Sponsored by EOS
www.eos-aus.com
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19 Feb 26. BAE Systems FalconWorks® and SURVICE Engineering have signed a Framework Agreement to enable collaboration on the development of uncrewed air system (UAS) technologies. The agreement builds on an existing agreement established in 2015 with Malloy Aeronautics (which was acquired by BAE Systems in 2024) who supply their uncrewed all electric logistics platform (T-150) to SURVICE Engineering, who support the US Armed Forces, including the US Marine Corps, with specialist combat equipment including uncrewed logistics platforms. The new agreement will see BAE Systems and SURVICE Engineering working together to explore opportunities for collaboration across a wider product portfolio of small / tactical UAS.
Anthony Gregory, Business Development Director, BAE Systems FalconWorks: “The agreement comes at a time when UAS are increasingly important to defence and security, conducting a variety of roles from low-cost logistics to more complex and capable uncrewed systems that can operate alongside crewed combat aircraft. We look forward to working together with SURVICE Engineering to develop this capability for today’s rapidly evolving battlespace.”
Greg Thompson, President, SURVICE Engineering: “Partnering with Malloy, our successes include fielding the TRV-150 to the USMC and US Army and demonstrating use cases beyond logistics, including mine clearing, obscurant deployment, and weaponisation. The agreement with FalconWorks is a logical next step to continue advancing UAS technologies and use cases and we are excited to expand our relationship across the BAE FalconWorks portfolio and look forward to many more successes.”
This agreement forms part of a wider BAE Systems strategy to accelerate new possibilities in uncrewed air systems to meet national and international defence and security requirements.
17 Feb 26. AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company, has entered into a teaming agreement with Anduril UK to provide critical safety, assurance and regulatory expertise that will accelerate development and deployment of autonomous aircraft for UK defence programmes. The teaming agreement positions AtkinsRéalis to support Anduril UK in navigating emerging certification pathways and establishing the assurance standards, including cyber security, essential for trusted autonomous operations. Autonomous systems represent a transformational opportunity for UK defence and the future of military aviation, reducing risk to personnel and delivering operational advantages in areas such as reconnaissance. The Strategic Defence Review identified autonomous capabilities as critical to modernising Britain’s Armed Forces and maintaining technological edge. The exclusive collaboration for Anduril UK’s uncrewed flight programmes in UK defence brings together AtkinsRéalis’ significant global experience in novel aerospace platform development and assurance of uncrewed systems with Anduril UK’s advanced autonomous systems and software-defined defence capabilities. AtkinsRéalis’ deep knowledge of international regulatory requirements will enable Anduril UK to deliver leading sovereign commanded, not controlled, systems. This expertise will support future platforms to operate safely and securely, navigating approvals with the Military Aviation Authority and Civil Aviation Authority, and managing defence lines of development proportionately to enable innovation at pace for British Armed Forces. Beyond providing safety and assurance expertise, AtkinsRéalis is supporting Anduril UK’s establishment of a UK manufacturing site for the uncrewed platform, leveraging its capabilities in delivering complex infrastructure and industrial facilities. With more than 14,000 employees in the UK and Ireland across over 40 offices – including around 2,000 working on defence-related projects – AtkinsRéalis brings deep domestic expertise to this collaboration. The manufacturing site would support Anduril UK’s investment to provide for the British Armed Forces and enable potential exports to wider Europe, contributing to UK jobs, the economy and the defence industrial base.
David Clark, Vice President – Global Defence at AtkinsRéalis, said: “Autonomous systems have rightly been identified as a priority for defence transformation. Delivering this vision requires proportionate approaches which turn innovative technologies into operationally assured, deployable capabilities. Through this agreement with Anduril UK, we can contribute our decades of defence delivery and sovereign programme expertise to help deliver trusted, deployable autonomous systems that bolster national security.”
Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK, said: “This collaboration is about how the UK builds and fields modern defence systems, not just a single platform. We’re helping create sovereign autonomous capability that can be delivered faster, alongside our valued partners across the British defence ecosystem. By pairing Anduril’s software-first approach with AtkinsRéalis’ strengths in assurance and regulation, we will ensure that our armed forces stay ahead for the long term.”
