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17 Sep 25. Saab to lead NATO’s new underwater battlespace project. The Saab-led MANGROVE consortium has been selected by NATO to lead the Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network project (AUWB-MN). The project formally commenced 1 September 2025 and will deliver interoperability for Maritime Uncrewed Systems and conventional platforms across allied nations.
The project is designing a Reference Architecture and a Test and Reference Environment for a mission network that leverages both crewed and uncrewed systems, above, on and below the water.
The mission network will facilitate rapid and secure information exchange, and integration across domains, supporting combined operations between all branches of the military. The outcome is expected to become a new standard for NATO.
“Saab is delighted to lead this pivotal project for NATO. All of the MANGROVE consortium’s expertise and collaborative focus for the next 12 months will be on the successful development of a mission network for NATO’s operations in the underwater battlespace. As all aspects of the underwater domain grow in their strategic significance, this will be a critical contribution to our collective maritime security and defence,” said Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s business area Kockums.
“The AUWB-MN project is a significant step forward in the modernisation of our warfighting capabilities and the ability for NATO allies to operate effectively together in the underwater domain of the future. We are confident that Saab and the Mangrove consortium will deliver a robust and effective mission network that strengthens NATO’s maritime defence,” said David Burton, Project Director, NATO Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier Smart Defence Initiative.
The consortium was selected on 16 July, 2025 and the project is part of NATO’s Digital Ocean and Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier Smart Defence Initiative. It is sponsored by twelve different nations led by the UK, together with Sweden, the US, Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. Together they have committed to adopting the standard developed through this project.
Saab’s business area Kockums is leading the multinational consortium, MANGROVE, comprising CETENA and IDS part of Fincantieri Group, FlySight, GraalTech, Miraya, Saab UK and BlueBear, S2IX and the University of Plymouth.
17 Sep 25. Royal Navy clears Malloy T-150 drone for front-line use. The Royal Navy has declared the Malloy T-150 uncrewed air system ready for front-line operations, following two years of trials and development with Royal Marines and 700X Naval Air Squadron, the service announced. According to the Royal Navy, the T-150 will be used to deliver ammunition, weaponry, food, medical supplies and other stores to Royal Marines operating in demanding environments. Trials were conducted in locations ranging from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean, after which the system was granted Release to Service status.
The T-150 is capable of carrying underslung loads of up to 68 kilograms, has a top speed of 60 miles per hour, and can remain airborne for up to 40 minutes. Operated by a two-person team, the aircraft can be flown manually or follow pre-set autonomous waypoints.
Neil Appleton, CEO of Malloy Aeronautics, was quoted in the press release as saying: “The UK Release to Service of our T-150 platform is a milestone we’re incredibly proud to be a part of. As a multi-role UAS, the T-150 can be used for Replenishment at Sea one day and resupplying deployed Royal Marines Commandos the next.”
He added: “It’s a game-changer for the modern battlefield and we are proud to deliver this capability to those who need it most.”
Brigadier Chris Haw, Head of the Commando Forces Programme, said: “The introduction of logistic drones represents a significant expansion in the Commando Force’s use of Uncrewed Aerial Systems, beyond those already in-service for surveillance/reconnaissance, and importantly reduces the risk to personnel during tactical re-supply.”
The Royal Navy also noted that the T-150 has recently been tested with the UK Carrier (Source: ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
14 Sep 25. Thales details progress in arming Peregrine drone. Thales told is exploring ways to expand the capabilities of its Peregrine rotary-wing uncrewed system already in service with the Royal Navy. The company is developing a product line based on Peregrine that could integrate new sensors, improved data processing, and potentially a weapons fit. According to Thales, there is “no formal requirement from the Navy,” but the service has expressed interest in options for greater lethality, particularly for smaller ships that lack kinetic punch. “They’re struggling, particularly on some of the smaller ships, with kinetic effects. We picked that up and ran with it and thought, well, we could probably build it.”
The initial concept has already been proven. Thales said the weapon itself is cleared and the plan is to conduct a live firing demonstration in 2026, ideally in the UK. The company noted that while early tests could involve the S-100 platform, the ambition is to build up to the larger S-300 system, which can carry up to ten stores. Funding for the project is already secured. What is now needed, Thales explained, is sponsorship in terms of access to ranges, support from the Ministry of Defence’s certification bodies, and buy-in from stakeholders to accelerate trials. “It’s aspirational, but it’s funded. It’s something we want to do on our own scheme.” (Source: ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
15 Sep 25. New drone factory to open in Swindon, creating skilled jobs and strengthening British manufacturing. The Defence Secretary today announces that the UK’s largest drone production facility is to open next year, creating 1,000 highly skilled jobs in the UK. A major new drone production factory is set to open in Swindon, creating 1,000 high-skilled British jobs and boosting sovereign manufacturing as the Government delivers the Plan for Change. The new factory, operated by Tekever, will be announced by the Defence Secretary John Healey, on a visit to the site today. The factory is expected to open in 2026 and will position Swindon as a centre for UK drone manufacturing, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships and showing the defence dividend of the Government’s record defence spending uplift.
