AUTOWAR25 No. 23A · Morning Edition
NATO opens a counter-drone marketplace so Allies can buy 16 pre-selected systems without a national tender, and Axon puts another $1.2 billion into Skydio at a $5.2 billion valuation. HMS Queen Elizabeth rail-launches Nyan one-way attack drones and lands a Tekever AR5, JIATF-401 trains Air Force and Secret Service units on Bumblebee V2 and Paladin interceptors, and France details SLAM-F mine-warfare drones with new Protée motherships.
1. NATO opens a counter-drone marketplace so Allies can buy 16 pre-selected C-UAS systems from five vendors without a national tender
NATO launched its Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems marketplace on Nov. 5 as part of Drone Edge, letting Allies procure listed solutions directly from a NATO catalogue without a further tender, NATO and NCIA said.
- NCIA selected 16 solutions from Alta Ares, Axon Enterprise, Northrop Grumman, OSL UK and Quantum Systems under multi-award framework contracts lasting 18 months.
- Selected systems cover static, transportable and on-the-move configurations and have already been deployed in Allied countries and in Ukraine, NATO said.
- NATO also allocated €3.1 million for further testing of the listed solutions by nations or NATO commands.
- The marketplace sits under Allies' Drone Edge commitment to invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over five years.
Sources: NATO · Unmanned Airspace2. Axon invests another $1.2 billion in Skydio, lifting its stake to about 37% at a $5.2 billion valuation and becoming exclusive U.S. and Canada public-safety distributor
Axon announced Thursday an incremental ~$1.2 billion investment in Skydio that raises Axon's fully diluted ownership to about 37% at a $5.2 billion pre-money valuation, and said it will be Skydio's exclusive public-safety distributor in the U.S. and Canada.
- Consideration is a mix of cash and Axon stock; transactions are expected to close in Q4 2026 and Q1 2027, subject to customary conditions.
- Skydio serves more than 1,500 public-safety customers; Axon says more than 28 million Americans live within two miles of a Skydio Drone as First Responder dock.
- Skydio systems are also used by every branch of the U.S. military and the armed forces of 32 allied nations, Axon said; Skydio expects about $1 billion in bookings this fiscal year.
- The same day Axon said about $130 million in federal Dedrone counter-drone revenue shifted out of its 2026 outlook.
Sources: Axon · CNA/Reuters3. HMS Queen Elizabeth rail-launches Callen-Lenz Nyan one-way attack drones and lands a Tekever AR5 in carrier hybrid-navy trials
The Royal Navy said HMS Queen Elizabeth launched a Nyan one-way effector strike drone from a UK aircraft carrier for the first time and also landed and launched a Tekever AR5 multi-role UAV, with The Aviationist detailing the North Atlantic trials Thursday night.
- Exercise Neptune Reach B (Project VANTAGE) rail-launched four Callen-Lenz Nyan OWEs toward a pre-programmed sea target area, then intentionally ditched them.
- Nyan is a 2.9-meter microturbine jet drone; Callen-Lenz says more than 1,000 units have been produced and land units have trialled it in Estonia.
- Tekever's AR5 (~7-meter wingspan, 80 kg payload) landed aboard as Heavy Lift Challenge 3; the British Army is taking AR5 as its Watchkeeper ISTAR replacement.
- The Navy still aims under Project VANQUISH for a CCA demonstrator from a carrier deck within roughly the next 1–2 years.
Sources: Royal Navy on X · The Aviationist4. JIATF-401 trains Air Force security forces and Secret Service agents on Bumblebee V2 collision interceptors and Paladin net systems at MacDill
A Nov. 5 war.gov story from Joint Interagency Task Force 401 details last month's counter-drone training with the 6th Security Forces Squadron and U.S. Secret Service agents at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
- Operators got hands-on time with Perennial Autonomy's Bumblebee V2 collision interceptor and the Paladin net-based interceptor.
- Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, JIATF-401 director, framed layered hard- and soft-kill options as essential for homeland installation defense.