The teaming agreement builds on AtkinsRéalis and Anduril UK’s collaboration to explore dual use future flight opportunities, announced last year. Today’s teaming agreement deepens the relationship with an expanded focus on safety assurance and regulatory pathways for autonomous systems in defence.
18 Feb 26. Danish Air Force forms 729 Squadron to boost surveillance. 729 Squadron will operate four MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones, ordered by Denmark in July last year from GA-ASI. The Danish Air Force has formed 729 Squadron as part of its ongoing efforts to reinforce national surveillance and monitoring capabilities, particularly in the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea regions. Based at Aalborg Air Base under the Air Transport Wing, 729 Squadron marks a renewed investment by Danish Defence in long-range unmanned aerial systems. The squadron was formally established on 16 February, during a ceremony at the air base.
“It is Denmark’s ambition to expand the monitoring and surveillance in the Arctic and Greenland and 729 Squadron and the new long-range aircraft will contribute to that ambition,” the Danish defence ministry said in a statement.
The unit will operate four MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft, which Denmark agreed to purchase in July of last year through a collaboration with the Nato Support and Procurement Agency. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) will manufacture the aircraft, and deliveries are expected to begin from 2028. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
13 Feb 26. Joint Interagency Task Force, FBI Deepen Drone Partnership to Bolster National Defense. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 director, visited the FBI’s National Training Center for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems in Huntsville, Alabama, yesterday to solidify a strategic alliance to protect the nation from unmanned aerial threats. The visit centered on increasing collaboration between the War Department and the FBI to enhance homeland defense through joint training and the accelerated development of counter-UAS capabilities with federal interagency partners. A primary focus of the discussion was enhancing efforts to coordinate security preparations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Ross and Mike Torphy, FBI acting assistant section chief for UAS and counter-UAS, spoke with expert instructors who are teaching a specialized course for local law enforcement in each of the tournament’s eleven host cities across the nation.
“The security of our homeland depends on a seamless, unified defense, and that is only possible through robust interagency collaboration,” Ross said. “The threats we face are shared, so our solutions must be as well. Our work with the FBI, to secure major events like the World Cup against the threat of drones, is a prime example of this strategy in action, but our goal is much broader: to build permanent, integrated -UAS capabilities across the federal government.”
This synergy is foundational to building a more resilient national counter-UAS capability and ensuring state and local partners are effectively trained and equipped for any threat.
Ross thanked Torphy for hosting the productive visit, which underscored the importance of combining JIATF 401’s lessons learned from the battlefield and expertise in joint training with the FBI’s critical law enforcement mission.
“This is one example of how JIATF 401 is working with partners to enhance our counter-drone efforts,” Ross said. “No single person or agency can take on this task alone. It requires a whole-of-government coordination, and I am grateful that Mr. Torphy and the training center staff are supporting our mission to build a layered defense against the full spectrum of small UAS threats to the homeland.”
