Daily briefing
October 20, 2026
Executive summary
Drones and air dominated today's 40-item feed with ten articles each, followed by industry with eight, while Europe and North America together accounted for 29 of the 40 items. The most consequential operational development is the United Kingdom's October 20 decision to deploy RAF Typhoons for defensive counterair missions over Saudi Arabia against Houthi drones and missiles, alongside A400M lift, military advisers and extended air-to-air refueling support that also covers Saudi operations against targets in Yemen. In the nuclear enterprise, the US Air Force is preparing a roughly $2 billion B-21 Raider buildout at Dyess AFB as the bomber's third main operating base, while General Dynamics Mission Systems received a $194 million modification to develop the SLCM-N fire-control subsystem for Virginia-class submarines. Allied undersea experimentation also advanced, with AUKUS Maritime Big Play Pacific testing more than 40 crewed and uncrewed anti-submarine technologies off San Diego, Australia revealing Ghost Shark's payload bay with capacity for up to 12 mines, and L3Harris linking Australian and US undersea communications through its Rock Lobster relay at RIMPAC 2026. The connective thread across domains is layered counter-drone defense, spanning Apache cannon kills cued by Sentinel radars at Skyfall II, Epirus Leonidas entering the JIATF-401 marketplace, a Ford Ranger-based SHORAD offering from GDLS, Russia's 2S38 57mm gun and Sokol-I FPV interceptor, and Quantum Systems' 777 km/h Apex Recordhunter. Signals to watch include Finland's plan for roughly one million domestically produced anti-personnel mines after leaving the Ottawa Convention, and Russia's Kosmos 2612 closing to within about 500 meters of ICEYE-X36, a commercial SAR satellite whose imagery serves Ukraine.
◆ Articles covered
- LandArmy TechnologyLocal production underway for Norway’s future Leopard 2A8 fleet
KNDS and Norwegian industrial partner RITEK inaugurated a tank-production facility at Levanger to manufacture 37 of Norway's 54 ordered Leopard 2A8NO main battle tanks. The remaining 17 tanks are to be built in Germany, while the Norwegian site will conduct assembly and testing as part of an effort to develop domestic armored-vehicle production capacity. Production at Levanger is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026, with the factory designed for a potential throughput of up to 36 tanks annually. Norway has already received its first German-built examples, and the Levanger opening concerns the national manufacturing share of an existing procurement.
- DronesDefense WarRoomRussia's Hand-Launched Sokol-I Interceptor Drone Adopts Ukraine's FPV Playbook
Russian Ministry of Defense footage released on October 8, 2026 showed the Sokol-I, a hand-launched fixed-wing interceptor drone guided by an operator through a first-person-view camera feed. The foam-bodied aircraft has an estimated wingspan of about 1.5 meters, while Russian authorities claim a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour and an operating ceiling of 5,000 meters. Russian accounts had described battlefield use since earlier in 2026, and Ukrainian intelligence reported in July that serial production had begun. Reported interception results, manufacturing capacity and the wider scale of fielding remain independently unconfirmed.
- IndustryDefense WarRoomUS Navy Adds $876M to L3Harris Next Generation Jammer for EA-18G Electronic Attack Jet
The US Navy awarded L3Harris Technologies an approximately $876.4 million contract modification for engineering and manufacturing development of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band system for the EA-18G Growler. The modification supports nonrecurring engineering, electronic-attack demonstration pods, tooling, cybersecurity, software development, testing and associated logistics required to mature the airborne jamming capability. The program is a cooperative effort involving the United States and Australia, with work expected to continue into fiscal 2031. This is a development-stage award for the low-band electronic-warfare suite rather than a purchase of a specified quantity of operational jammer pods.
