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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 12h

Russia's new robot tank had a rough first outing. It kept losing contact with its operators during the Tsentr-2026 drills, so a human drove it for Putin's demo. It got stuck in the mud anyway. defence-blog.com/russias-shtu...

defence-blog.com

Russia’s Shturm robotic tank debut ends stuck in the mud

Russia's new Shturm uncrewed tank failed in its first major outing, losing its control link again and again during the Tsentr-2026 strategic exercise and finally getting stuck in mud, even with a huma...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 14h

Leonidas zaps drones with microwave energy instead of shooting them, and one burst can take down a whole swarm. Its maker says it just linked the weapon into a wider U.S. Army drone defense network during a recent exercise. defence-blog.com/microwave-dr...

defence-blog.com

Microwave drone killer joins U.S. Army’s Jailbreak drill

Epirus has plugged its Leonidas high-power microwave drone killer into a wider U.S. Army command-and-control network during Operation Jailbreak Falcon Fury, an Army effort to make counter-drone sensor...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 15h

The U.S. military is turning Guantanamo Bay into a training site for drones and other unmanned systems. Some are already there, supporting operations against drug cartels across Latin America and the Caribbean. defence-blog.com/u-s-sends-un...

defence-blog.com

U.S. sends unmanned systems to Guantanamo for new command

U.S. Southern Command has deployed unmanned systems to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the first step toward a training and mission-support site there for its new Autonomous Warfare Command. Mar...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 15h

Russia sent remote-controlled tanks into its big Tsentr-2026 war games. The catch: three operators run each one from another armored vehicle that has to stay within about 3 km, so the crew is still close to the fight. defence-blog.com/russia-shows...

defence-blog.com

Russia shows Shturm robotic tank system in big exercise

Russia has used uncrewed tanks from its Shturm heavy robotic assault system in combat drills for the first time, sending remotely controlled T-72-based vehicles to support assault troops during its Ts...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 15h

Russia has taken a missile its attack helicopters use in Ukraine and put it on a truck. At the Tsentr-2026 drills, the new launcher hit mock artillery positions. Russia says it can strike targets up to 20 km away. defence-blog.com/russia-turns...

defence-blog.com

Russia turns helicopter missile into truck-mounted weapon

Russia has fired a guided missile from its attack helicopters off a truck, using a new ground launcher called Izdeliye 347, or "Product 347," against mock artillery positions during its Tsentr-2026 ex...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 15h

Russia's Pantsir air defense system is now riding on a heavy chassis built in Belarus. It appeared at Russia's big Tsentr-2026 drills this week. Ukraine already destroyed one of these near Mariupol back in February. defence-blog.com/russia-shows...

defence-blog.com

Russia shows Pantsir air defense on Belarus-built chassis

Russia has shown an upgraded Pantsir-S1M air defense system mounted on a Belarus-built MZKT-7930-312 chassis during its Tsentr-2026 strategic exercise, the first official confirmation that the gun-and...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

Ukraine's president says about half of its F-16 fighter jets have been stuck in Europe for long repairs. He wants the work done inside Ukraine so the jets can get back in the air faster. defence-blog.com/ukraine-send...

defence-blog.com

Ukraine sends mixed signals on F-16 repair delays

About half of Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets have spent long stretches in Europe for repairs and maintenance, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, and some have taken so long to come back that Ukraine lost...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

AM General is building a next-generation version of the legendary Humvee with a new 250-horsepower diesel engine, up from about 190 hp in the standard armored model the U.S. military uses today. defence-blog.com/like-a-phoen...

defence-blog.com

Like a phoenix: AM General revives the iconic Humvee

AM General is building a next-generation Humvee around a new 250-horsepower diesel engine, giving the four-decade-old military truck more power and better fuel economy. The Indiana-based company said ...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

France has started building a 122-meter frigate for Sweden at its Lorient shipyard. It's the first of four, with air defense missiles, torpedoes and room for a helicopter. Sweden picked the French design mostly because it could be delivered fastest. defence-blog.com/france-start...

defence-blog.com

France starts building Sweden’s first new frigate

Naval Group has started building the first of four new frigates for Sweden, cutting steel for the future HSwMS Luleå at its shipyard in Lorient, France, on Oct. 1, just one month after Stockholm signe...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

Poland is spending about $23 million to rebuild a military electronics plant near Wrocław. Work on the first stage starts under a $5.5 million contract with a Polish builder, and the plant plans to hire about 100 more people. defence-blog.com/poland-upgra...

defence-blog.com

Poland upgrades military electronics plant near Wrocław

Polish state-owned radar maker PIT-RADWAR has signed a contract to start rebuilding its plant in Czernica, near Wrocław, the first step in a nearly 90 million zloty (about $23 million) investment that...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

The GPS that guides jets onto U.S. Navy carrier decks in fog and rough seas is getting an upgrade. BAE Systems will add the military's encrypted M-code signal, which is harder to jam or spoof. defence-blog.com/bae-to-add-j...

defence-blog.com

BAE to add jam-resistant GPS to carrier landing system

BAE Systems will upgrade the GPS inside the U.S. Navy's carrier landing system to the military's encrypted, jam-resistant M-code signal under a $16 million contract from Collins Aerospace. The company...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

Poland is using AI to watch its border with Belarus. The system scans feeds from cameras and drones and flags anything soldiers and border guards should look at, so fewer people spend hours staring at screens. defence-blog.com/poland-puts-...

