UNMANNED SYSTEMS UPDATE

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22 May 25. Launch of QRDF: Rapid Drone Innovations for Defence. The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) is launching the Quick Response Drone Facility (QRDF) in Marknesse today. This facility contributes to the broader ambition of Defence to become a pioneer in the field of unmanned systems, together with industry and knowledge institutions. The Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, was present to support the importance of the QRDF facility and reaffirm Defence’s ambition to innovate more quickly. For defence, unmanned systems (drones) are playing an increasingly important role in carrying out their tasks. The war in Ukraine demonstrates that they are being deployed on a large scale: it is no longer just a conflict between armed forces, but also a conflict between industries and innovation. A key factor on the battlefield is who can produce the most, innovate the fastest and sustain it the longest. To give the armed forces an edge in combat and maintain it, it is essential to quickly gain, share, and apply knowledge and experience. The Quick Response Drone Facility (QRDF) of NLR is a key initiative to achieve this by combining existing knowledge, expertise, and facilities with integrated collaboration between industry, applied knowledge institutions, and partners. This enables lessons from the field to be quickly translated into solutions. The goal of the QRDF is to make a new drone or drone functionality operationally available to Defence within four to six weeks, with the integrated collaboration at its core to ensure implementation and scalability.

QRDF as a driving force behind drone innovation

The location of NLR in the municipality of Noordoostpolder offers an optimal opportunity for the development of unmanned systems. There is a closed airspace where non-certified, experimental unmanned systems can fly above and around the NLR site. Additionally, there is a connection to the knowledge and test centre for smart mobility (MITC), and NLR has various facilities, such as the Drone Centre and the Automated Composites & Metal Manufacturing Technology Centre, to enable research and testing of innovative scalable solutions that Defence needs.

Bert Thuis, Vice President Aerospace Vehicles at NLR, states: “The QRDF is part of a broader R&D, test, and development environment in Flevoland, where we can make a new drone or functionality operational for Defence in a matter of weeks. As a strategic knowledge partner for Defence, we can quickly switch with parties at a strategic level. In drones, we see a much higher innovation pace than, for example, in aircraft, with smaller industrial parties leading the way. The QRDF offers an ideal opportunity to learn from each other and create space for short-cycle innovation.”

“Thanks to QRDF, we were able to develop essential drone functionalities to a high level within six weeks and subsequently demonstrate them operationally to the requirement setters of the Ministry of Defence. This project underlined the strength of collaboration between us as an industrial party and NLR as a knowledge institution – a valuable combination of expertise and test capacity. QRDF is an important step towards rapidly translating operational needs into commercial strength,” adds Lennart Bult, co-founder of Emergent Swarm Solutions.

Prior to the launch on 21 May 2025, several projects have been carried out:

SYNERGY: NLR has developed a generic drone fleet, consisting of four multi-rotor systems and one fixed-wing system, in collaboration with Defence, to investigate operational and integration issues.
MANTA: In collaboration with Defence, the MANTA project has expanded the functionalities of drones to enable faster testing and validation of PNT (positioning, navigation and timing).
HIGH VOLTAGE: The HIGH VOLTAGE project has investigated how a drone can fly along a high-voltage cable and take measurements of the magnetic field.
FORESIGHT: During the FORESIGHT project, together with Emergent Swarm Solutions and Defence, advanced autonomy software has been demonstrated on a drone platform, with applications such as obstacle avoidance and GPS-less localisation.
NEWAYS: The NEWAYS project, in collaboration with Neways and Defence, has developed a tool to quickly determine what is needed to produce drone components from EU/allied-sourced supply chains.
SMOOTH STONE: A 3D-printed fixed-wing drone has been developed in collaboration with Smooth Stone Dynamics and Defence to validate scalable production methods and form a business case.
MUTE: The MUTE project has investigated how to reduce the noise production of drones using various techniques, including the use of special foil.

Much has been learned from these projects, and it has been proven that it is worthwhile to continue the QRDF organisation. It offers the opportunity to work even more integratedly; with industry, but also with Defence units and other knowledge partners.

