AUTOWAR25 Afternoon Edition
The FCC votes Thursday to open 50 MHz of the 800 MHz cellular band to drones, lifting a 35-year-old ban on airborne use, and three sea drones hit the container ship Contship Jet off Bulgaria, where all 18 crew were rescued. The Army opened two Indiana National Guard sites to commercial drone and counter-drone testing, and Zelensky said October's Starshield slowdown grounded 2,000 European-funded Bars interceptor drones. DIU's acting director said drone needs are "measured in hundreds of thousands just to train," and a Ukrainian ground robot drove most of a 20 km supply run on its own.
1. The FCC will vote Thursday to open 50 MHz of the 800 MHz cellular band to drones, lifting a 35-year-old ban on airborne use
In "FCC to Open Huge Swath of Cellular Spectrum for Drones" (Oct. 27), the Federal Communications Commission says it will vote at its Oct. 29 open meeting on a Report and Order letting drones use 50 megahertz of licensed, nationwide, low-band spectrum in the 800 MHz Cellular band.
- The draft order modifies section 22.925 of FCC rules to allow drone use of the band for command, control, communication and payload links, and adds a primary mobile allocation for UAS, per the FCC fact sheet.
- The FCC says modern networks can prevent drone interference, so the 1991-era "airborne" restriction is no longer needed; the ban on passengers using phones in flight stays.
- AT&T, Verizon, Amazon, CTIA, AUVSI, Red Cat, Ondas and DRONERESPONDERS backed the move; Red Cat and Dracoe cite defense as well as commercial users.
- The change does not itself authorize beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights; FAA rules still apply, DroneLife reports.
2. Three sea drones hit the container ship Contship Jet off Bulgaria, leaving it badly damaged and listing; all 18 crew are rescued
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov says the Liberian-flagged ship "was hit...with three naval drones, approximately 21 miles southeast of Shabla" on Wednesday, in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Reuters and AP report.
- Bulgaria's transport ministry says navy and border-police boats rescued the 14 Filipino and four Ukrainian crew; the ship was sailing from Haifa to Constanța with 421 containers.
- A maritime security source says the ship was badly damaged and listing; no one has claimed the attack.
- At least six merchant ships have been attacked off Bulgaria in recent weeks, likely killing about two dozen seafarers, Reuters reports; Moscow denies involvement.
- Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler warned Russia and Ukraine against attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea.
3. The Army opens two Indiana National Guard sites, Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck, to commercial drone and counter-drone testing
In "Army expands test range initiative to Indiana National Guard sites, boosting commercial drone testing options" (army.mil, Oct. 28), Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle adds both sites to the Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative at the Northeast Indiana Defense Summit.
- Camp Atterbury offers more than 34,000 acres and a restricted airspace corridor up to 40,000 feet; Muscatatuck is a 1,000-acre urban site for testing drone and counter-drone navigation and tracking.
- Companies request access through testrange.army.mil, and an ATEC "concierge" team schedules the tests with the Indiana Guard.
- "The Army is throwing open our doors to American innovators and tearing down bureaucratic red tape," Telle says.
- Indiana's senators had asked for the designation in a Sept. 30 letter.
4. Zelensky says the October Starshield slowdown grounded 2,000 European-funded Bars interceptor drones just after one downed a Shahed in testing
"They tested it, and it destroyed a Shahed. We were very happy. And then Starshield stopped working," President Zelensky told journalists Oct. 27, Interfax-Ukraine and Militarnyi report.
- A European country paid for the 2,000 Bars interceptors, he said; he did not name it.
- Zelensky says he doesn't know who ordered the shutoff, and that Ukraine uses Starshield on its own territory, mainly for logistics and against Shaheds and jet drones.
- Ukraine now downs about 90% of Shaheds, up from 50–75% early on, he said.
- Ukraine's defense minister reported full speeds restored Oct. 24 after terminals lost service above roughly 72–161 km/h from Oct. 14.
Sources: Interfax-Ukraine · Militarnyi5. DIU acting director Travis Metz says the military needs drones "measured in hundreds of thousands just to train" and wants two to four mass producers
In "The military's $1 billion drone plan to take on China" (Washington Examiner, Oct. 27), Metz describes the Drone Dominance Program, which DIU shared Oct. 28.
- The department expects to spend $1.1 billion on roughly 300,000 drones across all Gauntlet rounds, with Gauntlets 2.5, 3 and 4 still to come in the next year or so.
- Gauntlet I bought 30,000 drones for about $150 million from 11 companies; Gauntlet II, 60,000 for $300 million from nine; 16 companies have contracts so far.
- Metz wants the services to settle on two to four companies to mass-produce small drones, avoiding single-supplier risk.