- The event builds on prior JIATF-401 training with the 82nd Airborne Division and 75th Ranger Regiment.
- Bumblebee V2 uses AI-enabled target recognition to ram hostile drones; Paladin offers a lower-collateral net defeat option.
Sources: war.gov5. France details SLAM-F mine-warfare drones that classify contacts to 300 meters and orders Protée motherships to launch them offshore
France's Armed Forces Ministry published a Nov. 5 explainer on SLAM-F, the future mine-warfare system built around coordinated USVs and UUVs, and confirmed Increment 2.1 orders for chartered Protée vessels that will launch and recover the drones offshore.
- Each of eight planned modules pairs two surface drones, two underwater drones and a clearance-diver team (about 32 sailors).
- Thales multi-aspect sonars and AI-aided classification aim to tell rocks from WWII ordnance or mines down to 300 meters; neutralization stays human-authorized via a tethered ROV charge.
- UUVs run most of a mission disconnected; a supervisor monitors status for missions lasting up to about 20 hours.
- Protée motherships cover metropolitan approaches; militarized BGDM drone carriers aligned with the Belgian–Dutch design follow later for expeditionary use.
Sources: French Armed Forces Ministry6. Ukraine says it shot down or suppressed 196 of 227 Russian attack drones overnight, including 86 jet-powered UAVs
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 227 attack drones overnight into Nov. 6 — including 86 jet-powered UAVs — and that air defenses shot down or electronically suppressed 196 of them, Ukrainian outlets report.
- Strikes were recorded at 14 locations and debris fell at eight others; some drones were still airborne as of the morning update.
- A man was killed in Rivne Oblast's Sarny district; a sports complex was damaged in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; other injuries were reported in Kirovohrad and Kharkiv oblasts.
- Energy infrastructure was among the targets in several regions as winter demand rises.
- Both sides' figures remain unconfirmed claims of warring parties.
Sources: Hromadske · RBC-Ukraine7. The Navy exercises an $11.3 million ONR option with Integer Technologies to map the undersea acoustic soundscape for submarines and UUVs
The Department of War announced a Nov. 5 Office of Naval Research modification worth about $11.3 million for Integer Technologies' Operationalizing Marine Acoustics for Strategic Awareness effort, Defence Blog reports.
- Option I on contract N0001426C2208 runs through October 2029 from Durham, New Hampshire, with $7.58 million in FY26 RDT&E obligated at award.
- The work turns passive ocean noise into onboard decision support by combining physics-based models with machine learning for crewed and uncrewed platforms.
- Integer co-locates with the University of New Hampshire's Center for Acoustic Research and Education for in-water testing.
- The Navy did not name which UUV or submarine classes will host the tools or a transition timeline.
Sources: Defence Blog8. Sikorsky packages four MATRIX-enabled Nomad 100 VTOL drones plus command gear in a 20-foot "fast pack" container for rapid austere launch
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, introduced the Nomad 100 fast pack: four autonomous VTOL aircraft, mission-command software, power, communications and sustainment gear in one standard 20-foot ISO container, Unmanned Systems Technology reports.
- In the planned configuration, two Nomad 100s can be mission-ready in under 15 minutes, with the other two available within four to six hours.
- Runway-independent ops are pitched for tactical vehicle sites, naval vessels and improvised landing zones.
- Mission sets depending on customer fit include ISR-T, light attack and contested logistics.
- Nomad uses Lockheed Martin's MATRIX autonomy; the family blends helicopter VTOL with fixed-wing cruise.
Sources: Unmanned Systems Technology9. Rostec shows a truck-mounted Tsitadel (ZAK-30) anti-drone gun with programmable 30 mm airburst rounds for mobile fire groups
Russia's Rostec unveiled a mobile Tsitadel anti-aircraft gun with its 30 mm combat module, radar and electro-optical sensors on a vehicle chassis, Defence Blog reports Friday.
- Programmable airburst shells are meant to fragment just ahead of a drone; the module carries 300 rounds.
