Battlefield Tech
The US Navy wants you ... to make ‘Drone Killer’ ammunition
The Navy designed the Drone Killer Cartridge to address the emerging threat of small quadcopters. It now wants ammo makers to make millions of the rounds.
By Daniel Terrill
Unmanned
Ukrainian drones hit all three Baltic States − did Russia redirect them?
It’s unclear if Russia is actively redirecting drones or whether the incursions are simply a byproduct of electronic-warfare defenses and flight distance.
By Linus Höller
Opinion
The military’s fabled ‘human in the loop’ for AI is dangerously misleading
A “human in the loop” whose sole function is to approve a machine’s actions is not a safeguard but a design failure, argues Mikey Dickerson.
By Mikey Dickerson
German army eyes AI tools to expedite wartime decision-making
Taking cues from combat operations in Ukraine, the German army wants to exploit battlefield data to predict the dynamics of future conflicts.
By Sabine Siebold, Reuters
US and UK teaming up to destroy underwater drones
America and Britain are joining forces to tackle the threat of underwater drones to ports and other critical infrastructure.
By Michael Peck
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2026 Tech Disruptors
The Defense News 2026 Tech Disruptors is an annual list of top tech leaders shaping defense technology.
Autonomous Data Fusion on the Modern Battlefield
A look at how data fusion is critical to maintaining information dominance, how the new prime contractors can offer agility, speed, innovation, and more.
DOD’s Cyber Workforce Challenges
This whitepaper explores how the DoD can close the cyber workforce skills gap, how ‘upskilling’ protects national security in the digital age, and more.
Whitepaper: How Modular Systems Help Ensure Defense Readiness
Learn how a Modular Open Systems Approach avoids proprietary lock-in, how ease of sourcing replacement parts helps ensure readiness, and more.
Space
SpaceX and Blue Origin abruptly shift priorities amid US Golden Dome push
The largest U.S. commercial space companies recently shifted priorities toward lunar development, just as DOD pushes its next-gen missile shield plans.
Artificial Intelligence
German army eyes AI tools to expedite wartime decision-making
Taking cues from combat operations in Ukraine, the German army wants to exploit battlefield data to predict the dynamics of future conflicts.
Unmanned
Ukrainian drones hit all three Baltic States − did Russia redirect them?
It’s unclear if Russia is actively redirecting drones or whether the incursions are simply a byproduct of electronic-warfare defenses and flight distance.
US and UK teaming up to destroy underwater drones
America and Britain are joining forces to tackle the threat of underwater drones to ports and other critical infrastructure.
Dutch armed forces to add drone operators to combat brigades
The Dutch military will expand that capability “significantly” by deploying 1,000 to 1,200 personnel specifically for drone and counter-drone operations.
Unmanned
US-made naval drone with active warhead washes up in northern Turkey, gets blown up
The vessel, identified as an AEGIR-W variant, came aground on a beach in the Yüceler neighborhood of Ünye district in Ordu province.
US countered drone threat over ‘strategic’ installation in early hours of Operation Epic Fury: Guillot
Forces used a Fly-Away Kit to counter the threat over a U.S. installation, according to the commander of U.S. Northern Command.
High-speed combat drone production starts at new US Anduril plant in days
Anduril Industries will begin building its new loyal wingman drones in the coming days at a new facility in Ohio.
Cyber
French Navy dials up stress level in crew drills after Red Sea experience
The idea is to make people "feel like their final hour has come," said the officer in charge of training naval surface personnel.
Electronic Warfare
Pentagon’s realistic electronic warfare system to move to Navy lab
DARPA says it has built the world’s largest, most realistic electronic warfare test capability.
VIDEOS
Staying ahead in the space domain | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 3.31.26
At the crux of modern military capabilities is a crucial element — sending information to and from space. How can the U.S. stay ahead? A top official weighs in.
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Dutch armed forces to add drone operators to combat brigades
The Dutch military will expand that capability “significantly” by deploying 1,000 to 1,200 personnel specifically for drone and counter-drone operations.
US-made naval drone with active warhead washes up in northern Turkey, gets blown up
The vessel, identified as an AEGIR-W variant, came aground on a beach in the Yüceler neighborhood of Ünye district in Ordu province.
US countered drone threat over ‘strategic’ installation in early hours of Operation Epic Fury: Guillot
Forces used a Fly-Away Kit to counter the threat over a U.S. installation, according to the commander of U.S. Northern Command.
By Zita Ballinger Fletcher
Ukraine deploys units to 5 Middle East countries to intercept drones
Zelenskyy has said Kyiv wants money and tech in return for its help in the Middle East, adding that the U.S. was among the nations that sought Kyiv’s help.
By Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa, Reuters
Israel to mount lasers on fighter jets and helicopters
Elbit revealed plans to that effect during the presentation of financial statements for 2025.
Turkey’s Baykar tests swarm behavior of its K2 one-way attack drone
Baykar has marketed the K2 as a relatively inexpensive strike option for military forces, with unit cost low enough to permit large-scale fielding.
Ukrainian advisors to teach German army how to win a modern war by 2029
The announcement, as reported by Reuters, marks a striking role reversal from years of Western forces training Ukrainian troops.
By Linus Höller
Iran can still fire drones and missiles — experts weigh the implications on the war
“Each interception carries a financial and logistical cost," one analyst said.
Novel interceptor drones bend air-defense economics in Ukraine’s favor
Artificial intelligence plays no role yet in interception missions — today it is still manual ramming or close-in detonation.
By Katie Livingstone
Swedish Navy intercepts suspected Russian drone nearing French aircraft carrier
Swedish defense officials said the craft likely came from a nearby Russian ship.
Once-reluctant Germany goes big on one-way attack drones
The government is setting up three domestic manufacturers for deals that could reach billions of euros.
Israel delivers first autonomous submarine to Germany
The large drones are part of a broader German Navy effort to integrate unmanned technologies into the fleet.
Could MQ-9B drones draw Canada and Denmark closer in Arctic surveillance?
Both countries have ordered MQ-9B drones from General Dynamics, a hardware choice that some experts believe offers cooperation prospects in the High North.
Opinion
NATO is not ready for drone warfare in the Arctic
Russia is moving faster in fielding uncrewed systems suitable for operations in the region, argue analysts from the Center for European Policy Analysis.
By Federico Borsari and Gordon B. “Skip” Davis Jr
Apache helicopters downed drones in air-to-air combat with 30mm proximity ammo
Gunship pilots test-fired APEX munitions, designed to pulverize targets with shrapnel.
By Zita Ballinger Fletcher