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Unmanned (Page 3)

Latest in Unmanned

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 23, 2025) Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) operating area, Nov. 23. The LUCAS platforms are part of a one-way attack drone squadron CENTCOM recently deployed to the Middle East to strengthen regional security and deterrence. (Courtesy Photo)
Loitering Munitions

American Shahed-136 Clones Sent To Middle East Have Satellite Datalinks, Swarming Capabilities

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 3, 2025

The Pentagon announced a new plan to purchase hundreds of thousands of drones for $1 billion.
Unmanned

Pentagon Launches $1B Program To Rapidly Buy Hundreds Of Thousands Of Kamikaze Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 3, 2025

Russia has fielded a new version of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone armed with a single R-60 air-to-air missile.
Unmanned

Russian Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drones Now Armed With Air-To-Air Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 1, 2025

Fiber optic drone
Unmanned

FBI Wants To Add Fiber Optic Drones To Its Arsenal

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 21, 2025

Russia is increasingly using a new Iranian Shahed drone against Ukrainian troops.
Unmanned

Russia Now Using Iranian Shahed-107 Drones To Strike Beyond The Front Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 18, 2025

Boeing says its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone is on track for its first live-fire weapons shot, which will be of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), next month.
Loyal Wingman

MQ-28 Ghost Bat To Fire AIM-120 Missile In First Live Weapons Test Next Month

By Joseph Trevithick, Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 18, 2025

An MQ-20 Avenger drone flew a mock mission at the direction of a pilot in an F-22 Raptor during a demonstration earlier this year, General Atomics has disclosed.
Loyal Wingman

F-22 Pilot Controls MQ-20 Drone From The Cockpit In Mock Combat Mission

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

Russia has created a new military branch, called the Unmanned Systems Forces, to oversee drone operations, development and testing.
Unmanned

Russia Creates New Military Branch Dedicated To Drone Warfare

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 13, 2025

Anduril Unveils Omen Hybrid-Electric Vertical Takeoff And Landing Drone
Unmanned

Anduril Unveils Omen Hybrid-Electric Vertical Takeoff And Landing Drone

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 13, 2025

A month after the emergence of satellite imagery that showed GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) in an apparently semi-operational state, China has released the first air-to-air video of the drone. China also revealed that the official People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) name for the GJ-11 is Mysterious Dragon.
UCAVs

China’s Stealthy GJ-11 ‘Mysterious Dragon’ Soars Out Of The Shadows

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Nov 11, 2025

The U.S. Army has set a goal of buying one million new drones of all types over the next two to three years.
Unmanned

Army Sets Out To Buy A Million Drones By 2028

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 8, 2025

China's growing weapons programs puts pressure on intelligence community.
Unmanned

Can U.S. Intel Keep Up With China’s Tsunami Of Weapons Developments?

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

General Atomics' Gambit family of drones, with its common modular core ‘chassis’ concept, now has a sixth member optimized for air-to-surface missions, such as attacking hostile air defenses or enemy ships.
Unmanned

Strike Variant Joins Gambit Family Of Autonomous Air Combat Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 6, 2025

Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury ‘Fighter’ Drone Has Flown (Updated)
Loyal Wingman

Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury ‘Fighter’ Drone Has Flown (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 31, 2025

For the first time, Sikorsky's optionally-piloted UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter performed parachute drops, hovered on its own while sling loads were attached, and flew a simulated medical evacuation mission at the direction of an untrained individual onboard.
Unmanned

Pilot-Optional UH-60 Black Hawk Put To The Test In U.S. Military Exercise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 30, 2025

General Atomics recently showed what it says is a rendering of an MQ-20 Avenger drone armed with a laser directed energy weapon.
Unmanned

MQ-20 Avenger Depicted With Laser Weapon In Its Nose A Sign Of What’s To Come

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

Shield AI has unveiled X-BAT, a stealthy jet-powered 'autonomous fighter' designed to take off vertically and land the same way, tail first, after completing its mission.
Loyal Wingman

