drones Archives

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon, July 10, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Llanez Delgado)

Hegseth directive on ‘unleashing U.S. military drone dominance’ includes deadlines for major overhauls

Hegseth referred to uncrewed systems as “the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation.”

4 days ago By Jon Harper

A U.S. Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie, highly autonomous, tactical unmanned air vehicle, soars overhead during its second test flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 23, 2023. The XQ-58A Valkyrie test flight and the data collected inform future requirements for the Marine Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John McRell)

Marine Corps requests more funding for collaborative combat aircraft development

Details about plans for the CCA effort were included in fiscal 2026 budget justification documents.

5 days ago By Jon Harper

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment guide a Stryker into concealment during Project Flytrap at Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, June 20, 2025. The Soldiers mounted an EchoShield cognitive radar above the Stryker, which detected frequencies of nearby drones and provided ground-force Soldiers with real-time location data on their end-user devices. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Magaña)

Army maturing counter-drone command and control architecture at Project Flytrap exercise

The Army's C5ISR Center is working with industry to integrate counter-UAS sensors to a C2 architecture mounted on vehicles to enable on-the-move detection and defeat of drones.

5 days ago By Mark Pomerleau

Sgt. Lucero Martinez, an unmanned aircraft systems operator, assigned to Detachment 1, Delta Company, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, helps launch an unmanned aircraft system during a UAS exercise on June 12, 2025 at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma. The exercise, hosted by the 45th IBCT and featured numerous UAS and counter-UAS systems, focused on preparing infantry Soldiers to react to UAS threats. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Spc. Cambrie Cannon)

What Trump’s order on ‘unleashing American drone dominance’ means for the U.S. military

DefenseScoop asked national security experts to weigh in on the directive.

Jul 8, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Bryan Deel, Combat Engineer, Team 2330, 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade, reacts to a complex assault, using a Dronebuster to neutralize an enemy drone, during Operation Combined Victory (OCV) on Muscatatuck Training Center, Indiana, Feb. 10, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jonathan D. Vitale)

DOD creating joint interagency counter-drone task force

The Army will lead a new interagency office tasked with developing joint solutions to defeat unmanned aerial vehicles.

Jul 2, 2025 By Mark Pomerleau

U.S. Soldiers from various units across Europe launch a Switchblade 600 during Loitering Munitions Training at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Nov. 5, 2024. This was the first time U.S. Soldiers launched Switchblade 600s, a loitering munition system, in Europe. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Cody Nelson)

Army’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal aims to equip infantry brigades with more kamikaze drones

The request for additional loitering munitions comes as officials are undertaking a new Army Transformation Initiative to modernize the force for future high-tech combat.

Jun 27, 2025 By Jon Harper

An Estonian border patrol officer discusses future plans near the country’s border with Russia. (Photo by Brandi Vincent)

An early look into Estonia’s plan to deploy a ‘drone wall’ by 2027

Members of Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board briefed DefenseScoop on their plans for the fortification.

Jun 18, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division use a Developmental Command Exportable Lab to assemble first-person view drones for use during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, on May 24, 2025. The capability enabled the deployment of more than 100 FPV drones during this rotation. (Photo by 1st Lt. Aylin Hernandez, 25th Infantry Division).

25th Infantry Division testing forward-deployed 3D printers in the Pacific

2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division is also improving its counter-drone tactics.

Jun 3, 2025 By Mark Pomerleau

U.S. Army Spc. Anton Lane, a combat medic with specialized drone training, assigned to 5-7 Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division visually tracks a Skydio X10E4TT drone shortly after deploying it for surveillance during exercise Combined Resolve 25-2 at Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany on May 17, 2025. (US Army photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Fist Class Richard Hoppe, Released).

U.S. Army is already taking lessons from Ukraine’s drone attack on Russia’s strategic bombers

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George talked about the high-profile attack during an AI conference Monday.

Jun 2, 2025 By Mark Pomerleau

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, retrieve an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USVs) from the water during Arcane Thunder 25, 16 May, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jennifer Posy)

Army weaves robo-boats, drones, balloons and C2 tech into multi-continent Arcane Thunder exercise

The live-fire event, which took place in Europe and Arizona, was led by the Army's 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force.

May 30, 2025 By Jon Harper