Author: Defenceline Webdesk

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Startup drone maker Swarm Aero is gunning to replace the MQ-9A Reaper, touting its own dual-hull-style unmanned candidate that company executives say will fulfill the Pentagon’s desired traits for a new high-flying hunter-killer. Swarm’s Gamera debuted today at the Air and Space Forces Association conference here as a full-scale model. The company says the turboprop aircraft sports a 72-foot wingspan and will boast an unrefueled range of 9,000 nautical miles (10,357 miles), with seven hardpoints to carry key munitions and modularity to satisfy multirole demands.  Unlike the Reaper and most long-range drones in service, Gamera doesn’t…

GA-ASI’s Wildfire is focused on ISR, strike and similar roles. Credit: General Atomics. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has unveiled Wildfire, a newly designed uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) developed to address future demand for large, scalable, and cost-effective UAS operations. In a 10 September release, the company stated that Wildfire is a “clean-sheet” aircraft, specifically tailored to meet evolving defence and commercial requirements. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The Wildfire draws on over three decades of GA-ASI’s operational experience from platforms…

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Aerospace conglomerate Textron and artificial intelligence firm Merlin Labs have unveiled a new unmanned aircraft concept to kickstart conversation about Pacific logistics, the companies announced today. The companies’ proposal would take Textron’s Cessna Skycourier and remove the cockpit altogether, replacing it with a flip-up nose for easier automated loading and a Merlin Pilot AI to fly the plane. The Skycourier’s capabilities — three tons of payload, a thousand miles of range and ability to operate from austere airstrips only half a mile long — make it an ideal low-cost complement to the much larger cargo aircraft…

Mach Industries develops advanced autonomous systems for the US military and its allies. Credit: Fajri Mulia Hidayat/Shutterstock.com. Mach Industries, a California-based defence manufacturer, has announced a $600m continuation of its Series C financing, pushing its valuation to $3.7bn. The funding round is backed by existing investors including Ribbit Capital, Infinite Capital, Bedrock Capital, and Sequoia. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more Mach Industries plans to use the funds to accelerate progress across long-range strike, counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS), and other mission-critical platforms. The…

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged that the U.S. has space weapons, a public revelation that some experts said could accelerate an arms race in orbit.“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist,” Mink said during his Monday morning speech at the Air, Space, Cyber conference here. “This is why the United States now has, on orbit, space-control weapons, capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversaries.”Top service officials have typically been cagey when asked about U.S. space weapons, often citing national-security concerns. It also marks a…

Varying degrees of dependence – and interdependence – dictate how Thailand approaches its neighbors. Attention naturally fixates on adjacent states, not least because the poorly demarcated frontiers of mainland Southeast Asia are a hotspot for armed confrontation and illicit businesses. Drug trafficking, cyber scam operations, and unregulated rare earth mining are all concentrated in this sub-region. But now is an opportune time to reflect on Thailand’s low-friction dynamics with Singapore and Indonesia, given their recent diplomatic momentum amid mounting global supply chain risks, and the Thai government’s pursuit of a more proactive foreign policy aimed at better communicating national interests.…

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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Lockheed Martin is doubling down on its internal investments for its Vectis stealth drone, announcing today that the company will build an additional four prototypes along with the one currently in production. The additional aircraft will be used to accelerate testing and validate production processes, said Ron Fehlen, who runs Lockheed’s Skunk Works advanced development division.  “Development work on those additional aircraft is already underway, and we’ll have more specifics to share soon,” he said.  Fehlen added the company will “build and we will fly these four vehicles even more quickly” than the first prototype, which was…

Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin’s secretive research arm, plans to build four more of its experimental, multipurpose drones as the firm attempts to sell its futuristic platform to the U.S. military.Last year, Skunk Works unveiled Vectis—a concept for a group 5 drone that’s capable of a wide range of missions. Now, on the first day of the Air & Space Force Association’s defense conference near Washington, D.C., company officials announced they’re making significant progress on the prototype and are already planning to expand the fleet for more tests.“We are moving forward with a plan to build an additional four vehicles, bringing…

Mark Carney and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Canada. Credit: Mark Carney via LinkedIn. Canada has established a new national Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace (DDIM), aiming to accelerate growth in its uncrewed systems capabilities and deepen security collaboration with Ukraine. The initiative was revealed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s official visit to Canada this week, where Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged a series of measures to enhance both countries’ defence, diplomatic ties, and energy resilience. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more According to…