- Rostec claims roughly 1 km reach against fixed-wing drones and about 800 meters against small quadcopters.
- Several firing units can be run from one command post about 1 km away; day/night radar and thermal sensors cue the guns.
- Rostec says the stationary version has seen combat against drones and cruise missiles; those claims are unverified.
Sources: Defence Blog10. Safran and MSI-Defence Systems pair VIGEO optronic sights with SEAHAWK 30 mm mounts for NATO mine-warfare ships, with 2027 deliveries
Safran Electronics & Defense and Britain's MSI-Defence Systems signed a Nov. 4 MoU to jointly offer counter-drone turret packages pairing Safran stabilized sights with MSI-DS SEAHAWK naval and TERRAHAWK land mounts; an unnamed European NATO navy ordered VIGEO-fitted SEAHAWK DS30M 30 mm mounts for mine-countermeasure vessels with 2027 deliveries.
- VIGEO mounts on the gun for day/night acquisition, laser ranging and fire control without a separate mast director.
- The MoU also opens PASEO and VIGY 4 sights across SEAHAWK/TERRAHAWK, plus Safran's Skyjacker electronic soft-kill option.
- MSI-DS recently won other European naval gun orders, including DS30M systems for Germany's F128 frigates.
- Customer navy, contract value and ship count were not disclosed.
Sources: Defense WarRoom11. REGENT's Squire Seaglider retasks NSI's Arowana UUV mid-mission without surfacing it during AUKUS Maritime Big Play Pacific
REGENT and NSI say their Squire wing-in-ground-effect Seaglider acted as a mobile gateway to update NSI's Arowana UUV tasking while the underwater vehicle stayed submerged during OUSW(R&E)-sponsored Maritime Big Play Pacific off San Clemente Island.
- Squire flies in ground effect below radar line of sight at up to 70 knots, with a planned range above 100 nm and a 50-pound payload.
- Operators also guided Arowana over a fiber-optic tether and practiced beyond-line-of-sight control handoffs plus TAK common-picture integration.
- Arowana ran a 2-mile transit toward a simulated high-value unit in leeward waters with changing tides and visibility.
- The companies have not disclosed the Squire–Arowana link method or announced a follow-on contract.
Sources: ASDNews / REGENT · Defense WarRoom12. Vector unveils the Warfighter's Stack — Mace one-way attack quadcopter, HV-ESAD arming device and Hilt controller — after a 5,000-drone DoW order
Utah's Vector introduced an integrated one-way attack kit pairing its Mace quadcopter, High-Voltage Electronic Safe and Arm Device and Hilt controller, Defense News reports; the company ranked fourth in a Drone Dominance close-quarters bout and says that yielded a 5,000-drone government order.
- Mace is pitched as an attritable close-quarters drone with low-light/thermal cameras, EW-resistant links, optional fiber-optic control and ATAK support.
- HV-ESAD is a modular arming device Vector says was selected to support the Drone Dominance Program across platforms.
- Hilt is a gloved-hand controller meant to sit alongside other soldier kit.
- Vector says it can fulfill orders in the thousands but declined contract values and delivery timelines.
Sources: Defense News13. Shield AI is buying Echodyne for $5.3 billion and raising $2.5 billion at a $28.8 billion valuation, folding counter-drone radar into its mission systems
No newer closing timeline or regulatory update since Thursday's Breaking Defense and company announcements on the $5.3 billion Echodyne deal and accompanying $2.5 billion raise.
- Of the $5.3 billion, $4.8 billion is paid at closing and up to $500 million is contingent on Echodyne performance targets.
- Shield is raising $2.5 billion: $1 billion Series H equity at a $28.8 billion post-money valuation, $1 billion from Blackstone, and $500 million in JPMorgan-led debt.
- Echodyne's MESA radars are used in more than 40 countries; JIATF-401 selected them under a contract with a $250 million ceiling.
- Echodyne stays a mission-systems unit under CEO Eben Frankenberg; MESA remains available standalone.
