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Archive for the ‘Drone’ Category

The Future of Autonomous Fighters Is Coming To Rome

Saturday, November 8th, 2025

GA-ASI Brings Uncrewed Fighter Fleet into Focus at International Fighter Conference 2025

SAN DIEGO – 03 November 2025 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the world leader in uncrewed aircraft systems, is excited to participate in the upcoming 25th anniversary of the International Fighter Conference as the event’s only Four-Star Lead Partner, reflecting the company’s global commitment to the future of autonomous fighter jets.

GA-ASI’s growing production fleet of unmanned combat jets – including the MQ-20Avenger®, XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, and YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft – is defining the global future of autonomous and semi-autonomous combat jets, leading the way in autonomy development, manned-unmanned teaming, and affordable, rapid delivery at scale. The company’s vision for its Gambit Series of modular, scalable, uncrewed fighters paves the way for U.S. forces, allies and partners to quickly evolve global air forces for the future fight.

Publicly promising to build and fly a production-representative uncrewed jet fighter for the U.S. Air Force by summer 2025, GA-ASI launched its YFQ-42A CCA in August, pioneering a new era for fighter jets. Flight operations continue today across the growing fleet, cementing GA-ASI’s continued dominance in UAS development and delivery while meeting anticipated timelines and remaining true to its word.

“The YFQ-42A is a revolutionary aircraft, and the fleet is in production and in the air today,” said David R. Alexander, president of GA-ASI. “This isn’t a ‘wait and see’ moment. We’re flying. We’re delivering. And we’re advancing this future of combat aviation, the same way we have for more than three decades.”

Since 1992, GA-ASI has delivered more than 1,300 combat aircraft to U.S. forces and international partners, surpassing more than 9 million total flight hours in 2025. The company’s Predator®, Reaper®, Gray Eagle®, SkyGuardian®and SeaGuardian® aircraft continue to set the standard for medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS performance.

The company’s MQ-20 Avenger, an internally funded uncrewed combat jet that achieved first flight in 2009, continues to serve as a test bed for advanced autonomy integration and demonstration, incorporating and flying the latest cutting-edge software from U.S. government sources, leading industry suppliers and GA-ASI’s own autonomy software development teams, often at company expense.

For International Fighter Conference, Nov. 4-6 in Rome, GA-ASI plans to offer attendees a chance to see the future for themselves, with a full-scale model display of the YFQ-42A CCA co-located inside the show venue and other announcements. For more information on IFC 2025, visit www.defenceiq.com/events-internationalfighter.

Apium Joins Red Cat Futures Initiative to Advance Swarming Autonomy for Tactical Drones

Tuesday, November 4th, 2025

Partnership follows successful U.S. Army testing of Apium’s Swarm Autopilot and Ground Control system integrated into Red Cat’s Teal Drone Operational Capabilities
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov. 04, 2025Apium Swarm Robotics, Inc. a developer of distributed autonomy for unmanned systems, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a U.S. based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security.

Through this agreement, Apium joins the Red Cat Futures Initiative, an industry-wide robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) consortium dedicated to putting the most advanced and interoperable uncrewed aircraft systems into the hands of warfighters.

The announcement follows successful integration of Apium’s technology onto Red Cat’s Teal 2 drone enabling the drones to autonomously perform multi-agent missions at the Army’s ACM-UAS Industry Day at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The demonstration showcased the value of decentralized, scalable drone swarming for modern military operations.

“One to Many swarming is the future of autonomous warfare,” said Tyler MacCready, Founder and Chief Scientist at Apium. “However, there needs to be a balance between autonomy and operator accessibility to ensure effectiveness. Our technology allows full swarm capability to be added to existing ‘off the shelf’ multi-domain UxS enabling a single operator to launch, command, and adapt swarms in real time without complex pre-mission planning or centralized control. Partnering with Red Cat and joining the Futures Initiative enables us to deliver that capability at the tactical edge.”

Enabling Tactical Swarms at Scale

Apium’s system scalability is a result of moving the swarm logic from a centralized ground station to the drone itself. This allows each drone to make independent decisions through cooperation with neighboring vehicles without requiring a constant up-link or ground control. This architecture eliminates single points of failure, allowing the swarm to continue to operate even when vehicles fail or ground station communications are lost. The system has also demonstrated resiliency when degraded by jamming or interference.