- NavalDefense WarRoomL3Harris Rock Lobster Acoustic Relay Links Australian and US Undersea Comms at RIMPAC 2026
L3Harris demonstrated its Rock Lobster expendable underwater acoustic communications relay during the RIMPAC 2026 exercise near Hawaii in a trial involving American and Australian maritime participants. The experiment paired the acoustic relay with a Seasats Lightfish solar-powered unmanned surface vessel to connect underwater equipment with communications nodes above the surface. The architecture is intended to pass information between dispersed subsurface sensors or vehicles and operators without requiring each submerged asset to surface. Conducted within AUKUS-related undersea experimentation, the activity demonstrated communications integration rather than an operational fleet deployment, and no confirmed range or data-rate performance figures were released.
- NavalNaval NewsIndian Navy to Equip Legacy Kashin and Veer Classes with BrahMos
India's Ministry of Defence signed an approximately 661.5-crore-rupee contract with BrahMos Aerospace for fire-control systems and launchers to equip four older Indian Navy combatants. The planned installations cover two Ranvir-class destroyers, derived from the Soviet Kashin family, and two Veer-class missile corvettes, extending the BrahMos missile system across existing hulls. The package concerns shipboard launch and fire-control equipment needed to operate the supersonic cruise missile rather than acquisition of four new warships. Indian authorities report substantial domestic industrial content in the order, which is intended to strengthen the vessels' precision maritime-strike capability.
- DronesDefence Industry EuropeRoyal Navy leads AUKUS trials of crewed and autonomous systems to track enemy submarines
The Royal Navy participated with American and Australian partners in AUKUS Maritime Big Play Pacific, a multinational experiment around San Diego examining coordinated anti-submarine operations using crewed and autonomous platforms. The October 2026 activity involved more than 40 technologies, including unmanned surface vessels, underwater vehicles, gliders and aircraft linked to naval command systems. Participants examined how distributed sensors could detect, track and share information about submarines while transmitting targeting-quality data between allied operators. The trials focused on interoperability, communications and operational concepts across the three navies, not on the formal introduction of a new fully autonomous anti-submarine fleet.
- LandDefense DailyLockheed Details First Spike NLOS Shots From ISV-U For Army’s M-LRPSM Program
Lockheed Martin completed the first 17 Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile firings from the Infantry Squad Vehicle Utility configuration during a three-day demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The activity supported the US Army's Mobile Long-Range Precision-Strike Missile program and involved infantry soldiers operating the lightweight vehicle-mounted launcher for most of the shots. Spike NLOS is an electro-optically guided precision missile designed to engage targets beyond the launch crew's direct line of sight. The firing series provided hands-on data about integration, soldier operation and mobile precision strike; it was a technology demonstration rather than an Army-wide fielding decision.
- AirArmy RecognitionUS Army's first ME-11B spy jet prototype nears completion for future high-altitude reconnaissance
The US Army expects the first ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System reconnaissance aircraft prototype to be completed by the end of 2026. Sierra Nevada Corporation is converting a Bombardier Global 6500 business jet to carry intelligence-gathering systems, including an advanced surveillance radar and signals-intelligence equipment, for high-altitude, long-endurance collection missions. Army planning now describes a possible six-aircraft fleet, reduced from an earlier objective of 14, while the prototype remains subject to integration and evaluation. HADES is intended to replace portions of the Army's older crewed aerial-intelligence capacity, but the final fleet size and fielding schedule remain acquisition decisions.
- IndustryNaval NewsNorway Outlines Procurement Strategy for Up to 20 P1118 Standardized Vessels
Norway's Defence Materiel Agency outlined a competitive procurement approach for up to 20 ocean-going standardized vessels shared among Norway, the United Kingdom and Lithuania under the P1118 framework. The proposed allocation is up to four naval vessels and six coast guard ships for Norway, six naval vessels for the United Kingdom and four for Lithuania. Two parallel competitions would produce separate contracts for up to 14 naval vessels and six coast guard vessels, with one bidder unable to win both. Authorities aim to award contracts in 2027 and receive the first vessel in 2030, while smaller standardized vessel variants remain under development.
