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.
Lockheed launches Strigo modular missile seeker/datalink/RF sensor hardware line
Lockheed Martin announced Strigo, a modular family of missile and sensor components (RF sensors, datalinks, seekers) built on a common architecture and sold via a dedicated product center aimed at accelerating fielding. The novelty is the “…
Boeing ULCS ultra-low-cost active radar seeker using commercial parts
Boeing unveiled an in-development Ultra Low-Cost Seeker (ULCS), an active radar seeker built largely from commercial off-the-shelf components and designed to be reused across interceptors, guided bombs, and cruise missiles. If fielded, it c…
Royal Navy Kraken K3 USV cameras flagged for China-linked data transmissions
A cyber assessment found situational-awareness cameras on Royal Navy Kraken K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels were sending "heartbeat" traffic to an IP address in China, prompting the MOD to remove internet connectivity from the cameras. Wh…
US Navy E-130J Phoenix II TACAMO aircraft program expands to 31 planes
The US Navy plans to field 31 E-130J Phoenix II aircraft (C-130J conversions) to replace 16 E-6B Mercury ‘doomsday planes’ for the TACAMO nuclear submarine command-and-control mission. The novelty is the shift to a new airframe with a moder…
US Navy to build one-off Block V Virginia in seabed warfare/espionage configuration
The US Navy confirmed a second Block V Virginia-class submarine will be built without the Virginia Payload Module and instead configured as a unique Subsea and Seabed Warfare (SSW) platform for seafloor espionage missions, akin to USS Jimmy…
Germany and Netherlands order more Boxer RCT30 IFVs for 'Medium Forces'
The post describes expanded procurement and force-structure adoption of the Boxer RCT30 remote-turret infantry fighting vehicle as the backbone of Germany’s new “Medium Forces.” While not a battlefield-first technology, it reflects a notabl…
US Marine Corps contracts Epirus HAVOC high-power microwave counter-swarm system
The US Marine Corps is procuring Epirus' vehicle-mounted HAVOC high-power microwave system designed to defeat drone swarms, with autonomous target identification and a claimed major increase in power density, ruggedness, and effective range…
Japan SHIELD littoral defense concept built around low-cost unmanned systems
Japan’s 2026 Defense White Paper outlines the SHIELD concept (Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense) to be established by FY2027, emphasizing mass acquisition of low-cost unmanned air, surface, and undersea vehicles…
Pentagon launches vetted online marketplace for counter-UAS procurement
DoD/JIATF 401 launched a restricted-access digital marketplace that lets approved government buyers search, filter, and request vetted counter-drone systems using performance data and standardized vetting. This is an acquisition/logistics i…
US Navy tests SensorMAX AI sonar for ASW at RIMPAC
The US Navy tested Lockheed Martin’s SensorMAX, an AI/ML system that classifies submarine acoustic signatures from sonobuoys and can be retrained in minutes, then pushed back to aircraft over an encrypted OTA link during operations. This en…