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06 Nov 25. New Partnership Integrates Advanced Ground Control With Long-Range UAS. UXV Technologies’ collaboration with Edge Autonomy focuses on integrating Ground Control Stations (GCS) with drones to enhance allied interoperability. Redwire Corporation’s wholly owned subsidiary, Edge Autonomy, and UXV Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster cooperation in the field of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). This agreement represents an important move toward advancing long-range uncrewed aerial capabilities through strengthened industrial cooperation. The collaboration is centered on integrating UXV Technologies’ portfolio of Ground Control Stations (GCS) with Edge Autonomy’s uncrewed aerial platforms, such as the Stalker UAS. UXV Technologies provides a range of ground control stations, including the Soldier Robotic Controller (SRoC) series. The SRoC is a multi-domain GCS that features a modular, rugged design and state-of-the-art capabilities engineered for optimal operation across various mission profiles. This design allows for easy integration into Edge Autonomy’s platforms.
Steve Adlich, President of Edge Autonomy, stated, “Edge Autonomy has proven expertise in long-range, long endurance UAS built with a focus on a modular open systems approach. We are excited to partner with UXV Technologies on the integration of their advanced ground control solutions. This will further enhance our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.”
The partnership is intended to enhance interoperability and supports the European Union’s goal of strengthening its defense industrial base through cross-border industrial collaboration. This implementation of the MoU highlights the companies’ shared commitment to furthering European defense innovation and fostering closer ties between prominent defense technology providers.
Frederik Bergenfelt Friis, Chief Strategy Officer at UXV Technologies, added, “We are proud to expand our collaboration with Edge Autonomy to accelerate the delivery of modular, mission-ready, and cost-effective solutions and capabilities to allied forces. This partnership also reflects a strong commitment to strengthening allied interoperability and delivering technologies that support the strategic priorities of NATO and the European Union.”
The MoU was signed in Riga, Latvia, during the official Danish-Latvian Industry Days, attended by senior industry leaders and government representatives from both Denmark and Latvia. (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
06 Nov 25. BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace sign MoU to explore joint uncrewed air systems development. BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore collaboration on uncrewed air systems. The agreement aims to build a strategic alliance between the two companies by combining their respective expertise in combat air and aerospace technologies. Experts from both organisations will work together to identify common opportunities in the development of uncrewed systems. The partnership builds on an already strong relationship and seeks to advance both capability and market reach in this growing sector.
Dave Holmes, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ FalconWorks division, said: “We see this as the start of a deep and meaningful alliance between our two organisations, each bringing complementary skills and capabilities to the table and a strong portfolio of uncrewed assets which we can leverage and combine to create a range of compelling and cost-effective solutions.” (Source: DIE)
04 Nov 25. The latest iteration of the innovative Gambit Series of unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is Gambit 6, a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) that adds air-to-ground operations to its already proven air-to-air capability. The multi-role platform is optimized for roles such as electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and deep precision strike, making it a versatile option for evolving defense needs. Air forces throughout the world are looking to air-to-ground-capable CCAs to enhance operational capabilities and address emerging threats in a denied environment. Gambit 6 is being developed to meet the corresponding need for adaptability, scalability, and mission-specific performance.
“These are real threats, and they require real solutions,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “The modular architecture and signature-reducing internal weapons bay of Gambit 6 allow for easy integration of advanced autonomy, sensors, and weapons systems, ensuring the aircraft can adapt to a wide range of operational scenarios.”
