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17 Apr 25. Defense Innovation Unit seeks undersea drone capable of ‘long-range’ payload deployment. The new solicitation broadly outlines what Navy leaders for years have sought from unmanned vehicles: multi-purpose trucks capable of carrying any payload of their choosing. The Pentagon’s conduit agency to Silicon Valley is seeking a commercially available unmanned undersea vehicles capable of “deploying large payloads” across ranges further than 1,000 nautical miles.
“Current UUV capabilities present limitations in range and payload capacity, hindering the effective deployment of critical resources in certain operational scenarios,” according to a Defense Innovation Unit solicitation posted today dubbed the “Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform.” “The DoD seeks commercially available, demonstration-ready uncrewed systems that address these limitations, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution for long-range, high-capacity payload deployment.”
The UUV should be capable of employing payloads of varying sizes; conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; operating in a GPS-denied environment as well as bathymetric surveys and mapping. In addition to the 1,000 nautical mile range, the solicitation also states a vendor’s solution should be able to dive deeper than 200 meters (656 feet) underwater and operate autonomously to navigate and avoid obstacles or collisions. Responses are due by May 1. The solicitation’s goal — seeking a multi-purpose unmanned system capable of carrying a variety of payloads — largely matches what US Navy leaders for years have repeatedly sought from industry as the service’s leaders tout the concept of a future hybrid fleet.
“The government understands that companies will likely not be able to meet all of the specifications in this solicitation, but encourage companies with demonstrable capability applicable to one or more of these specifications to apply,” the solicitation says.
For its part, industry as of late has been unveiling a spate of unmanned surface and subsurface vehicles — Leidos’ Sea Dart, Saronic’s Maruader, Anduril’s Copperhead. But while the service has experimented widely with different offerings through agencies like Task Force 59, only a select few vehicles have made their way into programs of record such as HII’s Lionfish or been broadly incorporated into fleet operations like Saildrone’s part in Operation Southern Spear. As a research agency, DIU’s function is to help the services find and assess technologies on the market. Whether the Navy chooses to invest time and money advancing a given product further into its fleet is a decision for service brass to make. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
17 Apr 25. UK spells out Corvus UAS requirement to replace Watchkeeper. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed details of its requirement for a new Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to succeed the British Army’s legacy Watchkeeper system across the Divisional and Corps Deep battlespace. In a prior information notice (PIN) published on 15 April, the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation outlined the scope of the persistent surveillance capability – known as Project Corvus – and revealed a ‘stretch target’ of fielding a minimum deployable capability by the end of 2025. Industry engagement is intended to inform the acquisition strategy and identify potential tenderers ahead of starting a competitive procurement. The MoD in November 2024 announced that the Thales UK Watchkeeper intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) UAS would be retired by the end of March 2025. Operated by 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, the Watchkeeper system suffered significant attrition in service and was seen as increasingly obsolete. Project Corvus – valued at up to GBP130m (USD172m) over a five-year period – envisages the acquisition of a “modern, deployable, easily supportable, and cost-effective [LTDF] capability” from the end of December to replace the Watchkeeper. The initial requirement covers two task lines, each able to provide 24 hours of persistent surveillance, plus five years of support from minimum deployable capability. (Source: Janes)
17 Apr 25. Welcoming Hydra to the Canny family. We’re thrilled to announce Hydra as the newest addition to our client portfolio! This innovative British UAV technology business is revolutionising the heavy-lift drone sector with its hybrid jet-electric concept. Founded in 2019, Hydra has developed remarkable technology, including the Hydra 400 – a heavy lift drone using hybrid propulsion technology. Compact and portable, the drone can be transported in the back of a Hilux and assembled ready for flight in just six minutes. Powered by single spool jet turbines producing 500N (50kg) thrust, it provides a maximum lift of 400kg (882lbs) with unparalleled lift capacity, speed and range. Canny will be working with Hydra on media relations – watch this space for exciting developments!