- IndustryDefense WarRoomNetherlands CIRCM Sale: US Clears $294M in Laser Jammers to Defeat Heat-Seeking Missiles
The US State Department approved a possible $294 million Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands covering aircraft missile-warning and directional infrared-countermeasure equipment, subject to further contractual steps. The requested package includes 16 Northrop Grumman OT-228/U Common Infrared Countermeasure systems and 38 AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar-warning receivers, plus associated training, engineering and logistical support. CIRCM combines missile warning with laser energy directed at the seekers of infrared-guided missiles, providing an active defensive capability for compatible aircraft. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the proposed transaction, which is an authorization for a potential sale rather than a finalized delivery contract.
- AirDefense WarRoomLithuania Air Surveillance Gains Mobile Layer as US-Made TPS-77 Radars Feed NATO
Lithuania is introducing three Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-77 Multi-Role Radar systems to reinforce its national air-surveillance network and contribute tracking data to NATO's integrated air-defense picture. The mobile radars use electronically scanned surveillance technology on deployable platforms, providing a relocatable complement to fixed sites and supporting airspace monitoring within the Baltic region. The US Foreign Military Sales arrangement was initiated in 2023, with subsequent purchases addressing spare parts and support equipment. Deliveries are expected to be completed by February 2027, after which integration with Lithuanian command-and-control systems and the Baltic Air Surveillance Network will determine their operational employment.
- AirArmy RecognitionU.S. Army AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters Destroy Drones With Targeting Data From Ground Air Defenses
US Army AH-64 Apache crews destroyed three MQM-170 Outlaw target drones during the Skyfall II exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, on October 6, 2026. The helicopters received targeting information from ground-based AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radars operated by an air-defense artillery unit and engaged the airborne targets with their 30-millimeter cannons. The trial evaluated the transfer of detection and tracking data between land-based air-defense sensors and attack helicopters for counter-drone missions. It demonstrated a combined-arms engagement under exercise conditions, not the interception of enemy aircraft during an operational mission or a new stand-alone Apache weapon program.
- Dronesaviationweek.comMagLev Demonstrates Rim-Drive Ducted Fans On Heavy Drone
MagLev Aero demonstrated its HyperDrive rim-driven electric propulsion system during a tethered hover test involving a heavy unmanned aircraft fitted with four Tempest ducted-fan units. The September 2026 experiment evaluated the ability of the electrically powered fans to lift and stabilize the test platform while restrained, an early step toward developing higher-performance vertical-flight aircraft. HyperDrive uses a magnetic-levitation approach to drive fan blades around the duct perimeter rather than relying on a conventional central motor and shaft arrangement. The activity demonstrated controlled lift in a tethered configuration, not untethered flight, an operational drone or a certified production propulsion system.
- AirDefence Industry EuropeBoeing says Apache upgrades will improve battlefield data sharing and support integration of new autonomous capabilities
Boeing demonstrated enhancements to the AH-64E Apache's software architecture that allow the attack helicopter to exchange battlefield information with the US Army's emerging Next Generation Command and Control environment. The tests used an Apache Version 6.5 configuration to move sensor and mission data into a shared operating picture, while a separate hardware-in-the-loop demonstration explored control of launched-effect unmanned systems. The work is intended to improve coordination among helicopters, ground forces and remotely operated aircraft without requiring entirely new airframes. These were integration demonstrations of potential future capabilities, not evidence that every Apache in service already possesses them.
- Industryukdefencejournal.org.ukLockheed Martin to build British hypersonic targets
The British Ministry of Defence awarded Lockheed Martin UK a contract worth approximately £20 million for Project Bowline, a program to develop hypersonic target systems for defensive testing. The targets are intended to reproduce relevant aspects of fast, maneuvering threats so that British and allied organizations can evaluate detection, tracking, command-and-control and interceptor performance under representative conditions. The award supports design and development of test equipment rather than the purchase of an operational British hypersonic strike weapon. Detailed target configurations, planned production numbers and flight-test schedules have not been publicly specified, leaving the contract's confirmed scope centered on target development.
