U.S. Army Evaluates JLTV-Based RAD Counter-Drone System
The U.S. Army is evaluating the Reconfigurable Air Defense (RAD) counter‑drone system, developed by SAIC and Kongsberg, mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) during Project Flytrap in Lithuania. The RAD suite combines a stabilized turret, radar sensor and AI‑assisted detection to locate and shoot down one‑way attack drones while the vehicle remains mobile with maneuver forces. Leveraging the existing JLTV platform reduces acquisition cost and simplifies logistics compared with purpose‑built carriers. The test runs through May 31 as part of a broader series of exercises aimed at shaping future Army counter‑UAS doctrine.
Northrop Grumman Reports B-21 Test Milestone as Program Accelerates
Northrop Grumman announced that the B‑21 Raider Combined Test Force compressed its 180‑day test plan to just 73 days, securing an $11.8 billion contract while completing half of the required missions. The bomber also demonstrated aerial refueling with a KC‑135 Stratotanker at...
Ukraine Strikes Russian Missile Corvette in Caspian Sea
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that FP‑1 drones struck a Project 22800 Karakurt‑class missile corvette at the Kaspiysk naval base in Dagestan on May 7. The vessel, capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles, suffered damage that is still being assessed. The attack marks...
Ukraine’s Tryzub Laser Can Now Hit Drones up to 5 Kilometers Away
Ukrainian firm Celebra Tech has integrated its Tryzub high‑power laser into a mobile counter‑drone trailer now in final testing. The system can neutralize reconnaissance drones out to 1,500 meters and FPV drones at 800‑900 meters, with a claimed reach of up to...
New Zealand Eyes Japanese Frigate After Australia Picked the Same Ship
New Zealand’s defence ministry announced on May 7, 2026 that it is weighing Japan’s Mogami‑class frigate and Britain’s Type 31 as replacements for its two aging Anzac‑class vessels. The move follows Australia’s recent contract for three Upgraded Mogami frigates under the SEA 3000 program,...
Chinese Laser Weapon System Spotted in the UAE
A Chinese vehicle‑mounted laser counter‑drone system, likely the Guangjian‑21A, was photographed at Dubai International Airport, marking its first visible deployment in the United Arab Emirates. The system, showcased at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow, is designed to engage low, slow, small...
U.S. Army Trains with New Bumblebee V1 Counter-Drone Interceptor
The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division began training with the Bumblebee V1, a first‑person‑view counter‑drone system, at Fort Drum in partnership with Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The FPV multirotor not only intercepts hostile UAVs but also provides short‑range reconnaissance,...
U.S. Army Buys Commercial Cargo Drone for Logistics
The U.S. Army announced a solicitation on May 6, 2026 to acquire a Draganfly heavy‑lift commercial drone for Fort Drum, New York. The package includes a 35 kg delivery box, Mesh Rider radio, ground‑control station, sixteen batteries and a Gremsy VIO F1 sensor gimbal. Designed...
General Dynamics Wins Crypto Systems Contract for 18 Allied Militaries
General Dynamics Mission Systems won a sole‑source contract valued up to $69.7 million to produce KIV‑78A cryptographic IFF devices through May 5, 2031. The award, made by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, includes Foreign Military Sales to 18 allied countries such...
Pentagon Prepares F-35 for Quantum Computing Threat
The Pentagon’s F‑35 Joint Program Office issued a sole‑source presolicitation on May 6, 2026 to upgrade the fighter’s In‑Line File Encryption Device (IFED) with quantum‑resistant algorithms. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the only qualified contractor, with capability statements due by May 21, 2026. The contract...
DARPA Complete First Flight of XRQ-73 Hybrid Stealth Drone
DARPA, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Northrop Grumman completed the first flight of the XRQ‑73 hybrid‑electric unmanned aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in April 2026 under the SHEPARD program. The series‑hybrid system uses a fuel‑burning generator to produce electricity for...
Otto Aerospace Validates Laminar-Flow Drone Design
Otto Aerospace completed a multi‑sortie flight‑test campaign at Spaceport America, confirming that its laminar‑flow unmanned aircraft achieves the drag‑reduction levels predicted by models. The tests were funded independently by Otto, separate from a 24‑month DARPA and OECIF contract that backs...
