AUTOWAR25 Morning Edition
Russia struck Kyiv overnight with ballistic missiles and 280 attack drones, hitting a university campus, the Southern Bridge and medical facilities, while Ukrainian drones reportedly blew up a Russian ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk. U.S. Marines flew live-warhead Neros Archer attack drones into targets at Camp Fuji, Japan, for the first time, and Saudi air defenses downed Houthi drones and missiles aimed at the kingdom. Sudan's drone-driven blackout, SOUTHCOM's embrace of autonomy and a new Navy-Marine Maven air-defense dashboard round out the top stories.
1. Russia hits Kyiv with ballistic missiles and 280 attack drones overnight, striking a university campus, the Southern Bridge and medical facilities
Ukraine's Air Force says Russia launched Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles and 280 Shahed, Gerbera and decoy drones from 6 p.m. Oct. 26, with Kyiv the main target, and that 255 drones and two missiles were shot down or jammed by 9 a.m., the Kyiv Independent and Ukrinform report.
- 69 of the Shahed-type drones were jet-powered; 56 of those were downed, the Air Force says.
- Hits were recorded at 25 locations and debris fell at 16; several drones were still in the air at the time of the report.
- At least one person was killed and 15 injured in Kyiv, including a paramedic and a university student, the State Emergency Service says.
- President Zelensky says Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles and calls the strike on the Southern Bridge "a serious escalation" against Ukraine's logistics.
2. U.S. Marines fly live-warhead Neros Archer one-way attack drones into targets at Camp Fuji, Japan, for the first time
In "Marines Test Neros Archer at CATC Camp Fuji for First Time" (DVIDS), Battalion Landing Team 1/1 of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit flies the first-person-view strike drone in its live kinetic variant on Oct. 20 at the foot of Mount Fuji.
- Both flights, including an anti-armor ambush scenario, destroyed their targets with no unexploded drones left on the range, Defence Blog reports from the release.
- "Neros Archer is the current Marine Corps' program of record for one-way attack drones flown by a first-person view pilot," says Camp Fuji Gunner CWO2 Stephen Bilbo.
- The pilots were junior Marines trained in a three-week course, per the battalion.
- It follows the Marines' first live-fire FPV training in South Korea in July and August, with strikes out to about 20 km.
3. Sudan's RSF hits five power stations with drones in a coordinated pre-dawn attack, blacking out four army-held states, the state electricity company says
In a statement Monday, the Sudan Electricity Holding Company says Rapid Support Forces drones struck the Singa, El Hawata, Al Fao, Mashkour and Al-Junaid stations, causing "severe damage" and a total blackout of the southeastern grid, Reuters and AFP report.
- Power was cut in Sennar, Gedaref, White Nile and Gezira states, about half the territory the army holds, and the operator says the national grid's stability is threatened.
- AFP's correspondent in Al-Jazira says power had been out since 2 a.m.; the RSF did not respond to requests for comment.
- Sudan Tribune reports a guard was injured at Singa and the RSF also tried to hit fuel depots at Um Alila.
- Both sides have stepped up drone strikes this month, including attacks on RSF-held Nyala and army-held Khartoum airport, Reuters says.
4. Saudi air defenses shoot down four Houthi drones and three ballistic missiles aimed at the kingdom, the Saudi-led coalition says
In statements carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday, coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki says four drones launched toward the Southern Region and three missiles aimed at the Eastern Province were intercepted, with no casualties.
- Saudi Civil Defense issued alerts around 3 a.m. local time for the Eastern Province and Al-Kharj before giving the all-clear.
- The coalition also reported downing three drones over Riyadh and the southern region on Monday evening, Al Jazeera reports.
- A Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport this month killed at least 13 people.
- There was no immediate Houthi comment.
5. SOUTHCOM's commander says autonomous systems are "not just for testing anymore" and wants a river-reconnaissance mix of drone boats, aircraft and underwater vehicles for the counter-drug fight
In "EXCLUSIVE: SOUTHCOM chief seeks unmanned river solution as he embraces autonomy" (Breaking Defense, Oct. 26), Gen. Francis Donovan says he wants a "tailorable mix of unmanned surface, air and sub surface autonomous platforms" to map how criminal networks use South and Central American rivers.
