All articles tagged with #unmanned systems
Ukraine's 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade carried out the world's first known combat mission in which a naval drone delivered and deployed an armed ground robot behind Russian lines on the Kinburn Spit near Kherson, with the ground unit firing on a target and no soldiers involved, highlighting a growing role for unmanned systems in dangerous warfare.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signs a memo establishing a Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for autonomy (DRPM-UxS) to centrally oversee all unmanned and autonomous systems—covering ground vehicles, all small air vehicles, and most surface vessels—reporting to the Deputy Defense Secretary. The DRPM-UxS will be the single joint integrator for UxS programs, with the Defense Innovation Unit as the primary industry interface. DAWG and JIATF 401 become deputy offices under the DRPM-UxS, and some programs remain outside its scope (e.g., MUSV and major airframes). No individual is named yet to fill the role, which aims to speed fielding of UxS capabilities and cut bureaucratic delays.
Britain’s Defence Investment Plan preview signals a pivot to hybrid and unmanned warfare, with £5 billion earmarked for a drone transformation, at least six Common Combat Vessels to act as hubs for aerial, surface, and underwater drones, and a new Collaborative Combat Air programme for autonomous fighters flying alongside crewed jets, along with a broad push to develop inexpensive autonomous systems for land, sea, and air; the plan also includes a £15 billion uplift in defense funding amid political reshuffles.
Britain's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan pledges £298bn over the next four years—£15bn more than previously and the biggest uplift since the Cold War—yet critics say it underfunds defence at about 2.7% of GDP by 2030 (NATO target 3%). The plan pivots toward cheaper, autonomous systems and drones, with £63bn for the nuclear deterrent, £8bn for a UK-led next-generation RAF stealth aircraft, and a push to hybrid crews. It also funds replenishing Ukraine aid (£11bn), air/missile defence (£790m), and protection of undersea cables (£330m). The Army grows to ~76,000; some programmes are cut (e.g., Type 83 destroyers, Storm Shadow replacement), and expansion of Cadets is delayed.
Britain unveils a defense overhaul inspired by Ukraine, prioritizing drones and autonomous systems over new capital ships, funding six common combat vessels and a national drone program to accelerate rapid battlefield innovation, while aiming to hit NATO spending targets amid funding questions.
A week of major Western Pacific maneuvers sees the US-led Valiant Shield 2026 and Rim of the Pacific 2026 unfold with carrier strike groups, submarines, and advanced unmanned systems, involving Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other partners across Guam, Japan, the CNMI, and the Indian Ocean. The drills feature anti-submarine warfare, air and missile defense, joint air operations, and interoperability tests, set against continued regional tensions from China, Russia, and North Korea, as well as related transit and maneuver activities by PLAN, JMSDF, and allied forces.
A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. An American uncrewed surface drone, operated by Task Force 59, rescued the two crew members within about two hours; they are in stable condition. CENTCOM led the operation with support from the 82nd Airborne, the Air Force, and Navy units. The incident is under investigation and represents the first sea-drone rescue of its kind for US forces.
Analyst Mahnken argues that U.S. wars are rarely quick; to prevail in extended conflicts (as with Iran), the United States must combine high-end capability with mass by expanding long-term munitions production, hardening bases, and strengthening the defense industrial base, while relying on allies and adopting new technologies (long-range munitions, directed energy, satellites) and layered defenses to deter and win protracted campaigns across multiple theaters.
Ukraine's 412th Nemesis Brigade unveiled the Morrigan, a mid-range fixed-wing drone designed to operate behind enemy lines, used to strike Russia's R280 'Novorossiya' supply highway from Mariupol toward Crimea; the drone, about 4-5 feet long and launched from a rail/slingshot platform, has targeted supply and fuel convoys 20–300 km behind front lines, with claims of destroying dozens of trucks and gas stations, as Moscow seeks alternative routes amid intensified Ukrainian attacks.
RFA Lyme Bay departed Gibraltar with a crew of minehunting specialists and advanced unmanned systems for a potential multinational mission to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, joining France and other allies. The move signals a shift toward agile, high-tech capabilities, though a formal start date for operations has not been announced.
The Kyiv Post profiles Ukraine’s Lava Unmanned Systems Regiment near Kharkiv, showing how Leleka reconnaissance drones work in tandem with Bulava loitering munitions and relay M2R drones for deep-rear reconnaissance, artillery correction, and strikes behind Russian lines from an underground command post with autonomous evasive tech and 24/7 monitoring against countermeasures.
CBS News reports an Army explosive-safety specialist warned that the Defense Department’s rush to adapt and field low-cost drones amid expanding unmanned warfare could be outrunning basic safety principles. The concern follows a March incident at the Joint Readiness Training Center where a small drone-borne explosive detonated, injuring a Special Forces soldier and prompting scrutiny of the XM183 MiniBlast cartridge, which the memo says has not received a full material release. The memo notes possible triggers such as static electricity or EMI to ordnance and highlights the broader push—driven by requests to produce up to ~300,000 drones—that may pressure safety oversight. Army officials disputed some conclusions, and safety centers said investigations require specific thresholds, illustrating a tension between rapid counter-UAS development and established safety standards.
Ukraine is expanding a robotic teamed approach: aerial drones scout and guide attacks while ground robots carry heavier weapons and explosives to strike targets, enabling a ‘robotic combined-arms’ dynamic that keeps soldiers safer. The system’s strengths and limits differ—drones are faster and provide situational awareness, ground bots can breach dugouts and haul heavier payloads—yet together they are reportedly more effective than either on its own. Zelenskyy cited tens of thousands of robot missions and an aggressive push to scale to tens of thousands of ground robots to automate front-line logistics.
Ukrainian commanders say ground drones perform well in testing but fail on the front due to overheating electronics, weak components, and mud-clogged terrain; with around 150 models in use, many frontline platforms aren’t suited to combat, prompting field modifications. Still, unmanned systems are being used for logistics and evacuation, and Kyiv plans to scale their deployment to reduce troop exposure.
German experts say Europe could achieve strategic defense autonomy within a decade by investing about €50 billion per year (roughly €150–€200 billion by 2030 and €500 billion over the next decade), to close ten capability gaps—from command-and-control and autonomous systems to air and space defenses—through coordinated coalitions, faster procurement, and mass production of drones and unmanned systems; success hinges on political will and reforming procurement rather than creating a new European super-structure.