AUTOWAR25 No. 23P · Afternoon Edition
Air Force Secretary Meink pledges at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2032 plus 500 Massed Modular Aircraft, and Canada's Budget 2026 puts C$2.3 billion behind the Defence Drone Initiative. The Royal Navy adds £5 billion autonomy detail to Queen Elizabeth's first Nyan strike-drone launches, 11th MEU Marines fly Neros Archer FPVs from USS Boxer, and Europe leans harder on CCA plans as FCAS falters.
1. Air Force Secretary Meink pledges at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2032 plus 500 Massed Modular Aircraft, confirms FQ-42A Fury and FQ-44A Vengeance names, and sets December Emerald Flag for the first live CCA kill-chain integration
Air & Space Forces Magazine's Stephen Losey reports Friday that Air Force Secretary Troy Meink is promising at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2032 and another 500 Massed Modular Aircraft to inherit MQ-9 strike and ISR missions at lower cost, while confirming CCA Increment 1 names and a December Emerald Flag integration milestone.
- Meink confirmed the General Atomics FQ-42A is named Fury and disclosed that Anduril's FQ-44A will be Vengeance; GA says it can produce six FQ-42s a month, and Anduril cites Arsenal-1 capacity of about 150 FQ-44s a year.
- The Air Force wants an initial 100 MMA drones by 2029 at roughly $10 million or less for a bare airframe, versus about a $20 million CCA airframe target and ~$25 million starting price for an MQ-9B.
- The Experimental Operations Unit at Creech is flying CCAs multiple times a week; December's Emerald Flag at Eglin will be the first large-force engagement and first end-to-end CCA kill-chain live with fourth- and fifth-gen fighters.
- Lockheed is building five Vectis CCAs before a contract with a 2027 first flight target; Swarm Aero showed Gamera for MMA, Shield AI showed X-BAT VTOL, and GA released Wildfire MMA imagery.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine2. Canada's Budget 2026 proposes C$2.3 billion over five years for the Defence Drone Initiative to accelerate uncrewed and counter-uncrewed acquisition, with a marketplace of nearly 400 Canadian suppliers
Canada's Budget 2026 proposes C$2.3 billion (about US$1.8 billion) over five years starting in 2027–28 for the Defence Drone Initiative, to accelerate discovery, acquisition and deployment of uncrewed and counter-uncrewed capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard.
- The July-launched Initiative already opened a marketplace connecting buyers with nearly 400 trusted Canadian suppliers and awarded a first contract in about 50 days.
- A portion of the new funding would be sourced from money already provisioned in the fiscal framework.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney has also pledged to expand domestic drone manufacturing and send about one-third of Canadian-made military drones to Ukraine under September cooperation deals.
- Budget text frames the Initiative as building a sovereign drone ecosystem alongside the Uncrewed Systems Defence Innovation Secure Hub.
Sources: Budget Canada · Kyiv Post3. Royal Navy details £5 billion autonomous investment and Project Pantheon carrier hybrid-wing funding as Naval News amplifies HMS Queen Elizabeth's first Nyan strike-drone launches and Tekever AR5 recovery
Naval News on Friday republished a Royal Navy release adding Defence Secretary Wes Streeting's comments and Defence Investment Plan figures — more than £5 billion for autonomous systems by 2030, including almost £250 million for Project Pantheon hybrid carrier air wing work — to the mid-October HMS Queen Elizabeth Nyan and Tekever AR5 trials first covered this morning.
- The plan also earmarks at least £1.3 billion for a hybrid crewed–uncrewed ship fleet with first large autonomous vessels due by 2030, and at least £210 million for low-cost long-range one-way attack drones across the Navy, Army and RAF.
- Four Callen-Lenz Nyan Maritime one-way drones rail-launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth in North Atlantic trials toward a pre-programmed sea target area.
- Tekever's AR5 (~7 m wingspan, 80 kg payload) operated from the carrier under Heavy Lift Challenge 3 for ISR and logistics missions.
- Lt. Cdr. David Burton said the trials give evidence for how uncrewed systems can work alongside F-35Bs in a hybrid carrier air wing.
Sources: Naval News / Royal Navy · Royal Navy4. 11th MEU Marines fly Neros Archer FPV strike drones from USS Boxer and USS Portland in the Arabian Sea while the Boxer ARG tests SMASH, Regulus Ring and Titan SV counter-drone layers
An 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit release, amplified Friday by Defense WarRoom, says attack-drone teams from BLT 3/5 launched, tracked and recovered Neros Archer FPV strike drones from USS Boxer and USS Portland underway in the Arabian Sea, while the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group validated layered counter-sUAS defenses.