- Gauntlet II orders were the first to bar Chinese brushless motors and battery packs; most Gauntlet I drones have been delivered.
6. A Ukrainian ground robot drives 93% of a 20 km front-line supply run on its own, a first for the Khartiia corps' Lava regiment
The Lava Unmanned Systems Regiment of Ukraine's National Guard 2nd Corps "Khartiia" says its AI-enabled UGV completed its first autonomous logistics mission in the Kharkiv sector, Militarnyi and LB.ua report.
- The operator took control for only 1.4 km of the route.
- A scout vehicle first maps the route with lidar into a 3D model; cameras and AI then handle the road, verges and obstacles in real time.
- "The operator stops being a driver and becomes a dispatcher," says UGV battalion commander Andrii "Matematyk" Kopach; the goal is one dispatcher for several robots, with less dependence on Starlink.
- Apex.AI built the software; casualty evacuation is the next planned use.
7. Ukraine's military intelligence says Russia is building a jet-drone launch site near Millerovo that could handle up to 100 launches a day
HUR said Oct. 28, citing satellite imagery, that the site 3.5 km from Millerovo airfield in Rostov Oblast, about 20 km from Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, is built to prepare and launch jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, the Kyiv Independent reports.
- There were no significant signs of construction in late August; launch positions and infrastructure have gone up since.
- HUR says it may be part of preparations to step up attacks this winter; actual tempo depends on drone, fuel and warhead supply and trained crews.
- The updated Geran-4 adds autonomous navigation and a new warhead for bridges and power pylons, HUR says.
- Russia has at least 12 drone launch sites; Geran-4 and -5 ranges are put at 770 and 950 km.
Sources: Kyiv Independent8. Ukraine's Azov corps says its drone units have struck more than 100 trains supplying Russian forces
The press service of the National Guard's 1st Corps "Azov" reported the strikes Oct. 28 and released footage, Militarnyi and Interfax-Ukraine report.
- The strikes disabled locomotives, fuel tank cars and other rail equipment on trains feeding the front line.
- Russia is trying to protect rail routes with mobile fire groups and electronic warfare, without fully shielding key hubs, the corps says.
- The Come Back Alive Foundation supplied 440 Starlink Mini terminals that supported the operations.
Sources: Militarnyi · Interfax-Ukraine9. Drones set fire to the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, one of Russia's largest, the Tula governor confirms
Tula Oblast Governor Dmitry Milyaev confirmed a drone attack damaged Novomoskovsk's industrial zone, homes and infrastructure overnight into Oct. 28, and geolocated footage shows a large smoke column over the Azot plant, Ukrainska Pravda and GeoConfirmed report.
- Milyaev later reported one person injured.
- Ukrainian outlets say the fire likely hit an ammonia production unit; authorities sent environmental labs to check for leaks.
- Ukraine has not detailed the strike.
10. The Netherlands prepares a €500 million military package focused on air defense and starts a joint "Bliksem" air-defense project with Ukraine
President Zelensky announced the package Oct. 28 in the Netherlands after meeting Prime Minister Rob Jetten, saying it is particularly important for repelling Russian air attacks, Kyiv Post reports.
- Ukrainian and Dutch teams have been tasked with the Bliksem air-defense project, with work already underway; few details were given.
- Talks with Dutch and Ukrainian defense and software companies covered defense production, joint technology and air defense.
- The Netherlands also pledged €1.2 billion in non-military aid for 2027–29.
11. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine names AI, which he calls "super intelligence," as one of his three strategic priorities, ahead of ongoing operations
In "Caine Says Super Intelligence Is a Strategic Priority" (DoW News, Oct. 27), Gen. Dan Caine tells the NDTA-U.S. Transportation Command fall meeting in Grapevine, Texas, that his priorities are "No. 1 ... a budget. ... No. 2 is [super intelligence], and No. 3 is ongoing operations."
- Caine says SI will be essential for winning tactical engagements, logistics and sustainment, and command and control.
- He expects the volume of kinetic and cyber actions between the U.S. and an adversary to be "significant" enough to need machine help.
- He stresses training leaders, systems and models while keeping humans appropriately involved, and says the military must match the private sector's "speed and tempo."
- "Super intelligence" is the term a Sept. 29 executive order directs agencies to use in place of "artificial intelligence," Defence Blog notes.
12. The Navy's drone-boat chief says some uncrewed craft in the Iran war have topped 1,000 hours, and the fight is teaching hard lessons on sustainment and electronic warfare
In "Iran War Teaching Navy to Prioritize Sustainment, EW in Future Maritime Robots" (National Defense, Oct. 27), Christopher Miller, the Navy's direct reporting portfolio manager for robotic and autonomous systems, tells the Ironclad Maritime Summit that sustainment must be planned sooner.