Airframes will be available for international procurement starting in 2027, with European missionized versions deliverable in 2029. GA-ASI is building industry partnerships throughout Europe with the aim of providing sovereign capabilities for all its platforms. GA-ASI’s Gambit Series envisions multiple CCA variants rapidly reconfigured from a common core, enabling substantial commonality for rapid and affordable production at scale. The Gambit Series is a modular family of unmanned aircraft designed to meet diverse mission requirements, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; multi-domain combat; advanced training; and stealth reconnaissance. It’s built around a common core platform that accounts for a significant proportion of the aircraft’s hardware, including the landing gear, baseline avionics, and chassis. This shared foundation reduces costs, increases interoperability, and accelerates the development of mission-specific variants like Gambit 6. By leveraging specialized configurations and advanced autonomy, Gambit aircraft offer tailored capabilities that enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve survivability in contested environments. One Gambit derivative is the U.S. Air Force’s YFQ-42A, developed as part of that service’s effort to field an AI-enabled uncrewed wingman. Based off the original Gambit 2 concept, the YFQ-42A is designed to complement human-crewed fighters like the F-35 and Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) systems, expanding sensing, weapons capacity, and survivability in contested airspace. The original concept for Gambit was announced three years ago and was based on four models. Gambit 1 is a nimble sensing platform optimized for long endurance; Gambit 2 adds the provision for air-to-air weapons; Gambit 3 looks much like Gambit 2 but is optimized for a complex adversary air role; Gambit 4 is a combat reconnaissance-focused model with no tail and swept wings. Then in 2024, GA-ASI announced Gambit 5 for ship-based CCA operations.
05 Nov 25. Apium Joins Red Cat Futures Initiative to Advance Swarming Autonomy for Tactical Drones. Partnership follows successful U.S. Army testing of Apium’s Swarm Autopilot and Ground Control system integrated into Red Cat’s Teal Drone Operational Capabilities. Apium Swarm Robotics, Inc. a developer of distributed autonomy for unmanned systems, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a U.S. based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security. Through this agreement, Apium joins the Red Cat Futures Initiative, an industry-wide robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) consortium dedicated to putting the most advanced and interoperable uncrewed aircraft systems into the hands of warfighters. The announcement follows successful integration of Apium’s technology onto Red Cat’s Teal 2 drone enabling the drones to autonomously perform multi-agent missions at the Army’s ACM-UAS Industry Day at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The demonstration showcased the value of decentralized, scalable drone swarming for modern military operations.
“One to Many swarming is the future of autonomous warfare,” said Tyler MacCready, Founder and Chief Scientist at Apium. “However, there needs to be a balance between autonomy and operator accessibility to ensure effectiveness. Our technology allows full swarm capability to be added to existing ‘off the shelf’ multi-domain UxS enabling a single operator to launch, command, and adapt swarms in real time without complex pre-mission planning or centralized control. Partnering with Red Cat and joining the Futures Initiative enables us to deliver that capability at the tactical edge.”
Enabling Tactical Swarms at Scale
Apium’s system scalability is a result of moving the swarm logic from a centralized ground station to the drone itself. This allows each drone to make independent decisions through cooperation with neighboring vehicles without requiring a constant up-link or ground control. This architecture eliminates single points of failure, allowing the swarm to continue to operate even when vehicles fail or ground station communications are lost. The system has also demonstrated resiliency when degraded by jamming or interference. Operators can engage any of the variety of behaviors found in Apium’s Swarm Library with just a few taps on a touch screen interface. These behaviors range in complexity from orbiting over a target, to fully automated collaborative sorties. Behaviors may be changed or adjusted, at any time, even after the swarm has been launched. Vehicles may join or leave the swarm mid-mission, allowing vehicles to be temporarily reassigned for direct individual control, sensor ops, or kinetic action and later reintegrate with the swarm seamlessly.
“Apium’s system brings distributed drone swarming out of the lab and onto the battlefield,” said Jason Gunter, Director of Special Programs at Red Cat and head of the Futures Initiative. “They’ve proven that you can run adaptive, resilient swarming behaviors with minimal operator burden and without constant connectivity or centralized control. This is a major leap forward for tactical autonomy and the exact capability our warfighters need in complex, contested environments.”
Scaling Autonomy for Complex Operational Environments
The Futures Initiative is a strategic collaboration aimed to fast-track the deployment of autonomous systems across air, land, and sea. It connects Red Cat with industry innovators in AI and computer vision applications, 3D mapping, target acquisition, swarming, and other sUAS decision support features. The program also supports broader national efforts such as the DoD’s priority to rapidly field attritable, autonomous platforms.
