AUTOWAR25 No. 21P · Afternoon Edition
The Pentagon says its unmanned systems office delivered more than 25,000 one-way attack drones, sea drones and counter-drone systems to CENTCOM this year for about $782 million, and its counter-drone task force bought new long-range radars for the region. The Navy's top officer told its robotic systems office to field drones now, France ordered an uncrewed combat submarine demonstrator, and DARPA's robot-and-loitering-munition team at Fort Knox drew fresh analysis. Shield AI says European X-BAT orders are coming, and Rafael unveiled its L-SPIKE loitering munitions.
1. The Pentagon's unmanned systems office says it delivered more than 25,000 drones, sea drones and counter-drone systems to CENTCOM this year for about $782 million
The Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) fielded over 1,300 one-way attack drones, over 100 surface and underwater drones and more than 24,000 counter-drone systems to U.S. Central Command, the Department of War said Wednesday.
- The counter-drone systems went out through JIATF-401, the department's counter-drone task force.
- "The thousands of systems operating across CENTCOM this year are just the beginning," said Owen West, CEO of Project Agincourt and DRPM-UxS; the goal is to scale them across the Joint Force.
- The department calls DRPM-UxS the operational foundation for the planned Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM), due to stand up by Oct. 1, 2027.
- Deliveries to CENTCOM will continue while fielding pipelines expand to the Pacific, European Command and the rest of the Joint Force.
Sources: war.gov release · Inside Defense2. JIATF-401 awards CHAOS 1 a $6.9 million contract for Vanquish Prime long-range counter-drone radars for U.S. forces in the Middle East
The Pentagon's counter-drone task force said Wednesday that CHAOS 1 will deliver Vanquish Prime radar systems to sites in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, with training and integration support.
- The radars add long-range detection and tracking as one layer of a layered defense against drones, the release says.
- JIATF-401, stood up nearly 15 months ago, replaced the Pentagon's previous counter-drone task force, which had no acquisition authority, Inside Defense notes.
- The award came the same day the department said it fielded more than 24,000 counter-drone systems to CENTCOM this year.
Sources: war.gov release · Inside Defense3. The Chief of Naval Operations tells the Navy's new robotic and autonomous systems office to field drones now: "Don't let perfect requirements, endless experimentation, or bureaucratic processes delay useful combat power"
Adm. Daryl Caudle met with leadership of the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) on Tuesday and stressed delivering capability with urgency, his office said.
- "Identify what we can field today, what we can rapidly improve, and what must be developed for tomorrow," Caudle said.
- DRPM RAS was set up in August to speed uncrewed systems directly to the fleet, the CNO's office said.
- The office is also planning a January cargo-drone demonstration for the Marine Corps (see #13).
Sources: CNO on X4. France signs Naval Group to build an operational demonstrator of a large oceangoing uncrewed combat submarine, with sea trials in 2028
France's Defense Innovation Agency signed a contract with Naval Group for an uncrewed combat underwater vehicle (UCUV) demonstrator that must show both endurance and autonomous decision-making, the Armed Forces ministry said late Tuesday, Defense News reports.
- Missions range from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to "more offensive neutralization actions," the ministry said.
- A "controlled autonomous decision-making system" will let it adapt to tactical situations, the environment and breakdowns, alone or with other systems.
- It must be air transportable and deployable from a pier or a surface vessel; it builds on Naval Group's self-funded 10-ton ocean-going drone demonstrator.
- The contract follows this week's launch of France's naval drone pact with industry; the 2026 budget set aside €30 million in commitments for the demonstrator.
5. Aviation Week looks at DARPA's Fort Knox demo, where one operator on a laptop ran a team of robot vehicles and loitering munitions through a simulated strike
Aviation Week says the demonstration of DARPA's RACER autonomy software marks a notable advance in human-supervised robotic warfare, in a new members-only analysis posted Wednesday.
- Four autonomous ground vehicles searched for and detected targets on their own from a satellite-imagery tip; a human approved every engagement, DARPA says.
- Three of the vehicles carried Anduril one-way attack drones for closer looks or strikes.
- "They don't pull the trigger until a human says pull the trigger," DARPA's program lead said.
- DARPA plans its next test in December, putting the vehicles in front of soldiers for feedback.