Initially, it involves so-called Class-I UAS (a NATO classification for the relatively smaller drones under 150kg). In the long term, the new way of working can also be applied iteratively to the development of more advanced and larger drones, such as launched effects (LE) and autonomous collaborative platforms (ACP). (Source: ASD Network)

21 May 25. US special forces testing lethal Q-UGVs. US special operations forces (SOF) are considering the integration of various kinetic weapon systems on robotic dogs or quadrupedal-unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGVs) to support land-based special operations, service officials announced recently. The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Program Executive Office-SOF Warrior (PEO-SW) disclosed “robotic dog-mounted systems” are being explored to support special operations, according to a presentation at SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida, on 7 May.

“We are monitoring [Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate] efforts and Innate-Stabilisation for Precision Engagement by Robots user feedback,” a PEO-SW official stated.

The effort, which falls under ‘Echelon 0G (Ground)’ of the Ground Organic Precision Strike System (GOPSS) portfolio, includes a range of loitering munitions, according to the briefing. Echelon 0G is also understood be considering weaponising robotic and autonomous systems of different sizes, including nano-, micro- and mega-sized categories. It remains unclear exactly which category a quadruped robot would fall into at this stage. PEO-SW is considering ‘Havoc’ 40 mm grenade launchers and ‘Chaos’ 12-gauge shotguns, a spokesperson for USSOCOM confirmed to Janes on 7 May . The spokesperson could not confirm industry partners involved in the development. Multiple defence sources suggested to Janes both systems could feature revolving, multishot firing mechanisms, capable of firing up to 5 and 10 rounds respectively and weighing several kilograms each. Another defence source familiar with the GOPSS programme also told Janes the effort is being led within USSOCOM by Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). “Armed [wheeled and tracked] UGVs seem to be on a back burner,” the source said. (Source: Janes)

21 May 25. Saudi Arabia in talks to buy as many as 200 MQ-9 drones, General Atomics says.

“We have been in discussions with the government of Saudi Arabia and the White House for quite some time about a package that could include as many as 200 General Atomics aircraft,” a company spokesperson said.

General Atomics is in talks to sell Saudi Arabia up to 200 MQ-9 unmanned systems, according to a company spokesperson. The discussions are part of the $142 bn in defense deals claimed by President Donald Trump during last week’s visit to the Gulf. While the White House has not disclosed details of what was included in that proposed package, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) spokesman C. Mark Brinkley told Breaking Defense that the drones fall under that total.

Brinkley later claimed, “An initiative of that size would create an estimated 46,000 new jobs in the United States and have a significant impact on the American economy.” Whether the deal will be made through a Foreign Military Sale or a Direct Commercial Sale is to be determined, he added.

Brinkley’s statement that the package “could” include “as many as” 200 drones leaves plenty of wiggle room, and he did not disclose a dollar estimate for the deal. But any major sale of drones to the Kingdom would mark a major win for General Atomics.

While the sale may be being billed as part of the Trump announcement, it has been in the works well before the trip was announced. GA-ASI President David Alexander told Breaking Defense in February that the company was discussing what he described as the “biggest potential international deal” in GA-ASI history with Saudi Arabia, but at the time didn’t disclose the number of unmanned aerial vehicles.

General Atomics got another win during Trump’s regional tour, with Qatar and the US signing a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for eight MQ-9Bs in Doha. However the visit didn’t revive an MQ-9B deal to the UAE that was halted during the Biden administration.

Kristian Alexander, a senior fellow at the United Arab Emirate-based Rabdan Security and Defence Institute said that a request for such a large number “suggests Saudi Arabia is planning for a major doctrinal and operational transformation of its airpower and surveillance architecture.”

