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20 Aug 25. AV Delivers Initial P550 Autonomous Group 2 eVTOL Unmanned Aircraft Systems to U.S. Army for LRR Program. AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced the successful delivery of its Group 2 P550™ small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to the U.S. Army as part of the Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program to support training and operations for Transformation in Contact (TiC) brigades. This initial delivery includes multiple P550 systems along with new equipment training and training master trainers to ensure mission readiness and rapid integration into the US Army TiC Brigades and other designated units. This milestone marks a significant achievement for both the Army and the all-new P550 product line. Built from the ground up with a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), the P550 is designed to meet evolving warfighter requirements, enabling rapid adaptation in dynamic, contested environments with multiple payload, radio, and power options to counter emerging threats and enhance lethality. It builds on decades of AV’s UAS development and production of combat-proven systems delivered to the Department of Defense and over 50 partner nations.
“We are proud to deliver the P550 to Army units, empowering warfighters with a system that can quickly adapt to fluid combat scenarios, providing unmatched reliability and flexibility,” said Trace Stevenson, AV’s President of Autonomous Systems. “Our team remains committed to supporting the Army with seamless delivery, training, and sustainment to ensure these systems are ready when needed.”
The P550 is AV’s latest autonomous Group 2 eVTOL system, redefining battlefield adaptability with rapid deployment, advanced situational awareness, and targeting and strike capabilities. Its proven AI and autonomy enable smarter, safer operations for maneuver forces. With class-leading payload capacity up to 15 pounds, endurance of up to 5 hours on all-battery power, and a Gross Take-Off Weight (GTOW) of 55 pounds, it can be reconfigured in under five minutes without tools, including hot-swapping payloads and batteries. Its open and scalable architecture not only future proofs the P550 for continuous upgrades but also keeps pace with technological advancements at low cost and risk. The initial deliveries included comprehensive new equipment training conducted by AV’s field service representatives to ensure operators and maintainers can effectively integrate the P550 into their units. The systems were received by PM and evaluated by Master Trainers, who completed “train-the-trainer” instruction to enable rapid fielding and operational integration. AV will continue to fulfill additional orders to support the Army’s evolving operational requirements. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
21 Aug 25. PLA details UAV intelligence operations to track foreign warships. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has shown for the first time that the maritime operations of high-altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to identify and monitor foreign warships are conducted in collaboration with intelligence officers attached to air brigades. China disclosed the real-time capability in its five-part Gong Jian (Forging Ahead) documentary on the PLA, which was aired by state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) in August. In the documentary, UAVs such as the Guizhou WZ-7 Xianglong (Soaring Dragon) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Wing Loong-10 (WL-10, also known as Pterodactyl 10 or WZ-10) of a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) air brigade were shown conducting operations from at least two airbases. Janes has identified the airbases as Foshan, which is northwest of Hong Kong, and Suixi airbase in Guangdong province. Both airbases are within the PLA’s Southern Theater Command (STC). The video shows personnel of the UAV air brigade receiving a call from a higher authority ordering the UAVs to search for a “hostile warship” in a designated area because a Chinese reconnaissance satellite was unable to track the vessel. Intelligence personnel at the brigade’s intelligence centre are then shown downloading data from the WL-10. The downloaded data was sorted and analysed by an automatic identification system (AIS) allowing the intelligence personnel to determine that the seaborne “object” could be a foreign vessel, according to CCTV. (Source: Janes)