6. The U.S. clears Jordan to buy up to 1,500 APKWS laser-guided rockets, a cheap drone killer, for $100 million
The State Department approved the possible sale under congressional notification Transmittal 26-95, published Nov. 2, with BAE Systems as principal contractor, Defence Blog reports.
- The rockets can be configured for air-to-air, ground-to-air or air-to-ground use; the notice calls them "additional," so Jordan already flies APKWS.
- The State Department says they strengthen Jordan's air defense under the Middle East Air Defense pillar and protect U.S. forces in the kingdom.
- Jordan has repeatedly intercepted Iranian drones crossing its airspace; an APKWS guidance section costs roughly $15,000, far less than an air-to-air missile.
- It is the smallest of a run of 2026 APKWS approvals for Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Italy.
Sources: Defence Blog7. Shield AI says a "snowball" of European X-BAT orders and partnerships is coming soon, at a target price of about $25 million per aircraft
Cofounder Ryan Tseng told Breaking Defense at the International Fighter Conference in Munich that European deals will be announced "when we're ready," a day after Shield AI showed its first full-scale X-BAT prototype.
- X-BAT Europe director Andrew Hawkes said the company is in "several active" sales campaigns on the continent.
- Tseng said the per-aircraft cost could come down to $25 million, plus about $10 million for a higher-end sensor fit.
- Shield AI and the Navy are jointly investing $400 million in X-BAT, Breaking Defense reports.
Sources: Breaking Defense8. Rafael unveils L-SPIKE, a loitering munition family with AI target recognition that fires from launchers SPIKE users already own
Rafael presented the L-SPIKE family for the first time to its 48-country SPIKE user community at the 21st SPIKE Users Club meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, Defence Industry Europe and The Jerusalem Post report.
- The 50 kg L-SPIKE 4X flies up to 40 km on a turbojet, loiters 30 minutes, and one operator can control salvos of up to four, with GPS-jamming resistance.
- The 2.2 kg L-SPIKE 1X (formerly SPIKE Firefly) is a VTOL infantry munition that navigates without GPS using SLAM and AI tracking.
- Rafael says users can keep their existing launchers; SPIKE now has 13 production lines worldwide.
9. Germany orders an airborne laser pod demonstrator from MBDA, aimed at future Luftwaffe aircraft and drones that shoot down drones and cruise missiles
Germany's BAAINBw procurement office contracted MBDA Deutschland to build a pod-based airborne laser demonstrator, the country's first formal step toward aircraft-mounted laser weapons, TWZ reports.
- An MBDA rendering shows stealthy, fighter-like uncrewed aircraft carrying the laser pods.
- No contract value, power level, host aircraft or schedule has been released.
- It builds on the MBDA/Rheinmetall laser that shot down a drone from the frigate Sachsen in 2022 sea trials.
Sources: TWZ10. Russia and Ukraine traded hundreds of drones overnight; Moscow claims 709 Ukrainian drones downed as its own strikes hit power substations
Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted 709 Ukrainian drones over 14 regions, Crimea and the Azov and Black seas, while Russian strikes hit substations in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions, ABC News reports.
- Ukraine's Air Force said 272 Russian drones were shot down or suppressed by aviation, missiles, electronic warfare, drone units and mobile fire groups.
- Russia said it also hit a cargo ship carrying supplies for Ukraine's military in the Black Sea.
- Ukrainian strikes hit a large logistics center and a data center in Russia, ABC says; both sides' figures are unconfirmed.
Sources: ABC News11. 101st Airborne soldiers train on the Army's AMP-HEL laser at the Texas border, a 20-kilowatt drone killer already used against cartel drones
Troops from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment operated the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser on an Infantry Squad Vehicle near Fort Hancock, Texas, on Nov. 2, according to Department of War photos reported by Defence Blog.
- The military says AMP-HEL, built around AeroVironment's LOCUST laser, is now in use for counter-drone operations on the border under Operation Ardent Vanguard.
- Northern Command put its tally at 11 cartel-linked drones downed by Sept. 4; it has not said how many laser vehicles the task force has.
- In a 30-day span ending in late September, Joint Task Force-Southern Border logged 378 drone detections and 15 takedowns.
Sources: Defence Blog12. The CDAO's Edge SI Task Force embedded with Marines in Monterey to help build Corps-specific applications at a USMC hackathon
The Pentagon's Chief Digital and AI Office said Wednesday its Edge SI Task Force worked with the Marine Corps last week to build applications for the Corps "at scale" and invited others to future DoW hackathons.
