AUTOWAR25 Morning Edition
1. Starshield: Ukraine says service is better but still not fully restored, awaits Pentagon/SpaceX answer
In "Ukraine waits confirmation from Pentagon and SpaceX regarding restoration of Starshield," Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Washington, Denys Sienik, said Kyiv is still waiting for an official answer on whether the military Starlink service has been fully restored, because speeds are still fluctuating.
- Sienik (NEWSMAX2 interview released overnight by Ukraine's embassy): service is "better compared to how it was two days ago. But still we have fluctuations in the speed."
- Background: on Oct. 15, nine bipartisan senators asked the DoD IG to investigate the Oct. 12–14 speed restrictions. They want written status and a briefing by Nov. 1.
- The senators' letter says Ukrainian testing found restrictions above ~63 mph, and SpaceX reportedly acknowledged a 100 mph cap. It also says some services run through U.S. Space Force contracts.
2. Russia launches 332 drones plus missiles overnight; Ukraine reports 293 targets downed
In "Ukraine's ADF down four Kalibr missiles, 289 drones in overnight Russian attack," the Ukrainian Air Force said an attack that began at 6 PM local Friday used 332 attack UAVs and several missile types, and 293 targets had been shot down or suppressed by 8 AM local Saturday.
- The drone mix included Shaheds (31 jet-powered), S-8000 Banderol, Gerbera and Parodiya decoys. They were launched from Oryol, Bryansk, Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske.
- Air Force said EW and unmanned-systems units took part in the defense alongside aviation, SAMs and mobile fire groups.
- 22 impact locations were reported. The attack was still under way at the time of the report. The figures come from the Air Force's Telegram via Ukrinform; we found no matching @KpsZSU post.
Sources: Ukrinform · RBC-Ukraine3. Army will test counter-drone kit in Morocco and aim to field winners within 180 days
In "Army Task Force Partners With Acquisition Directorate to Accelerate Counter-Drone Tech in Africa," SETAF-AF and the Army's Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD) announced their first accelerated capability event. It will be held in spring 2027 in Tan-Tan, Morocco, and focus on C-sUAS and force protection.
- The target gap is protecting early-entry command posts and operating locations from small UAS.
- The event has three phases: submission and preparation, soldier-led demos, then follow-on operational evaluation. Validated kit is meant to reach soldiers within 180 days.
- G-TEAD director Col. Christopher Hill said component commands have never had "acquisition authority and research, development, test and evaluation dollars."
Sources: war.gov (confirmed loads)4. DIU opens SWAP-USV Sprint 2: armed USVs for maritime counter-air
DIU and DRPM UxS opened "Suitable Warfighting Adaptive Payloads (SWAP)-USV Sprint 2." It seeks production-ready USVs integrated with hard-kill counter-air effectors that can be fielded forward within 120 days.
- Four effector lanes: Hellfire Longbow/JAGM (with a government launcher data package), APKWS, remote weapon stations (Stinger, 7.62mm or better, or high-power laser), and other mature systems. Only integrated vessel+launcher+effector bids will be evaluated.
- Thresholds are 200 nm range and 10 kt cruise, with engagement of Group 1–3 UAS and helicopters beyond 3 nm. Project AVO is the primary C2. Test Event 2 is three weeks at Little Creek, Va.
- Up to $40M in prizes, plus $200M budgeted for follow-on OTs. Deadline conflict: diu.mil says Nov. 30, 23:59:59 ET; ExecutiveGov says Nov. 29. Go by diu.mil.
5. CENTCOM: "Hormuz is controlled by the United States"; IRGC says a supertanker hit a mine; attacks at record high
In a video update ("Update from CENTCOM Commander") posted Friday, Adm. Brad Cooper said about 400 merchant ships transited the Strait in the past week and the U.S. helped partners ship more than 100 million barrels. Overnight, the IRGC navy claimed a supertanker struck a mine on an "unauthorised route."
- Cooper: "the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran, and it remains open for business." He put U.S.-assisted volume at more than 1.3 billion barrels in recent months.