By joining the Futures Initiative, Apium will collaborate with Red Cat to integrate its swarm-enabled platform across Red Cat’s entire Family of Systems, led by the Black Widow™. Apium’s technology is also autopilot-agnostic, compatible with PX4, ArduPilot, and other common systems, enabling rapid integration across both current and future unmanned assets. (Source: ASD Network)
05 Nov 25. HII and Shield AI Successfully Combine Proven Autonomy in USV Operations. HII (NYSE: HII) and Shield AI announced today at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition that they have successfully completed the first major test of their integrated autonomy solution aboard HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV), marking a key step toward operational deployment of the AI-enabled ROMULUS fleet. The three-day test, conducted in late October in Virginia Beach, Virginia, integrated Shield AI’s combat-proven Hivemind autonomy software, using the Hivemind Enterprise software development kit (SDK), with HII’s Odyssey autonomy suite onboard a ROMULUS 20 USV. The test also marked the first maritime deployment of Hivemind, which enables AI-powered mission autonomy across domains. This milestone was achieved less than six weeks after the companies announced their partnership, demonstrating rapid adaptability, advanced capabilities, and strong collaboration between the two defense technology leaders.
“This collaboration between HII and Shield AI showcases how adaptable autonomy frameworks can accelerate development,” said Andy Green, president of HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Using the Hivemind Enterprise SDK, our teams integrated capabilities quickly and effectively. The successful deployment on ROMULUS 20 validates the power of this partnership and paves the way for even greater autonomy across the ROMULUS fleet.”
ROMULUS is a modular, high-performance USV line built on commercial-standard hulls for fast production and operational flexibility. The lead vessel, ROMULUS 190, is currently under construction. Designed to exceed 25 knots and operate up to 2,500 nautical miles, ROMULUS 190 will carry four 40-foot ISO containers and feature both Odyssey and Hivemind for next-gen autonomous performance.
Hivemind enables unmanned systems to perform complex missions even in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Proven in aerial operations, Hivemind is now expanding into the maritime domain through this partnership with HII, supporting rapid development and deployment of autonomous capabilities across domains. Under this partnership, Hivemind and Odyssey will integrate into the ROMULUS fleet to operate seamlessly alongside crewed strike groups and surface action groups, while also enabling multi-agent autonomy and intelligent operations.
“Delivering autonomy across domains is key to maintaining a credible deterrent posture in today’s complex geopolitical environment. Each integration strengthens Hivemind’s role as the leading autonomy solution for defense systems,” said Nathan Michael, Shield AI’s chief technology officer and head of the Hivemind business unit. “Through close collaboration with HII and the shared use of Shield AI’s modular, open architecture SDK, we integrated advanced maritime capabilities in less than six weeks — work that typically takes months or years. We look forward to continuing to expand multi-domain autonomy together.”
Shield AI’s Hivemind mission autonomy software and HII’s Odyssey suite will deliver next-generation autonomous solutions. By combining Shield AI’s advanced autonomy with HII’s decades of maritime expertise as America’s largest shipbuilder and leading global maritime unmanned vehicle provider, the two companies aim to accelerate autonomy across domains and platforms.
About ROMULUS and ODYSSEY
ROMULUS, developed with support from HII’s Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group and powered by HII’s Odyssey autonomy software, is capable of manned-unmanned teaming and collaborative operations with unmanned vehicles across all domains. HII’s Odyssey autonomy software is deployed on over 35 USV platforms and over 750 REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), across 30 countries, including 14 NATO members, and enables rapid integration of sensors and payloads for flexible mission design, enhancing the capability and effectiveness of today’s naval fleets. (Source: ASD Network)
04 Nov 25. Anduril Industries Partners with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa to Develop UAS for Poland. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA and Anduril Industries recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the joint development and production of autonomous air systems for the Polish Armed Forces, including the Polish version of the Barracuda-500M cruise missile. The agreement represents a significant step towards expanding the production capacity of low-cost cruise missiles in Poland. Under the agreement, PGZ and Anduril will jointly develop and produce the Polish version of the Barracuda platform, involving companies from the Polish Armaments Group. The partnership announced today will strengthen the Polish defense industry, expand national AI competencies, and create highly skilled jobs.