- The post gave no details on the applications built.
Sources: CDAO post13. General Atomics lays out a family of autonomous jets beyond its FQ-42 CCA, including a 60-hour armed flying wing, as AFRL flies the XQ-67A in a new autonomy test program
General Atomics is working on NextGen, a large uncrewed flying wing for intelligence and strike missions with hybrid-electric propulsion for more than 60 hours aloft, spokesman C. Mark Brinkley told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
- NextGen work will feed a cheaper flying wing, Gambit 4; a Gambit 5 for carriers and a Gambit 3 "red air" adversary trainer are also in the works.
- General Atomics plans a live-fire event with a Gambit 6 ground-strike drone in early 2027.
- AFRL and the Air Force's Experimental Operations Unit flew the XQ-67A over Nevada under a new program called Demon APE, testing mission systems for collaborative reconnaissance drones.
- AFRL says the flight showed its autonomy architectures can reliably process and relay combat data over beyond-line-of-sight links.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine14. Corridian exits stealth with a $38 million seed to build ultra-large autonomous submarines for "stealth logistics" under the sea
The New England startup, led by Point72 Ventures, plans to unveil its flagship ultra-large autonomous undersea vehicle next year to carry ISO-standard containerized payloads long distances without a crew, Axios reports.
- Advisers include retired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, retired Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler and retired Rear Adm. Jamie Sands.
- Co-founder Mike Guay, a former Army field artillery officer, says it carries "whatever payloads our customers choose" and uses an aerospace-style manufacturing model to avoid crowding the submarine industrial base.
- Balerion Space Ventures, Harpoon Ventures, DCVC and Marlinspike joined the round; Corridian plans to double its workforce next year.
Sources: Axios15. Army soldiers set up Anduril's Heimdal counter-drone sensor trailer on the New Mexico border to spot cartel drones
Troops from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment put a Heimdal Mobile Trailer Kit in place near Chaparral, New Mexico, on Oct. 21 for Joint Task Force-Southern Border, according to military photos reported Wednesday by Defence Blog.
- Heimdal combines radar, thermal cameras and a continuously turning pan-and-tilt unit that find and track drones automatically.
- It is the sensor core of Anduril's counter-drone fly-away kit, which pairs it with Anvil interceptors, Pulsar EW and Wisp infrared sensors.
- The military didn't say how many units the task force has or whether it has detected real drones; most border drones are commercial quadcopters scouting for smugglers, officials say.
Sources: Defence Blog16. Saronic puts its second 180-foot Marauder autonomous ship in the water, built with 8% fewer labor hours than the first, and Hegseth calls it the "Arsenal of Freedom"
Saronic CEO Dino Mavrookas said Tuesday the second Marauder medium uncrewed surface vessel is in the water and running under its own power at the company's Franklin, Louisiana, shipyard.
- The hull took 8% fewer labor hours than the first, he said; fully ramped, Franklin will build 20 Marauders a year.
- When Saronic took over the yard "it was shutting down and capacity was trending towards 0," Mavrookas said; it is now active and expanding.
- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quoted the post from his personal account: "Arsenal of Freedom."
17. Israel Weapons Industry says four Southeast Asian nations are buying its ARBEL rifle-mounted anti-drone system after Thailand fielded it
IWI told Breaking Defense that four countries in the region are "at different stages of the procurement process" for ARBEL, which turns existing AR-15-type rifles and light machine guns into anti-drone weapons.
- Thailand's Ministry of Defense has ARBEL operational for day and night use after IWI integration and training, the company said Oct. 22.
- Thailand fitted it by swapping the lower receiver of rifles it already owns, avoiding new weapon buys.
- "Countering the growing drone threat is one of the most pressing concerns our customers are raising," IWI said.
Sources: Breaking Defense18. EUROATLAS and EvoLogics start series production of the GREYSHARK swarming underwater drone, with first deliveries to European navies this year
The German firms showed the first series-production GREYSHARK autonomous underwater vehicle at Euronaval, two years after its prototype debut, with orders from European government customers, Ocean News & Technology reports.
- The roughly 6-meter AUV cruises at 10 knots and runs about 300 nautical miles at 4 knots, for three to five days.