- IRGC (via Iranian state media, Saturday): the tanker carried 2M+ barrels, had turned off its positioning and radar systems, and is on fire. The location and the claim are not independently confirmed.
- NBC (5 AM ET): attacks on shipping in and around the Strait "have surged to a record high."
- No centcom.mil transcript or release was found. The video is on X only, posted 2:03 PM ET Friday, just before this window.
6. Moscow says it downed 144 drones; all four airports halted overnight
In "ПВО сбила 144 беспилотника у Москвы, аэропорты закрыты," Kommersant reported that Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 75 more drones were downed Saturday morning. That brings the count shot down near the capital since the start of the day to 144.
- Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo all stopped flights. Sheremetyevo closed about 2:00 MSK; the others about 23:30 MSK.
- A later Kommersant headline cites Rosaviatsia saying all four airports have resumed.
- Claims come from Russian officials and are not independently verified.
Sources: Kommersant · Kommersant (reopening)7. F-22/FQ-44 follow-up: Edwards join-up, tactical data link, Emerald Flag in December
The Air Force's "F-22 directs Collaborative Combat Aircraft in airborne tactical-control demonstration" (covered Friday PM) has new details from TWZ. Per Anduril, the F-22 and Fury took off separately from Edwards AFB, joined up in flight, and the Raptor pilot sent an updated mission plan over a tactical data link.
- Anduril confirmed to TWZ this was a first for an F-22 with a pre-production YFQ-44A. Neither the Air Force nor Anduril disclosed how the cockpit was configured.
- An EOU official said the CCAs' first large-force exercise will be Emerald Flag in December.
- Air Force goal: 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous systems by 2032.
Sources: Air Force (AFNS via AFRC, confirmed loads) · TWZ8. Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi drones and missiles over Riyadh, Red Sea and Yanbu
In "Saudi-led coalition says intercepts missiles, drones over Riyadh, other areas," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said forces destroyed three drones over the south and Riyadh, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile over Yanbu.
- The coalition says Riyadh's airport has been targeted at least 20 times this month. A single attack last week killed 13.
- The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and on Red Sea shipping.
Sources: Khaleej Times / AFP9. TWZ: how the Army plans to use LUCAS kamikaze drones against ships and Iskanders
In "The Army's Plan For Employing LUCAS Kamikaze Drones Against Its Adversaries," TWZ reports AUSA panel remarks by MDC-PAC's Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington and MDC-E's Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter on folding long-range one-way attack drones into Army plans.
- Harrington: 7th ID's "Bayonet Academy" at JBLM now trains LUCAS maintenance and employment. The Pacific concept masses USVs, OWA drones and launched effects to mission-kill ship systems, not necessarily sink ships.
- Carpenter: in Europe, EMI-resilient, longer-range, higher-yield systems (LUCAS, Covenant's Anthem) are favored to destroy SS-26/SS-21 launchers.
- TWZ notes Shield AI's Hivemind is slated to give LUCAS swarming.
Sources: TWZ · Janes (related)10. Black Sea: Wine Trader search still fruitless; analysts call the EEZ gap NATO's hardest flank
As of Saturday, Romanian searchers had still not found the seven missing crew of the drone-struck tanker Wine Trader ("Άκαρπες μέχρι στιγμής οι έρευνες..."), and a Modern Diplomacy analysis argues the strikes sit below NATO's Article 5 threshold.
- Wine Trader was hit Oct. 15 about 1 nm outside Romanian territorial waters near Sulina. Five of 12 crew were rescued. A Black Hawk and a rescue vessel are searching in rough seas.
- Modern Diplomacy counts three merchant ships sunk in a little more than a week inside Romanian and Bulgarian EEZs. Montreux limits non-littoral navies, so it argues for an EU-funded littoral fix built on coastal radars, maritime drones and sensor networks.
- Prior edition: Bulgaria formally asked NATO for jets and counter-drone systems.
11. North Korea claims AI-guided "Zam-2.0" torpedo test
In "N. Korea conducts underwater test of new precision-guided torpedo: KCNA," Yonhap reports that KCNA says North Korea test-fired the Zam-2.0 "super-speed precision-guided torpedo weapon system" on Thursday.