“Today’s agreement is another step towards the development of the Polish defense industry. By combining PGZ’s industrial potential with Anduril’s experience in autonomous systems, we can introduce a solution to our market that meets the requirements of the armed forces. The agreement paves the way for technology transfer, joint research and development, and equipment development, which will strengthen the security not only of Poland but also of the entire eastern flank of NATO. Through its partnership with Anduril, PGZ is opening up to new areas of activity, this time related to cruise missiles and rocket technology,” said Adam Leszkiewicz, CEO of PGZ SA.
” Poland is a key strategic partner for Anduril. Collaborating with PGZ on localized production of Barracuda missiles demonstrates how allied industry and sovereign suppliers can deliver rapidly scalable and affordable solutions to deter aggressors ,” said Brian Moran, Vice President of Anduril Europe.
The Barracuda family of autonomous aircraft and cruise missiles is designed for large-scale production: a modular, autonomous cruise missile that can be configured with various payloads and targeting modes. Its flexibility and low unit cost are intended to help Poland and European countries effectively respond to large-scale missile threats. Joint development efforts for these systems will be required approval from the U.S. and Polish governments. PGZ and Anduril will work closely with both governments to ensure full compliance with applicable trade regulations. (Source: UAS VISION/Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA)
04 Nov 25. Royal Navy completes remote trials of uncrewed boats. The boats manoeuvred around HMS Tyne and HMS Stirling Castle off the coast of Scotland, piloted remotely from 500 miles away. The Royal Navy said that five uncrewed boats, controlled from a location 500 miles away, took part in trials to assess the operational use of autonomous vessel technology. The demonstration, which lasted 72 hours off the coast of Scotland, involved the Rattler boats working with HMS Tyne in a scenario designed to replicate the escort of a warship. During the exercise, personnel based at HMNB Portsmouth remotely piloted the 7.2-metre vessels while they operated near Scottish waters. Ion chromatography (IC), a highly sensitive technique for separating and quantifying ionic species, was introduced in the 1970s and marketed by the Dionex Corporation. Initially developed for water and environmental analysis, IC has gradually been adopted by pharmaceutical laboratories. The team, situated aboard Experimental Vessel (XV) Patrick Blackett in Portsmouth, included members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Army. The trials are part of an ongoing programme led by the Royal Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technology Office (DCTO) and Fleet Experimentation Squadron (FXS). Over recent months, seven autonomous Rattler boats have undergone a series of tests aimed at pushing their capabilities and those of their operators. In the latest phase, five of these boats were piloted remotely as they worked alongside HMS Biter of the Coastal Forces Squadron, a Merlin helicopter, HMS Tyne, and HMS Stirling Castle in a proof-of-concept exercise. Both Tyne and Stirling Castle acted as foreign warships for the purpose of testing coordinated escort operations. Each Rattler is based on a rigid inflatable boat platform fitted with autonomy systems, sensors, and modular equipment. The vessels are capable of operating independently or in groups and can follow pre-set missions or navigational routes. Camera feeds, sensor data, and other information are transmitted back to controllers, who run operations from portable laptop systems. A two-person team manages each boat. One of them pilots remotely while the other handles onboard systems and supervises live data. This setup enables full remote control and management of the drones’ functions. According to project leaders, prior to heading for Scottish waters, the drones completed operational runs in busy areas such as the Solent and Portland from their home port in Portsmouth. Development and testing involved close collaboration between military personnel and industry partners from a consortium of small and medium-sized enterprises. The Royal Navy adopted an accelerated approach to procurement for this project, taking custom-built uncrewed surface vessels from concept through delivery in just a matter of weeks. Operators provided feedback throughout research and development stages to ensure that the vessels met operational demands.
Commander Michael Hutchinson, commanding officer of the FXS and XV Patrick Blackett said: “This is a really important moment for the Royal Navy as we progress towards a Hybrid Navy of crewed and uncrewed platforms. We have been using autonomous systems for some time, but not like this. These USVs have been built and developed at pace, in a ground-breaking way, alongside a coalition of fantastic local companies this has been the most exciting project of my career. These platforms will be used alongside and in support of existing and future warships and as a capability in their own right. It is a technology that will continue to develop and it will fundamentally change the way we fight.”