U.S. Space Force Picks ThinKom’s Hidden Satellite Ground Station
ThinKom Solutions won the U.S. Space Force’s 2026 Fight Tonight competition with its Containerized Digital Array, a transportable satellite ground station hidden inside a standard shipping container. The system uses concealed phased‑array antennas and supports multi‑orbit, multi‑band communications across LEO,...
Raytheon Receives Largest Ever SharpSight Radar Order
Raytheon, an RTX business, landed its biggest SharpSight radar contract to date – 120 units ordered by Blue Raven for global resale and distribution. The partnership lets Raytheon bulk‑produce the platform‑agnostic surveillance radar while Blue Raven leverages its international network...
German Defense Supplier RENK Posts Best Quarter in Company History
RENK Group AG reported a record first‑quarter 2026, posting $657 million in new orders and a $7.8 billion backlog, the highest ever for an opening quarter. Revenue rose 4% to $320 million, while adjusted EBIT grew 10.4% to $47.9 million, lifting the EBIT margin...
U.S. Army Expands eBee VISION Fleet with New European Purchase
EagleNXT, through German integrator Dronivo, delivered three eBee VISION unmanned‑air system kits to the U.S. Army's 7th Army Training Command, bringing the service's total inventory to 34 units across six organizations. The platform, a hand‑launched fixed‑wing drone, offers up to...
European UGV Maker Sends Hundreds More Ground Robots to Ukraine
European unmanned ground vehicle maker ARX Robotics secured a new contract to deliver several hundred additional GEREON UGVs to Ukraine, expanding its deployed fleet to five times its original size. Ukraine announced a plan to acquire 25,000 ground robots in...
Turkey Unveils Its Largest and Fastest Ballistic Missile
Turkey's defence firm ROKETSAN unveiled the TAYFUN Block 4 hypersonic ballistic missile at the SAHA 2026 expo, showcasing a 10‑meter, 7.2‑ton weapon capable of Mach 5+ speeds. The missile was displayed on an 8×8 wheeled launcher, and ROKETSAN confirmed that initial deliveries have...
Russia Develops New Jammer to Counter FPV Drone Attacks
Russia’s Rostec subsidiary Rosel unveiled SERP‑FPV, a vehicle‑mounted jammer that delivers 360‑degree, wideband suppression of first‑person‑view (FPV) drones. The system works across civilian and custom FPV frequencies, allowing immediate activation while the vehicle is in motion. Designed for armored convoys,...
Peraton Wins U.S. Navy Deal to Keep MK 18 Underwater Drones Mission-Ready
Peraton secured a U.S. Navy contract initially valued at $17.4 million to provide operational support for the MK 18 family of underwater explosive‑ordnance‑disposal drones, with four one‑year options that could lift the total award to $90.7 million through May 2031. The work will be...
Turkish Firm Wins Deal for 100,000 Kamikaze Drones with Undisclosed Country
Turkish defense firm Pasifik Technology signed a framework contract with an undisclosed nation for a package of 101,035 unmanned systems, headlined by 100,000 MERKUT FPV kamikaze drones. The deal also includes 10 ALPIN unmanned helicopters, 25 DUMRUL mini‑helicopters, 500 DELİ...
Vietnam Develops New XTC-03 Wheeled Infantry Transporter
Vietnam’s Defense Industry unveiled the XTC‑03, a 16‑tonne 8×8 amphibious armored personnel carrier prototype. The vehicle mounts a 30 mm autocannon with a Viettel‑supplied thermal fire‑control system and meets STANAG Level 4‑2 armor and Level 2 mine protection. Powered by a 351‑hp V8,...
U.S. Firm Develops Fuel that Gives Jets and Missiles More Range
CycloKinetics, Inc. officially launched on May 4, 2026, offering three drop‑in propellants—CycloJP for aircraft, CycloRP for rockets, and CK‑10 for missiles—that replace existing fuels while delivering higher energy density and cleaner combustion. The company, built on a 15‑year relationship with the Department...
Ukraine Strikes Deep Into Russia, Hits Key Military Electronics Supplier
Ukraine launched a deep‑strike operation targeting the VNIIR Progress electronics plant in Cheboksary, roughly 1,000 km from the front line. The attack began with an FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missile and was followed by at least four An‑196 kamikaze drones, striking a facility that...