- Archer, funded via DIU and fielded from late 2025, is cited at more than 90 mph, about 20 km range and roughly a 5 lb payload with Blue UAS clearance and modular warheads including Archer Strike/Kraken Kinetics.
- 1st Lt. John Pfeiffer said the system gives rifle platoons a precision-strike option that did not exist in the formation before deployment.
- Kinetic C-sUAS used SmartShooter SMASH rifle optics; non-kinetic layers were Regulus Ring (GNSS/RF manipulation) and AeroVironment/BlueHalo Titan SV RF detection and defeat.
- The Marine Corps has not released sortie counts, strike distances or whether live warheads were used.
Sources: Soldier Systems Daily / 11th MEU · Defense WarRoom5. Breaking Defense roundtable: Europe leans on collaborative combat aircraft as FCAS falters, with Germany aiming for a 2029 CCA capability while balancing FPV lessons from Ukraine
Barry Rosenberg's Friday Breaking Defense package on European airpower says collaborative combat aircraft are emerging as a path to more combat mass after the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS fighter effort stalled, with Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta moderating roundtables that put Germany on a path toward a 2029 CCA capability.
- IISS's Douglas Barrie estimated a CCA could cost about one-quarter of a crewed fighter, so pairing multiple CCAs with manned jets would still be a large extra bill.
- Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo stressed not putting all eggs in the FPV basket; longer-range strike and traditional airpower still matter.
- UK-led GCAP remains Europe's main multinational next-gen fighter effort; Germany continues to want a sixth-generation crewed fighter even as it pursues CCAs.
- GA-ASI president Dave Alexander separately discussed European demand for unmanned capabilities in a companion conversation.
Sources: Breaking Defense6. France launches a naval-drones industry pact and advances a second Naval Group combat UUV, eight Exail A18 mine robots and a second 6,000-meter ROV Deep Sea vehicle
Defense News reports that Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin opened a government–industry naval-drones pact at Euronaval on Nov. 3, while officials detailed a second Naval Group combat underwater vehicle longer than 10 meters, eight Exail A18 countermine robots and a second LD Travocean ROV Deep Sea rated to 6,000 meters.
- The framework is meant to converge navy requirements with industry the way France has pushed aerial drones, covering mine warfare, hydrography and deep seabed work.
- A ministry spokesman said the second combat UUV will weigh more than 10,000 kg and is meant to stay submerged for weeks.
- The first ROV Deep Sea completed depth qualification last week; the second buy was announced at the show.
- Separately, Naval Group and MBDA signed to expand FDI frigate Aster magazines from 16 to 32 cells.
Sources: Defense News7. Australia outfits Ocius Bluebottle USVs with Thales BlueSentry thin-line towed sonar for submarine hunting as Thales opens a Sydney towed-array plant
Defense News reports Australia is pairing Ocius Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels with Thales Australia's BlueSentry thin-line fiber-optic towed sonar for submarine hunting, as Thales opens a multimillion-dollar towed-array assembly line in western Sydney.
- Under Project Sea 1200 the Royal Australian Navy ordered 40 Bluebottles for A$176 million (about US$124 million); Border Force already operates 15.
- Bluebottle is wind-, wave- and sun-powered for weeks of persistent EEZ surveillance; Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has cast sightings as a signal for adversaries to leave Australian waters.
- The Sydney plant will also support Hunter-class frigate and Collins-class submarine towed arrays, plus export thin-line arrays for uncrewed maritime systems.
- Ocius opened a new Sydney production hub Oct. 16 and an Auckland maintenance base; Australia is donating Bluebottles to Fiji for 2027 delivery.
Sources: Defense News8. University of North Dakota and Northern Plains UAS Test Site become JIATF-401's first university clearinghouse to help screen counter-drone technologies for the C-UAS Marketplace
DRONELIFE reports Friday that the University of North Dakota and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site signed an MOU with JIATF-401 last month making UND the first U.S. university clearinghouse to help the task force identify promising counter-drone technologies for further evaluation and possible C-UAS Marketplace inclusion.
- The MOU was signed at the 20th UAS Summit & Expo in Grand Forks and frames a roadmap rather than a fully funded contract yet.
- Mark Askelson said UND could help sift vendor systems to judge which are ready for marketplace listing.
- NPUASTS will consult on how to test emerging detect-and-defeat systems based on prior evaluation experience.
- North Dakota also hosted a T-REX counter-UAS experimentation event at Camp Grafton earlier this year.
Sources: DRONELIFE9. NATO opens a counter-drone marketplace so Allies can buy 16 pre-selected C-UAS systems from five vendors without a national tender
No newer vendor list or buyer announcement since this morning's NATO/NCIA launch of the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems marketplace under Drone Edge.
- NCIA selected 16 solutions from Alta Ares, Axon Enterprise, Northrop Grumman, OSL UK and Quantum Systems under 18-month multi-award frameworks.
