drones

Autonomous fighter planes are popping up all over the place these days as more air forces opt for pilotless loyal wingmen. The latest example is Europe's version, the multi-role Helsing CA-1 Europa, which has just made its public debut.

In a demonstration not so much of marksmanship but more of the advantages of microwaves, an Epirus Leonidas directed energy, high-power microwave (HPM) anti-drone weapon has knocked 49 Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) out of the air with one shot.

A super-secret Lockheed Martin Skunk Works project is no longer a secret after the company revealed its Vectis Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) – an autonomous stealth fighter drone developed entirely in-house with company funds.

The RAAF's MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone has completed public flight trials to demonstrate its operational capabilities. Performed for select journalists, the flight of the Boeing Loyal Wingman took place at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory.

A US Army quadcopter engaged and destroyed a winged drone during an exercise at Fort Rucker, Alabama. These days, that's not such a rare occurrence, but this one is different – it's the first that used a Claymore landmine strapped to the quad.

HoverAir Aqua is the world's first water-native drone – fully waterproof, self-flying, and built for watersports. Toss it in, press a button, and it floats, flies, and films. I've seen it in action, and it's going to change the game.

Drones are going full Die Hard as researchers from Inria, CNRS, the University of Lorraine, and Aix-Marseille University work on how to help quadcopters fly through ventilation ducts without getting lost or banging into the walls like a bean in a can.

Tiny, fast, and ridiculously easy to use, the HoverAir X1 Promax is a fully autonomous drone that takes off from your hand, follows you around, and films cinematic footage with no controller required.

In an effort to supercharge the development of military drones, DARPA will this year fast track flight testing of five advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) prototypes as part of the agency's Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE) project.

In Japanese mythology, dragons aren't the fire-breathing, treasure-hoarding monsters you'll find in Tolkien, Martin, et al. Instead, they're wise, serpentine creatures who control rain, fly through the clouds, and protect sacred areas.

It looks like the age of the robotic warrior is here. The RAF has revealed that a radar-jamming combat drone called StormShroud will be deployed to support Britain's F-35B Lightning II and Typhoon fighters using lessons learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

SiFly says its drones fly 4X longer, 10X farther, 10X quieter and carry 5X more payload than the competition, while manufacturing in the USA at China-competitive prices. And they don't need parachutes. We asked how... Here's the secret sauce!