Wednesday, October 21, 2026

MODERN DAY DRONE TRANSACTIONAL WARFARE NEWS Items

Arizona will become the first Army National Guard state to field the Gray Eagle 25M, adding eight long-endurance unmanned aircraft in 2027 for overseas missions and homeland defense (Picture Source: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems) 

 Arizona will become the first state to field an Army National Guard company equipped with eight Gray Eagle 25M unmanned aircraft, with General Atomics confirming on October 12, 2026, that deliveries are scheduled for September 2027. 

Offering nearly 40 hours of endurance, EagleEye multi-mode radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, and an open architecture for new payloads and effects, the Gray Eagle 25M will give Guard forces a persistent reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting capability for combat missions abroad and homeland defense at home, while marking the first step in a broader plan to equip all eight Army National Guard divisions with dedicated long-endurance unmanned aviation units.  Read Full Defense News At This Link. 

The U.S. Army confirmed that its first ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) surveillance jet prototype is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, as the planned fleet falls from 14 to six aircraft. 
Sierra Nevada Corporation is converting Bombardier Global 6500 business jets into high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft equipped with Raytheon's ASARS-2B radar and signals intelligence systems to detect ground movements, map military activity, and intercept electromagnetic emissions over extended distances. Read full defense news at this link...
The ME-11B, previously known as HADES, will conduct high-altitude reconnaissance, using radar and signals intelligence to detect troop and vehicle movements, map military installations, and locate electronic emissions. (Picture source: SNC)


 

The United States is building complementary land-based strike capabilities that could complicate Chinese military operations across the First Island Chain. M142 HIMARS, the U.S. Army’s Typhon missile system, and the U.S. Marine Corps’ Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, known as NMESIS, offer different combinations of precision fire, maritime strike, and operational reach.

The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence announced that the Lithuanian Armed Forces have begun integrating mobile US-made AN/TPS-77 Multi-Role Radars (MRR) into the national air surveillance network. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin under a September 2023 Foreign Military Sales contract valued at over $52 million, these 3D tactical radar systems are designed to feed real-time target tracking data to NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence System.

French Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Christophe Cluzel announced during a parliamentary hearing that France is evaluating a potential service extension for its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond its planned 2038 retirement date. The formal feasibility study will examine the integrity of the carrier's two K15 pressurized water reactors, remaining nuclear fuel life, and propulsion machinery condition, with definitive conclusions expected in early 2029.

The U.S. Air Force projects that stealth fighters could make up roughly 60 percent of its fighter fleet by 2035: about 40 percent F-35As and a combined 20 percent F-22 Raptors and F-47s, as the F-47 gradually replaces the F-22. The projected mix would expand the proportion of aircraft designed for contested airspace while the service also seeks a larger combat-coded fighter force.

US Army soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment launched a Czech-built STORK LR long-range reconnaissance drone during exercise Combined Resolve 27-01 at the Hohenfels Training Area in Germany on October 16, 2026. Operating as the exercise's dedicated opposing force, the battalion utilized the fixed-wing platform to replicate modern peer-threat aerial surveillance and electronic warfare dynamics observed on the Ukrainian front.



 

The United States is moving to expand production of APKWS precision-guided rockets to strengthen its ability to intercept hostile drones without relying on more expensive air defense missiles. A new agreement between the Pentagon and BAE Systems aims to increase annual interceptor output while expanding ammunition stocks for American forces and allied militaries facing growing unmanned aerial threats. Read more. 

During Exercise Sky Shield in Kuwait in December 2025, a U.S.

The U.S. Army has cleared its Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) for production after successful operational tests, bringing it closer to fielding precision-guided rockets that can strike targets up to 150 kilometers away. Compatible with existing HIMARS and M270 launchers, the new ammunition will allow American artillery units to engage targets deeper behind enemy lines without replacing their current launch systems. Read more. 

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Saab, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Armed Forces announced the completion of initial sea trials for Sweden's Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (LUUV) demonstrator. Developed under a SEK 60 million contract awarded in August 2025, the autonomous underwater vehicle utilizes Saab's Autonomous Ocean Core control system to conduct underwater reconnaissance, seabed surveillance, and critical infrastructure protection in the Baltic Sea.

The U.S. Navy awarded HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding a $99 million contract modification to conduct system testing and sea trials for the Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002). The funding advances delivery preparations in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where the warship is receiving modernization upgrades to integrate four 87-inch launch tubes for Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missiles. The contract modification supports the U.S.