“This number far exceeds the needs of tactical missions alone and instead points to strategic ambitions: covering the kingdom’s vast territory, deterring regional threats, and developing a layered ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) and strike network that integrates unmanned systems across all branches of its armed forces,” he told

Alexander added that the deal represents a geopolitical statement for the Kingdom, saying that it reinforces a pivot back toward US-built defense systems “at a time when the kingdom has flirted with Chinese Wing Loong drones and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s. It suggests Riyadh is doubling down on interoperability with U.S. and NATO systems, particularly as it pursues integration with regional security frameworks and potentially NATO partnerships.”

The sale to Doha and the potential big deal with Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the Reaper has struggled in the Gulf, with media reporting that seven Reapers, operated by the US, were shot down by Houthi forces in a six-week span.

Jacopo Maria Mazzucco, an independent researcher in Gulf security affairs, told Breaking Defense that given the vulnerability and operational context of the Gulf, “MQ-9 Reaper remains a valuable platform for Saudi Arabia, but with important caveats.”

While the system is good for low-intensity asymmetric warfare, the MQ-9 is vulnerable to “relatively basic anti-air systems, which the Houthis have exploited to partially blunt U.S. air superiority,” Mazzucco said. As a result, he stressed the need for upgrade with effective countermeasures.

“While the platform is still efficient, it requires upgrades — particularly self-protection kits and countermeasures — to remain viable in contested airspace. These should include enhanced defenses against radio frequency, infrared, and cyber threats,” he told Breaking Defense.

Analyst Alexander agreed with Mazzucco that MQ-9 losses due to Houthi attacks “while tactically significant, don’t negate the platform’s utility. They simply highlight that even high-end UAVs require protection in contested airspace, something true of all non-stealth drones.”

He didn’t expect Saudi MQ-9 to operate deep in hostile airspace without support.

“Saudi Arabia would likely use MQ-9s in layered operations: patrolling borders, cuing manned aircraft, directing ground units, or executing targeted strikes in coordination with coalition forces. In these roles, the MQ-9’s ability to loiter for hours, provide real-time targeting data, and carry multi-mode sensors is unmatched,” Alexander concluded. (Source: Google/Breaking Defense.com)

21 May 25. SEI Japan 2025: Japan’s navy tests long-endurance UUV. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is testing an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype developed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Janes learnt at the DSEI Japan 2025 show being held in Chiba from 21 to 23 May. An MHI official told Janes that the company has developed two prototype variants of the UUV. The first prototype is 10 m long, while the second prototype is 16 m long. The JMSDF is testing the 16 m prototype, the official said. The UUV is being developed to enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of the JMSDF, the official added. The UUV is equipped with two sonars, an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and a satellite communications (satcom) antenna to support ISR operations, the official said. The 10 m UUV prototype has a weight of 20 tons and a maximum endurance of seven days. The 16 m UUV prototype has a weight of 30 tons and an endurance of more than seven days, the official added. The official said the UUV is powered by lithium-ion batteries. The official declined to provide additional technical details about the UUV including its range and operating depth. (Source: Janes)

19 May 25. China to launch drone mothership. New high-altitude aircraft is designed to be capable of releasing a swarm of 100 attack drones. China is preparing to launch a new drone-carrying mothership capable of releasing 100 kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the same time. The Jiu Tan, which means “high sky”, is a high-altitude long-range UAV that can transport weapons and equipment. Over the weekend, state media reported that the fourth prototype had completed its structural assembly and was undergoing installation and testing. It will set off on its maiden flight next month as China looks to boost its air force capabilities. The Jiu Tan was developed by Shaanxi Unmanned Equipment Technology and was first unveiled at the Zhuhai air show, the largest in the country, in November. The vehicle has a 25-metre wingspan and can fly for 12 hours, with a maximum range of 7,000 kilometres (4,350 miles). It has a take-off weight of 16 tons and a transporting capacity of six tons, which could be used to carry anything from surveillance technology to ammunition. However, the most noteworthy part of the new aircraft is its ability to launch large quantities of drones at once, making it difficult for a defender to respond. Video footage released by state media replicates what this could look like. Drone swarms can be hugely beneficial for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, which would be important in the event of an escalation in conflict between China and Taiwan. The aircraft can also carry cruise missiles and medium-range air-to-air missiles, such as the PL-12E. Its ability to reach high altitudes means it would be harder to detect from ground-based radar systems and could fly above many of the defence systems operational around the world. Drone warfare has become increasingly important in recent years because of its central role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s production of drones – specifically first person view (FPV) drones, which are capable of destroying tanks – has surged.