- KCNA: "AI technology was applied to the target detection and the guidance function."
- This is a state-media claim with no independent verification. The test came a day after KCNA reported submarine-launched strategic cruise missile firings.
Sources: Yonhap · KCNA (original)12. Ukrainian drones hit Surgut, about 2,500 km from the border
In "Ukrainian Drones Strike Energy Plant in Russia's Largest Oil-Producing Region," The Moscow Times reports a suspected Ukrainian drone strike set an "industrial facility in the Surgut district" on fire. Governor Ruslan Kukharuk confirmed the fire.
- This appears to be the first strike on energy infrastructure in Khanty-Mansi, which accounts for about 40% of Russian oil output.
- A Ukrainian monitoring channel, citing residents, identified the site as Gazprom's Surgut Condensate Stabilization Plant (12M t/yr design capacity). Officials have not named it.
- Flight restrictions were imposed at Surgut and Kogalym. The strike follows Thursday's hit on the Ryazan refinery.
Sources: The Moscow Times · Meduza13. South Korean lasers down three drones in Army demo
In "South Korean lasers down three drones in Army demo, Hanwha says," Defense News reports that Hanwha's Cheongwang laser and a 30-kW-class vehicle laser hit all three target drones at the Army's TIGER+ exercise on Oct. 14.
- The lasers were part of a layered demo that also included jamming and K21 fire. Hanwha did not say which system killed which drone, or give ranges.
- Hanwha puts the cost per shot at about $1.50. A 50-kW Laser Armored Vehicle is targeted for production by end-2027, with export talks in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Sources: Defense News14. Zone 5 unveils the reusable "Eclipse" interceptor
In "Zone 5 'found a spot' in drone interceptor market with new Eclipse: CEO," Breaking Defense reports the Kongsberg-owned startup showed a larger reusable VTOL interceptor that can carry a high-power microwave or kinetic payload.
- Company figures: 200+ kt, 30+ mile reach, 39 x 32 in. About six more months of development, then production aimed at "hundreds" a month, starting with the U.S. market.
- CEO Thomas Akers warned that FAMM multiyear funding shortfalls would cause an industry "recoil."
Sources: Breaking Defense15. Northrop's Lumberjack Group 3 UAS heads to customer demos in 2027
In "AUSA 2026: Northrop Grumman, Lumberjack expected to start customer demos in 2027," Janes reports that Northrop has discussed the ESAero-partnered drone with the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Army.
- Demos will include endurance testing. Northrop pitches Lumberjack as launchable by one service and usable by another.
Sources: Janes16. GM Defense Silverado-based UGV: demonstrator by June 2027
In "AUSA 2026: GM Defense to complete new UGV prototype demonstrator by 2027," Janes reports GM Defense's Silverado 3500HD-based UGV concept, shown with a Locust X3 laser payload, is being shaped toward the Army's Project Sustainment.
- Payload is up to 8,000 lb, with 102 kW of exportable power, per the company.
- The concept missed the Army's timeline, where five firms are already down-selected. GM is betting the Army will on-ramp new competitors.
Sources: Janes · Inside Defense17. Turkish Aerospace opens a second Anka 3 line for a heavier variant
In "Turkish Aerospace expands Anka 3 production with new line for upgraded drone," Breaking Defense reports a second line opening in November. It will build a larger-airframe Anka 3 with ~1.75 t payload, up from ~1.3 t.
- Turkey has ordered 80 Anka 3s, with first delivery expected in 2027.
- A company official said the new Ayaz turbojet one-way attack drone and the Super Şimşek kamikaze drone flew their first live-warhead strikes at the Atış Serbest exercise.
Sources: Breaking Defense18. Satellite imagery: CH-95 UCAV appears at suspected UAE base in Bosaso
In "CH-95 UAV deployed to suspected UAE airbase in Bosaso," Janes reports that Oct. 6 Vantor imagery shows a twin-boom UAV (~7.2 m long, ~12.5 m span) matching the Chinese CH-95 at Bosaso airport in Puntland.
- Janes says the match suggests the UAE now operates the type. The base's operator has never been officially acknowledged.