- Saronic Corsair drone boats moved to Guantanamo Bay are now deployed on both sides of the Panama Canal, assisting local forces and canal security, Donovan says.
- SOUTHCOM's Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC) runs a training and test site at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay that is open to allies, agencies and industry: "We are open for business."
- Autonomous systems "will be used to take the fight to the enemy," he says.
- The interview took place Oct. 13.
Sources: Breaking Defense6. The Navy and Marine Corps demo a Maven Smart System air-defense dashboard that puts incoming threats and available defenses on one screen
In "Navy, Marine Corps demonstrate prototype air-defense decision tool at WTI" (Department of the Navy release), the Maven Smart System Regional Air Defense Commander Dashboard C2 Tool is shown Oct. 5 at Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 1-27 at MCAS Yuma.
- The Navy's Overmatch Rapid Capability Cell built the prototype inside the existing Palantir-built Maven environment in under two months, Defence Blog reports.
- Project Dynamis and Task Force Maven led the Marine side, with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing as sponsor.
- "Ready-to-use C2 tools are critical," says 3rd MAW assistant wing commander Brig. Gen. Dolberry Jr.
7. A massive drone attack on Voronezh kills two men, the governor says, and likely hits a petrochemical plant, an Ilyushin aircraft factory and a bridge
In "Drone attack on Russia's Voronezh region kills two men, governor says" (Reuters, Oct. 26), Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev reports deaths and fires at several industrial sites in the city after an overnight drone attack.
- Militarnyi reports the Voronezhsintezkauchuk synthetic-rubber plant, which OSINT Varta links to defense supply chains, was likely hit.
- Local monitors say the Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Company, part of Ilyushin, was also likely struck; it builds the Il-96-400M and parts for other aircraft.
- The Northern Bridge across the Voronezh Reservoir was reportedly struck and closed to traffic.
- ASTRA footage appears to show a drone exploding at the 25-story Chizhov Gallery business center; the Kyiv Independent couldn't verify the extent of damage.
8. Iran's army says it shot down a U.S. LUCAS one-way attack drone over Bandar Abbas and circulates debris photos; CENTCOM hasn't addressed the claim
In "Iranian army says it shot down US drone over Bandar Abbas, Tasnim reports" (Reuters, Oct. 25), Iran's army says its unified air defense network destroyed a U.S. LUCAS drone over the southern port near the Strait of Hormuz.
- The claim comes from Iran's army via the semi-official Tasnim news agency (claim, not independently verified).
- Photos of what Iranian outlets say is the wreckage, including propellers and engine parts laid out on tarps, circulated widely on X on Sunday.
- CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper flew over the Strait of Hormuz on Oct. 25; CENTCOM's account of the visit doesn't mention the drone claim.
- LUCAS is the low-cost U.S. one-way attack drone the Army is training units to employ.
9. DIU and the Navy's DRPM RAS open SWAP-USV Sprint 2, a prize challenge for drone boats armed with hard-kill counter-air weapons, with proposals due Nov. 30
In "We are scaling distributed maritime air defense" (Oct. 23), the Navy's Direct Reporting Program Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems says it has launched SWAP Sprint 2 with DIU and DRPM UxS, and DIU's solicitation seeks production-ready USVs paired with mature counter-air effectors that can be fielded forward within 120 days.
- Four weapon tracks: Hellfire/JAGM, APKWS rockets, remote weapon stations with Stinger, machine guns or high-power lasers, and other mature effectors.
- Thresholds: 200 nautical miles of range, a 10-knot cruise and engagements beyond 3 nautical miles against Group 1–3 drones and helicopters, under human-in-the-loop control.
- Up to $40 million in prizes for Sprint 2, with $200 million budgeted for follow-on prototype or production deals; in-water testing is planned for early 2027 at Little Creek, Va.
- DIU posted updated FAQs on Oct. 26, including how to obtain the Category 1 technical data package; The Defense Post also covered the sprint.
10. AUKUS partners run more than 40 crewed, uncrewed and autonomous systems off Southern California in Maritime Big Play Pacific, "from seafloor to space"
In "U.S., Australia, U.K. Launch Maritime Demonstration to Enhance Interoperability" (war.gov, Oct. 22), the Pentagon says the demonstration runs Oct. 5–26 and is testing how the three nations jointly operate uncrewed maritime systems and share maritime data in real time.
- Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies Michael Dodd: "It's certainly all autonomous systems ... in the domains from seafloor to space."
- Dodd says the goal is to "deter major conflicts by creating a disparity of technological capability."
- Maritime Big Play was the first project under AUKUS Pillar 2's new model and led to its first signature project, announced in May: payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed undersea vehicles.
- Saronic says it fielded three Corsair drone boats across the three nations, including a pier resupply run with communications partly denied, Defence Blog reports Oct. 27.
11. Owen West says Drone Dominance "will soon expand in domain and size" as DIU lines up orders for 60,000 small attack drones from nine companies
Owen West (DoW), personal X account, wrote Oct. 24: "The U.S. invented drones. Yet our military failed to cheapen and scale for troops doing the fighting and dying. Drone Dominance will soon expand in domain and size."
- West: FPVs "were a fitting start to ensure grunts have an option beyond close contact and an endless air permission queue."
- DIU's Gauntlet II leaderboard sets up 30,000 drones in Deep Strike and 30,000 in Close Quarters Battle, per Defence Blog.
- Neros placed in both categories and says it is "delivering 14,000 drones and explosive payloads."
- West did not say which domains come next or when.
12. Project Agincourt marks the 611th anniversary of the battle it's named for, pledging to "rapidly adapt, field, and scale unmanned capabilities across the joint force"
Project Agincourt's official account posted Oct. 25: "611 years later, @SecWar's Project Agincourt is fusing operators with innovators to rapidly adapt, field, and scale unmanned capabilities across the joint force—transforming how we fight and win."
- The post marks Henry V's 1415 victory at Agincourt, where "the longbow changed warfare."
- It follows Secretary Hegseth's one-word "AUTOWARCOM" post on Oct. 24, quoting Owen West's summary of the plan for an Autonomous Warfare Command.
- The Oct. 21 war.gov release says the model measures success by how fast an operational problem gets a fielded, scalable solution.
- The roadmap letter was signed by Owen West and Senior Chief Max Strasiser.
13. Ukraine says Starlink and Starshield are back to full speed for its drones; Elon Musk says Ukraine broke Starlink's terms with drone strikes, and Kyiv says that was impossible
President Zelensky said Oct. 24 that "the speeds are now where they need to be," and Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Starshield was again working above 400 km/h, the Kyiv Independent reports, ending more than a week of limits that disrupted front-line drone work.
- Musk on X: Ukraine's "military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week."
- Zelensky adviser Serhii Beskrestnov: since February, terminals in Ukraine stop working above 70–90 km/h and Starlink is off over Russia, so "we physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep strikes," Defence Blog reports.
- Moving terminals must be registered and routed through Starshield, which Musk says "is controlled by the US government."
- ISW says Ukrainian officials confirmed unrestricted access on Oct. 24. This follows Sen. Blumenthal's probe into the restrictions, with answers due from the Pentagon by Nov. 5.
14. MacDill Air Force Base trains with JIATF-401 on two drone interceptors: the net-firing Paladin and the ramming Bumblebee V2
In "A new sting in drone defense: Bumblebee V2 arrives at MacDill" (6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs, Oct. 23), the base shows 6th Security Forces Squadron defenders training Oct. 8 with Joint Interagency Task Force 401 on counter-drone interceptors.
- Paladin, a six-rotor drone from Zone 5 Technologies, fires net rounds that tangle a target's rotors, avoiding bullets or fragments over the base, Defence Blog reports.
- The Bumblebee V2 brings down hostile drones by direct collision and is described as a low-cost option for layered base defense.
- The Air Force hasn't said how many systems took part, whether live intercepts happened or whether it will buy Paladin.
- MacDill hosts CENTCOM and SOCOM headquarters.
15. DARPA's RACER robot team at Fort Knox drove and searched on its own from a satellite-imagery tip to a simulated strike, with a human approving every engagement
In "DARPA tests autonomous vehicles that team up to find enemy targets" (Defence Blog, Oct. 25), DARPA describes the Oct. 15 end-to-end test of four uncrewed ground vehicles running autonomy software from its RACER program at Fort Knox's St. Vith Range.
- DARPA's Dr. Jason Gregory: "We can drop a ten-digit grid on a traversable mobility corridor" and the vehicles drive it "comparable to a human."