As part of the military cooperation between the United States and Morocco, the U.S. Army is preparing in Tan-Tan a campaign to evaluate new anti-drone systems. Planned for the spring of 2027, this initiative associates the SETAF-AF command with the G-TEAD acquisition directorate. It aims to test new equipment and then accelerate its availability to units, with a stated goal of 180 days to provide new operational capabilities. Read full defense news at this link...

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Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced at Anduril Australia's Sydney facility that the Royal Australian Navy's Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUVs) will be equipped with naval mines, swarming aerial drones, and special forces resupply payloads. The integration expands the autonomous submarine's operational scope from intelligence gathering to multi-domain strike, offensive mine warfare, and covert logistics.

RTX subsidiary Raytheon was selected for the U.S. Space Force Ground-Based Radar Digitization program, receiving an allocation valued at $300 million to $309.5 million to modernize eight strategic radar installations across six domestic sites, Greenland, and the United Kingdom.

The U.S. military is considering using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), known as the Mother of All Bombs, against Iranian nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure, including the underground Pickaxe Mountain installation. The 9,850 kg bomb carries 8,500 kg of H-6 explosives and produces an estimated yield equivalent to 11 tons of TNT, but its airburst design limits its ability to destroy nuclear facilities protected by thick granite formations.

The U.S. Space Force is strengthening military satellite communications against electronic warfare by developing ultra-compact radio-frequency terminals that maintain secure data links despite jamming, electromagnetic interference, and space radiation. BAE Systems has been selected to design and demonstrate the new equipment, which will use space-hardened software-defined radios to support resilient communications across multiple orbital environments.

The U.S. seeks missile-armed unmanned surface vessels capable of intercepting hostile drones and helicopters with AGM-114L Hellfire missiles, AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets, or Stinger missiles. Under the second phase of its SWAP-USV competition, the U.S.

The U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) successfully launched Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) surface-to-air interceptors and destroyed aerial target drones during a live-fire exercise in the Atlantic Ocean.

The U.S. Army is seeking additional manufacturers for its Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1, a long-range ballistic missile launched from HIMARS and M270 rocket systems. The move could accelerate missile production, reduce reliance on Lockheed Martin, and help replenish U.S. ammunition stocks following recent combat operations while preparing American forces for prolonged high-intensity conflicts. Read more. 

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U.S. Marine CorpsAH-1Z Viper attack helicopters destroyed an Iranian-affiliated surveillance vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it was identified as helping target American warships. The strike highlights the growing importance of countering maritime reconnaissance activities that could expose U.S. naval forces to Iranian missile and drone attacks near the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz. Read more. 

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The U.S. Army has successfully tested the Red Wolf long-range strike missile from an MH-60 helicopter for the first time, opening the way for Black Hawk helicopters to engage targets hundreds of kilometers away. The demonstration marks a step toward extending helicopter strike capabilities beyond conventional engagement ranges while reducing exposure to enemy air defenses during operations in contested environments. Read more.

Taiwan-based Thunder Tiger Technology, in partnership with Farage Precision and The Rehfeldt Group, has completed the delivery and acceptance of 1,520 FPV attack drones to the U.S. Department of Defense under the Drone Dominance Program. The $7.6 million procurement represents a milestone for non-Chinese manufacturing networks supplying compliant military quadcopters to the U.S. armed forces.


On October 12, 2026, FN America showcased its MTL-30 30 mm semi-automatic grenade launcher at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., as a candidate for the U.S. Army's Precision Grenadier System (PGS). The shoulder-fired weapon uses three- or five-round magazines, weighs 4.5-4.99 kg without ammunition or optics, and has a 500-meter effective range, compared with 350 meters for the M203 and 400 meters for the M320. Developed under a $2 million U.S.

On October 14, 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Defense finalized an agreement with the United States to acquire 12 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters in a procurement deal valued at approximately $1 billion. The procurement provides the Israeli Air Force with Version 6 capabilities, featuring long-range AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar, enhanced maritime strike and targeting functions, and manned-unmanned teaming capabilities for real-time drone control.

Ukrainian defense company Tencore showcased its MAT1LDA 8×8 amphibious unmanned ground vehicle carrying a TerMIT 2.0 robot equipped with eight lightweight RPV-18 thermobaric launchers at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C. The layered operational configuration uses a heavy amphibious platform to traverse river obstacles and soft terrain before deploying a smaller, independently armed system into combat zones.

The U.S. Air Force has completed a new flight test of the developmental Mk21A reentry vehicle for the future LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, advancing a critical component of America’s next-generation land-based nuclear deterrent.

France and the Netherlands are moving their defense relationship into a more sensitive strategic domain by opening a dedicated dialogue on nuclear and conventional deterrence, linking France’s independent nuclear arsenal with the Netherlands’ growing role in NATO’s F-35-based nuclear mission.

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