Sources: Janes19. Ukraine's DELTA integrates air, surface and subsurface drones at NATO REPMUS 26
In "Ukraine DELTA system confirms NATO compatibility at REPMUS 2026," Ukraine's MoD says every asset sending STANAG 4817 telemetry (aerial, surface and subsurface drones plus radars) was integrated into DELTA at the Portuguese Navy-led exercise.
- Drills covered reconnaissance, maritime monitoring, maneuvering, escort and simulated engagement. MoD reported uninterrupted operation under unstable connectivity.
- Janes (Oct. 16) notes STANAG 4817 has been ratified and is moving to delivery. The MoD release is dated Oct. 14, so this is older than the window but not previously covered.
Sources: mod.gov.ua (confirmed loads) · Janes20. JTF-Gold: the task force turning Golden Dome (drones to hypersonics) into an operational system
In "Meet the Task Force Trying to Turn Golden Dome Into Reality," Air & Space Forces Magazine profiles NORTHCOM's ~100-person JTF-Gold. It is led by SMDC's Lt. Gen. John Rafferty and focused on site surveys, defensive cyber and operator training for the missile- and drone-defense architecture.
- Fort Story, Va., is the first confirmed hub. The next industry/agency planning sprint is in late October.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine21. Commentary: no shared lexicon is stalling responsible military AI
In "The lack of a shared lexicon is undermining responsible AI-military integration," Jason Warner (AIMID) and Sofia Romansky (HCSS) argue that "autonomy" means different things to generals, engineers, lawyers and rights advocates, and that the data is scattered.
- They cite REAIM and UNIDIR calls for shared knowledge bases. Disclosure: Warner is CEO of AIMID, the database the piece promotes.
Sources: Defense One22. arXiv: hard coverage ceilings for drone-mesh interceptor defense
In "Feasibility Ceilings Before Learning: Sizing and Timing Bounds for Drone-Mesh Interception" (arXiv 2610.20823, submitted Oct. 14), Dmytro Babarytskyi derives closed-form bounds on how well a mesh of interceptors can cover a predicted arrival point.
- While agents stay at least 2r apart, no mesh exceeds 90.69% planar coverage or 74.05% in a volume. A one-sigma aim-point bias costs 14 points of coverage.
- Analytic placement reaches 85% of the achievable ceiling, versus 15% average for centralized PPO.
Sources: arXiv23. Counter-UAS contract vehicles: Leonardo DRS JIATF-401 IDIQ; Honeywell on DHS C-UAS IDIQ
In "Leonardo DRS Awarded JIATF-401 IDIQ Contract...," the company says it won a $500M-ceiling, three-year IDIQ to compete for task orders delivering C-UAS sensing for force protection and low-altitude air defense.
- Honeywell says its subsidiary EMS Defense Technologies was selected for Track 1 of DHS's multiple-award C-UAS IDIQ, which has a $1.5B shared ceiling.
- Both are company announcements (DRS dated Oct. 14). Inside Defense separately reported the JIATF 401 award. No .gov award notice was found.
24. MARTAC adds SEA.AI edge machine vision across its USV fleet
In "MARTAC USVs Gain Real-Time Machine Vision from SEA.AI," Naval News reports (from a SEA.AI release) that SEA.AI's EO/IR system now classifies contacts on board MARTAC USVs. It reports type, heading and proximity without a human watching video.
- Pitched at dark, spoofed and small contacts that radar and AIS miss. MARTAC's T38 recently completed an 8-day autonomous mission more than 400 nm offshore.
Sources: Naval News (SEA.AI release)25. @TimOnPoint questions China's obstacle-clearing USV concept
In a Friday post quoting imagery of a "Chinese unmanned surface vehicle (USV) intended for demolishing obstacles," @TimOnPoint wrote: "Blowing an obstacle under water requires intimate contact between the charge and the obstacle – getting close isn't good enough."
- Posted 5:42 PM ET Oct. 16. 1.3K views, 47 likes, 8 replies. The quoted @EurasiaNaval post dates from Aug. 2025.
Sources: X post