Swindon has strong historical ties to defence, helping to produce the Supermarine Spitfire in World War Two. This new site will now bring large-scale production of Tekever platforms to the UK — including the Royal Air Force’s StormShroud capability.
This comes as figures show government investment in UK defence industries reached £31.7 bn last year and follows the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will make defence an engine for growth, ensuring investment is felt by communities across the UK through new jobs and rising incomes for working people, putting more money in their pockets.
In May, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an additional £19 m of investment by the Royal Air Force into Tekever’s AR3 StormShroud drones, underlining government support for home‑grown defence technology. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK has purchased approximately £270 m of Tekever drones to provide to Ukraine, including contributions from international partners through the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine. These drones have been used extensively in destroying highly advanced Russian air defence systems.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “This new factory is a clear demonstration that this government is making defence an engine for growth across the UK. Tekever’s expansion will bring high-skilled jobs and world-leading drone manufacturing to Swindon, while strengthening defence supply chains. By backing Britain’s defence industry, we strengthen both our economy and national security. ”
Tekever’s new facility will be its fourth location in the UK and largest to date. The 254,000 square foot site will support the full drone production lifecycle – from rapid prototyping to manufacturing and research and development. It will bring core production of the AR5 unmanned aerial system to the UK for the first time, while scaling up existing work on the AR3 platform. This builds upon the acquisition of West Wales Airport and marks a critical next step in the delivery of Tekever’s Strategic Investment Programme OVERMATCH, that is designed to transform UK’s defence capabilities by accelerating innovation in AI and autonomy.
Tekever’s arrival to Swindon aligns with the government’s broader economic strategy to foster high-tech hubs, drive inclusive growth and unlock new opportunities for local talent and supply chains.
Karl Brew, Director of Tekever Defence, said: “Our decision to establish a new facility in Swindon reflects Tekever’s commitment to the UK and to the ambitions of the £400 m Overmatch programme. The site will play a central role in the production of our new AR3 EVO system and in creating up to 1,000 highly skilled jobs over the next five years. This investment will ensure we deliver advanced, sovereign capability at pace and in close partnership with the UK defence ecosystem.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
16 Sep 25. Red Cat Collaborates with Safe Pro Group to Embed Real-Time AI-Powered Threat Detection Onboard the Black Widow Drone Platform. Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat” or the “Company”), a U.S.-based provider of advanced, all-domain robotic solutions for defense and national security, today announced a strategic collaboration with Safe Pro Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAI) (Safe Pro), a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-computer vision technologies.
Through this collaboration, Safe Pro’s patented AI-powered image analysis technology will be embedded into Red Cat’s Black Widow drones, enabling U.S. and allied ground personnel to rapidly identify and locate more than 150 types of explosive threats including landmines, anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in real-time.
The integration will allow Safe Pro’s Object Threat Detection (SPOTD) system to process real-time 4k video onboard the Black Widow at the tactical edge and deliver live threat data directly to military situational awareness platforms such as the U.S. Army’s Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) software ecosystem, enhancing and accelerating decision making critical to mission success.
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The Black Widow will also integrate with Safe Pro’s new SPOTD Navigation, Observation and Detection Engine (NODE), a powerful, edge-based solution designed to process, map and share mission critical information collected by drones. Supporting rapid deployment at the edge, the SPOTD NODE “kit” enables end users to collect real-time visual data, receive threat alerts, and utilize that imagery to create 2D and 3D interactive maps and plot hazard detections. This capability provides enhanced situational awareness, supporting a wide array of ground missions even in connectivity-denied environments.
Powering Safe Pro’s SPOTD technology is one of the world’s largest real-world landmine and UXO datasets consisting of high-resolution imagery and GPS-tagged geospatial data encompassing over 1.88 m drone images analyzed to date, and 34,200+ threats identified across 8,119 hectares (20,062 acres) in Ukraine.
“The Black Widow continues to distinguish itself as a leading sUAS platform for defense and security, ideally suited to supporting the evolving needs of the U.S. Army and its global allies. By incorporating field-proven innovations such as Safe Pro’s unique AI-powered threat detection technology, we continue to redefine the future of force protection and battlefield awareness,” said Jeff Thompson, Red Cat CEO.
“As demonstrated in Ukraine, the battlefield is dramatically evolving, establishing a critical need to provide today’s warfighter with access to enhanced, real-time situational awareness. By harnessing the power of the Black Widow with Safe Pro’s battle-tested threat detection technology, we have created a platform that can uniquely support the needs of the U.S. Army for real-time battlefield intelligence, and we look forward to bringing this capability to our warfighters,” added Dan Erdberg, Chairman and CEO of Safe Pro Group Inc.(Source: ASD Network)
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EOS
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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