Recently, Royal Navy’s HMS Somerset (F82), a Type-23 frigate, conducted the first British test firing of a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) off the coast of Andøya, Norway. (Source: naval-technology.com)
03 Nov 25. Radia and Atitech Announce Strategic Collaboration for WindRunner. Agreement Expands Radia’s Global Supply Network with Europe’s Leading Independent MRO Provider. Radia, the international aerospace company developing the world’s largest cargo aircraft, WindRunner™, today announced a strategic collaboration with Atitech, the largest independent MRO provider in the EMEA region. Under the Memorandum of Understanding the parties signed, the companies will pursue collaboration in several areas, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), engineering services and support to Radia’s Final Assembly Line. The collaboration extends Radia’s growing global supply network and reinforces its commitment to partnering with world-class aerospace and industrial leaders across design, production, and lifecycle support. Atitech’s extensive maintenance capabilities and global reputation for technical excellence will play a key role in ensuring operational readiness and reliability for WindRunner’s outsized air cargo missions. Atitech joins a strong and growing network of Radia partners, including Leonardo, MA Group, Aciturri, and Aeronnova Aerospace, that together are supporting the design, production, and future operation of WindRunner. These partnerships strengthen Radia’s European industrial base and expand the company’s ability to deliver high-quality, mission-ready solutions for both commercial and defense applications.
“Atitech represents the best of European aerospace capability: technical precision, responsiveness, and global standards,” said Giuseppe Giordo, President and CEO of Radia’s Italian Operations. “Their experience maintaining and modernizing complex aircraft fleets aligns perfectly with our goal to ensure WindRunner’s availability for commercial, defense, and humanitarian missions worldwide.”
“We are honored to support Radia’s groundbreaking WindRunner program,” said Gianni Lettieri, Chairman and CEO of Atitech. “This collaboration brings together two companies united by innovation and engineering excellence, and positions Atitech to help develop and sustain a new class of outsized air transport essential for global energy transition and mobility completely built, certified, and delivered to customers in South of Italy where we are.” (Source: ASD Network)
03 Nov 25. ZeroAvia Ships First Flight Intent SuperStack Flex Fuel Cell System to Defence Sector Customer. ZeroAvia announced that it has shipped its first flight intent SuperStack Flex modular low temperature proton exchange membrane (LTPEM) fuel cell system to a customer in the defence sector. The system has been fully qualified against the customer’s airworthiness requirements. ZeroAvia’s SuperStack Flex is a modular fuel cell power generation system that can be configured to meet specific customer power needs while maintaining high power-to-weight ratio and highly flexible configuration. The lightweight, aerospace optimized balance-of-plant, has been developed to enhance the range of many Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV), with further potential applicability across aerospace, maritime and ground use cases. The system can be used to provide propulsive power or to deliver enhanced onboard electrical capacity, opening up new capabilities in primary propulsion, auxiliary power systems and mission systems including ISR applications. The Superstack Flex is also an ideal system for the new FAA Mosaic Light Sport Category, providing more than enough power for a standard four-seater general aviation (GA) aircraft in this sector. The SuperStack Flex has demonstrated over 1.2kW/kg specific power and recently completed more than 100 hours of testing, consuming over 250 kg of hydrogen, and delivering continuous power at greater than 150 kW over long intervals, with peak power over 175 kW. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are becoming increasingly relevant to armed forces due to unique advantages in energy density, lower detectability thanks to reduced thermal and noise signatures, operational flexibility and lower maintenance costs. Using selective laser sintering (SLS) powder-bed additive manufacturing processes, ZeroAvia has been able to perform high velocity cycles of design, build and test, and quickly combine typical parts or their functions into new monolithic structures. The key parts in the SuperStack Flex’s balance of plant – Anode, Cathode and Coolant Manifolds, thermal management, humidification and air compression systems – have been reduced from over 200 parts to less than 100, with ~50% weight and volume reductions. Fewer parts mean lighter, more compact, more reliable and less costly systems.
In the final stages of testing, the system was providing power back to ZeroAva’s Propulsion Center of Excellence in Everett, generating enough power to offset the entire building’s consumption.
Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO, ZeroAvia said: “Fuel cell systems are evolving to enable electric flight of unmanned aerial vehicles and a host of other vehicles. With lower noise and heat signatures, lower maintenance costs, increased endurance and the ability to generate fuel locally, there are enormous capability benefits. We can generate an amazing amount of electrical power at a really low weight, opening up all kinds of possibilities for new vehicles in both the civil and defense arenas.” (Source: UAS VISION)
03 Nov 25. Tiny Aussie startup teams with Austal to allow autonomous systems on all Royal Navy ships.
“So, our plan, our mission, is to make safe, clean, protected oceans, and to do that, we want to be the global industrial leader for maritime autonomy and robotics, essentially like the Microsoft of the ocean,” Greenroom Robotics co-founder Harry Hubbert said.
Greenroom Robotics, a 35-person firm in Western Australia, is teaming with the country’s biggest shipbuilder to make it possible for all Austal Australian military ships to easily install its autonomous navigation systems onboard, company executives told Breaking Defense. The goal, executives from both companies say, is to give Austral the ability to turn existing ships into fully autonomous vessels “in as little as five days,” according to a company announcement, which also claimed that competing technologies could take “weeks or months.” That Austal, one of Australia’s industrial champions, would agree to trust such a tiny start-up with the reputation of its fleet is notable, and something that executives said comes down to confidence from having shared standards over time and the extensive testing done by Australia under the watchful eye of the Royal Australian Navy. Greenroom co-founder Harry Hubbert also said that the company’s employees’ backgrounds — a mix of marine architects, designers, former RAN officers and not that many coders— gave them an advantage, in that they approached the problem focused on gathering data, fusing it and moving to the ship without thinking like someone focused on writing good code. While acknowledging that “there have to be some tests and trials to make sure that the vessel is safe and ready to go,” Hubbert said that under this agreement, any Austal vessel “can have the Greenroom software on there to provide reduced crewing, autonomous operations, or just to increase safety.” Two technologies from Greenroom, known as GAMA and Lookout+, use vision-based AI that gather data from the boat’s electro-optical sensors and cameras, bolstered by the GPS systems operating in space. They interface with Austal’s system, Marinelink Prime, which controls the ship’s mechanical systems. The basis for the increased cooperation between the two companies was laid during the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial, which took an old Armidale patrol vessel and fitted it with the Greenroom technology. It completed endurance and reliability tests run by Austal in April last year. The market for technology like Greenroom’s is growing in Australia, with the country planning to buy six Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels and six Offshore Patrol Vessels. Sam Abbott, head of R&D for Austal, told Breaking Defense that the optionally crewed vessels would be good candidates for the Greenroom/Austal technologies. The RAN will acquire 11 frigates under the $10 bn AUS ($6.5 bn US) program, with the first three ships to be built in Japan and the remainder to be built in Western Australia. Austal is widely expected to bid on the construction but Abbott declined to comment on whether Austal would bid. However, Abbot declined to say whether the Japanese Mogami frigates could be candidates for the autonomy tech. Of course, every country with a sophisticated military is focused on lowering the number of sailors on board to reduce casualties, reduce the shipboard space dedicated to housing and feeding humans and allow systems to loiter for longer periods. But crew will still be needed to make targeting decisions and to repair the ship when systems inevitably break down. That is prompting Austal to focus even more intently on building highly reliable systems with redundancy.
“So a big effort that Austal is undertaking,” Abbott said, “is to ensure that vessel systems, especially the critical systems, like the engines you pointed out, remain available and operational for the duration commission. So that means either improving the reliability of those systems or adding redundancy where the reliability is not up to standard.”