The Rise Of X-BAT

By Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

Singapore today launched the first of its drone motherships, or Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCV). The largest and most complex ship in the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Victory is the first of a planned six of these vessels. These will replace the existing Victory class missile corvettes (MCV), which entered service in 1989, and will form the cornerstone of its fleet modernization effort.
Unmanned

Singapore Launches Its Biggest And Most Capable Warship Ever

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

GJ-X Chinese large flying wing drone.
UCAVs

China’s Huge ‘GJ-X’ Stealth Drone Appears To Have Been Spotted In The Air For The First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 19, 2025

The U.S. Army is in the very early stages of formulating a vision for fleets of advanced and highly autonomous drones in a similar vein to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy are now developing.
Loyal Wingman

U.S. Army’s Vision For Loyal Wingman Drones To Fly With Its Helicopters Is Taking Shape

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 17, 2025

Kratos ragnarok cruise missile on an XQ-58.
XQ-58

Ragnarok Mini-Cruise Missile With Big Range Targets $150K Price Tag (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 16, 2025

Mojave from General Atomics which will evolve into the Gray Eagle STOL

Mojave Drone Walk-Around Tour

By The War Zone staff

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

U-hawk sikorsky
Unmanned

UH-60 U-Hawk Drone Walk-Around Tour

By Jamie Hunter, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 14, 2025

U.S. Army Sgt. Hunter Moody, a drone operator assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, in support of Task Force Pegasus, raises his drone at the Nursipalu Training Area near Camp Taara, Estonia, Nov. 13, 2024. Drone operations are an essential component of modern tactics. Task Force Pegasus’ mission is to engage in multinational training and exercises across the continent, strengthening interoperability with NATO allies and regional security partners, which provides competent and ready forces to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rose Di Trolio)
Unmanned

U.S. Army General In Europe Admits “We’re Behind” On Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 14, 2025

The next stage in the evolution of the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing (GE STOL) drone sees General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) team up with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, for co-development and co-production of the uncrewed aircraft system, with work set to begin immediately. A demonstrator for the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone has already operated from a South Korean assault ship, but the new partnership will see production of the Gray Eagle STOL for all customers taking place in South Korea.
Q-1

General Atomics’ Gray Eagle STOL Drone Will Be Made In Korea

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

AeroVironment has unveiled a new member of its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, the Switchblade 400.
Unmanned

Tank-Busting Switchblade 400 Joins AeroVironment’s Family Of Kamikaze Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

Shahed 136
Unmanned

Russia Is Using Modified Shahed-136s To Strike Dynamic Targets Near The Front Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

Boeing CxR collaborative tiltrotor drone.
Unmanned

Boeing Launches New Family Of Tiltrotor Combat Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

UH-60 Black Hawk Cargo Drone With Clamshell Nose Breaks Cover (Updated)
Unmanned

UH-60 Black Hawk Cargo Drone With Clamshell Nose Breaks Cover (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

China’s Stealth Sharp Sword Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles Deployed To Operational Airbase
UCAVs

China’s Stealth Sharp Sword Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles Deployed To Operational Airbase

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 10, 2025

Northrop Grumman has been doing detailed design work that lays a path to air-launching its Lumberjack loitering one-way attack drone from Kratos' stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft.
Loitering Munitions

Lumberjack Jet-Powered Modular Munition Eyed As Armament For XQ-58 Valkyrie Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 9, 2025

Germany's leader is pushing for permission to shoot down threatening drones.
Unmanned

German Cabinet Approves Law To Shoot Down Threatening Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

A Ukrainian drone hit the cooling tower of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia, the latest in a series of incidents at nuclear plants in the region.
Unmanned