Operators can engage any of the variety of behaviors found in Apium’s Swarm Library with just a few taps on a touch screen interface. These behaviors range in complexity from orbiting over a target, to fully automated collaborative sorties. Behaviors may be changed or adjusted, at any time, even after the swarm has been launched. Vehicles may join or leave the swarm mid-mission, allowing vehicles to be temporarily reassigned for direct individual control, sensor ops, or kinetic action and later reintegrate with the swarm seamlessly.

“Apium’s system brings distributed drone swarming out of the lab and onto the battlefield,” said Jason Gunter, Director of Special Programs at Red Cat and head of the Futures Initiative. “They’ve proven that you can run adaptive, resilient swarming behaviors with minimal operator burden and without constant connectivity or centralized control. This is a major leap forward for tactical autonomy and the exact capability our warfighters need in complex, contested environments.”

Scaling Autonomy for Complex Operational Environments

The Futures Initiative is a strategic collaboration aimed to fast-track the deployment of autonomous systems across air, land, and sea. It connects Red Cat with industry innovators in AI and computer vision applications, 3D mapping, target acquisition, swarming, and other sUAS decision support features. The program also supports broader national efforts such as the DoD’s priority to rapidly field attritable, autonomous platforms.

By joining the Futures Initiative, Apium will collaborate with Red Cat to integrate its swarm-enabled platform across Red Cat’s entire Family of Systems, led by the Black Widow™. Apium’s technology is also autopilot-agnostic, compatible with PX4, ArduPilot, and other common systems, enabling rapid integration across both current and future unmanned assets.

Auterion Successfully Completes Artemis Program to Deliver Long-Range Deep Strike Drone

Thursday, October 30th, 2025

Arlington, VA – Auterion, a global leader in defense drone software and AI-enabled autonomous systems, today announced the successful completion of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Artemis project. The program delivered a deep strike drone proven in Ukraine with up to 1,000 miles range and visual targeting.

The Artemis system is a design similar to a Shahed drone, developed in Ukraine and with manufacturing lines being built in the U.S., Ukraine, and Germany. It offers a 1,000-mile range and can carry warheads of up to 40 kilograms. It relies on Auterion’s Skynode N mission computer and Auterion Visual Navigation system, enabling the drone to navigate and strike targets even when satellite-based navigation is disrupted. The built-in terminal guidance ensures pinpoint accuracy in the final stage of flight.

Auterion is partnered, for the Artemis program, with a Ukrainian hardware manufacturer, whose name is being kept confidential for operational security reasons. Auterion has built partnerships with U.S. and European manufacturers to scale up long range applications. Bringing learnings from the battlefield in Ukraine to U.S. forces and allied partners is a key contribution of Auterion to national security.

Government evaluators have signed off on the program after operational flight tests in Ukraine. The tests included ground launch, GPS and GPS?denied navigation, long-range transit, and terminal engagement. Following these successful evaluations, Auterion now offers the system to the U.S. Department of War and allied nations, with manufacturing capabilities established in both the United States and Europe.

“Software-driven autonomy is changing the nature of deterrence,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion. “Our Artemis entrant is designed for mass production and rapid deployment, enabling partner nations to field resilient autonomous strike capabilities at scale. We are ready to build the long-range deterrence force needed to tackle new challenges, especially in the Indo?Pacific.”

The long range drone is part of Auterion’s larger portfolio of short to long-range, one-way attack drones being developed under U.S. defense initiatives. The system leverages Auterion’s open architecture and battle-tested software to ensure rapid adaptability and seamless integration within the broader defense ecosystem. This effort is building on the company’s proven track record of supplying AI?enabled strike kits to Ukraine.

With the Artemis program concluded, Auterion is entering the scale-up phase with the Department of War and allied partners to work towards co?production at mass scale. The company is committed to supporting domestic U.S. production while delivering a common software layer that ensures interoperability and continuous improvement. “This isn’t a black box. It’s a scalable platform that our partners can build and evolve,” Meier added.

auterion.com

EagleNXT Announces Sale of Advanced eBee TAC Drones to Defense Logistics Agency

Saturday, October 25th, 2025

Advanced Drones to Fulfill Varied Missions, Increase Flexibility and Capability with multiple sensor packages

WICHITA, Kan., Oct. 23, 2025 — AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (dba, EagleNXT) (the “Company” or “EagleNXT”) (NYSE: UAVS), a leading provider of advanced drone and aerial imaging solutions, is pleased to announce a significant sale as part of a larger Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) procurement, supplying two of its eBee TAC unmanned aerial systems to support the operational needs of a United States military unit.

