Innovations
Tactical and technological innovations in drone warfare — what showed up first, where, and what it changes. Each entry is sourced, dated, and linked to the drones involved.
Ukraine orders Gripen E fighters with AESA radar and Meteor integration
Ukraine has officially contracted for 16 Saab Gripen E fighters (plus interim Gripen C/Ds), introducing a modern AESA radar (Leonardo ES-05 Raven with swashplate) and advanced AAM integration (e.g., Meteor) into its future air-defense and c…
Tobyhanna Depot adds new assembly lines for Army drone components
The US Army’s Tobyhanna Depot is scaling production of drone components by standing up new assembly lines under the Drone Dominance initiative. While not a front-line weapon reveal, it reflects a new manufacturing/logistics push to rapidly …
Latvia to deploy border counter-drone systems and co-produce drones with Ukraine
Latvia plans to stand up counter-drone systems along its borders with Russia and Belarus (including launch-canister based systems) to reduce reliance on fighter scrambles for drone incursions. Separately, Latvia and Ukraine will build a joi…
US Army tests heavy-lift drone delivery of Bangalore torpedo for breaching
Oregon Army National Guard combat engineers tested using a heavy-lift commercial drone (Lorica Mule 28) to place and detonate a live Bangalore torpedo to clear wire obstacles, reducing exposure of soldiers during deliberate breaches. The tr…
UK defense plan shifts toward cheap drones and unmanned command ships
The post describes the UK adopting a Ukraine-modeled approach: rapid innovation cycles and emphasis on low-cost systems to destroy high-value targets. It also highlights planned investment in unmanned-focused naval command ships, autonomous…
Proposal for a distinct maritime Anti-Drone Warfare tier for Shahed-class threats
The article argues for a new three-tier air-defence/anti-drone framework that treats long-range one-way attack drones (e.g., Shahed-136 class) as a distinct operational domain requiring purpose-built sensors, effectors, and maritime platfor…
USAF demonstrates B-2 maritime strike using AGM-158C LRASM
The U.S. Air Force demonstrated B-2 Spirit employment of AGM-158C LRASM in a Pacific sinking exercise, signaling a new operational maritime strike role for the stealth bomber. This expands long-range, low-observable anti-ship capability bey…
USAF reveals B-2 bomber can launch AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missile
The U.S. Air Force disclosed that a B-2 Spirit fired an AGM-158C LRASM during a SINKEX in the Western Pacific, a capability not previously known to be integrated on the platform. This adds a stealthy, penetrating long-range anti-ship strike…
UK plans Common Combat Vessels as drone-focused hybrid ships
The post claims the UK will drop the Type 83 destroyer program in favor of at least six Common Combat Vessels designed as launch/control platforms for air, surface, and undersea unmanned systems. This reflects a shift toward distributed mar…
Russian LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevskiy fitted with Kord HMGs in Baltic
Imagery shows Russia’s strategic civilian LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevskiy operating in the Baltic with sandbagged 12.7mm Kord heavy machine-gun positions on the bridge wings. This appears to be the first direct evidence of Russia arming a ci…
Drones: FP-1