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.
US Navy to demo at-sea rearming of Mk41 VLS using USNS Montford Point
The U.S. Navy plans to demonstrate an At-Sea Reload of Vertical Launch System (ASRV) capability using the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer dock, aiming to reload Mk 41 VLS cells without returning to port. This would create a mobi…
US developing compact AIM-9X Sidewinder variant for internal bays
The US Navy and Air Force are developing an AIM-9X “Compact Variant” that repackages SIP IV upgrades into a smaller airframe optimized for internal carriage on advanced/stealth aircraft. The novelty is combining reduced size (higher interna…
Low-cost interceptor drones (Merops and Ukrainian peers) for Shahed defense
The post describes the growing battlefield adoption of ultra-low-cost interceptor drones (e.g., Perennial Autonomy’s $15k Merops and multiple Ukrainian-made interceptors) to shoot down Shahed-type UAVs, aiming to replace or reduce use of ex…
Drones: Sting FPV interceptor
US Army OPFOR unit in Germany trains drone and EW warfare
The US Army stood up a dedicated OPFOR company (Eerie Company, 1-4 Infantry) at JMRC Hohenfels to replicate modern drone and electronic-warfare threats seen in Ukraine during large-scale training. This reflects an institutional shift toward…
Turkey's STM unveils long-range kamikaze UAV system KUZGUN
STM introduced KUZGUN, described as a long-range kamikaze UAV system, indicating a new Turkish capability in long-range loitering/one-way strike drones. While not a confirmed battlefield deployment, it is a notable new system announcement r…
RU milblog discusses adjusting aerial bomb fuzes for delayed basement detonation
The post argues that standard 500kg aerial bombs often destroy upper floors but leave troops in basements alive, and proposes modifying/setting bomb fuzes for delayed detonation after penetrating concrete to explode at basement level. This …
Türkiye unveils MILSAS synthetic aperture sonar for high-res seabed imaging
Meteksan introduced MILSAS, a national synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) system that coherently combines measurements along a platform’s track to produce much higher-resolution underwater imagery than conventional sonar. The capability is rele…
US Army test-fires Tomahawk from Typhon ground launcher in Philippines drill
The post describes a Tomahawk cruise missile launch from the U.S. Army’s new Typhon ground-based launcher during Balikatan, demonstrating long-range precision strike from a mobile land platform in the Pacific. While Tomahawk itself is not n…