20 Aug 25. The US Navy is building a drone fleet to take on China. It’s not going well.
- Summary
- Software issues led to crashes, mishaps in drone boat tests
- Pentagon paused an autonomy software contract with L3Harris
- Navy’s key acquisition program rocked after top admiral fired
During a U.S. naval test off the California coast last month, which was designed to showcase the Pentagon’s top autonomous drone boats, one vessel stalled unexpectedly. As officials scrambled to fix a software glitch, another drone vessel smashed into the idling boat’s starboard side, vaulted over the deck, and crashed back into the water – an incident captured in videos obtained by Reuters. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. The previously unreported episode, which involved two vessels built by U.S. defense tech rivals Saronic and BlackSea Technologies, is one of a series of recent setbacks in the Pentagon’s push to build a fleet of autonomous vessels, according to a dozen people familiar with the program. (Source: Reuters)
20 Aug 25. Gabler, a leading provider of submarine systems, and FLANQ, a European innovator in autonomous maritime platforms, today announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and deliver a new class of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) specifically designed for submarine torpedo tube launch (TTL). The announcement was made on the opening day of DALO Industry Days 2025 – the largest defence industry exhibition in Scandinavia. This collaboration aims to deliver affordable sub-surface deployed USVs for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, as well as single-use tactical missions – significantly enhancing the operational flexibility of European and NATO maritime forces. The USVs will be fully compatible with standard submarine torpedo tubes, enabling covert deployment without diver assistance. This capability provides a critical advantage for operations in denied, contested, or high-threat environments, where traditional surface or aerial naval assets may be compromised. Both single-use and reusable USV models will be developed and produced by the two companies, incorporating sovereign suppliers and industrial partners throughout Europe. The expendable variants are designed for one-way missions, such as precision strike, while the reusable platforms will support extended ISR missions with recovery options via host platforms or surface assets. Under the agreement, Gabler will lead system integration, commercialisation, and delivery to navies globally – building on its market leading portfolio of hoistable mast systems, submarine control technologies, and communication buoys. FLANQ will oversee design, manufacturing and payload integration – drawing on its expertise in modularity, autonomy, and scalable platform engineering. This joint initiative directly addresses the increasing demand among European and NATO naval forces for autonomous systems capable of operating in complex and contested maritime environments. By enabling submarines to deploy low-cost, mass-produceable USVs for a wide range of missions – from littoral surveillance to deep-sea reconnaissance – this solution delivers domain advantage without compromising stealth.
“Today’s announcement on the opening day of DALO 25 reflects our shared commitment to strengthening European and allied undersea defence capabilities at pace and cost,” said Lennart Glas, Business Development Manager at Gabler. “By combining FLANQ’s strengths in autonomy, sensor payloads, and rapid manufacturing with Gabler’s six decades of expertise in high-reliability submarine systems, we are fully focussed on delivering mission-specific USVs ready for in theatre testing and evaluation at the earliest opportunity.”
“The development of these platforms comes at a pivotal time for European and allied naval forces,” said Daniel Esser, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder at FLANQ. “Our rapidly produced USVs with their Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) payloads from sovereign partners – paired with Gabler’s know-how in submarine engineering and operations – will help deliver persistent ISR and tactical reach at scale, speed and value.”
18 Aug 25. China’s VTOL Jet Drone Makes Every Warship an Aircraft Carrier. In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. The sleek, runway-independent uncrewed aircraft can be launched from the decks of ordinary warships – even in rough seas – and transition seamlessly into a fast, long-range cruise flight. The drone, representing a radical departure from conventional drone designs, was developed by a 10-year effort led by associate professors Wang Yaokun and Qiu Yuting with Beihang University, a top aviation research institute in Beijing targeted by US sanctions. This unnamed drone is reportedly a sleek design that is runway independent, unlike most drones launched at sea that require carrier decks to launch. The drone was created over ten years under the direction of associate professors Wang Yaokun and Qiu Yuting at Beihang University, a prestigious aviation research center in Beijing that was sanctioned due to its involvement in the development of military rocket systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs), according to the US Department of Justice.