China Develops New Stealth Cruise Missile
China is developing a sub‑4‑meter stealth cruise missile that fits inside the internal weapons bays of its J‑20 and J‑35 fighters. The missile uses infrared‑cooling nozzles, a serrated exhaust, V‑tail shielding and rock‑wool insulation to lower radar and heat signatures....
China Shows Type 100 Tank in Field Training for the First Time
Xinhua released the first public footage of China’s Type 100 main battle tank conducting field training, showing the vehicle moving across dusty terrain with a crew member operating controls inside the hull. The video also offers the inaugural glimpse of the...
U.S. Army Awards Contract for Autonomous Resupply Drone
The U.S. Army has awarded SURVICE Engineering a production contract for the Joint Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS), an autonomous cargo‑delivery drone built on the Tactical Resupply Vehicle platform with UK partner Malloy Aeronautics. The contract was secured through the...
U.S. Army Integrates Drone and Jamming Tech in Latvia Exercise
On April 29, 2026, the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment conducted a live‑fire exercise in Selija, Latvia, embedding drone reconnaissance and the Titan V3 counter‑UAS jammer into a simulated movement‑to‑contact squad attack. The drill placed drones at the front of the...
U.S. Army Orders Closed-Circuit Wind Tunnel
The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal issued a solicitation on May 1, 2026 for a closed‑circuit wind tunnel to be installed in the Army Primary Standards Laboratory. The tunnel will support Laser Doppler Velocimetry testing, enabling air‑speed measurements from 0.15 m/s...
U.S. Air Force Looks to Keep Minuteman III Guidance System Running to 2050
The U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center issued a data call on May 1, 2026 asking contractors to propose ways to extend the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile’s guidance system life through 2050. The request, posted on SAM.gov, outlines detailed component needs—including gyroscopes,...
U.S. Navy Sets up $650M Competition for 474 Military Boats
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command awarded eight small‑boat manufacturers contracts worth up to $650 million for the procurement of 474 composite rigid‑hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) over the next decade. The base‑level award totals $325.9 million, with a $1,000 minimum guarantee...
Raytheon Gets $441M Urgent GEM-T Missile Order
Raytheon Technologies received a $441.6 million contract modification on April 30, 2026, to produce PATRIOT GEM‑T missiles for Operation Epic Fury. The work will be carried out at the company’s Chambersburg, Pennsylvania plant with a hard deadline of September 30, 2026. All funds were obligated...
Turkey’s MKE Develops URAN Vehicle-Mounted 105mm Howitzer
Turkey’s state‑owned defence firm MKE unveiled the URAN, a vehicle‑mounted 105 mm howitzer derived from its export‑proven BORAN system, at the SAHA 2026 exhibition. The URAN can fire 10‑12 rounds per minute out to 18 km and uses hydraulic supports to stabilise on...
Sweden Launches Its First Military Spy Satellite
Sweden launched its first military reconnaissance satellite on May 3, 2026, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg. The spacecraft, built by Planet Labs, provides low‑Earth‑orbit, high‑resolution imaging, especially over the Arctic. The Swedish Armed Forces aim to field about ten satellites by the...
Israel Doubles Down on Air Power with Two-Squadron Fighter Buy
Israel’s Ministerial Procurement Committee approved the purchase of a fourth F‑35I squadron and a second F‑15IA squadron, with contracts worth tens of billions of shekels (approximately $20‑30 billion). The deals are part of a 350‑billion‑NIS ($98 billion) ten‑year IDF force‑buildup plan and...
Eric Schmidt’s Drone Killer Is Now Protecting U.S. Troops in Germany
U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll visited Germany’s USAG Ansbach and formally signed a Merops AS‑3 Surveyor counter‑drone system, highlighting a massive procurement effort that bought 13,000 interceptors in eight days. Each Surveyor unit costs about $15,000, and the Army deployed 10,000...
Australia’s Speartooth Submarine Drone Enters U.S. Service
C2 Robotics has commissioned and delivered its first Speartooth Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (LUUV) to the United States, marking the inaugural Australian export of the platform. The 8‑meter autonomous submarine can travel 2,000 kilometers, dive to 2,000 meters, and supports ISR and...