The engagement in Huntsville signifies a deliberate move to formalize and expand the working relationship between the department and federal law enforcement. Future efforts will include the JIATF 401’s Joint Counter-Small UAS University in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, working closely with the FBI’s National Training Center to execute this shared mission. This partnership model, focused on joint capability development and shared training, will enhance security for specific events and serve as a blueprint for a more integrated national approach to all counter-UAS threats, Ross added. (Source: U.S. DoD)
13 Feb 26. Palladyne AI Achieves Flight Milestone with First Flight of Autonomous Swarming Software. Palladyne AI Corp., a U.S. defence and industrial technology company specializing in embodied AI-powered collaborative autonomy and advanced avionics, has successfully completed its first flight test of IntelliSwarm, an integrated autonomy stack that combines its proprietary SwarmOS autonomy software with the BRAIN X2 Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) flight computer. This milestone demonstration took place on Palladyne Defense’s Banshee loitering munition platform and showcased autonomous collaboration with unmanned aerial systems from Red Cat, marking a significant step forward for AI-enabled unmanned systems. According to Palladyne AI’s leadership, the IntelliSwarm system is not a conceptual prototype but a flight-proven technology capable of decentralized autonomous operations across heterogeneous platforms. The successful integration on the Banshee platform highlights Palladyne’s ability to deliver advanced autonomy solutions that provide tactical advantages, reduce operational costs, and expedite deployment for defense customers and UAV manufacturers. IntelliSwarm represents a unified autonomy stack that embeds AI-driven perception, decision-making, flight control, and coordinated behavior at the edge. By integrating GNC and swarming capabilities into a single system, Palladyne enables real-time collaborative performance even in environments where GPS and communications may be degraded or denied. This decentralized approach allows drones of varying designs and missions to operate as intelligent, collaborative agents within a secure mesh network, enhancing mission resilience, scalability, and interoperability while meeting open-systems requirements. The company plans to further develop IntelliSwarm and its applications, with expectations that it will become a foundational autonomy layer for current and future unmanned programs. Once fully tested and commercialized, Palladyne intends to make the IntelliSwarm stack available to other OEMs in the UAS and attritable munitions markets, enabling a broader ecosystem of autonomous, collaborative unmanned vehicles. (Source: UAS VISION)
13 Feb 26. UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía and EAD Collaborate to Drive ZEUS VTOL Platform in Poland. AV Navigation-Grupo Oesía, a leading provider of flight control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, has announced its collaboration with the multinational company based in Poland Ekolot Aerospace and Defense (EAD) to integrate its advanced flight control system into ZEUS, Ekolot EAD’s new fixed-wing VTOL platform. This collaboration brings together UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía’s cutting-edge guidance, navigation, and control solutions with Ekolot Aerospace & Defense’s vision to create a new generation of VTOL aircraft. The result is ZEUS, a family of platforms in a MTOW (Maximum Take-Off Weight) range from 100 to 250kg that combines the aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing design with the versatility of vertical take-off and landing, making it ideal for civil, defense, and security missions in remote or challenging environments. Ekolot Aerospace & Defense’s with ZEUS family of unmanned aircraft is filling the gap between small tactical UAVs and heavy MALE-class systems. The ZEUS is uniquely modular and convertible concept: a single base airframe accepts VTOL or CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and Landing) conversion kits, supports multiple MTOW (150kg, 200kg, 250kg for VTOL and 250kg – 350kg for CTOL), and payloads from 30 – 120kg on VTOL versions and up to 150kg on the CTOL ZEUS G variant, designed to deliver exceptional endurance of 12–24 hours and a modular, payload-agnostic configuration. ZEUS UAV’s family integrates UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía’s advanced autopilot systems, which provide precise flight control and a wide range of advanced capabilities for dual-use unmanned missions, including robust performance in GNSS-denied environments through high-precision inertial navigation and the Visual Navigation System (VNS). Together, both companies aim to reinforce their presence in the Polish market and support Ekolot Aerospace & Defense’s expansion across the LATAM region. From the start of this relationship, UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía and Ekolot Aerospace & Defense have maintained a close and seamless cooperation, built on trust and a shared vision to develop robust solutions for the global market. EAD emphasizes the importance of partnering with a company that not only provides critical systems such as flight control but also offers a team of highly qualified experts in the unmanned industry.
“For EAD (Ekolot Aerospace & Defense), working with UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía means ensuring quality and reliability in one of the most critical components of our platform. This collaboration allows us to look to the future with confidence, exploring new opportunities and joint projects,” said Edgardo Zapata, CEO at Ekolot Aerospace & Defense.
UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía reaffirms its commitment to driving innovation in navigation and flight control systems for unmanned aircraft, consolidating its position as a benchmark in guidance, navigation and solutions for UAS executing complex operations in hostile environments and high-demand missions. This project marks the beginning of a promising stage for both companies, which are already exploring new applications and developments for future platforms and international projects with special attention to the Polish and LATAM markets, including the upcoming project on the ZEUS G and the ZEUS CTOL platforms, the long-endurance, high-payload CTOL variants designed to expand operational capabilities and meet increasingly demanding mission requirements. (Source: UAS VISION)
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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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