Pat Harrigan, a member of the US House of Representatives, said last month that FPV drones were responsible for 80 per cent of Russian casualties in Ukraine.

Ukraine has also developed a growing fleet of long-range drones, capable of hitting military bases and weapons storage facilities deep inside Russia. The Jiu Tan was developed by Shaanxi Unmanned Equipment Technology China already has a large drone capacity. Earlier this year, it tested the TP1000, the first unmanned transport aircraft capable of carrying more than a ton of goods. The country has also previously operated long-endurance drones, such as the WZ-7 drone and the TB-001 Scorpion drone, around contested islands in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The development of the Jia Tun could be the latest in China’s effort to expand its aerial capabilities to rival those of the US. Experts have said that the drone-carrying mothership will be a probable competitor to two American carriers, the RQ-4 Global Hawk and the MQ-9 Reaper. Neither the RQ-4 nor the MQ-9 are capable of the swarm strikes that make the Jia Tun a noteworthy addition to China’s arsenal. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

19 May 25. Anduril Industries UK today announced that it will lead a team for upcoming programmes, including to bid for future flight opportunities. Anduril UK, building on its existing partnership with aerospace company Archer, will receive additional support from Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis, two other leading technology companies. Together, Anduril and its partners will explore civil and defence applications in the UK using Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. This includes explorations for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, enabling low-emission, rapid-response logistics to support a wide range of UK-focused civil and military use cases, including cargo. Anduril will serve as the lead systems integrator incorporating software-defined mission autonomy, communications, and command-and-control systems tailored for UK operational needs. Archer will act as the platform provider, adapting Archer’s Midnight platform for dual-use applications and continuing its work with Anduril on the planned hybrid aircraft. This also marks Anduril bringing in Archer’s VTOL technologies to the UK market, furthering investment, job creation and competition to strengthen the UK’s capabilities in aviation and defence, and furthering Anduril UK’s commitment to UK Defence and wider economic growth. The group will also continue work together on Archer and Anduril’s previously announced hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft. This approach to air system design and development will be supported by AtkinsRéalis’ deep expertise in safely and efficiently incorporating novel aviation technologies into UK airspace – AtkinsRéalis was recently appointed as the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) first approved assessor of commercial drones. Skyports Drone Services complements this with its own extensive operational experience, having delivered numerous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) campaigns for major clients including the NHS and Royal Mail. In 2024, it took part in The Royal Navy Heavy Lift Challenge, showcasing the efficacy of dual-use aircraft.

By combining the latest advancements in eVTOL aircraft development, software-defined systems integration, regulatory expertise and operational delivery, this team is well-positioned to support the UK’s ambition to become a global leader in aviation technologies.

Dr Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK said, “The UK has clear ambitions both for innovation and growth, as well as to continue its leadership in advanced air mobility. This partnership brings together Archer’s leading eVTOL technology, Skyports’ infrastructure expertise and AtkinsRéalis’ safety systems in order to support future flight projects, accelerating VTOL and BVLOS developments. It also unlocks opportunities in defence and civil domains, including rapid, low-emission urban transport and surveillance capabilities for defence applications. Introducing Archer to the UK, alongside experienced local partners, marks a step forward in delivering integrated air mobility”.

Verity Richardson, Head of Business Development, UK, at Archer said, “This team marks the next phase of our partnership with Anduril. There’s an incredible amount of opportunity here in the UK and worldwide to deploy dual-use advanced aircraft and we look forward to making it a reality”.

Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Services said, “The UK Government is making strong progress in enabling permanent BVLOS drone operations so partnering with Anduril and Archer is a natural step, as we onboard more advanced aircraft and increase our payload and range capabilities. Our first project on cargo services will lay the groundwork for other applications with significant value, such as surveillance and search and rescue”.