One interesting aspect to Greenroom’s prospects is that the company has been granted an ITAR exemption under the AUKUS legislation and regulations passed by the US, Britain and Australia. Those reforms were made to help ease technology transfers as part of the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the UK and the US. According to Hubbert, that has already opened doors in the other two partner nations: “The ITAR exemption has enabled conversations and contracts to progress a lot faster than traditionally we’ve seen,” he said, especially when it comes to data sharing and information sharing. Autonomy and AI, on which Greenroom’s products are built, are both key focus of AUKUS Pillar 2. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles has hailed the ITAR reforms as a “generational” change and Australian officials have generally been eager to comply with American requirements that they amend Australia’s arms export system to make it much more American. The ITAR system, of course, is infamous for its often slow and complex processes, overseen by the US State Department’s Political-Military Bureau. Greenroom recently opened a US office and their ambitions are clearly global; the firm already plans to double the size of its workforce by the middle of next year. “We want to be 60 to 70 mid next year,” Hubbert said, growing over the next two to five years to 175. “So, our plan, our mission, is to make safe, clean, protected oceans, and to do that, we want to be the global industrial leader for maritime autonomy and robotics, essentially like the Microsoft of the ocean.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
03 Nov 25. US Troops Test 3D-Printed Munition Dropper for Drones. U.S. Soldiers from the Multi-Purpose Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) are field-testing an improvised, 3D-printed munition dropper dubbed the Widowmaker during Combined Resolve 26-1, the unit said. Mounted on a PDW C100 drone platform, the device is being evaluated for its ability to deliver M67 fragmentation grenades, M18 smoke grenades, and training munitions quickly and with precision during simulated combat scenarios. According to the unit, the Widowmaker is intended to increase responsiveness and give small units more options when external fires are not immediately available. Company materials describe a concept in which one drone detects or designates a target while another delivers effects, enabling platoon-level actions without waiting on artillery or aircraft.
“With this system, we can create platoon-level effects on target much faster than traditional methods,” said Spc. Basil Holland, an Infantryman with 1-502’s Multi-Purpose Company (ARES). “It allows us to respond quickly to targets that are danger close.” The soldier’s description underlines the tactical intent: to provide small units with a scalable, quickly fielded effect to address immediate threats.
As noted by the unit, the Widowmaker was developed in-house using standard-issue munitions, commercial 3D printers and computer-aided design software. The design team says the platform can be produced quickly from non-specialized parts and replicated across units.
“None of us had prior computer design experience,” Holland said. “We started from a clean slate, and after a few months, we had a working prototype that’s been very successful engaging targets from about 350 feet.”
A single PDW C100 equipped with the dropper can release up to four grenades per sortie, deploying two in rapid succession when required. The intent is not to replace established joint fires but to give platoon leaders an immediate tool to shape the fight at close ranges and reduce dependence on higher-echelon assets in fast-moving engagements. The design has attracted attention inside the 101st. The unit says the prototype is being shared with the division’s innovation lab at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and with other formations to refine tactics, techniques and procedures for drone-enabled effects. The ongoing exercises provide an opportunity to test the concept against opposing forces, assess safety and integrate the device into established command-and-control and rules-of-engagement frameworks. The push to create locally produced, mission-tailored effects reflects broader trends in expeditionary forces where off-the-shelf commercial technologies are adapted to military use. Company officials note that the combination of additive manufacturing and small unmanned platforms can shorten development cycles and allow units to prototype responses that match their immediate operational needs.
For commanders, the appeal is operational agility: the ability to generate controlled effects from organic systems while keeping personnel at safer stand-off distances. For critics, the rapid adaptation of commercial tools into lethal roles raises legal, safety and escalation questions that doctrine and policy must address. (Source: UAS VISION/Defence Blog)
03 Nov 25. British autonomous vessel pioneer, ZeroUSV has completed its third Oceanus12 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV), marking a key milestone in expanding its growing autonomous fleet, available for outright purchase or charter. The new vessel, features striking geometric livery inspired by the dazzle camouflage used by the Royal Navy in the early 20th century. Designed not for concealment but to distort visual range finding and course estimation, the historic pattern has been reimagined to celebrate the fusion of naval heritage and modern maritime innovation. The completion of the third Oceanus12 reinforces ZeroUSV’s commitment to long range autonomous vessels and accelerates the provision of a COTS (Commercially off the shelf) USV solution which can be set up with integrated payloads for UWW (Underwater warfare ops) in the defence sector or hydrographic survey equipment for the commercial Hydrography market. Oceanus12 is truly use platform, agnostic of its mission.
Matthew Ratsey, managing director of ZeroUSV, said: “Inspired by the bold dazzle camouflage of the First World War, a geometric pattern designed to distort perception and conceal a ship’s course, Dazzle fuses naval heritage with the forefront of modern maritime innovation. Following on from our significant success with her sistership at Exercise REPMUS it seemed appropriate and timely to use this paint scheme for our next vessel off the production line.”