- AirThe War ZoneAlaska’s HAARP Site Now Being Used To Test New Air Force Over-The-Horizon Radar Tech
The US Air Force and MITRE used Alaska's High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility during September 2026 experiments into an ionospheric, beyond-line-of-sight aircraft-detection technique. Transmissions from the HAARP site were assessed alongside a 16-element receiving array at Cold Bay, with flights by military aircraft including the E-3, KC-135 and HC-130J supplying known targets for comparison. The approach exploits high-frequency radio propagation through the ionosphere to examine whether aircraft can be detected at distances beyond the horizon of conventional ground radars. Early observations support further research, but HAARP has not been converted into an operational Air Force air-surveillance installation.
- DronesNaval NewsHAVELSAN Demonstrates Coordinated Unmanned Air and Maritime Operations
Turkish defense company HAVELSAN demonstrated coordinated autonomous maritime and aerial operations involving a VN Maritime USV-12 unmanned surface vessel and an ASISGUARD SAGAN unmanned aircraft. The surface craft provided a platform for drone launch, while HAVELSAN command-and-control software coordinated navigation, mission sequencing and the airborne release of a 60-millimeter mortar round against a designated target. The exercise examined how separate unmanned platforms could operate through a common control environment while retaining operator supervision over mission activities. The event was a technology demonstration of integrated cross-domain operation, not confirmation of a deployed shipborne combat system or a government procurement award.
- AirDefense WarRoomSpanish A330 MRTT Fleet Complete: Ex-Iberia Airliners Now Refuel Spain's Eurofighters
Airbus delivered Spain's third and final A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft in October 2026, completing a three-aircraft acquisition based on former Iberia A330-200 passenger jets. Converted at Airbus facilities in Getafe, the aircraft are operated by the Spanish Air and Space Force's 45th Wing from Torrejón and use underwing hose-and-drogue refueling equipment. The tankers can refuel compatible combat aircraft, including Spain's Eurofighters and F/A-18s, while also supporting passenger transport, medical evacuation and other air-mobility tasks. The delivery completes Spain's initial MRTT fleet order rather than announcing a new aircraft purchase or a different tanker variant.
- SpaceDefense WarRoomSaab Launches Cloud-Based Allied Mission System for Space Command and Control
Saab Australia introduced its Allied Mission System, a cloud-based software platform intended for space-domain awareness and mission command and control. The architecture combines data from compatible sensors with information-sharing, analysis and operational-planning tools, allowing users to configure modules for different space-surveillance requirements. Saab is presenting the platform as a service that can be updated and integrated with allied networks without requiring a single fixed hardware configuration. The October 2026 announcement represents a commercial product launch, not confirmation that a named military customer has contracted for the system or that it has entered operational service.
- CyberDefense WarRoomUkraine Develops Ground Sensor Network to Catch Russian Infiltrators When Drones Can't Fly
Ukrainian military units and defense developers are working on distributed ground-sensor networks to detect Russian infantry infiltration when rain, fog, wind or electronic warfare restricts reconnaissance drones. Front-line troops already employ concealed wired cameras and microphones around positions, while other concepts combine acoustic and seismic detectors, optical sensors, small radars and unmanned ground vehicles. The Brave1 technology cluster is pursuing a low-power architecture in which individual sensors transmit alerts through local mesh networks for analysis and operator response. Integration remains a key challenge, and the proposed wider network is still a development effort rather than a uniformly deployed national surveillance system.
- IndustryDefense WarRoomLockheed Martin to Upgrade Italy's F-35 Cameri Line as Polish and Swiss Jets Join Production
Lockheed Martin received an approximately $9.4 million US Navy contract modification to upgrade three electronic assembly or mating stations at the F-35 final assembly and checkout facility in Cameri, Italy. The work supports continued Lightning II production at a European site assembling aircraft for Italy and the Netherlands with Polish and Swiss aircraft also already entering production at Cameri. Cameri also forms part of the program's regional industrial and support infrastructure, making station upgrades relevant to multiple partner nations. The award funds specified manufacturing equipment improvements, not construction of an entirely new production plant or the purchase of additional F-35 fighters.