- The lead vehicle carried a boxed drone that could scout a target or, armed, attack it from the air.
- Each detection goes to an operator as an image; nothing fires without human approval.
- DARPA is now adding kinetic and non-kinetic payloads; EUCOM asked for the test.
16. After Ukrainian drones hit five Russian data centers, Russia's digital ministry tells operators to go underground, hide from the air and add drone defenses
In "Russian ministry recommends underground data centers following Ukrainian drone strikes" (Kyiv Independent, Oct. 26, citing Kommersant), Russia's Digital Development Ministry sets drone-protection rules for existing, planned and under-construction data centers.
- Sites are split into three tiers; the top tier covers strategic sites whose loss could disrupt key state functions for an hour or more, and placement underground is one of the criteria.
- Existing sites should cut their visibility from the air and add layered defenses: reinforced structures, electronic warfare and counter-drone systems.
- It follows Ukrainian drone strikes on three Yandex data centers, a Sberbank site under construction and a VK data center between Oct. 8 and Oct. 18.
- Kommersant says the rules also call for backups of critical services and coordination with the Defense Ministry and Rosgvardia.
17. Project Meridian's "Future of Warfare" group met at Maritime Big Play in San Diego this week, the Pentagon's technology office says, under a 120-day sprint ordered by the Secretary of War
The Department of War's chief technology office (OUSW(R&E)) posted Oct. 24 that "the disruptive minds of Project Meridian" received briefings from department leaders and held working sessions at the Navy's Maritime Big Play, a day after Secretary Pete Hegseth said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is co-leading the effort.
- The office: "The fight of 2040 is being shaped TODAY," and the Secretary's "120-day sprint mandate is driving bold thinking about the future of combat."
- Hegseth (DoW), personal X account, Oct. 23: the department "will dominate all domains of future fights"; Gingrich had spent an afternoon at the Pentagon on drones and autonomous vehicles.
- Hegseth reposted the technology office's update on Oct. 24.
- The Pentagon still hasn't published Project Meridian's membership, scope or budget.
18. A French Atlantique 2 and a U.S. Navy P-8A patrol the Black Sea after drone attacks on at least seven merchant ships off Romania and Bulgaria this month
In "France sends patrol planes to Black Sea after ship attacks" (Defence Blog, Oct. 25), France confirms its Atlantique 2 is supporting rescue efforts under NATO arrangements, and Bulgaria's prime minister says the P-8A began patrolling at Sofia's request.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev: allies responded "very quickly" after attacks in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
- Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the drone strike that capsized the cargo ship Khoryv off Constanța on Oct. 23; one crew member died and three are missing.
- Romanian F-16s shot down two Russian Geran drones heading for merchant ships on Oct. 17, Romanian authorities said.
- Militarnyi reported Oct. 25 that France's Atlantique 2 has been operating in the region for two weeks as part of NATO missions.
19. NPR reports from Fort Bragg on the U.S. military's push into drones and AI as Congress weighs safeguards for autonomous weapons
In "U.S. military forges ahead on autonomous weaponry" (NPR All Things Considered, Oct. 26), WUNC's Jay Price looks at Secretary Hegseth's new command for drones and AI alongside proposals in Congress to limit military AI.
- The piece notes Hegseth's announced command to accelerate drones and AI in warfare.
- One proposal discussed would require the Pentagon to keep data on battlefield decisions involving AI so mistakes can be understood and prevented.
Sources: NPR20. Ukrainian drones reportedly blow up a Russian ammunition depot near Khrustalnyi in occupied Luhansk Oblast, setting off over an hour of secondary blasts
In "Ukraine reportedly strikes Russian ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk Oblast" (Kyiv Independent, Oct. 27), monitoring channel Exilenova+ says a strike-drone attack lasting several hours hit the depot overnight.
- Exilenova+ posted night footage of a large fire with secondary detonations lasting more than an hour.
- Drones also hit the city of Luhansk for hours and part of the city lost power, Euromaidan Press reports.
- Neither Ukraine's General Staff nor Russia's Defense Ministry has confirmed the depot strike; Russia says it downed 222 drones overnight.
- Khrustalnyi, about 65 km southwest of Luhansk, is a Russian rear logistics hub.