- "I've got craft out there that are pushing over 1,000 hours now that were never intended for that," Miller says.
- Uncrewed systems need alternatives to GPS; "We have learned some hard lessons in the Centcom [area of responsibility]" about operating under electronic warfare, he says.
- Rear Adm. Melvin Smith, commander of the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Center, says manpower-heavy drones are "untenable in the long term" for expeditionary use.
- Lessons from theater are already going into the next gear sent for the same missions, Smith says.
Sources: National Defense · @NationalDefense post13. Russia launches a ballistic missile and 88 drones at Ukraine overnight; air defenses down or jam 71, including 31 jet-powered Shaheds
Ukraine's Air Force says Russia attacked from 6 p.m. Oct. 27 with an Iskander-M/S-400 missile from Taganrog and 88 Shahed (38 jet-powered), Gerbera and decoy drones plus S8000 Banderol/Dan-T missiles, Ukrainska Pravda and Ukrinform report.
- As of 8 a.m., 71 drones were shot down or suppressed, including 31 of the jet-powered Shaheds.
- Hits were recorded at eight locations and debris fell at two; several drones were still in the air.
- Aviation, missile units, electronic warfare, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups repelled the attack, the Air Force says.
- This follows Monday night's attack of 280 drones and ballistic missiles centered on Kyiv.
14. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and South Korea's air chief sign a letter of intent to cooperate on autonomous collaborative platforms
Gen. Ken Wilsbach posted Oct. 27 that he and ROK Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Son Sug Rag "signed a letter of intent to advance U.S.-ROK collaboration on autonomous platforms" at the Sacheon ADEX air show.
- Yonhap reports the Oct. 22 letter covers manned-unmanned teaming, including interoperability and mission-data sharing.
- Korean outlets say the two air forces plan to work together from the early development stage of unmanned aircraft that team with crewed fighters.
- Neither side has released the text of the letter or named specific programs.
15. China is testing a semi-submersible trimaran missile carrier, likely uncrewed or lightly crewed, with an estimated 16 missiles
In "China's New Trimaran Submarine: 16 Missiles And An Unconventional Design" (Naval News, Oct. 2026), imagery shows a roughly 65 m semi-submersible trimaran, first seen at Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou and now at Huludao.
- It appears to carry 16–18 missiles in two hangars and must surface and raise launchers to fire.
- Stern outriggers provide stability and propulsion, and a snorkel supports submerged diesel running.
- China has announced no designation, mission or missile type.
- Militarnyi describes it as combining a semi-submersible missile carrier with an uncrewed platform.
Sources: Naval News · Militarnyi16. Greece parades Greek-made loitering munitions, a strike drone boat and counter-drone systems in Thessaloniki under its Agenda 2030 plan
Greece used the Oct. 28 Oxi Day parade in Thessaloniki to show new systems from its Agenda 2030 modernization, To Vima and ProtoThema report.
- The Greek-made "Arpyia" one-way attack drone uses autonomous navigation and low-altitude flight, ProtoThema reports.
- The "Anemogianis" uncrewed surface vessel, built for maritime area denial, carries a 50 kg warhead at up to 75 km/h, per ProtoThema.
- Counter-drone platforms Kentauros and Hyperion, ground robots and surveillance drones also appeared, alongside the "Achilles' Shield" air-defense umbrella.
Sources: To Vima · ProtoThema17. Satellite images show damage at two Omsk chemical plants and a gutted Ozon warehouse after Ukraine's drone strike more than 2,400 km away
Militarnyi reports new satellite imagery of the Oct. 24 strike on Omsk, showing damage at the Omsky Kauchuk petrochemical plant's gas-fractionation workshop and to Poliom pipelines.
- One section of Ozon's logistics warehouse was completely burned out and another partly damaged.
- More than 40 tonnes of polypropylene burned, according to the report.
- Militarnyi says Ukrainian FP-1 long-range drones carried out the strike, confirmed by local authorities and Ozon.
Sources: Militarnyi18. Canadian volunteer Jesse Adams is killed by a Russian FPV drone while evacuating animals near Kramatorsk
Adams, co-founder of B.C.'s RainCoast Dog Rescue Society, died after an FPV drone hit his vehicle's windshield on Oct. 25 as he evacuated animals in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainska Pravda and CBC News report.
- He was taken to hospital and died despite emergency surgery.
- Friends describe him as having rescued hundreds of animals in Ukraine.
- Russian FPV drones increasingly hit civilian traffic well behind the front line.