- Selected systems cover static, transportable and on-the-move configurations and have already been deployed in Allied countries and in Ukraine, NATO said.
- NATO allocated €3.1 million for further testing 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 Airspace10. 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
No newer close timeline since Thursday's Axon announcement of an incremental ~$1.2 billion Skydio investment raising Axon's fully diluted ownership to about 37% at a $5.2 billion pre-money valuation.
- Consideration is a mix of cash and Axon stock; closes expected 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 U.S. military branch and the armed forces of 32 allied nations, Axon said.
- The same day Axon said about $130 million in federal Dedrone counter-drone revenue shifted out of its 2026 outlook.
Sources: Axon11. Navy and Marine Corps set a January–February 2027 Huntsville demo for TRUAS Increment II cargo drones that must haul 100 pounds out to 40 nautical miles
Navy Times reports the Navy's Air Warfare Program Management Office is inviting industry to a Jan. 25–Feb. 5, 2027 technology demonstration in Huntsville, Alabama, for Marine Corps Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System Increment II battlefield cargo drones.
- Required Flight 1: 100-pound payload up to 40 nautical miles, automatic or manual drop, return without refueling; Flight 2: 150 pounds or more out to 10 nautical miles.
- Aircraft must reach at least 50 knots, stay at or below 1,000 feet for the demo flights, and launch/recover without catapults, nets or cables.
- Goals include autonomous landing-zone assessment day and night, airborne sense-and-avoid comparable to VFR human pilots, and fast descents to shrink the hostile-detection window.
- Applications close Nov. 30, 2026; cargo types were not specified in the announcement.
Sources: Navy Times12. JIATF-401 trains Air Force security forces and Secret Service agents on Bumblebee V2 collision interceptors and Paladin net systems at MacDill
No newer training readout since this morning's war.gov story on JIATF-401's counter-drone event with the 6th Security Forces Squadron and Secret Service agents at MacDill Air Force Base.
- 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.gov13. France details SLAM-F mine-warfare drones that classify contacts to 300 meters and orders Protée motherships to launch them offshore
No newer module delivery timeline since this morning's French Armed Forces Ministry explainer on SLAM-F coordinated USVs and UUVs and Increment 2.1 Protée mothership orders.
- 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 Ministry14. MBDA and UAE's SIRBAI sign a Euronaval MoU to study AI automatic target recognition and swarm flight for the Diamond Shaped remote-controlled munition
MBDA and UAE-based SIRBAI signed a Nov. 3 Euronaval MoU, detailed in an MBDA release, to run two-year feasibility studies on integrating automatic target recognition and swarm flight into MBDA's Diamond Shaped remote-controlled munition being developed in the UAE with FLY-R.
- Work will run under MBDA Emarat in Abu Dhabi with a joint MBDA France, SIRBAI and FLY-R team, backed by the Tawazun Council.
- The study also covers onboard hardware needed to host the AI functions.
- Partners aim to refine scope and formalize a structural partnership by 2027.
- This remains a company MoU with no disclosed contract value or customer order.
Sources: MBDA15. Fincantieri unveils the six-crew Multi-Mission Modular Vessel that swaps containerized payloads from EEZ patrol to mine warfare or loitering-munition strike
Defense WarRoom reports Fincantieri unveiled its Multi-Mission Modular Vessel at Euronaval: a 50-meter, 500-ton low-signature patrol ship with a six-person core crew that switches among six mission sets by swapping ISO containers, and is described as optionally remotely controlled and swarm-capable.
- Specs: 23-knot top speed, 2,500 nm at 14 knots, 7–10 days endurance; covered stern deck takes up to six 20-foot containers.
- Named configs include Gatekeeper (MCM), Vanguard (UAV + loitering munitions) and Hunter (UAV, loitering munitions, SIGINT).
- Forward fit includes a Leonardo Lionfish 30 remote turret with an airburst round in development for counter-drone use.
- No launch customer, unit price or delivery schedule was named; a prototype is in work.
Sources: Defense WarRoom16. Zodiac Milpro unveils the Equinox 930, its first autonomous modular multi-mission USV, air-droppable and built for ISR, force protection, MCM and hydrography
Naval News reports Zodiac Milpro launched the Equinox 930 USV at Euronaval — a 9.3-meter aluminum uncrewed boat that can exceed 40 knots with more than 600 nm range, carry up to 800 kg of interchangeable payloads, and is transportable in a 40-foot ISO container and air-droppable.
- An open Vessel Control System is autonomy-provider-agnostic for remote control, waypoint routing, monitoring and video.
- A configurable mission bay, aft deck and central moonpool support specialized sensors for hydrography and mine countermeasures.
