Drones

USAF Opens Bidding to Build Its 1st New Fighter in Decades

An engineering and manufacturing development contract is to be awarded in 2024 for the secretive Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft.

USAF Sees '100 Roles' for Its Robot Wingmen—and Firms Are Lining Up to Make Them

Air Force procurement chief offers the most detailed description yet of the collaborative combat aircraft program.

Who Bombed the Kremlin?

U.S. officials puzzle over what appears to be the first drone attack on Moscow.

New Software Aims to Allow Fewer Troops to Manage More Drones

Anduril says its product will enable U.S. forces to employ more capable, more autonomous—and just plain more—drones.

A-10s Return to Middle East with a New Mission, and a New Weapon

Tensions with Iran, Russia have CENTCOM calling upon the venerable Warthog once again.

Special Operations Seeks 20% R&D Budget Bump

Collaborative autonomy and better contested communications top the wish list, while supply-chain risk becomes a top concern.

Defense One Radio, Ep. 123: The Discord leaks and what might lie ahead for Ukraine

Defense One’s Patrick Tucker and Sam Skove help explain where Russia's Ukraine invasion stands today, and what might unfold over the coming weeks and months.

How One Simulation Maker Is Adding AI, Drone Tactics

BISim is updating its widely used Virtual Battle Space products to reflect developments from Ukraine to Silicon Valley.

Navy Expands Unmanned Operations to 4th Fleet

U.S. Southern Command’s naval component will follow 5th Fleet into heavy-duty experimentation with drones.

The Navy Wants Drones to Counter China’s Gray-Zone Moves

CNO says the upcoming 4th Fleet experiments will inform an eventual move into Indo-Pacific operations.

Sea-Air-Space Conference Wire 3: The Next Drone-Using Fleet

Day 2 of the Navy League conference brought word that 4th Fleet will join 5th Fleet as a focus of the Navy's experiments with unmanned craft.