drone

Recently, the U.S. Navy scrapped plans for a carrier-based armed drone aircraft in favor of their new MQ-25 Stingray program. Instead of carrying ordnance aboard the unmanned vehicles, the MQ-25 will serve as a refueler that helps to extend the operational range of fighters like the Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C naval […]

The use of drones has changed the way the U.S. and its competitors conduct combat operations. Yet despite the broad capabilities touted by America’s varied drone aircraft, some combat operations remain too complex for the pilotless planes. For years, air-to-air engagements were among those operations best left to manned aircraft. But a recent announcement from […]

Ever since the first military drone took to the sky, pilots have wondered if their days in the fight were numbered. Drones, first relied on for reconnaissance, were soon armed and carrying out combat operations that used to fall solely to manned aircraft. Drones have grown to encompass more and more of the U.S. military’s […]

China’s DF-21D anti-ship missile, a hypersonic platform with a range of nearly a thousand miles, could arguably be seen as a tailor made threat to American military strategy overseas. The U.S. maintains not only the largest carriers in the world, but the largest fleet of them, allowing its Navy to deploy more military might from […]

The U.S. Department of Defense announced plans to develop and field “hoverbikes” a few years ago – the Army’s three propeller design began testing in January, and has already seen a shift away from use as a single-soldier mode of transportation, and toward being used as a supply drone that is merely capable of transporting […]

On Monday the U.K. revealed their concept for a next-generation fighter that seemed to borrow heavily from the U.S. led F-35 program with one notable difference: they claim this new jet will be functional both as a manned and unmanned aircraft. The new fighter, which U.K. Secretary of Defense Gavin Williamson called the Tempest, will be a […]

With a rapidly developing military drone industry growing in prominence the world over, and heavyweight defense contractors like Northrop Grumman devoting a large portion of their overall R&D programs to unmanned aerial vehicles, it’s easy to see that the future of military aviation will be largely unmanned. The benefits of such a transition are extensive, […]

As SOFREP has discussed in the past, Russia’s limited defense budget has forced them to adopt a unique strategy when it comes to new weapons development. Instead of looking to compete with the military might of the United States directly in every category, they have opted to invest heavily into specific programs that seem as […]

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed firing a Patriot missile toward an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle approaching Israel’s Golan Heights from Syria on Sunday. “Air defense systems as well as detection systems identified the threat in advance…before it crossed into the country,” read a statement released by the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit, adding that the military “will […]

Here in the United States, the phrase “military drone” conjures images of advanced air frames like Predators, MQ-9 Reapers and Global Hawks but in battlefields all around the world, drones of all shapes, sizes, and prices are becoming increasingly prevalent and deadly. Thanks to a boon in commercial drone manufacturing, it’s never been easier to […]

For around a decade, rumors have swirled about China’s advanced unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with the most-metal of names, the Dark Sword. It’s been no secret that the Dark Sword has been in development, but for the most part, that development has been slow going. Artist’s renderings, scale models, and a whole lot of […]

Startup Volans-i, based in San Francisco, CA says their drones have a range of about 500 miles and can haul a payload of 20 pounds at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Volans-i’s drones are able to travel for up to 500 miles carrying 20 pounds of cargo at a time at a top speed […]