The Oceanus12 is controlled using software from MarineAI’s GuardianAI autonomy suite, delivering COLREG-compliant navigation, adaptive decision-making, and remote mission control, as well as integration of third party payloads.
03 Nov 25. Red Cat’s FANG FPV Drone for Defense and Security Operations. Receives Blue UAS Cleared List Certification.
Certification Streamlines Procurement for U.S. Government Buyers and Confirms FANG as a Fully Vetted, NDAA-Compliant FPV System
Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat” or the “Company”), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, today announced that its FANG™ FPV drone system has been officially added to the Department of War’s Blue UAS Cleared List. This designation affirms that the complete FANG system, previously pending inclusion, meets the Pentagon’s highest standards for cybersecurity, supply chain integrity, and operational trustworthiness. With full certification, the system is now eligible for streamlined acquisition by the Department of War and other federal agencies, with no need for additional cybersecurity approvals or sourcing waivers.
“Blue UAS certification of our full system marks the next phase for FANG,” said Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat. “This not only validates our hardware and engineering, but it also makes it easier for defense and security customers to move fast and confidently with a fully approved, low-cost, American-made FPV drone. We’re proud to deliver a platform that meets the highest standards and is ready to scale where and when it’s needed.”
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A New Era for FPV Drones
Blue UAS certification confirms that FANG meets the Department of War’s highest standards for cybersecurity, supply chain integrity, and operational trustworthiness. It ensures full NDAA Section 848 compliance and allows the DoW and other agencies to acquire the system without waivers or additional approvals.
Working through a U.S. military lab, Red Cat secured one of the first FPV components accepted into the Blue UAS Framework through partner UMAC. With four UMAC components integrated, the full FANG system is now certified and listed, giving users a compliant, government-cleared platform available as a complete system or modular DIY kit. (Source: ASD Network)
31 Oct 25. AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global defense technology leader delivering software-enabled disruptive autonomous systems, today announced a collaboration with OpenJAUS, LLC., a leader in middleware software solutions for unmanned and robotic systems, to integrate the JAUS standard into AV_Halo™ Command, a first-of-its-kind cross-architecture software solution for controlling uncrewed systems (UxS).
“By unifying control across platforms and payloads, AV_Halo Command drastically reduces training time and complexity—allowing operators to focus on outcomes, not interfaces,” said Scott Bowman, Chief Technology Officer at AV.
The collaboration integrates AV_Halo Command’s modular software and suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) with the OpenJAUS software development kit (SDK), creating a unified, open-standards framework for rapid UxS and control system integration. The integration extends AV_Halo compatibility to seamlessly incorporate JAUS-compliant assets, allowing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate their platforms faster and more easily.
“The modern battlespace is defined by speed, complexity, and connectivity—and winning it demands seamless interoperability, not proprietary silos,” said Scott Bowman, Chief Technology Officer at AV. “Our collaboration with OpenJAUS reinforces AV’s leadership in open-architecture design and our commitment to the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). By breaking down barriers between platforms and accelerating multi-capability integrations, we’re ensuring the warfighter stays ahead in an increasingly complex, data-driven battlespace.”
By adding the OpenJAUS standard into AV_Halo Command, AV is providing a scalable, platform and sensor-agnostic command and control (C2) solution that enhances interoperability, reduces barriers between systems, accelerates capability integration, and empowers the warfighter with a faster, stronger, more flexible and unified mission-ready toolkit that includes new systems, new payloads, AI capabilities, and more input devices.
Through integration with AV’s Tomahawk™ Grip family of rugged ground control system (GCS) hardware controllers, AV_Halo Command provides a single “pane of glass” for viewing and controlling more than 25 uncrewed systems from over a dozen manufacturers at the tactical edge.
“By unifying control across platforms and payloads, AV_Halo Command drastically reduces training time and complexity—allowing operators to focus on outcomes, not interfaces,” said Bowman. “It’s about giving the warfighter a common language for every system they touch, and ensuring every mission starts at full effectiveness.”
AV Halo Command is currently integrated with systems from industry leaders, including Parrot, Teal, Ghost Robotics, Boston Dynamics, QinetiQ North America, Skydio, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, AV and DefendTex. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
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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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