The Defence Blog

Operation Epic Fury is over, but U.S. F-16s are still patrolling the Gulf — loaded with missiles, bombs, and cheap laser-guided rockets designed to kill drones for $30K a shot instead of $500K. https://lnkd.in/dDacz8xa

The U.S. Army is testing a new low-cost interceptor in Europe that can shoot down drones and be redirected mid-flight if the target turns out to be friendly. IonStrike costs less than the drones it destroys and works with existing Army radar systems. https://lnkd.in/dYJp3uyx

The U.S. military paid $438M to build satellites that can't be jammed. Viasat & Intelsat won the contract — four new spacecraft due by 2029, designed to keep troops connected even when enemies try to cut the signal. https://lnkd.in/dPgqh5TR

FN Herstal modernized one of the world's most common machine guns. The updated FN MAG now mounts the same day, night, and thermal sights used on rifles, and existing guns in 90 countries can be converted by a field armourer. https://lnkd.in/d5ZQZk8h

A Dutch company showed its military the DMV Tasman, a militarized KIA pickup truck that can autonomously hunt and shoot down drones. https://lnkd.in/d4WUznjH

The U.S. Marines signed a $98M deal for more Polaris MRZR Alpha vehicles, small enough to fly inside a helicopter and drive off on arrival. A new version now powers radars and comms gear without needing a generator. https://lnkd.in/dYHzEBeR

The U.S. Army's Disruptor strike drone no longer needs a catapult to launch. X-Bow just delivered its 600th rocket booster to AEVEX. Set it up anywhere, launch, relocate. https://lnkd.in/d4ydTxVe

The U.S. Army officially confirmed a strike drone it kept secret for years. The AEVEX Disruptor can hit targets over 1,400 km away. It just trained with U.S. forces in California. The Army is done hiding this one. https://lnkd.in/dmWrp7sp

Ukraine showed the world how it trains operators of the U.S.-designed Merops drone killer — the $15,000 interceptor that has downed 4,000+ Russian drones. Now it's being built in Germany and backed by a $500M Pentagon contract. https://lnkd.in/dHSVT447

Sudan used a drone to shoot down another drone with a missile. The Sudanese military's Bayraktar Akıncı fired an air-to-air missile and destroyed an enemy UAV mid-flight. https://lnkd.in/dquiBaY8