Unveiled Red Dragon Highly-Autonomous One-Way Attack Drone Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 6, 2025

Future versions of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missile for the U.S. Army could carry Coyote drones or Hatchet miniature glide bombs, according to Lockheed Martin.

PrSM Ballistic Missiles Loaded With Coyote Drones, Hatchet Mini Smart Bombs Eyed By Army PrSM Ballistic Missiles Loaded With Coyote Drones, Hatchet Mini Smart Bombs Eyed By Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 1, 2025

Lumberjack strike munition from Northrop Grumman

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 30, 2025

Every Marine A Drone Pilot: Individual Lethality To Go From Meters To Kilometers

Every Marine A Drone Pilot: Individual Lethality To Go From Meters To Kilometers Every Marine A Drone Pilot: Individual Lethality To Go From Meters To Kilometers

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 9, 2025

Roadrunner and coyote deployed on US Destroyer

Coyote, Roadrunner Loitering Drone Interceptors To Arm U.S. Navy Destroyers Coyote, Roadrunner Loitering Drone Interceptors To Arm U.S. Navy Destroyers

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 28, 2025

Two Ukrainian firms, both partnered with American companies, are among those now set to demonstrate long-range one-way drones to the U.S. military as part of a project called Artemis.

Ukrainian Long-Range Attack Drones To Be Tested By U.S. Military Ukrainian Long-Range Attack Drones To Be Tested By U.S. Military

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 14, 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.

News & Features

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

German firm Helsing says production of its HX-2 kamikaze drone, thousands of which are expected to be sent to Ukraine, is underway.

AI-Enabled HX-2 Kamikaze Drones Now In Production For Ukraine AI-Enabled HX-2 Kamikaze Drones Now In Production For Ukraine

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 2, 2024

One especially interesting detail about the Phoenix Ghost family of kamikaze drones has now emerged: the different types can be configured to launch attacks straight down while passing overhead rather than having to careen into their targets and detonate.

Warheads In Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Blast Straight Down Like Air Burst Artillery Rounds Warheads In Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Blast Straight Down Like Air Burst Artillery Rounds

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 27, 2024

Ukraine's domestically developed Dovbush T10 drone has taken on a new role acting as a mothership for first-person view (FPV) kamikaze quadcopters.

Watch A Ukrainian Uncrewed Aerial Mothership Launch Kamikaze Drones Watch A Ukrainian Uncrewed Aerial Mothership Launch Kamikaze Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 21, 2024

North Koran drones

North Korea’s Kim Orders Mass Production Of Kamikaze Drones North Korea’s Kim Orders Mass Production Of Kamikaze Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 15, 2024

The secretive Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drone developed by the U.S. Air Force to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia, has finally emerged from the shadows.

Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows

By Thomas Newdick, Rachel S. Cohen, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 17, 2024

Bolt-M Aims To Make Kamikaze Drone Attacks More User Friendly, Effective Bolt-M Aims To Make Kamikaze Drone Attacks More User Friendly, Effective

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 10, 2024

Iranian-made Shahed-136 'Kamikaze' drone flies over the sky of Kermanshah, Iran on March 7, 2024. Iran fired over 100 drones and ballistic missiles on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in retaliation to an attack on a building attached to the country's consular annex in Damascus that killed the guards, and two generals of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on April 01, 2024. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack on April 5, 2024 in Tehran.

Russian Shahed Kamikaze Drone Crashes In Latvia Russian Shahed Kamikaze Drone Crashes In Latvia

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 9, 2024

The U.S. Army has awarded a massive contract valued at close to $1 billion to AeroVironment for Switchblade-series loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, over the next five years.

Army Just Signed $1B Deal For Massive Order Of Switchblade Kamikaze Drones Army Just Signed $1B Deal For Massive Order Of Switchblade Kamikaze Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 28, 2024