16 Apr 25. Vatn Systems, a leading defense technology company building autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for the US military and allies, today announced a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies to further digitize and scale its manufacturing capabilities. Vatn Systems and Palantir partner to scale manufacturing of autonomous underwater vehicles for national defense
“Partnering with Palantir enables us to move smarter and faster as we achieve our vision of becoming the platform-scale manufacturer of low cost and attritable autonomous underwater systems in the United States,” said Nelson Mills, co-founder and CEO of Vatn Systems. “Palantir’s technology gives us real-time visibility into our operations, strengthening our ability to anticipate challenges, optimize resources, and deliver critical systems to our customers with unprecedented speed and precision.”
The partnership leverages Palantir’s advanced software platform to digitize the manufacturing process and provide AI-driven insights that will accelerate the production of underwater vehicles for national security applications. The collaboration will enable Vatn to streamline its Supply Chain Management and build additional resiliency.
“Vatn is building exactly the kind of mission-critical capability that our software is designed to support,” said Palantir’s Louis Mosley. “Providing a digital, AI-powered backbone for the company’s operations, will help to build these AUVs faster, make them more adaptable and ultimately strengthen western deterrence.”
Since its founding in April 2023, Vatn Systems has progressed from concept to deployment, delivering its first AUVs in 17 months. The company is already actively testing in military exercises with key defense organizations including the U.S. Navy. With 12 vehicles now in the hands of government customers and more on order, the company is accelerating production in partnership with Palantir. This collaboration marks an important milestone in strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base, modernizing how underwater systems are built, and combining the best software and hardware to develop the kinds of capabilities that can form the bedrock of Pillar 2 of the AUKUS defense and security partnership.
About Palantir Technologies Inc.
Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com.
About Vatn Systems
Vatn Systems is a leading defense technology company building autonomous underwater vehicles that can be deployed at scale for the US military and allies. Founded in 2023 by a team of maritime experts and military leaders, Vatn Systems is on a mission to be the next underwater defense prime in a world where autonomous systems dominate naval battlefields. For more information, visit www.vatnsystems.com and follow the company on LinkedIn. (Source: PR Newswire)
16 Apr 25. Japan Announces Ship-Launched UAV Tender. Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), a department within Japan’s Ministry of Defence responsible for advanced and emerging technology procurement, recently announced an open competitive tender for the provision of a proof of concept for a ship-launched UAVs. Bidding will be held at ATLA’s Bidding Room at the Ministry of Defence’s Building D in Shinjuku at 1030 on 14 May, with applications via the Japanese government’s centralised Procurement Portal (GEPS) open between 7 and 13 May. Specification details and the specification document, both of which are subject to information security provisions, can be accessed by qualified parties via ATLA’s Department of Procurement Operations’ Aircraft Procurement Office. Bidding is restricted to companies that have attained a Unified Supplier Qualification ranking of A, B or C – a ranking based on factors including business capital and earnings. The ATLA tender is in line with Ministry of Defence plans to expand the role of unmanned assets. It also comes on the back of growing concerns that Japan’s maritime UAV capabilities are behind those of its neighbours, with some apportioning blame to drone procurement inefficiencies in Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF). Japan’s Cabinet-approved late 2022 National Defence Strategy called for the expanded use of unmanned assets to reduce costs and minimise casualties, stating that their combined use with AI ‘can be a game-changer… enabling Japan to gain asymmetrical advantages’. These priorities were reflected in the concurrently released Defense Buildup Program, and were reinforced in last December’s Ministry of Defence 2025 Outline of Budgetary Appropriation Requests. Ship launched assets in particular have received growing attention in recent months, following increased emphasis on the security of the nation’s Ryukyu Island chain, which would be more exposed in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
