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Air defense news in Global — daily AI-summarized, archived in full.
12 articles indexed · 12 in archive
General Atomics and Kongsberg have partnered to integrate the Joint Strike Missile onto MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian drones. Adds stealthy 300+km anti-ship strike to unmanned platform. Expands MQ-9B lethality for maritime domain and near-peer scenarios.
Boeing and MBDA jointly showcased MQ-28 Ghost Bat carrying Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. Integration study advances loyal wingman air-to-air capability. Configuration targets European CCA requirements amid growing autonomous combat air interest.
General Atomics is expanding MQ-9B into new markets through evolving payloads including JSM, sensor upgrades and maritime variants. Platform continues to attract European and Indo-Pacific customers. Roadmap positions MQ-9B as flexible multi-mission ISR-strike UAS.
Boeing and Airbus are racing for commercial aircraft orders at Farnborough 2026. Some defense-adjacent variants may factor into announcements. Overall order pace reflects industry post-2020s stabilization.
Video wrap-up of the 2026 Global Air & Space Chiefs' Conference held alongside Farnborough. Covers doctrine, CCA integration, and allied air power priorities. Provides overview of the week's key statements from air chiefs.
Canada joined the UK-Italy-Japan Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as observer. The move strengthens the sixth-generation fighter consortium's industrial and financial base. Ottawa could gain access to next-gen technologies. It positions GCAP against US-led NGAD.
Rising counter-UAS demand may create a new market for armed trainer aircraft as low-cost, long-endurance shooters against Group 1-3 drones. Concept follows lessons from Sudan, Ukraine and Red Sea. Aircraft like AT-6, M-346 and turboprops evaluated as gun/rocket carriers. Cost per intercept significantly lower than fighter engagement.
DroneShield signed multiple agreements and a US contract amid surging counter-drone demand. The Australian firm provides handheld and fixed C-UAS systems. Growth reflects global proliferation of small UAS threats. New deals expand US operational footprint.
June saw a landmark Collaborative Combat Aircraft production contract awarded and deep-strike drone capabilities showcased at Eurosatory. Programs across the US and Europe accelerated autonomous airpower development. Multiple primes are scaling production. The digest tracks key contract and capability milestones.
SpearUAV has announced a contract to deliver 1,000 loitering munitions designed for integration with armored fighting vehicles, extending organic precision strike capability to mechanized units. The system launches from a canister fitted to existing armored vehicle platforms, enabling crews to engage targets beyond direct line of sight without external fire support. Integration of loitering munitions at the vehicle level represents a significant evolution in armored warfare doctrine. The 1,000-unit order indicates substantial customer commitment to the concept.
Teledyne FLIR has integrated Emesent's Hovermap LiDAR-SLAM payload into its third-party payload programme, expanding autonomous navigation and 3D mapping capability for its drone platforms. The Hovermap system enables GNSS-denied autonomous flight, allowing drones to operate in underground, indoor, or jammed environments where GPS is unavailable. Integration into the FLIR ecosystem makes this capability accessible to military and security customers using FLIR-based UAS platforms. The combination of thermal imaging and LiDAR mapping offers enhanced situational awareness for CBRN, urban warfare, and infrastructure inspection missions.
Kraken Robotics has successfully demonstrated fully autonomous launch and recovery of its KATFISH synthetic aperture sonar payload from a SEFINE unmanned surface vessel (USV), a key capability milestone for autonomous mine countermeasures and seabed warfare. The demonstration validates an end-to-end unmanned mine hunting solution without human intervention at the vessel level. KATFISH delivers high-resolution 3D seabed imagery critical for mine detection and classification. The milestone advances the operational readiness of autonomous naval mine countermeasure systems for NATO-aligned navies.
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