David Clark, Global Head of Aerospace & Defence, AtkinsRéalis, said, “Leveraging our experience in novel aircraft design and emerging regulatory frameworks, AtkinsRéalis will be supporting the team to safely integrate automated uncrewed aircrafts into the UK’s skies. The combination of local expertise with investment from industry leaders like Archer and Anduril will strengthen the UK’s position at the forefront of the future of flight”.

Anduril UK’s software-focused approach to product development enables it to deploy new systems on compressed timelines, fielding several dual-use military capabilities, most notably providing the Ghost autonomous uncrewed air system to the UK MOD. The programme would further demonstrate Anduril UK’s commitment to engineering and manufacturing scalable technologies in the UK, building on current approaches, and bringing further investment and job creation. Over the past two years, AtkinsRéalis and Skyports have been demonstrating the feasibility of an eVTOL ecosystem in the UK, as members of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, which is supported by the Future Flight Challenge Phase 3. This consortium is developing key technology and infrastructure, and exploring key aspects of the passenger journey, vehicle operation, airspace navigation, ground charging, and local stakeholder engagement.

16 May 25. Royal Navy name Project CETUS XLUUV, ‘Excalibur.’ Both the Royal Navy and MSubs have their own ideas for specified payloads which they plan to test on Excalibur in the coming months and years. In an unveiling ceremony at His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport on 15 May, the UK Royal Navy marked the culmination of the three-year-long development of its extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) under what is known as Project CETUS. It is now confirmed that the experimental vessel (XV) has been named the XV Excalibur after the Arthurian legend, and an experimental high-speed submarine that the service trialled in the 1950s and 60s. The capability has a length of 12 metres (m), a width of 2m, and a displacement of 19 tonnes. UUVs make up 42% of the global military uncrewed maritime vehicles market, which is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% over the next decade, according to GlobalData intelligence. Since the Plymouth-based manufacturer, MSubs, delivered the autonomous platform to the Royal Navy earlier this year, the XLUUV has undertaken harbour and sea acceptance trials at Devonport. Now, Excalibur will join the Fleet Experimentation Squadron, a unit that was recently formed under the Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office, where it will join surface ship XV Patrick Blackett. As a demonstrator, the platform will not perform operational duties but will shape future concepts.

“The lessons learnt from this… programme will build on our experience from existing programmes, such as the Mine Hunting Capability programme, to inform more extensive use of these technologies in a mixed force of crewed and uncrewed systems,” said Commodore Marcus Rose, deputy director underwater battlespace capability.

It will serve as the testbed for emerging maritime technology, both exploiting the natural intelligence surveillance, reconnaissance and stealth aspects of the XLUUV, alongside its ability to carry bespoke payloads. To some extent, the integration of emerging sensing capabilities with the platform has already occurred. In 2022, during Nato exercise REPMUS, another British naval supplier SEA tested its sonar solution from another XLUUV – the S201 – built by MSubs in 2005, a precursor that the company recently described as the “spiritual predecessor” to Excalibur.

Excalibur development: internals

During the Undersea Defence Technology conference at Oslo in March, MSubs naval architect Callum McCullough dubbed the autonomous submarine as “a pick-up truck of the sea.”

For that reason, the payload bay is the particular focus to the design. It “breaks massively from convention,” he said, as the large bay uses a strong carbon fibre chassis, which can hold five tonnes of potential total mass, as well as nine cubic metres of volume. The modular design consists of ten sections, which reduces downtime. “When, inevitably, there is a fault – we all know that that will happen, and we’ve got to lift the vehicle out – we can quickly access everything that you need to access,” McCullough said. MSubs designed the battery system in-house. The main motor was designed by their engineers with other parts manufactured by suppliers across the country. Both the Royal Navy and MSubs have a few specified payloads they each plan to test on Excalibur in the coming months and years. (Source: naval-technology.com)

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