During the Japan International Aerospace Exhibition in mid-October 2024 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) displayed a rendering of its Gambit 5 drone being launched from an Izumo-class helicopter carrier, now being modified to accommodate Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) multirole combat aircraft. In January the JMSDF announced that it had agreed to purchase an undisclosed number of V-BAT intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones from US firm Shield AI, in what the company has touted as Japan’s navy’s first ship-launched ISR platform. That announcement came in the wake of scrutiny of the JSMDF’s decision in early December to procure 23 MQ-9B SeaGuardian surveillance drones from GA-ASI without having decided on their base location or payload. Criticisms of the JMSDF’s drone procurement procedures were voiced elsewhere in the leadup to the ATLA tender offer. In late December Shinichi Kiyotani, a prominent Japanese defence writer, claimed that the navy’s slow acquisition time-frames risked it being saddled with obsolete technology, that an absence of manufacturer contracts risked cancellations due to production discontinuation, and that an unwillingness to package training, parts and payload could result in new systems being retrofitted with legacy payloads. He claimed that such factors had contributed to the JMSDF becoming a maritime UAV “backwater”. Concerns that Japan’s maritime drone capacity has fallen behind have been amplified by recent developments among Japan’s neighbours. South Korea’s launched a General Atomics MC-1Q Gray Eagle multipurpose UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) from a Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship in November. China has become a leading exporter of combat drones, and in January a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) source confirmed that China’s Sichuan-class amphibious assault ship will serve as a drone carrier, with experts predicting that it will carry Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV). In early March Japan’s Ministry of Defence stated that 2021-2024 saw a 700 per cent rise in JASDF assets scrambling to respond to Chinese drone incursions near the Ryukyu Islands. ATLA was formed in 2015 to advance technological superiority by expediting acquisitions of advanced military and dual use technology, and implementing a full life-cycle approach to scheduling, cost and performance management. In line with the priorities set out in the 2025 Outline of Budgetary Appropriation Requests, the last few months have seen the Agency make a number of drone-related announcements, including a 12 bn yen ($135 m) deal with the US Air Force for a contractor logistics support (CLS) package for long-endurance UAVs, a $170m (roughly $1.9m) deal with Japan’s ACSL to secure SOTEN light aerial photography drones, a competitive tender for research and prototype development on vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone technology, and scoping studies for uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) and surface drones. (Source: UAS VISION/Australian Defence Magazine)
16 Apr 25. Chinese Hydrogen Drone Sets 30-Hour Non-Stop Domestic Flight Record. A 50-kilogram hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle developed by China recently completed a 30-hour continuous flight, setting a new domestic record for similar types of aircraft and reaching an internationally leading level in terms of endurance. The drone, jointly developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group Co (CAIG) under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate, and Tsinghua University, achieved a breakthrough in the integrated design technology of flight, propulsion and control systems based on the output characteristics of hydrogen fuel cells, AVIC said in a statement. According to AVIC’s release, during takeoff, the aircraft innovatively adopted an autonomous integrated vehicle-mounted release method with an unmanned system consisting of an unmanned ground vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle. This system successfully demonstrated and validated its operational capabilities under non-standard runway conditions. During its flight, the drone equipped with an electro-optical payload is capable of effective ground patrol and surveillance. Meanwhile, by using a 5G onboard module and public network resources, the drone can transmit in real time the telemetry data and mission payload images to a remote platform, achieving dynamic remote monitoring, says the statement. This collaborative model combined with front-end inspection and back-end decision-making demonstrates great potential in areas such as emergency communications, environmental monitoring and border patrol. During natural disaster rescue missions, drones can remain airborne for extended periods and provide real-time imagery of affected areas. In terms of smart city management, they, combined with AI algorithms, can automatically identify violations and trigger response procedures, according to some industrial insiders. Industry insiders added that compared with traditional lithium battery-powered drones, hydrogen energy systems offer higher energy density, longer endurance and zero carbon emissions – perfectly aligning with the needs of green aviation development. The achievement of 30-hour continuous flight capability means