Defense News reports, “AeroVironment announced Tuesday it will deploy a counter-drone capability at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, as part of its effort to lay the groundwork for Golden Dome. The firm, a defense technology company that makes loitering munitions, drones and counter-drone technology, will collaborate with commercial unmanned aerial system, or UAS, business and aviation park Grand Sky on the project.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Tag: Autonomous Flight
US Air Force Planning Independent Squadrons of Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Air Force plans to create independent squadrons for its future fleet of collaborative combat aircraft instead of adding the drone wingmen to already-existing squadrons of manned fighters. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the nominee to be the service’s next chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Thursday the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard also may stand up their own CCA squadrons, along with the active duty.”
Full Story (Defense News)
GA-ASI and Aerovironment Validate Large UAS as Motherships with Switchblade 600 Test
Unmanned Systems Technology reports GA-ASI and AeroVironment completed a milestone test by launching a Switchblade 600 from an MQ-9A, demonstrating “large UAS capability as motherships.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Boeing and Royal Australian Air Force Prove “Operational Viability” of MQ-28
Defense Daily reports, “Boeing [BA] last Friday said it and the Royal Australian Air Force have proven the ‘operational viability’ of the MQ-28 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) through a series of capability demonstrations that concluded in June, four months ahead of schedule.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)
Full Story (Defense Daily)
Panel Delves into Autonomy, UAS Advances in Disaster Response and the Need for Better Policy Enforcement
FROM THE INSTITUTE
As the United States braces for more natural disasters, NASA and private industry are looking to a future national airspace that can manage crewed aircraft and autonomous drones together. Yet, hurdles remain before the technology and policy are aligned, said drone and aviation safety experts, speaking on the “Revolutionizing Disaster Relief” panel at the 2025 AIAA AVIATION Forum in July.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Reliable Robotics Teams Up with USAF for Autonomous Flight
Aerotime reports, “Reliable Robotics, a US startup specializing in autonomous flight systems, announced on July 29, 2025, that it has started work with the United States Air Force (USAF) on the development of so-called Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP). This project, which is taking place under the aegis of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), aims to leverage the technology Reliable Robotics has developed for commercial aviation and apply it to the military domain.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
New Avionics Tech Enabling Rapid Emergence of Advanced Air Mobility
Avionics International reports, “Once a speculative concept reserved for futurists, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is now rapidly emerging as a practical reality, thanks largely to revolutionary developments in avionics. From electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to highly automated flight control systems, avionics is the nerve center of this next-generation ecosystem, orchestrating the delicate balance of safety, autonomy, and sustainability. AAM seeks to redefine how people and goods move across urban and regional landscapes. Instead of being confined to traditional runways or existing air corridors, new aircraft designs such as eVTOLs are built to operate flexibly within dense environments.”
Full Story (Avionics International)
US Army Begins 3D Printing Swarms of Small Aerial Drones
Breaking Defense reports, “The US Army has begun 3D printing swarms of small aerial drones for soldiers to train against, in anticipation of a decision on how to proceed with an initiative to cheaply and quickly mass produce drones, according to two senior Army leaders.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Saab Providing Drone Swarming Capability for Sweden’s Armed Forces
Aviation Week reports, “Sweden’s armed forces have revealed a secret drone swarming program using software developed by Saab. The system, developed over the past year, is designed for sub-25-kg (55.1 lb.) uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). It allows individual soldiers to control as many as 100 drones at a time to gather intelligence, defense officials say.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Sikorsky and Rain Successfully Demonstrate Wildfire Mission Autonomy
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Sikorsky and Rain have successfully demonstrated how an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter can be commanded to take off, identify the location and size of a small fire, and then accurately drop water to suppress the flames. Carried out on October 29 at Sikorsky headquarters in Stratford, the Rapid Wildfire Response Demonstration showed the effective fusion of Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy with Rain’s wildfire mission autonomy system to suppress a fire in its incipient stage using this innovative firefighting UAV.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)