- Zodiac cites production sites in Spain, Canada, the United States, Germany and Australia plus maintenance and training support.
- No launch customer or contract value was disclosed in the company release.
Sources: Naval News17. The Navy exercises an $11.3 million ONR option with Integer Technologies to map the undersea acoustic soundscape for submarines and UUVs
No newer platform transition since this morning's Defence Blog report on the Office of Naval Research's ~$11.3 million Option I with Integer Technologies for Operationalizing Marine Acoustics for Strategic Awareness.
- 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 Blog18. Sikorsky packages four MATRIX-enabled Nomad 100 VTOL drones plus command gear in a 20-foot "fast pack" container for rapid austere launch
No newer customer order since this morning's Unmanned Systems Technology report on Sikorsky's Nomad 100 fast pack: four autonomous VTOL aircraft and mission-command gear in one 20-foot ISO container.
- 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 Technology19. Rostec shows a truck-mounted Tsitadel (ZAK-30) anti-drone gun with programmable 30 mm airburst rounds for mobile fire groups
No newer combat confirmation since this morning's Defence Blog report on Rostec's mobile Tsitadel anti-aircraft gun with a 30 mm combat module, radar and electro-optical sensors on a vehicle chassis.
- 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 Blog20. Safran and MSI-Defence Systems pair VIGEO optronic sights with SEAHAWK 30 mm mounts for NATO mine-warfare ships, with 2027 deliveries
No newer customer name since this morning's coverage of the Safran–MSI-Defence Systems MoU pairing Safran stabilized sights with MSI-DS SEAHAWK naval and TERRAHAWK land mounts, including a NATO navy order of VIGEO-fitted DS30M mounts for 2027 delivery.
- 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: Unmanned Airspace · Defense WarRoom21. REGENT's Squire Seaglider retasks NSI's Arowana UUV mid-mission without surfacing it during AUKUS Maritime Big Play Pacific
No newer contract follow-on since this morning's REGENT/NSI reporting that the Squire wing-in-ground-effect Seaglider acted as a mobile gateway to update Arowana UUV tasking while the underwater vehicle stayed submerged 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 WarRoom22. 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
No newer delivery timeline since this morning's Defense News report on Vector's integrated one-way attack kit and claimed 5,000-drone Drone Dominance 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 News23. Ukraine builds an electronic-warfare "cylinder" over Kyiv to disrupt Mesh radio links on remotely controlled Shahed drones, a presidential defence-tech adviser says
Unmanned Airspace reports Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's president on defence technology, said Ukraine mounted a large EW operation that created a protective electronic "cylinder" over Kyiv to disrupt Mesh radio communications between Russian operators and Shahed drones fitted with remote-control radio modems.
- Beskrestnov said equipment was installed at hundreds of Kyiv locations within a few weeks with all major Ukrainian EW manufacturers working around the clock under presidential supervision.
- He claimed the effort forced Russia to pause the remote-control approach, upgrade Shaheds and seek alternatives.
- Those claims are from a single Ukrainian official source and are not independently confirmed.
- Shahed radio modems reportedly let operators in Russia retask drones and search for targets in flight.
Sources: Unmanned Airspace24. FBI Critical Incident Response Group highlights the National Counter-UAS Training Center at Redstone Arsenal preparing law enforcement to detect, track and mitigate unlawful drones
The FBI Critical Incident Response Group posted Friday that the National Counter UAS Training Center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, is preparing law enforcement officers nationwide to detect, identify, track and, when authorized, mitigate unlawful drone activity.
- NCUTC combines classroom instruction with practical training for federal, state and local officers.
- The post frames the center as a national hub for lawful counter-drone readiness outside purely military channels.
- No new curriculum details, throughput numbers or partner agencies were listed in the post.
- The center is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Sources: FBI CIRG on X25. Elbit Systems debuts UUV capabilities at Euronaval after acquiring International Submarine Engineering, pairing AUVs with its Seagull USV family
Elbit Systems said it is presenting unmanned underwater vehicle capabilities for the first time at Euronaval after acquiring International Submarine Engineering, which has delivered more than 250 underwater vehicles to customers in over 20 countries, alongside its Seagull USV family.
- Modular AUV missions cited include intelligence gathering, MCM, ASW, seabed mapping and critical undersea infrastructure protection.
- Elbit frames a combined surface–underwater autonomous architecture for manned-unmanned teaming.
- Oren Sabag, GM of Elbit ISTAR & EW, said navies want end-to-end autonomous maritime solutions spanning surface and underwater systems.
- This is a company exhibition announcement without a new named customer award.
Sources: Elbit Systems
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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 with new information. Repeat stories keep a First reported date and edition instead of a separate label. Claims from warring parties are labeled as claims, and anything we couldn't independently confirm is marked unverified.
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