U.S. Special Forces Sink a Ship with Ukrainian-Designed Drone Boats
During the Balikatan 2026 exercise off Itbayat, Philippines, Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Group remotely launched unmanned surface vessels that delivered shaped‑charge warheads and sank a designated target ship. The USVs closely resembled Ukraine‑origin Magura V7.2 drones produced by...
One Hour per Drone: KIHOMAC Takes on America’s UAV Supply Crisis
KIHOMAC unveiled the Agami, a 20‑lb fixed‑wing UAV that can be assembled from carbon‑fiber parts in under one hour, a stark contrast to 3D‑printed drones that require up to 100 hours. The platform features a "Bring Your Own Payload" open...
Trump Praised AI Drone Killer at the White House
President Donald Trump publicly praised Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog autonomous weapon station during a White House appearance, calling it a "very special machine gun that knocks them out of the air like flies." The Austin‑based startup has tripled its facility...
Ursa Major Hosts RTX CEO as Munitions Demand Surges
RTX CEO Christopher Calio and senior Raytheon leaders visited Ursa Major’s Colorado headquarters to assess its hypersonic propulsion and solid‑rocket‑motor capabilities. Ursa Major demonstrated flight‑proven hypersonic systems and asserted it can rapidly scale motor production to meet surging munitions demand. The meeting...
New Report Tracks Russia’s Growing Combat Ground Robot Fleet
StateWatch’s April 2026 report catalogued 32 Russian unmanned ground‑vehicle models, confirming combat use for at least 20 of them against Ukraine. The analysis highlights three serial‑production platforms—Kuryer, Varan and Impulse‑M—each fielded in hundreds, while the majority of their manufacturers remain free...
U.S. Army Seeks Bat Researchers for Aberdeen Proving Ground
The U.S. Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory issued a solicitation on April 30, 2026, to hire a contractor for bat mist‑netting, radio telemetry, and guano sampling at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The four‑week field effort will...
Pentagon Plans to Destroy Hundreds of Minuteman II Missile Motors
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command issued a Request for Information on April 30, 2026 to find a contractor capable of demilitarizing at least 178 Minuteman II solid‑rocket motors, with a potential ceiling of 282 units, over a ten‑year performance window. The...
Canada and France Team up to Build New NATO-Aligned MRAP
INKAS of Toronto unveiled the M1 MRAP, a joint effort with France's KNDS Mobility, combining French mobility architecture with Canadian armored‑vehicle engineering. The vehicle meets NATO STANAG 4569 standards, offering 360‑degree ballistic and blast protection while retaining off‑road mobility. Its...
US Military Spends $178M to Keep Aging J85 Jet Engine in Service
The Department of Defense has spent more than $178 million to keep General Electric’s legacy J85 turbojet engine in production through a series of sole‑source contracts. An initial $107.8 million delivery order in December 2024 was followed by four modifications worth about $70.7 million...
Lithuania Doubles Down on HIMARS with Second Battery Purchase
Lithuania signed a contract amendment to acquire a second HIMARS battery, bringing the total value of its HIMARS procurement to roughly $778 million. The deal adds launchers, a mix of combat and training rockets, command‑and‑control gear, and a full logistics and...
Turkish Firm Baykar Develops Kamikaze Drone with 1,000km Strike Range
Turkish defense firm Baykar unveiled MIZRAK, an AI‑powered loitering munition capable of striking targets over 1,000 km away with seven‑hour endurance. The weapon can carry either a 40 kg dual‑warhead or a 20 kg single‑warhead with RF seeker, and it operates autonomously in...
Ukraine’s Navy Strikes Two Russian Patrol Boats Guarding the Kerch Bridge
Ukraine’s Navy announced that on the night of April 30, 2026 it struck two Russian vessels guarding the Kerch Bridge – the FSB‑operated Sobol patrol boat and the Navy’s Grachonok anti‑sabotage craft. The attack inflicted irreversible (fatal) and medical (wounded)...
Petrel’s Hybrid Drone Drops Armed FPVs During Test at Fort Polk
Petrel Technologies validated its AERO Sky hybrid VTOL UAV at Fort Polk during a Joint Readiness Training Center exercise with the 101st Airborne Division, successfully deploying armed first‑person‑view drones in live‑fire conditions. The Group 3 platform merges vertical take‑off, fixed‑wing endurance, ISR,...