This strategic procurement underscores EagleNXT’s growing role in delivering cutting-edge, NDAA-compliant technology for high resolution mapping, and tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions with the U.S. Government.

The eBee TAC, a lightweight, hand-launched fixed-wing drone, offers up to 90 minutes of flight time and a 15 km range, enables rapid deployment and secure data collection. Capable of generating 2D orthomosaics, 3D models, and thermal maps, the system is tailored for applications such as terrain analysis and situational awareness in complex environments.

“We are honored to support the Defense Logistics Agency and its mission to enhance national security through advanced UAV solutions,” said Bill Irby, CEO of EagleNXT. “The eBee TAC, capable of being equipped with multiple sensor configurations, represents the pinnacle of tactical mapping technology-delivering real-time, actionable intelligence to operators in dynamic environments. This award underscores EagleNXT’s expertise in high-performance unmanned systems for defense applications and reinforces our position as a trusted partner in strengthening U.S. operational capabilities and public safety infrastructure. Our focus remains on executing with discipline, and providing needed capability to the warfighter.”

The DLA is a combat support agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, and is responsible for providing comprehensive logistics, acquisition, and sustainment solutions to America’s armed forces and federal agencies. With a mission to deliver readiness and lethality through a global supply chain, DLA manages the procurement and distribution of critical equipment, supplies, and services to support military operations worldwide.

Advanced unmanned aerial systems like the eBee TAC, which is included on the U.S. Department of Defense’s Blue UAS Cleared list, enhance DLA’s capabilities by enabling rapid intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, delivering high-precision mapping, 3D modeling, and advanced situational awareness for multiple mission sets.

For more information about the full suite of EagleNXT UAS solutions, or to schedule a demo, visit EagleNXT.com

38 Sierra Releases Latest Products

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025

38 Sierra LLC of Virginia has released their latest update of products and services for Q4 2025.

You can see their complete line at 38Sierra.co.

EagleNXT and Tough Stump Technologies Announce Expanded Strategic Partnership and Introduce New HELIOS Kit

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025

New Offering incorporates Advanced EagleNXT VISION Drone, Providing Advantage of Real-Time Video Feeds; Expanded Partnership Provides Greater Capability for Operators

WASHINGTON D.C. — AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (dba, EagleNXT) (the “Company” or “EagleNXT”) (NYSE: UAVS), a leading provider of advanced drone and aerial imaging solutions, is proud to announce an expanded strategic partnership with Tough Stump Technologies, a premier innovator in advanced training solutions for defense and security applications. As part of the partnership, the two companies are announcing the new HELIOS™ kit, a next-generation, rapidly deployable platform that will include the eBee VISION drone from EagleNXT. This cutting-edge solution is available now, and will advance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to a higher level of performance.

The HELIOS™ system is designed to be a rapidly deployable, open-architecture platform providing real-time, actionable intelligence. Building on the proven ARTEMIS™ package,HELIOS™ incorporates the advanced eBee VISION drone, the ATOS tracking system, and a robust portable processing unit. This combination delivers unparalleled situational awareness and data synthesis, engineered for seamless interoperability with the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype ecosystem. HELIOS™ is a cost-effective, low-bandwidth solution that will empower users to modernize their command-and-control systems and gain a decisive advantage in dynamic operational environments.

“We are proud to work with Tough Stump Technologies to expand our collaboration and as a first product of that, bringing the game-changing HELIOS™ system to the marketplace,” said Bill Irby, CEO and President of EagleNXT. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to delivering innovative, defense-focused solutions that enhance mission success and operational readiness. The HELIOS™ package is the result of our ongoing collaboration and represents another advanced offering that will deliver real-time intelligence and interoperability. We’re excited to see it match the evolving demand for unmanned capability.”