19. A U.S. Army colonel who watched Ukraine fix jammed drones in hours says Pentagon buying should reward how fast suppliers adapt
In "I Saw Ukraine's Rapid Adaptation Cycle in Action, and This is What the US Military Should Learn from It" (Modern War Institute), Col. Rachael Hoagland contrasts Ukraine's hours-to-days drone fixes with U.S. processes that can take one to two years.
- When Russian electronic warfare disrupted drones, Ukrainian engineers changed frequencies, antennas or navigation and sent them back to the fight, she writes.
- She recommends judging suppliers on their ability to adapt to new threats, using live Ukrainian threat data in testing.
- She also calls for faster iteration, feedback loops and "fail fast" incentives.
Sources: Modern War Institute · @MWI_editor post20. Quantum Systems opens a Japan subsidiary and signs agreements with Mitsubishi Chemical and Panasonic to build drones for Japan's Self-Defense Forces
The German drone maker announced Quantum Systems Japan G.K. and a Tokyo office during Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Oct. 28 visit to Japan, Militarnyi reports.
- The office will adapt uncrewed systems to Japan Self-Defense Forces needs.
- It will offer air, land and maritime systems tied together by its MOSAIC UXS software.
- "Ukraine had demonstrated why this mattered," co-CEO Sven Kruck says.
- The company opened a development center in Huntsville, Ala., in August.
Sources: Militarnyi21. Quantum-Systems shows its Reliant long-range VTOL drone armed with 82 mm mortar rounds and 40 mm grenades
In "German drone maker unveils armed version of its Reliant spy drone" (Defence Blog, Oct. 28), Quantum-Systems Inc. CEO Dave Sharpin shares images of the reconnaissance drone carrying mixed munitions on its wing hardpoints, crediting partner Orbital.
- Reliant is a Group 2 hybrid-electric VTOL drone with a 3.9 m wingspan and more than 10 hours of endurance.
- The armed configuration grows out of a version built for U.S. customers with hardpoints that can drop munitions or smaller drones.
- The company has also shown Reliant as a carrier for Neros' Archer FPV attack drone.
- Quantum-Systems has offered Reliant to the German military and U.S. buyers.
22. CX2's Vadris, an FPV-mounted sensor that hunts the operators behind enemy drones, is added to JIATF-401's counter-UAS marketplace
CX2 posted Oct. 28: "CX2's Vadris has been selected for inclusion in the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) Counter-UAS Marketplace."
- Mounted on an FPV drone, Vadris detects RF emissions and gives real-time direction to the operators and control stations behind enemy drones, the company says.
- "Hunt the Archer, Not the Arrow," the company says.
- The marketplace gives U.S. forces a streamlined path to buy listed systems; JIATF-401 has not commented.
Sources: @CX2_Industries post23. Lidar maker Innoviz says it saw strong counter-drone demand at AUSA for its Perciz sensor in U.S. defense and homeland security
In "Innoviz Sees Strong Counter-UAS Demand at AUSA 2026" (PR Newswire, Oct. 28), the lidar supplier pitches its Perciz sensor for U.S. counter-UAS work.
- The release positions Perciz for U.S. defense and homeland security counter-drone markets.
- Innoviz says buyers want precise, real-time 3D drone localization and identification, including against fiber-optic drones that evade RF detection and jamming.
- It is a company release; Innoviz says it is pursuing opportunities with U.S. integrators and primes but named no orders.
Sources: PR Newswire24. "Readiness Is an Ability, Not a Condition": Timothy Wood argues Ukraine's drone adaptation shows the U.S. military measures the wrong thing
In an X Article posted Oct. 28, Timothy Wood argues that readiness is an organization's ability to generate capability under changing conditions, not the condition of the force on a readiness report.
- He cites Col. Rachael Hoagland's Modern War Institute account of Ukrainian engineers fixing EW-jammed drones within hours or days.
- He frames readiness as Generative Capacity × Adaptation Velocity, which he calls the "Catalytic Layer."
- He names four traps: preaching initiative while requiring permission, rewarding compliance, headquarters consuming units' spare capacity, and mistaking control for capability.
25. A Ukrainian ground-robot unit commander says strike UGVs saved about 2,500 lives in the "Vivaldi" operation, carrying out more than 200 strikes
Analyst David Kirichenko posted Oct. 27 a quote from The Defender's interview "How 'Makar' is building the NC13 ground strike drone unit and what role it played in 'Vivaldi'": "Thanks to striking UGVs in Vivaldi, about 2,500 lives were saved."
- The quote says the robotic systems carried out more than 200 strikes and 94 assault and sabotage operations "without risk to Ukrainian troops."
- The figures come from the unit commander and haven't been independently verified.
- Samuel Bendett reposted the post.
Sources: @DVKirichenko post · The Defender interview
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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:
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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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