Innovations
Technological and operational innovations in the UAS and counter-UAS space — what emerged first, where, and what it changes. Each entry is sourced, dated, and linked to the drones involved.
US MDA selects builders for new Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel 'Golden Defender'
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is procuring a new Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel (MRIV) to replace legacy 1960s/1970s tracking ships, using a commercially managed vessel construction model and an NSMV-derived hull. While not a frontl…
Japan-Vietnam talks on joint fast landing craft development
Japan and Vietnam agreed to begin discussions on jointly developing and producing a fast landing craft for rapid ship-to-shore transport of personnel and supplies. While technical details are undefined, the initiative may leverage Japan’s C…
China building very large carrier-group replenishment ship (Type 901-like scaled up)
Satellite imagery indicates China is constructing an unusually large fleet replenishment ship, apparently larger than existing Type 901 auxiliaries and comparable or larger than any current global resupply ship. The design includes multiple…
Saronic to build Port Alpha shipyard to scale uncrewed surface vessel production
USV maker Saronic announced a $3B greenfield shipyard (Port Alpha) in Brownsville, Texas, designed to build both crewed and uncrewed ships up to 850 feet, aiming to massively scale production capacity. While not a front-line tactic, it sign…
US to build 'Golden Defender' missile-monitor ship for Golden Dome
The post describes a planned new US missile-monitoring ship ('Golden Defender') intended to support the Golden Dome effort, based on the Security Multi-Mission Vessel design. The novelty is the adaptation of an existing hull into a dedicate…
US combat use of Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessels reported
The post reports what U.S. Central Command called the first combat use of American unmanned surface vessels (Saronic Corsair) in a strike on Iran’s Bandar Abbas naval base, plus a first-of-its-kind rescue mission by a Navy-operated Corsair.…
Saronic to build 'Port Alpha' shipyard for autonomous vessels in Texas
Saronic plans a purpose-built, software-defined shipyard ('Port Alpha') in Brownsville, Texas aimed at producing autonomous maritime vessels at high speed and scale. While not a frontline battlefield tactic, it represents an industrial inno…
US Navy MUSV program moves to at-sea surrogate testing with selected firms
The post describes the U.S. Navy’s new Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Family of Systems acquisition effort, including near-term at-sea testing using surrogate vessels and a shift from the canceled Modular Attack Surface Craft concept…
GABLER/FLANQ torpedo-tube-launched USV completes sea trials
GABLER and FLANQ completed sea acceptance tests of a 21-inch torpedo-tube-launched uncrewed surface vessel (Ranger) that autonomously surfaces for covert ISR, with folding keel/mast and configurable payload bay. The novelty is submarine tor…
Drones: Bayraktar Akıncı
Elbit proposes converting commercial ships into Hermes 650 UAV carrier platforms
Elbit Systems outlined a concept to convert commercial vessels into floating UAV bases carrying 9–12 Hermes 650 Spark aircraft, using ships as remote launch-and-recovery sites while controlling them via existing Hermes 900-compatible ground…