21. Is the Pentagon's demand signal for drones working? Industry and Army officials are divided, Breaking Defense reports
In "Is the Pentagon's demand signal for drones working? It depends on who you ask." (Breaking Defense, Oct. 26), drone makers and officials debate whether competitions and awards will produce the steady orders needed for a lasting U.S. drone industry.
- "We need to see sustained, normalized demand," says Performance Drone Works CEO James Slider; 1,000 drones a month for a year would be "very healthy."
- Army Materiel Command's small-drone manufacturing lead Jon Strzelec says the department is trying to "artificially induce" demand signals.
- The Pentagon plans nearly $55 billion for autonomous warfare in its FY27 budget, but most of it was requested through a reconciliation package, leaving its future uncertain.
Sources: Breaking Defense22. Skyborne's Cerberus MI, a reusable drone that fires 40 mm grenades or shotgun rounds and flies home to reload, joins the Blue UAS Cleared List
In "Shotgun-armed drone gets Pentagon green light" (Defence Blog, Oct. 27), Skyborne Technologies says its 18 kg Group 2 Cerberus MI can now be bought and flown across the U.S. military without a policy exception.
- It carries a HAVOC 40 mm grenade launcher or CHAOS 12-gauge shotgun and flies about 35 minutes armed.
- EXITUS AI targeting software computes firing solutions from more than 300 meters, with a human deciding to fire.
- Skyborne pitches it as a reusable alternative to one-way attack drones on the Blue UAS list.
Sources: Defence Blog · @Defence_blog post23. Spain's ARMMO launches its Bandit-X interceptor drone from a tracked ASCOD armored vehicle at the ATLAS 26 counter-drone exercise
In "GDELS and ARMMO team up on mobile anti-drone system" (Defence Blog, Oct. 27), ARMMO and GDELS unit Santa Bárbara Sistemas announce the launch and a deal to integrate autonomous systems on armored vehicles.
- ARMMO says Bandit-X flies faster than 360 km/h, stays up 20 to 25 minutes and has a 40 to 50 km range; the launchers were first spotted on the ASCOD at the exercise last week.
- It navigates without satellite signals and guides itself in the final phase of an intercept, the company says.
- The launch was watched by Spain's Chief of the Defence Staff and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
Sources: Defence Blog · @Defence_blog post24. Auterion shows its shoulder-fired Talon drone interceptor on a test range with Germany's Bundeswehr
In "German troops test Auterion's Talon drone interceptor" (Defence Blog, Oct. 27), company footage shows one soldier firing Talon from a rifle-style launcher while a second steers it onto the target.
- Auterion, known for the autonomy software in thousands of Ukrainian strike drones, says Talon can take on single drones and swarms.
- The company didn't say where or when the trials took place or whether Talon destroyed any targets.
- CEO Lorenz Meier has said later versions will move to vehicle launchers and fixed site defense.
Sources: Defence Blog · @Defence_blog post25. Finnish drone-electronics maker Arctic RAVN raises about $2.8 million in five days before launching a single product
In "Finnish drone electronics maker raises $2.8M in five days" (Defence Blog, Oct. 27), Arctic RAVN says it secured €2.5 million in convertible loan commitments, beating a €2 million target.
- It makes electronic speed controllers and flight controllers built in Finland with European and NATO-sourced parts.
- It aims to build tens of thousands of speed controllers by the end of 2026, many already reserved by customers.
- CEO Matti Vansén cites follow-up orders and talks with several European defense manufacturers.
Sources: Defence Blog · @Defence_blog post
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How AUTOWAR25 ranks
Every edition, we scan official channels, news, industry, research, and social posts for the 25 most important developments in autonomous warfare: drones, counter-drone systems, uncrewed vessels and vehicles, and military AI.
Stories rank by source first:
- Official means governments, militaries, and their leaders speaking on the record.
- Premium/Press means established news outlets.
- Industry/Research means companies, think tanks, and published research.
- Social means notable posts from analysts, reporters, and practitioners.
Within each group, newer stories rank higher and engagement breaks ties. A company press release stays out of the top 10 until someone else reports on it. Ongoing marks a developing story, and Carryover marks one from a previous edition that's still moving. Claims from warring parties are labeled as claims, and anything we couldn't independently confirm is marked unverified.
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