Russian Nuke Plant Latest To Suffer War-Inflicted Damage

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

Details remain scant about an unspecified U.S. Air Force aircraft, widely believed to be a drone of some kind, which came down in southern Nevada not far from Area 51 nearly two weeks ago.
Unmanned

Mysterious Aircraft Crash Near Area 51 Just Got Weirder

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

The Ukrainian city of Kramastorsk was hit by a fiber-optic-controlled FPV drone for ther first time.
Unmanned

Russian Fiber-Optic Drones Are Now Reaching Into Ukrainian Cities Deep Behind The Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 6, 2025

A company in China recently unveiled a containerized system it says is capable of quickly launching and recovering thousands of small quadcopter-type drones at the touch of a button.
Swarms

China’s New ‘Drone Light Show In A Box’ Massive Swarm Launcher Speaks To Evolving Threats

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 3, 2025

CBP says it has information about a "credible threat" that drones might attack agents during ongoing immigration protests.
Unmanned

“Credible Threat” Of Drone Attacks Prompted Massive Chicago Airspace Restrictions, CBP Claims

By Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 3, 2025

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

Ukraine Deep In Talks To Sell U.S. Millions Of Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 3, 2025

TFR Chicago during ICE operations
Unmanned

Massive Drone No-Fly Zone Imposed Over Greater Chicago Area (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 2, 2025

Russia is using long-range drones to hit Ukrainian trains.
Unmanned

Russia Using Long-Range Drones To Attack Ukrainian Trains: Official

By Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 2, 2025

The German air defense frigate Hamburg is among several assets deployed to protect Copenhagen during a wave of mystery drones over Europe.
Unmanned

Frigate, Radars, Troops Rushed To Copenhagen To Defend Against Mystery Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 29, 2025

For the Beacon program, Northrop Grumman has adapted the Model 437 Vanguard, adding digitally engineered wings and modifications for optionally autonomous flight. The first flight was achieved with a test pilot in the cockpit.
Loyal Wingman

Scaled Composites’ Model 437 Vanguard Jet Is Now Flying As An AI Testbed

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 27, 2025

German defense startup Helsing has unveiled a new uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV), the CA-1 Europa. The company is targeting a first flight in 2027 for the UCAV, which looks very similar to the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Boeing’s Australian subsidiary developed Ghost Bat first as a ‘loyal wingman’ drone for the Royal Australian Air Force, under the Airpower Teaming System. The U.S. Air Force has also now acquired at least one example ostensibly to support research and development and test and evaluation efforts.
MQ-28

Helsing’s CA-1 Drone Is An MQ-28 Ghost Bat Lookalike

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 25, 2025

Renderings from General Atomics offer new looks at how its air-launched LongShot drone might be employed from F-15 fighters, as well as B-52 bombers and C-17 cargo aircraft.
Unmanned

F-15 Depicted Launching LongShot Air-To-Air Missile Carrier Drone In New Renderings

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 24, 2025

Update from General Atomics from the show floor of Air, Space & Cyber 2025

We Talk YFQ-42A, LongShot, And 9M Flight Hours With General Atomics

By The War Zone staff

Posted on Sep 24, 2025

A long-range kamikaze drone that U.S. firm Kratos is working on together with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is set to make its maiden flight early next year.
Unmanned

Jet-Powered Kamikaze Drone Kratos Is Developing With Taiwan To Fly Next Year

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 24, 2025

Leidos has raised the possibility of eventually integrating its Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, in the MQ-9 Reaper drone and the OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft. The roughly 200-pound munition has, so far, been tested from C-130 variants but offers the kinds of capabilities that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is increasingly looking at harnessing.
Q-9

Tiny Black Arrow Cruise Missile Demonstrates A Whopping 400-Mile Range

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 24, 2025

When Anduril's YFQ-44A drone flies for the first time, it will do so in a semi-autonomous fashion as part of a broader plan to get the design to an actual operational state as fast as possible.
Unmanned