Also announced at AUSA, EagleNXT and Tough Stump Technologies are expanding their strategic partnership to also include cooperative marketing and promotional opportunities and closer alignment in pursuit of U.S. government business.

“Tough Stump is thrilled to deepen our alliance with EagleNXT, a true partner in innovation,” Jarrett Heavenston, CEO of Tough Stump Technologies. “Together we are addressing the unmanned needs with the Department of Defense and will expertly deliver the technologies that deliver capability and enhance what we offer to our U.S. Government and Federal customers and clients. With the new HELIOS™ package, along with our planned co-marketing efforts and joint pursuit of USG opportunities, we will unlock unprecedented value for customers, ensuring they have access to the most advanced, interoperable solutions available.”

For more information on the HELIOS™ package, visit Toughstump.com.

For more information about the full suite of EagleNXT UAS solutions, or to schedule a demo, visit EagleNXT.com or contact the AgEagle Media Relations team.

AV Awarded US Army RCCTO Contract for Kinesis, Named Lead Software & Systems Integrator for HMIF

Tuesday, October 21st, 2025

ARLINGTON, Va.,–AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV) today announced a contract award from the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) for its tactical mission planning and command and control (C2) software for the Human-Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF) Increment 1 program.

HMIF accelerates the fielding of robotic formations to leverage machines to offload risk and provides Soldiers with additional information for decision-making for armored and infantry formations. Each formation will include ground and air systems and enablers to aid in the human decision-making process to find, fix, and engage enemy targets. HMIF prototype development supports existing and future robotic programs of record by mitigating risk associated with enabling capabilities such as the common architecture, communications and networking.

AV’s software solution, Kinesis, will provide a unified interface to meet the needs of HMIF for mission planning, tactical awareness, autonomy management, and payload control to simplify complex operations and accelerate mission capabilities with unmatched scale and speed.

“AV’s Kinesis software is a true force multiplier that allows a single tactical operator to control a mixed fleet of autonomous systems developed by multiple OEMs, transforming military operations and accelerating our combat readiness,” said Jason Hendrix, AV Vice President and General Manager. “By leveraging the simplicity and scalability of our open and modular software ecosystem, RCCTO is developing HMIF for ultimate mission flexibility–helping warfighters quickly, easily, and safely carry out autonomous missions across domains.”

Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems at AV, added: “We are delivering superior autonomous solutions to warfighters, not just through our trusted and proven platforms but with our advanced controllers and software capabilities that simplify sophisticated operations, augment force capacity, and drive mission outcomes. Together with U.S. Army RCCTO and an incredible team of industry partners, we are pushing the boundaries of the possible in multi-domain operations.”

Kinesis provides interoperability across tactical C2 platforms, including TAK/ATAK. Its built-in Software Developers Kit creates a collaborative development environment for expanded modularity and integrations of third-party software. To support the HMIF program’s software needs, AV is leveraging strategic partnerships with industry leading expertise from Applied Research Associates’ Neya Systems, Parry Labs, and QinetiQ. The team’s collective capabilities will provide robust solutions that offer unmatched operational efficiency and deliver a comprehensive solution for the U.S. Army’s HMIF requirements.

AUSA 25 – Aerial Clarity Essentials Kit by Pro Shot Products

Monday, October 20th, 2025

Pro Shot Products is right at the forefront of the Drone Dominance strategy with their Aerial Clarity Essentials Kit (ACE) Kit which consists of items needed to maintain your drone’s optics.

Features:

Mission Ready Chest, Hip, or Standalone Rig – Durable, lightweight and MOLLE compatible for easy carry and quick access.

Advanced Lens Cleaning System – Removes dust, smudges, and environmental debris from drone cameras, sensors, and optics.

Superior Solutions – Includes Mil-Spec Anti-Fog / Anti-Static / ANTI-GLARE Lens Cleaner, Mil-Spec Lens Tissue, Soft Lens Safe Brush, and Microfiber Cloths to maintain optical clarity.

Field-Tested Performance – Engineered for harsh conditions and battle-proven, ensuring drones stay operational with uncompromised visibility.

All-in-One Convenience – Compact yet fully equipped, making it an essential gear addition for tactical and field professionals.

Visit www.proshotproducts.com or contact jjohn@proshotproducts.com for a quote.