Sources: Breaking Defense · Shield AI14. The Army's MALET clip-on kit turns stock 60 mm and 81 mm mortar rounds into drone-droppable bombs without permanently modifying the munition
No newer soldier-exercise results since Thursday's DVIDS/Army MALET unveil and TWZ/Stars and Stripes coverage of the clip-on mortar-to-drone kit.
- Live 60 mm rounds dropped from a moving UAS oriented correctly and detonated in the desired target area, project lead Brad Armstrong said.
- The kit does not damage the round; if unused, soldiers can remove it and fire the mortar conventionally.
- Desired drone ranges for the concept are about 20–40 km, versus roughly 2–3.5 miles for tube-fired mortars.
- The team plans to put kits into major fall exercises for soldier feedback before transitioning to industry.
Sources: DVIDS / Army · TWZ15. Saildrone and Norway's Umoe Mandal agree to build Surveyor USVs in Norway for Baltic, North Sea and Arctic maritime domain awareness
No newer order announcement since Thursday's Euronaval Breaking Defense report on Saildrone's Surveyor production pact with Umoe Mandal.
- Umoe builds the composite hull while Saildrone supplies autonomy, electronics and navigation.
- Umoe CEO Tom Fidgeland said a dedicated plant under construction could reach two Surveyors a month.
- Nordic nations can buy maritime surveillance-as-a-service under NORDEFCO.
- The deal came a day after a U.S. court ordered the Navy to reevaluate Saildrone's Medium USV proposal.
Sources: Breaking Defense16. Ukraine expands private air defense rules so companies can arm interceptor drones, use manned aircraft and protect other firms' sites under contract
No newer Cabinet follow-up since Thursday's Ukraine MoD summary of six private air-defense rule changes.
- Participating companies may protect other companies' facilities under contract and transfer air-defense assets with Air Force Command approval.
- Companies may now use manned aircraft in air-defense groups and equip interceptor drones with warheads and electric detonators under regulated rules.
- New eligibility includes Defence City resident status or MoD-designated critically important companies; minimum age drops from 21 to 18.
- Nearly 100 companies had joined by mid-October and destroyed more than 60 air targets, the MoD said.
Sources: Ukraine MoD17. Baykar turns the Bayraktar TB2 into an FPV mothership that carried 16 Skydagger kamikaze drones and relayed their control links in a test
No newer range or simultaneous-control figures since Thursday's Defence Blog and Defense News amplification of Baykar's TB2–Skydagger mothership test footage.
- The TB2 carried 16 Skydagger FPV kamikaze drones — eight under each wing — releasing two that struck ground targets while the TB2 relayed operator control.
- CEO Haluk Bayraktar said FPVs normally reach about 15 km and that TB2 carriage plus relay could extend reach dramatically.
- Baykar began the mothership concept with Croatian FPV maker ORQA at SAHA Expo 2024.
- Baykar has not published post-release endurance or simultaneous-control limits.
Sources: Defence Blog18. ORIGIN and Anduril demonstrate BLAZE interceptor integration with Lattice for Air Defense to Latvian military leadership
No newer joint-test results since Thursday's Unmanned Airspace report on ORIGIN's BLAZE interceptor paired with Anduril Lattice for Latvian leaders.
- The late-October demo came just over a month after a Sept. 25 MoU; companies say BLAZE-to-Lattice technical integration took four days.
- BLAZE uses radar cues to guide its autopilot, then acquires and tracks the target under operator supervision against drones and loitering munitions.
- The partners plan more joint testing and C-UAS concepts of operation on NATO's eastern flank.
Sources: Unmanned Airspace19. Naval Group and Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute agree to co-develop uncrewed underwater vehicles, including XLUUV and combat UUV concepts
No newer program milestones since Thursday's Euronaval amplification of the Nov. 3 Naval Group–TII UUV cooperation agreement.
- Ambitions include persistent surveillance and reconnaissance UUVs for non-contested waters plus combat UUVs for contested waters.
- TII is the applied-research arm of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council.