Anduril’s Fury Will Take Off For The First Time At The Touch Of A Button

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 22, 2025

Skunk Works Unveils Vectis Air Combat Drone That Puts A Premium On Stealth
Unmanned

Skunk Works Unveils Vectis Air Combat Drone That Puts A Premium On Stealth

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 21, 2025

A new Quick Reaction Force has been created to help counter drone incursions at U.S. military bases
Unmanned

New Quick Reaction Force Will Counter Military Base Drone Incursions

By Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 18, 2025

What looks to be a previously unseen low-observable flying-wing drone variant with a ‘cranked kite’ planform has emerged in a satellite image from China’s secretive test base near Malan in the country's far western Xinjiang province.
Unmanned

Large Stealth Flying Wing Appears At Chinese Test Base

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 18, 2025

The Chinese aviation industry has been developing an expanding array of flying-wing uncrewed aircraft, including as uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) and high-altitude intelligence-gathering platforms, often in cooperation with state-run research institutions.
Unmanned

New Chinese Flying Wing Drone Design Emerges

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 16, 2025

The Department of Defense needs to mass produce its own shahed-136 clone.
Unmanned

U.S. Needs To Be Building Tens Of Thousands Of Shahed-136 Clones Right Now

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Sep 12, 2025

Poland is closing airspace and said the Russian drone incursion was a test.
Unmanned

Poland Says Russia’s Mass Drone Incursion Was “A Test”

By Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 11, 2025

A member of Congress has shared a video claiming to show an attempt by U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones to intercept an unidentified object in the air off the coast of Yemen last year.
Q-9

Revelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 9, 2025

Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems have teamed up to develop a range of uncrewed air systems (UAS), all based on a common design, for which concept artwork has now been presented. The effort sees two of the world’s biggest defense companies joining forces, and entering a growing field of less expensive and more expendable drones and munitions.
Loitering Munitions

Lockheed Martin Joins Forces With BAE Systems On New Ultra-Adaptable Drone

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 9, 2025

MQ-28 Ghost Bat With Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted At By Boeing
MQ-28

MQ-28 Ghost Bat With Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted At By Boeing

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 8, 2025

The U.S. Navy has taken an important step forward toward acquiring new carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drones with contracts to Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
Loyal Wingman

Navy Carrier-Based ‘Loyal Wingman’ Drone Development Suddenly Pushes Forward (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 5, 2025

Ukraine TB2 drone.
TB-2

Ukraine’s TB-2 Bayraktar Drones Are Striking Russian Forces Again After A Long Hiatus

By Howard Altman

Posted on Sep 4, 2025

The massive military parade in Beijing yesterday has provided us with a much closer look at some of the country’s new air combat drones, the gradual emergence of which, in the run-up to the event, prompted much discussion. Of these drones, one, in particular stands out, this being a stealthy tailless design that is also notably large, and which is overall indicative of high performance.
UCAVs

China Unveils Large Unmanned Stealth Fighter Design During Military Parade

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 3, 2025

The Pentagon has created a new task force to speed up delivery of counter-small drone systems, but regulatory impediments remain.
Unmanned

New Pentagon Task Force Aims To Accelerate Drone Defense At Home And Abroad

By Howard Altman

Updated on Aug 29, 2025

Kratos has confirmed it is working together with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on a derivative of its jet-powered MQM-178 Firejet target drone called the Chien Feng IV.
Unmanned

Taiwan Teams Up With Kratos On Jet-Powered Kamikaze Drone

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 29, 2025

YFQ-42 ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Has Flown For The First Time
Loyal Wingman

YFQ-42 ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Has Flown For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Aug 27, 2025

A suspected Ukrainian drone explosion in Estonia highlights growing concerns about long-range weapons raising the danger of collateral damage outside the war zone.
Unmanned

Stray Drone Striking Estonia Highlights Dangers Of Rapidly Expanding Long-Range War

By Howard Altman

Updated on Aug 26, 2025