75th Ranger Regiment permanently activates new battalion

Earlier this month, the 75th Army Ranger Regiment permanently activated its newest battalion. The Ranger Military Intelligence Battalion (RHIB) is now one of the five battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the other being three infantry battalions (1/75, 2/75, 3/75) and a Special Troops Battalion. According to the 75th Ranger Regiment, the RHIB’s mission is […]

Man vs machine: Air Force plans to pit fighter jet against drone

This article was written by Alex Hollings and originally published on Sandboxx.com. The United States Air Force says they intend to pit an artificial intelligence-enabled drone against a manned fighter jet in a dogfight as soon as next year. Although drones have become an essential part of America’s air power apparatus, these platforms have long […]

Air Force releases criteria for new controversial Combat Medal

The Air Force has announced the eligibility criteria for the Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal (RCECM). The RCECM aims to recognize the actions of non-deployable Air Force personnel in ground combat. It is, in fact, tailored to the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) community, which has been providing key intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and air support […]

How to improve the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the US defense industry

During the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2019, which was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UAE government spent close to $5.4 billion on weapons and military hardware contracts. According to reports from the UAE government, the deals that were signed involved firms from across to globe, including Chinese, Russian, French, […]

Kalashnikov unveils new kamikaze drone, already being used by Russian military

During the international defense exhibition known as IDEX 2019, the Kalashnikov Group, the famous rifle manufacturer, revealed a kamikaze-style drone. Judging from the limited information available, the KUB-BLA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is very small, with dimensions of 1210 х 950 х 165 mm. “This is an extremely precise and very effective weapon, incredibly hard to […]

Watch: The pocket drones destined to revolutionize military operations

U.S. Army units will soon be getting a nano drone that promises to revolutionize operations. The Black Hornet is a vehicle reconnaissance system (VRS) and falls under the unmanned aerial system (UAS) category. It is designed and manufactured by FLIR Systems, one of the world’s largest companies specializing in the development and production of high-quality […]

Watch: The pocket drones destined to revolutionize military operations

U.S. Army units will soon be getting a nano drone that promises to revolutionize operations. The Black Hornet is a vehicle reconnaissance system (VRS) and falls under the unmanned aerial system (UAS) category. It is designed and manufactured by FLIR Systems, one of the world’s largest companies specializing in the development and production of high-quality […]

US Department of Defense Memo Stops Use and Purchases of Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

The US military has been using ‘off the shelf’ commercial aerial vehicles more and more recently. A recent Department of Defense memo citing cyber-security concerns has put a stop to all new purchases and utilization of these drones. Many of these units are manufactured in China. Memo: SUBJECT: (U/FOUO) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities (U/FOUO) […]

Turkey adds to growing list of lethal drone strikes

Last week Turkey used its own Anka unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time in combat, using the drone to reportedly attack and kill members of the terrorist organization known as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The drone used Roketsan MAM-L laser-guided mini ammunition, a Turkish weapon system, to kill five PKK fighters in […]

What if terrorists got their hands on explosives and a drone?

Our air traffic control system successfully monitors thousands of aircraft per day. Yet, no such system for monitoring drones exists, yet. And UAVs are not required to report their location, as aircraft does. Even so, drones are quickly becoming ubiquitous in our society, making it less likely for us to know if the flier has ill intentions, until it’s too late. A group of no-goodniks could easily fly an explosive-laden drone, or half a dozen of them, into an office building, a park, city square, or even a stadium full of spectators.