International defence
Defence news from around the world.
German start-up unveils €2,500 anti-drone missile: an affordable answer to modern drones (video)
A German manufacturer has presented a laser-guided anti-drone missile with a fragmentation warhead that costs about 2,500 euros each, far less than conventional air defence missiles.
Saab NIMBRIX: Swedish anti-drone weapon that takes down drones at up to 5 kilometres (video)
Saab’s NIMBRIX is a portable anti-drone interceptor of under three kilos and less than a metre long that can take out drones up to NATO Class II at ranges of up to five kilometres.
Israeli BlueWhale: the unmanned submarine Germany is getting (video)
The German navy has received its first BlueWhale, an unmanned submarine from Israel Aerospace Industries. The 10.9-metre vessel can stay submerged for weeks to hunt submarines and detect sea mines.
Indonesia receives new mini submarine for covert missions at sea (video)
Indonesia has received two DS8 Swimmer Delivery Vehicles from Italy’s DRASS. The enclosed mini submarines will carry KOPASKA navy divers on covert underwater infiltration missions.
US C-RAM intercepts Iranian attack drone over northern Iraq (video)
Footage shows a US C-RAM system shooting down an Iranian attack drone near an American base in northern Iraq. The 20mm gun fires up to 4,500 rounds a minute at targets within about two kilometres.
Allen Control Systems takes Bullfrog to sea: AI weapon station on unmanned attack boat (video)
Allen Control Systems is fitting its AI-driven Bullfrog weapon station to Red Cat’s Blue Ops Variant 7 unmanned boat, creating a mobile, sea-going defence against drones and explosive boats.
Textron’s Damocles selected by the US Army: compact attack drone for immediate use
The US Army has selected Textron’s Damocles, a compact loitering munition launched vertically from a tube on a tripod, to give small infantry units their own precision firepower.
Rampart: US system automatically aims machine guns at drones and vehicles (video)
Colorado-based AimLock has unveiled Rampart, an ultra-portable semi-autonomous weapon station that detects and tracks drones and ground targets, while a human still decides when to fire.
Italy invests billions in sixth-generation fighter, surpassing its F-35 spending
Italy’s parliament has approved €8.8 billion for its share of the GCAP sixth-generation fighter programme with the UK and Japan, bringing Italy’s total investment to €18.6 billion — more than it spent on 90 F-35s.
General Atomics arms the MQ-9B with cruise missiles
General Atomics is integrating the JASSM, LRASM and Joint Strike Missile on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, turning the long-endurance drone into a platform for long-range precision strikes.
LORA missile launched from a cargo ship: long-range weapons gain a new maritime role (video)
Israel Aerospace Industries has fired its LORA ballistic missile, with a range of about 400 kilometres, from a modified cargo ship. It shows how long-range weapons are becoming ever more flexible to deploy.
Turkey unveils NEB Hayalet: bunker buster that penetrates 7 metres of concrete (video)
Turkey has unveiled the NEB Hayalet penetration bomb. Dropped from an F-16 in tests, it reportedly went through seven metres of reinforced concrete and then tens of metres into the ground.
Ukraine tests FP-7 missile with 200-kilometre range and 150-kilo warhead (video)
Ukraine has tested the FP-7, a home-built ground-launched ballistic missile with a range of about 200 kilometres, a 150-kilo warhead and an accuracy of around 14 metres.
American LUCAS drone found almost intact in Iraq after use against Iran (video)
An almost intact American LUCAS attack drone has been recovered in Iraq. The drone, reportedly used in US strikes on Iran, closely resembles Iran’s own Shahed-136.
Secret Israeli RA-01 drone filmed over Tehran (video)
Footage from Tehran shows what regional sources say is Israel’s secret RA-01 drone: a sleek, jet-powered aircraft flying at high altitude, probably with a stealth design.
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Robotics Human-shaped robot practises on a computer, then lands seven throws in a row (video)
Apollo is a robot with a human-shaped body. In a Google test, it learned to throw bean bags through a hole in a wooden board, using a person’s throw as a starting point.
Robotics This Meta glasses model sees what you see — and responds to tiny finger movements (video)
AI answers in front of your eye, on-screen translation and control through small finger movements. Here is how Meta Ray-Ban Display and its wristband work.
Defence This Dutch radar spots drones while driving down the road (video)
Spotting a drone from a moving off-road vehicle is exactly what Robin Radar developed IRIS for. A compact rooftop radar scans all around, measures the height of objects and helps identify whether a bird or a drone is flying nearby.
Robotics Atlas lifts 30 kilograms and sees all around: what Boston Dynamics’ robot can do (video)
Strong arms, endlessly rotating joints and hands that sense contact: Atlas is full of clever engineering. Here is how Boston Dynamics wants its humanoid to work.
Robotics Chinese inventor flies a home-built hoverboard over a river (video)
Chinese maker Ayu shows an electric flying board with ten motors. According to the accompanying text, two smartphones and an AI coach help him learn to fly. What makes this experiment interesting for defence?
Robotics Will Nvidia become the Android of robots and self-driving cars? (video)
Nvidia supplies chips, AI models and software for robots and self-driving cars. Does that make it the Android of the physical world?