that this drone can cover a wider operational range and perform more complex tasks, providing essential hardware support for the expansion of low-altitude economy application scenarios. Besides, the technical approach for aircraft hydrogen fuel cells differs significantly from hydrogen fuel cells used in automobiles, Shi Xin, an expert from the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis under Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He noted that the design of aircraft hydrogen fuel cells focuses on lightweight, high energy density, long endurance and performance in ultra-low temperatures Major global producers of hydrogen-powered drones include South Korean Doosan Mobility Innovation, UK’s ISS Aerospace, Japan’s Drone Works, and Israel’s Heven drones. The US’ AeroVironment company successfully built and tested the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered drone in 2005. Attracted by the promising market prospects, several Chinese companies have already entered the research, development and production of the hydrogen-powered drone industry, experts said. CAIG believes that the 50kg-class hydrogen-powered drone will enhance the application scenarios of hydrogen-powered drones in the low-altitude economy, and play a positive role in advancing new business models in low-altitude economy and green aviation, according to the statement. (Source: UAS VISION/Global Times; Fuel Cell Works)
14 Apr 25. Thales celebrates first successful flight of SkyDrive’s eVTOL secured by its next-generation Flight Control System. SkyDrive, a leading eVTOL aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, made a historic breakthrough with the first successful demonstration flight of its three-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft SkyDrive on 9 April at Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. SkyDrive is powered by Thales’s next-generation flight control system, FlytRise, which is based on its 40+ years of proven experience in flight control solutions, and it is specially adapted to the requirements of unmanned aircraft: autonomy, lightweight design, and compactness. Designed for intra-urban flights, SkyDrive requires flight control solutions that ensure the safety of its flight path over populated areas. The flight control system is one of the critical elements of aircraft, essential for flight safety as it calculates and adjusts the position of the aircraft’s control surfaces and manages engine thrust. Thales pioneered electric flight solutions 40 years ago with the first installation on the Airbus A310. Since then, more than 13,000 aircraft have been equipped with Thales solutions.
“SkyDrive’s first flight in Osaka marks a historic milestone for autonomous aerial mobility,” said Florent Chauvancy, Vice President of Flight Avionics at Thales. “We are proud to be associated with this adventure alongside SkyDrive and to contribute with FlytRise to making flights ever safer and more sustainable.”
04 Apr 25. Anduril’s Fury unmanned fighter limited only by Australian ‘government policy.’ Anduril Industries president and chief strategy officer Christian Brose with the Fury at Avalon 2025. Anduril leadership have confirmed that their Fury autonomous fighter jet would only be limited by the agreed targeting policy of the Australian government. The high-performance, multi-mission autonomous fighter jet was displayed for the first time outside of the USA at the Avalon Australian International Airshow 2025 last week. Fury is designed to act as a force multiplier for crewed fighter aircraft, combining trusted collaborative autonomy, hyper-scale producibility, modularity, and affordability to expand the ability of US and allied forces to project combat airpower. In addition, the aircraft is designed to work with a commercially available engine as well as Anduril’s autonomous software. Anduril Industries president and chief strategy officer Christian Brose, speaking with Defence Connect at the air show, confirmed there had been significant interest in the aircraft.
“We’re super excited about the reception and I wouldn’t just focus on the aircraft. The other priority has really been what we call mission autonomy and how we think about the underlying sort of software and intelligence that’s making that aircraft something fundamentally different,” he said. “The ability to operate multiple systems simultaneously with a single commander and change that ability to very flexibly and adaptively add new software capability, new behaviours … I would argue is even more important than the aircraft. It is an autonomous system, which means that you can provide it sort of commander’s intent and then it has the ability to then organise itself or tasks for it to perform. (Targeting) that’s a policy decision and that’s something that governments are going to have to decide as a matter of governmental policy. But as builders of technology, we’re focused on providing the capability for them to be able to operate in the way that they want to in accordance with their laws and policies. (Source: Defence Connect)
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