- LandArmy RecognitionU.S. Army Requirement Prompts General Dynamics to Develop New Short-Range Air Defense System
General Dynamics Land Systems presented a proposed mobile short-range air-defense configuration in response to a US Army requirement for a lighter air-defense platform. The demonstrator uses a Ford Ranger vehicle chassis with a modular weapons deck and has been shown with a 7.62-millimeter weapon, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets and an Echodyne radar sensor. The company is exploring configurations intended to provide counter-drone and short-range protection while remaining more transportable than heavier armored air-defense vehicles. The system is an industry offering associated with the Army's M-SHORAD Increment 4 interest, not a confirmed production selection or operational fielding decision.
- AirDefense DailyUSAF Examining KC-46A Software Integration Effort
The US Air Force is considering a KC-46A Software Integration Sustainment & Support effort, known as K-SWISS, for the Boeing Pegasus tanker. The prospective work would involve the KC-46A Systems Integration Laboratory at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, a high-fidelity environment for testing aircraft software, avionics and hardware. The service identified that the original interim support agreement, whose performance period ended in June 2022, had not established provisions for stand-alone software maintenance. K-SWISS concerns the definition of software integration and sustainment support requirements for the tanker.
- Industryukdefencejournal.org.ukSealift replacement gets two hundred and ninety million
The British government has allocated £290 million within its Defence Investment Plan toward future strategic sealift capacity needed to move vehicles, equipment and supplies for overseas operations. The work concerns planning and replacement arrangements for the sealift role currently supported by privately operated Point-class roll-on, roll-off ships under contract until the end of 2031. British requirements include capacity for routine movements and additional shipping availability during major deployments, with attention to transporting heavy land equipment. The allocation provides funding for the capability area, not a signed contract for a specified number of replacement ships or an announced shipbuilder selection.
- NavalNaval NewsSTM Holds Keel Laying Ceremony for Portugal’s Second Logistics Support Ship
Turkish shipbuilder STM held a keel-laying ceremony in Istanbul for NRP Fernando Pessoa, the second of two logistics support ships ordered by the Portuguese Navy. The vessel is being constructed under a December 2024 agreement, alongside sister ship NRP Luís de Camões, to provide underway replenishment, transport and support for deployed naval forces. The design is approximately 137 meters long and displaces more than 11,000 tonnes, with accommodation for logistics cargo, medical support and other modular mission facilities. Both ships are scheduled for launch in 2027 and delivery in 2028, making the ceremony a construction milestone rather than fleet entry into service.
- AirThe New York TimesUK to Send Fighter Jets to Help Defend Saudi Arabia From Houthi Attacks
The United Kingdom announced plans to deploy RAF Typhoon fighters for defensive counterair missions protecting Saudi cities and critical infrastructure against Houthi drones and missiles. The October 20 Ministry of Defence statement also committed an A400M Atlas transport aircraft to move defense equipment within Saudi Arabia and military advisers to support Saudi staff officers. The ministry explicitly excluded offensive strikes by the Typhoons. Separately, the package extended British air-to-air refueling support for Saudi operations, including operations against Houthi military targets in Yemen, so the fighters' defensive restriction should not be generalized to every element of British support.
- LandArmy RecognitionRussia’s New 2S38 57mm Air Defense Gun Appears as U.S. SGT Stout and German Skyranger Advance
New imagery has brought attention to Russia's 2S38 Derivatsiya-PVO self-propelled air-defense vehicle, which mounts a 57-millimeter automatic cannon on a BMP-3-derived tracked chassis. The design is intended to defeat drones, helicopters and other low-altitude targets using electro-optical detection and programmable ammunition, with Russia advertising engagement capabilities beyond those of smaller conventional autocannons. Its reported appearance during a 2026 exercise does not independently establish the number of vehicles delivered or their combat performance. The system is being assessed against a wider movement toward mobile gun-based air defense, including America's SGT Stout and Europe's Skyranger families.
