Ideas
Russia Is Poised to Surprise the US in Battlefield Robotics
How? It's a story of leaders' unusual agreement, a focus on fast-and-cheap production, and a decision to field lethal robots for combat.
Science & Tech
Tomorrow's Cargo Drones Won't Look Much Like Today's Helicopters
Boeing unveils a squarish, skeletal quadcopter to try out new unmanned-delivery concepts.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Seeks Laser-Powered Bat Drones. Really.
A new contest seeks flight systems inspired by Mother Nature and powered by directed-energy beams.
Policy
How Pakistan Is Responding to Trump
Pushed by Trump, Tillerson, and Mattis to do more to fight terrorism, Pakistan has instead taken public steps to push back in recent weeks.
Ideas
3 Predictions for Government Tech in 2018
Here's which tech will move from buzzword to implementation.
Science & Tech
Northrop Tests Spy Drones That Deploy in a Fake Bomb
The disposable Remedy is intended to drop from a fighter jet and fly slow enough to avoid radar.
Science & Tech
Ukraine Fields an Armed Drone for Use Against Pro-Russian Forces
After much experimentation and disappointing American UAVs, the Ukrainian military has a drone of its own.
Threats
The Pentagon’s IED-Hunters Have a New Target: Drones
After a decade of ups and downs, JIDO has added the counter-UAV mission.
Science & Tech
Swiss Researchers Invent Way to Let Mini Drones See in the Dark
Future drones will see as the human eye does, helping to navigate dark rooms.
Science & Tech
Look for Military Drones to Begin Replacing Police Helicopters by 2025
General Atomics is working hard to put a close cousin of its Reaper anti-terrorism drone in the hands of local law enforcement.
Science & Tech
3 Questions: Artificial Intelligence and the Military
AI has moved from the movies to the laboratory, and governments around the world want it in their arsenals. We asked how militaries define it, and how they intend to keep it under control.
Science & Tech
The US Army Just Ordered Soldiers to Stop Using Drones from China’s DJI
An Aug. 2 memo cites 'increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities' with drones from China’s market-leading DJI.
Business
America’s Top Drone Company Just Teamed Up with a Chinese Industry Titan
Less than a year ago, DJI knocked the California-based 3D Robotics out of the consumer market. Now, the US firm has turned to software — and a partnership with its vanquisher.
Science & Tech
3 Questions: Consumer Drones & Security
An exploration of the growing market for unmanned aircraft, their many applications, and what bad guys might do with them.
Threats
Trump’s Special Ops Pick Says Terror Drones Might Soon Reach the US from Africa. How Worried Should We Be?
Technological advancement could produce ocean-spanning consumer UAVs. But extremists won’t necessarily bother with them.
Science & Tech
US Army Seeks Internet-of-Battlefield-Things, Distributed Bot Swarms
After nearly two decades of war against technologically unsophisticated foes, the Army Research Lab is reorienting to counter China and Russia.
Science & Tech
The Israeli Military is Buying Copter Drones With Machine Guns
A breakthrough in drone design gives a glimpse into the future of urban warfare.
Science & Tech
Time for the Pentagon to Overhaul Drone Management, New Report Says
As the Pentagon writes a long-term drone plan, the former head of Air Force intelligence has some suggestions.
Ideas
I Could Kill You with a Consumer Drone
As a former intelligence soldier who now sells drones for a living, I can tell you that this problem is bigger than almost anyone realizes.
Ideas