Droner

May 8, 2025 Edited by Greg Hadley with Unshin Lee Harpley, John A. Tirpak, Shaun Waterman and David Roza

By Unshin Lee Harpley

USAF Gets New Autonomous Gliders to Resupply Troops

The Air Force has added new self-guided gliders to deliver cargo to “high-risk environments” without putting a manned aircraft in danger. Contractor DZYNE and the Air Force Research Laboratory unveiled the new “Grasshopper” gliders, which can be dropped out of a C-17 or C-130 and fly “tens of miles.”

Figure 2 Grasshopper by DZYNE in flight mode

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Noter deg at Black Hornet presenteres nok en gang. Den er av norsk opprinnelse. (Red.)

Anduril Shows Mass Production of Roadrunner Loitering Interceptor

By The Editor on May 08, 2025 06:55 am

U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries has revealed large-scale production of its new Roadrunner loitering interceptor, a reusable drone designed to counter aerial threats with rapid-launch capabilities. The company shared an image across its social media platforms showing a substantial number of serially produced Roadrunner units, signaling that the system is moving beyond development into […]

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Teledyne FLIR Defense Unveils Multiple Upgrades to Black Hornet 4 Nano-Drone

By The Editor on May 08, 2025 06:50 am

– Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has announced a number of upgrades to its Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance System to further boost operational effectiveness for warfighters. The enhanced features are being showcased at the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week annual conference at the Tampa Convention Center, May 6 to May 8. […]

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HENSOLDT and Quantum Systems Partner to Drive Innovation in Software-Defined Defence

By The Editor on May 08, 2025 06:30 am

– HENSOLDT, a leading German provider of defence and security sensor solutions, has  announced a strategic cooperation with Munich-based defence tech startup Quantum Systems. This partnership is accompanied by an investment by HENSOLDT into Quantum Systems and sets the foundation for a deeper cooperation in Software-Defined Defence (SDD). The partnership brings together HENSOLDT’s extensive expertise […]

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TEKEVER Becomes Europe’s Newest UAS Unicorn

By The Editor on May 08, 2025 06:18 am

– TEKEVER, a European provider of AI-driven Autonomous Systems, has announced the raise of a new funding round. Fully committed by existing investors, including round leader Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Iberis Capital and Crescent Cove, the round confirms TEKEVER’s valuation above £1 Billion. This milestone cements TEKEVER as a European […]

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Ukrainian Drones Destroy Russian ‘Zaslon’ Naval Radar on Wheels

By The Editor on May 08, 2025 06:09 am

Ukraine has recorded the first confirmed destruction of Russia’s advanced ‘Zaslon’ radar system, originally designed for naval use but recently deployed on land. The strike was carried out by drone operators of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems, who located and eliminated the radar despite its non-standard wheel-mounted configuration. The system had previously never been hit during the […]

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Recent Articles:Silvus Unveils New DualStream PTT Controller
AeroVironment Red Dragon: A New Breed of Fully Autonomous, GPS-Denied One-Way Attack UAS
Quantum Systems Raises €160M Series C Funding
Palladyne AI and Red Cat Complete Successful Cross-Platform Collaborative Drone Flight
AFRL Awards URSA MAJOR $28.6M Contract for Responsive Space, Hypersonic, and On-Orbit Propulsion

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Maritim drone skjøt ned to russiske Su-30 Flanker (Red.)

First Image Of Ukraine’s Sidewinder-Armed Magura V7 Surface Drone

·         Published on 04/05/2025

·         By H I Sutton

·         In News

Click to enlarge. Magura V7 surface drone (USV) armed with two Sidewinder missiles. Note that the missiles have yellow protective covers over their seekers, indicating that it is on a test run.

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Ukraine has successfully shot down two Russian jets sent to interdict their surface drones in the Black Sea. We can reveal the previously unreported surface drone (USV) which scored the kills using American Sidewinder missiles.

Ukraine’s successful shooting down of an Su-30 Flanker fighter on May 2, which was reported yesterday, has been joined by a second downed Flanker. These are the first two fighter jets in history to be downed by an uncrewed surface drone, but they are unlikely to be the last. We can now add further details following statements by Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate (HUR), and by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Naval News can reveal the previously unreported maritime drone (USV) which scored the kills.

As a point of detail, some statements indicated that a Magura V5 drone was used, but Naval News can confirm that it was in fact a larger Magura V7. This is the first time that the V7 variant has been revealed to the public.

Naval News initially reported, before further information was available, that the USVs likely used AA-11 Archer missiles. That configuration, known as Sea Dragon, was the only one publicly known. Now we can reveal the Sidewinder armed type.

 

A Mature Capability: Magura V7

The Magura V7 is quite different from the USV used to carry Sea Dragon missiles. That was a wider hull with large fixed launch rails. The V7 is essentially an enlarged Magura V5, the baseline model used to ram enemy ships with an explosive charge. It is approximately 8 meters (26 feet) long compared the the V5 at 5.5 meters (18 feet).

The V7 represents a mature capability compared to the Sea Dragon version which can be thought of as the prototype. It is cleaner and better thought out. It is unclear however whether it is exclusively armed with Sidewinder missiles or can carry other weapons.

The Magura V7 shares similar lines to the V5 version but has a reshaped bow. This feature suggests improved sea keeping, useful for operations in winter. It is seen with several communications antenna and sensors. It does not appear to have an explosive charge in the bow, due to the lack of impact detonators, but this may be configurable.

 

Sidewinder Armed

The two American-made Sidewinder missiles are mounted on their aircraft launch rails, which appear to be able to be elevated for launch. The missile’s operational range and performance is similar to the Soviet era AA-11 Archer (R-73) missiles used by the Sea Dragon. Engagements may take place at around 10 km, although it may be much shorter in practice than in theory.

The success of Ukraine’s uncrewed surface drones (USVs) cannot be overstated. They are rewriting the rules of naval warfare.