- DronesDefense WarRoomU.S. Epirus Leonidas Anti-Swarm Microwave Weapon Joins Pentagon Counter-Drone Marketplace
The US military's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 added Epirus' Leonidas high-power microwave system to its counter-unmanned-aircraft marketplace, making the technology available through an established government acquisition pathway. Leonidas uses electronically directed electromagnetic energy to disrupt drone electronics and is designed to engage multiple small aircraft within a defended area rather than launching individual kinetic interceptors. The inclusion follows earlier testing and demonstration activity involving the company's counter-swarm technology, but it does not identify a new purchase quantity or contract value. Marketplace acceptance primarily simplifies evaluation and ordering for authorized users, not automatic deployment across military installations.
- DronesDefense WarRoomGerman Apex Recordhunter Electric Drone Hits 777 km/h, Faster Than Russia's Jet Gerans
German company Quantum Systems reported that its battery-electric Apex Recordhunter demonstrator achieved a speed of 777 kilometers per hour during an October 2026 test flight. The high-speed unmanned aircraft is a technology platform for evaluating electric propulsion, aerodynamics and airframe materials that could inform future counter-drone interceptors. The reported run exceeded the company's earlier 699-kilometer-per-hour result, but the new figure remained an unofficial record pending the required verification or return-flight conditions. Apex Recordhunter is an experimental aircraft rather than a fielded interceptor, and the test does not establish a production order or operational performance against jet-powered attack drones.
- DronesShephard MediaUS Army seeks CAML-Lite autonomous launcher prototypes for 2027 live-fire trials
The US Army is seeking complete integrated prototypes of the Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher-Lite, or CAML-Lite, for live-fire demonstrations at Talisman Sabre 2027 in August. The platform is intended to combine offensive and defensive fires with optional crewing, remote operation, autonomous waypoint navigation and leader-follower convoy movement. Desired capabilities include C-130 transportability, modular interfaces and ammunition resupply with minimal human intervention, with different minimum and objective performance levels. The solicitation anticipates prototype agreements and options for additional vehicles, while further maturation toward a common CAML architecture would follow in a later phase.
- SpaceThe New York TimesRussian Satellite Makes a Menacing Approach to Another Craft in Orbit
Russia's Kosmos 2612 military satellite conducted a series of unusually close approaches to ICEYE-X36, a US-registered commercial synthetic-aperture-radar satellite, according to orbital tracking reported in October 2026. LeoLabs assessed that the spacecraft came within approximately 500 meters of each other and subsequently said Kosmos 2612 had maneuvered away, ending the close-proximity activity. ICEYE's radar constellation provides imagery through darkness and cloud cover, including services used by Ukraine. The episode raised concern about uncoordinated operations near commercial spacecraft, although the purpose of the Russian maneuver remains uncertain and the tracking does not establish an attempted attack.
- DronesDefense WarRoomKorean HD Hyundai and US Anduril Test 368-Ton Unmanned Surface Vessel Off California
HD Hyundai and Anduril conducted a three-and-a-half-hour autonomous maritime trial off Long Beach, California, using a modified 368-ton vessel previously employed for US Navy testing. The demonstration integrated HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering's VAone autonomy technology for navigation and machinery monitoring with Anduril's Lattice software for mission control and coordination. Test activities included autonomous navigation, task changes, formation behavior and responses to simulated equipment abnormalities. The vessel served as a technology testbed; the companies are separately developing a larger unmanned surface vessel concept, and the California trial was not a procurement award or evidence of operational fleet service.
- AirDefense WarRoomUS Air Force Plans $2 Billion Dyess B-21 Buildout to Bring Nuclear Bombers Back to Texas
The US Air Force is preparing an approximately $2 billion infrastructure program at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas to support its planned introduction of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Proposed work includes aircraft operating and maintenance facilities, training infrastructure and a weapons-generation facility required for the bomber's nuclear mission. Dyess has been selected as the third planned main operating base for the B-21, after Ellsworth Air Force Base and Whiteman Air Force Base. The October 2026 planning discussions concern construction and basing preparations; an exact first-aircraft arrival date at Dyess has not been announced.