“We’ve compared it to other mainstream VTOL drones at present. It is far superior in terms of speed,”
The drone is a significant divergence from traditional drone designs and has the potential to turn any Chinese amphibious ship, frigate, or destroyer into a mini aircraft carrier. According to publicly accessible information on Beihang University’s website, this VTOL drone project started in 2015 and went through several revisions until reaching a stable configuration in 2019. It was specifically designed to meet the Chinese navy’s need for aircraft for “non-carrier vessels,” according to a 2019 article cited by the report. The emphasis was also on the importance of “multi-drone coordination, high-speed reconnaissance, and vertical take-off and landing from destroyer decks.”
A 10-Year Effort To Make The Chinese VTOL
The drone employs a dual-system strategy: a small turbojet engine drives high-speed cruising, while small rotors positioned at the bottom generate lift during takeoff and landing, as per details mentioned in the journal. The design is unique because it incorporates a proprietary retractable fairing system, an aerodynamic cover that encloses the idle rotors when they are turned off following the switch to forward. The drone can take off from a cramped warship deck like a helicopter because its rotors are free to rotate during vertical ascent. The wings produce enough lift to maintain flight as speed rises, while the rotors progressively spin downward. The fairings then slide close over the rotor hubs, preventing airflow and lowering parasitic drag by up to 60%, according to computer fluid dynamics calculations confirmed in wind tunnel experiments. The outcome of this is a teardrop-shaped fuselage that is incredibly clean and almost identical to a pure jet drone in cruise mode, allowing for effective high-speed flight while maintaining complete VTOL capability. “It can lift off and land vertically under extreme conditions,” according to Qiu and her colleagues. The team created novel advanced composites, such as T-700-grade carbon fiber reinforced with modified resin matrices, that can be mass-produced using readily available resources at a cheap cost to handle the demanding requirements of high-speed flying and frequent vertical landings. Strong and lightweight, the airframe’s enhanced fatigue resistance is essential for carrier-like operations on rolling decks. Importantly, the design incorporates thermal shielding in regions that are subjected to the small turbojet’s exhaust, enabling localized temperatures to surpass 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit) without compromising the structure.
The propulsion system needs advanced control algorithms. For example, an electric rotor system allows for precise hover and landing control, while a small turbojet delivers sustained thrust for high-speed cruising. The complicated transition from rotary to fixed-wing flight was smoothly and steadily managed by control algorithms, as demonstrated by flight tests, states the paper. According to the researchers, a small drone that weighed only 45 kilograms in total easily reached 230 kilometers/hour during a test flight. However, the design does have certain compromises. For one, even though the rotor system is enclosed, it becomes a deadweight during high-speed cruising, taking up space and adding mass that lowers fuel efficiency and payload capacity. Similarly, the turbojet and its fuel lines remain inert throughout vertical flight, adding to the structural load. This means that the drone’s endurance and range are probably inferior to those of vehicles powered solely by jets, such as the Global Hawk or XQ-58A. Its modest payload makes it more appropriate for electronic warfare, pinpoint strikes using small weapons, or reconnaissance than big ordnance. (Source: UAS VISION/China Morning Post; Eurasian Times)
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EOS – Bio
Electro Optic Systems (EOS) is an Australian technology company with a global presence, delivering advanced solutions across defence and space. With operations in Australia, the United States, Europe, Singapore, the Middle East and New Zealand, EOS has been designing and manufacturing precision technologies for more than four decades.
In defence, EOS is a leader in remote weapon systems, with more than 2,500 delivered and proven in operational service with allied forces. The company designs, develops and manufactures highly accurate counter-drone solutions for force and asset protection. These include both kinetic and high energy laser options that defeat drone threats effectively and at a comparatively low cost per shot. In August 2025, EOS secured the world’s first export contract for a 100 kW-class high energy laser weapon, with delivery scheduled between 2025 and 2028.
In the space domain, EOS is internationally recognised for its expertise in space domain awareness and space control. Its ground-based optical systems track and characterise satellites and debris to support both defence and commercial operations worldwide. Through its New Zealand subsidiary, EOS also designs and manufactures precision optics for space and astronomy applications.
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