- Naval Group EVP Aurore Neuschwander framed it as deepening France–UAE naval autonomy cooperation.
20. Airbus prioritizes the cheaper U760 Ravenstorm CCA for Germany's accelerated timeline while leaving the Wingman concept open
No newer German requirement decision since Thursday's Breaking Defense report that Airbus is emphasizing U760 Ravenstorm over the futuristic Wingman for a faster German entry path.
- Ravenstorm offers high-subsonic cruise and a 500 kg internal weapons bay and draws on the Barracuda demonstrator's design; it would use a business-jet engine.
- Airbus's U740 Valkyrie is aimed at a 2029 German requirement after a Northern Europe first flight, with Ravenstorm pushed toward 2032.
- A third, more exquisite air-to-air or EW design remains in study.
- Germany has been rethinking a direct MQ-28 Ghost Bat buy, keeping Airbus and others in the fight.
Sources: Breaking Defense21. Ondas wins multi-million-dollar counter-UAS contracts in Europe and Asia for Ranger detection/mitigation and Iron Drone Raider interceptors
No newer customer names or values since Thursday's Unmanned Airspace report on Ondas' European Ranger and Asian Iron Drone Raider awards.
- Ranger provides mobile detection, identification, tracking and mitigation without permanent infrastructure.
- Iron Drone Raider is designed to physically intercept hostile drones, including those without active RF links or using autonomous navigation.
- Values, customer names and delivery timelines were not disclosed.
Sources: Unmanned Airspace22. Ondas agrees to buy German airframe maker Stemme and plans U.S. ULTRA ISR production aimed at 10 aircraft a month by 2028
No newer independent confirmation or close date change since Thursday's Ondas announcement of an all-cash Stemme GmbH deal and U.S. ULTRA production plans.
- ULTRA is said to fly more than 70 hours with over 400 pounds of payload; Stemme's German plants are at about 25% utilization today.
- Close is targeted for Q1 2027 pending approvals; Ondas wants closer engineering–production integration and shorter U.S. supply lines.
- Ondas outlined 345,000 square feet of planned U.S. production space.
- This remains a company announcement with limited independent defense-press confirmation.
Sources: Ondas23. South Korea expands its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit toward waters south of Oman and adds unmanned mine-clearing systems plus a P-8A
No newer cabinet or parliamentary action since Thursday's Aju Press/Yonhap reporting on Cheonghae's expanded area and unmanned MCM add-ons.
- Personnel would grow from about 320 to 395; the operational area roughly doubles while staying outside the Strait of Hormuz itself pending separate approval.
- Unmanned assets cited include UUVs, USVs and ROVs for mine clearance, positioned for possible post-conflict Hormuz demining.
- The move responds to rising piracy (36 incidents in 2026 so far versus 11 in 2025, per Korean reporting) and U.S. pressure.
24. Naval Group's Sirehna demonstrates the armed SEAQUEST-S combat USV for frigate launch, with rockets, missiles and STEERIS mission management
No newer customer award since Thursday's Naval News coverage of Sirehna's live SEAQUEST-S combat USV demo at Euronaval.
- Specs: ~6 tonnes, 475 hp waterjet, 35 knots, up to Sea State 5, ~220 nm range (expandable to ~530 nm), remote or autonomous modes.
- Forward payload bay can take rockets, missiles, torpedoes, depth charges, loitering munitions or kamikaze UAVs; the demo boat carried a RAMPART CIWS module with 15 rocket tubes.
- STEERIS mission system links to Naval Group's SETIS combat management system for hybrid crewed–uncrewed operations.
Sources: Naval News25. AirSight adds RF-detection analytics to its AirGuard platform so security teams can spot repeat drones and replay individual flights
No newer product drop since Thursday's Unmanned Airspace report on AirSight's AirGuard RF-detection analytics layer.
- New charts cover repeat offenders, flight times, drone-to-pilot distances and max altitudes.
- Flight fields include pilot location, start/end points, times and breached alert zones.
- Exports cover PDF reports with charts and CSV downloads.
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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