- Multiple vehicles form an encrypted acoustic network, share reconnaissance live and split tasks among themselves automatically.
- Missions include ISR, mine countermeasures and seabed infrastructure monitoring; a fuel-cell version is next.
Sources: Ocean News & Technology19. Ukraine's MAC HUB brings its Katran combat USV family to Euronaval and signs with French shipbuilder Ocea to deploy them from patrol ships
MAC HUB confirmed a memorandum of cooperation with Ocea to integrate Katran uncrewed surface vessels with Ocea's patrol and offshore vessels, covering launch, storage, maintenance and multi-domain operations, Janes reports.
- Katran variants include the 7.7 m X1, 9.5 m X1.2 and 6.5 m X3.
- Modular fits include UAVs, interceptor drones, missiles and machine guns.
- Ocea says it is extending drone operations across its whole ship range.
Sources: Janes · Mer et Marine (French)20. France qualifies the VTOL version of Airbus's Aliaca drone for French Navy support ships in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean
France's DGA cleared the VTOL Airbus U010 Aliaca for navy service after land and sea tests in May and June, with the first two systems delivered in September, Airbus Helicopters said Nov. 3, dronenr reports.
- Eight of the 34 two-drone systems the DGA ordered under the SMDM mini-drone contract are the VTOL variant.
- They'll fly from BSAM and BSAOM support ships homeported in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Réunion and Martinique.
- The 25 kg drone has two hours' endurance, a 50 km range, an EO/IR camera and AIS ship identification.
Sources: dronenr21. Iran's Revolutionary Guard now claims it shot down a U.S. Switchblade 600 loitering munition over Minab, after claiming two LUCAS shootdowns
The IRGC claimed Tuesday afternoon that it shot down an AeroVironment Switchblade 600 one-way attack drone over Minab in Hormozgan province, according to a report citing the IRGC.
- Locals in Hormozgan reported hearing explosions; there is no independent confirmation that a drone was downed, or of its type or origin.
- It came the same day as the IRGC's claims of two LUCAS shootdowns over Bandar Khamir.
- Separately, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal the IRGC fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. fighter near Qeshm Island on Nov. 2, ISW notes.
22. Explosive-laden drones hit Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah province and east of Erbil
Two explosive-laden drones attacked Iranian Kurdish opposition groups on Wednesday, security sources told Reuters.
- Iran has repeatedly struck the bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq's Kurdistan region, accusing them of attacks inside Iran, Reuters notes.
- The initial Reuters report gave no casualty figures and named no attacker.
Sources: Reuters via Radio USA23. The Houthis claim drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia's Abha airport and King Khalid Air Base as Riyadh reports another drone downed over Mecca province
The Houthis claimed they hit Abha International Airport with one drone and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait with one ballistic missile on Nov. 3, ISW and the Critical Threats Project report.
- Saudi Joint Forces Command spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki separately said air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone over Mecca province the same day.
- The Houthi claims are a warring party's and were not confirmed by Saudi Arabia.
Sources: ISW Iran Update, Nov. 324. Photos appear to show a Russian Infauna electronic warfare vehicle, built to jam radios and roadside-bomb triggers, with the Africa Corps in Mali
An open-source account posted a photo on Oct. 31 that it identified as an RB-531B Infauna serving with Russia's Defense Ministry-controlled Africa Corps, Defence Blog reports.
- The BTR-80-based Infauna jams VHF radio and radio-controlled mines and IEDs and fires aerosol screens.
- A second image, from June 2025, shows a similar vehicle that may be an Infauna or the larger Borisoglebsk-2 jammer used heavily in Ukraine.
- Neither Russia nor Mali has commented, and the newer photo's date and place are unconfirmed.
Sources: Defence Blog25. ParaZero wins a fourth order from a Tier-1 European defense firm for its DefendAir net pods to protect armored vehicles from attack drones
The order follows a live demo in which DefendAir, mounted on the customer's armored vehicle, intercepted multiple drones in sequence at a European test site, Unmanned Airspace reports.
- The modular net pods are a non-explosive physical layer for vehicle, autonomous, remote and fixed counter-drone systems.
- ParaZero expects integration to finish by the end of 2026 and plans demos for senior NATO officers.
Sources: Unmanned Airspace
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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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