- Industryaviationweek.comKarman Signs Seven-Year Deal For THAAD Component Ramp-Up
Karman Space & Defense entered a seven-year agreement worth up to $218 million with Lockheed Martin to supply interceptor shrouds for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense programme. Signed on September 29 and announced on October 20, 2026, the long-term arrangement supports an intended increase in THAAD production rather than the purchase of complete interceptors by Karman. The company manufactures lightweight, high-strength structural components and separation mechanisms used during missile flight. The agreement provides production continuity for a specialised part of the THAAD supply chain, while actual manufacturing quantities and annual delivery rates were not specified in the announcement.
- DronesJanesNorthrop Grumman targets Raid Hunter production-level prototype by end of Q2 2027
Northrop Grumman plans to complete a production-level prototype of its Raid Hunter counter-unmanned-aircraft system by the end of the second quarter of 2027. The ground-based architecture combines an XM913 50 mm Bushmaster chain gun, precision-guided ammunition and a networked controller to engage drones and other aerial threats around defended sites. The company previously conducted a test at Dahlgren, Virginia, in which the gun fired 36 rounds while engineers collected performance data. Northrop expects to invest more than $100 million in the effort by the prototype milestone, but the system remains in development rather than an operationally fielded production programme.
- DronesJanesSkapion unveils counter-swarm air defence system
Israeli defence technology startup Skapion unveiled an unnamed counter-drone-swarm air-defence system at the Association of the United States Army exhibition in Washington, held October 12–14, 2026. The proposed architecture is designed to detect, allocate engagements and defeat multiple coordinated unmanned aircraft, including mixed swarms that may contain decoys and faster jet-powered drones. Skapion says its development approach combines artificial intelligence, modelling and simulation to adapt to evolving attack patterns. The company previously announced a $36 million seed funding round in July, but it has not publicly demonstrated a completed operational system or disclosed verified engagement performance.
- DronesDefense WarRoomUSS Ronald Reagan Controls MQ-25A Stingray Drone Tanker 2,100 Miles Away via Satellite
The US Navy established a satellite command link between USS Ronald Reagan, underway in the Pacific, and a Boeing MQ-25A Stingray test aircraft more than 2,100 miles away in Mascoutah, Illinois. During preliminary sea trials, the carrier's Unmanned Air Warfare Center used an MD-5C ground control station and a proliferated low-Earth-orbit network to demonstrate beyond-line-of-sight control. The trial did not involve carrier launch, recovery or an aerial refuelling sortie, but tested a required element of the unmanned carrier aviation control system. The Navy now projects MQ-25A initial operational capability for February 2029.
- Spacemilitarytimes.comUS Army support for Golden Dome missile shield takes shape
The U.S. Army has earmarked an air-defense formation to support Golden Dome for America, although Army Space and Missile Defense Command has not identified the unit. The emerging architecture aims to separate and connect sensors, interceptors and command-and-control systems so different defenses can share tracking information and select suitable interceptors. Joint Task Force Gold, a roughly 100-person organization under U.S. Northern Command, is developing operational concepts and coordinating agencies and industry through planning exercises. An initial Golden Dome capability is targeted for late 2027, but much of the proposed fiscal 2027 funding depends on congressional approval of a separate reconciliation package.
- LandJanesIndonesia conducts first disclosed live firing from ITBM launcher
Indonesia's Army conducted its first publicly disclosed live firing of the Türkiye-supplied Indonesia Tactical Ballistic Missile launcher on October 20, 2026, using TRG-122 guided rockets rather than Khan ballistic missiles. The 22nd Field Artillery Battalion carried out the event in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, to test readiness and improve crew proficiency. Footage showed an initial pilot shoot followed by three TRG-122 launches from the Roketsan-developed multicaliber launcher. Indonesia selected Khan in 2022, but the disclosed firing demonstrates use of the system's compatible rocket ammunition rather than a launch of its 610 mm ballistic missile.