Ideas
Redraw the Limits on Lethal Force Against Terror Groups
As the Biden administration reviews policies for use of lethal force outside war zones, it must be certain it’s not perpetuating a cycle of “forever wars.”
Science & Tech
Drones Could One Day Make Up 40% of a Carrier Air Wing, Navy Says
The Department’s new unmanned plan directs focus not just on drones but on their “enabling technologies.”
Business
AI-Powered Drones Emerge as R&D Priority for Boeing
As the company cuts costs in other areas, a new drone flew for the first time last week.
Science & Tech
Russia Is Working to Pair Combat Jets and Drones, Too
In moves to match the U.S. military, experiments are aimed at producing mixed air regiments that are tied into a wider battlefield network.
Science & Tech
Intel Agency Worker Pushed His Own Drone Company, Report Details
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency inspector general found one of its employees accessed classified and proprietary data, trying to cheat competitors.
Science & Tech
2021 Is the Year the Small Drone Arms Race Heats Up
The cat-and-mouse of drone defense and offense is entering a new phase.
Policy
Trump Restricted Drone Imports In Final White House Days
The executive order encourages federal agencies to divest from unmanned aerial systems manufactured by China, Russia and Iran.
Threats
Feds Can't Buy Chinese-Made Drones Through GSA Anymore
By Feb. 1, all but five unmanned aerial vehicles will be removed from the General Services Administration’s offerings.
Ideas
Why German Troops Won’t Get Armed Drones
The reasons, which go back to Angela Merkel’s East German upbringing, are leaving the Bundeswehr dependent on allies and partners.
Policy
Trump Says He Wanted To Assassinate Syria’s Assad
The revelation further undermines the president’s assertion that he has stood firmly between the Pentagon and war.
Ideas
In a Robot War, Kill the Humans
Even if advances in robotics mean fewer humans on the battlefield, the fight will increasingly focus on those that remain.
Ideas
Build a National Counter-Drone Network
Defensive drones stationed at airports and other likely points of attack could be teleoperated from one or more central facilities.
Science & Tech
A Medical-Delivery Drone Service Gets US Approval Amid Coronavirus
ZipLine, whose drones have delivered more than 100,000 packages in Africa, will begin flights in North Carolina.
Science & Tech
The Flying Car Of the Future Looks to Flying Cars of the Past
The Air Force is close to testing an experimental vertical takeoff prototype under its new program.
Science & Tech
Will Flying Cars Help the US Beat China? The Air Force Hopes So
Service officials say giving American manufacturers first-mover advantage is just as important as the military benefits of vertical-lift buses.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon Is Spending Millions on Hunter Drones With Nets
Shooting drones down over cities isn’t ideal. Nabbing them in midair is an intriguing alternative.
Science & Tech
When Both Sides Have Drones, How Do You Know Which Ones to Kill?
The U.S. Army recently tested a system that helps defenders wipe the skies of just the unfriendly aerial robots.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Wants to Spark an American Small-Drone Industry
Acquisition chief Ellen Lord wants domestic options for small UAVs— and for defensive systems that can bring them down.
Science & Tech