defence-blog.com

Poland puts AI to work guarding its border with Belarus

Poland's military and Border Guard are now using an artificial intelligence system to watch the country's border with Belarus, pulling feeds from cameras, drones and other sensors into one picture and...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

A British company now has two satellites that can see heat from orbit. HotSat-3 launched Oct. 1 and can show whether engines, ships or factories are running, even at night. With two in orbit, SatVu can image any spot on Earth once a day. defence-blog.com/british-ther...

defence-blog.com

British thermal satellite firm doubles its fleet in orbit

British company SatVu has launched HotSat-3, a satellite that maps heat on the ground from orbit, giving it a second working spacecraft and the ability to photograph any spot on Earth in thermal infra...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm, wants AI built into how its biotech programs are managed. It just hired Systems Planning and Analysis for $10.9 million to handle technical, budget and admin support through 2031. defence-blog.com/darpa-wants-...

defence-blog.com

DARPA wants AI built into running its biotech research

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon's research arm that funds high-risk military technology, has hired Systems Planning and Analysis to help manage its biotechnology programs, ...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

U.S. Navy SEALs can leave a submarine without it surfacing, through a 38-foot chamber mounted behind the sail. The U.S. Navy is paying Oceaneering up to $154.1 million to keep those chambers working through 2031. defence-blog.com/u-s-navy-tap...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Navy taps Oceaneering to upgrade SEAL submarine shelters

The U.S. Navy has awarded Oceaneering International a contract worth up to $154.1 million to keep its Dry Deck Shelters working, the hangar-like chambers that let U.S. Navy SEALs leave and return to a...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

The U.S. Air Force is buying weather data from balloons that stay up for weeks and steer by riding different winds. WindBorne Systems' contract could reach $48.7 million through 2033, though only $1.7 million is committed so far. defence-blog.com/u-s-air-forc...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Air Force buys weather data from smart balloons

The U.S. Air Force has awarded WindBorne Systems, a California startup that flies a fleet of self-steering weather balloons, a contract worth up to $48.7 million to supply atmospheric data for militar...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

Taiwan's coast guard blasted a Chinese fishing boat with a water cannon near Dongsha Island, then warned the crew they'd be arrested. In the end, it fed them 35 hot meals and towed the boat away. defence-blog.com/taiwan-coast...

defence-blog.com

Taiwan Coast Guard hoses Chinese fishing boat off Dongsha

Taiwan's Coast Guard used a water cannon on a Chinese fishing boat that refused to leave waters near Dongsha Island in the South China Sea, then warned its crew they would be arrested and their boat s...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

Taiwan finally has its first two brand-new F-16 fighter jets, about three years behind schedule. They're the first of 66 the island ordered from the U.S. for about $8 billion back in 2019. defence-blog.com/taiwan-recei...

defence-blog.com

Taiwan receives first new F-16s three years behind plan

Taiwan's Air Force has received the first two of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets bought from the United States, after the aircraft landed at Chihhang Air Base in the eastern county of Taitung aroun...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 02/10/2026

South Korea rolled out a laser weapon on an eight-wheeled vehicle and a towed laser built to knock down rockets and mortar shells. Both are still prototypes, shown in public for the first time. defence-blog.com/south-korea-...

defence-blog.com

South Korea unveils new laser combat vehicle

South Korea put its Cheongwang laser weapons on public display for its 78th Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1, showing two new prototypes for the first time, but a live demonstration of the system already in...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

The U.S. Army now has permanent test lanes in the Arizona desert for weapons that find, jam or shoot down drones. Companies spent most of September testing their systems there against border-style drone threats. defence-blog.com/u-s-army-ope...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Army opens permanent anti-drone test lanes in Arizona

The U.S. Army has set up permanent test lanes for counter-drone weapons at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, where it spent most of September putting systems from multiple companies through scenarios mo...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

We asked Forterra what 1,400 Lancer missions in Ukraine taught them. Drones are the hardest problem. Russian drones destroyed a couple of vehicles, and some damaged ones were repaired. Software fixes often reach the front within days. Full Q&A: defence-blog.com/forterra-rev...

defence-blog.com

Forterra reveals lessons from 1,400 Lancer missions in Ukraine

Forterra says well over a thousand missions in Ukraine have shaped how it builds autonomous ground vehicles, from coping with jamming and mud to keeping them running under constant threat from Russian...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

Ukraine says it has fired its new ballistic missile in combat for the first time. The FP-7 can reportedly hit targets up to 250 km away at speeds above 5,000 km/h. Next step: mass production. defence-blog.com/ukraine-conf...

defence-blog.com

Ukraine confirms first combat use of new ballistic missile

Ukraine has used its homegrown FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in combat for the first time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Oct. 1, adding that the next step is production. "Ukrainian tactical ...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

Ukrainian armed ground robots joined an Italian Army assault drill near Rome, working alongside an Italian robot and infantry while Italy's president looked on. The exercise was called AEGIS 26. defence-blog.com/italian-army...

defence-blog.com

Italian Army tests Ukrainian gun-armed robots in assault drill

Ukrainian defense company DevDroid put two of its armed ground robots through their paces with the Italian Army during AEGIS 26, a major exercise watched by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, operat...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

DARPA wants ideas for a new hypersonic cruise missile that can fly farther, faster or higher than today's designs, and cost less to build in large numbers. Companies have until Nov. 6 to respond. defence-blog.com/pentagon-wan...

defence-blog.com

Pentagon wants a hypersonic cruise missile for jets, ships and bombers

The Pentagon's research agency DARPA is asking industry how to build a new hypersonic cruise missile that would fly much farther, faster or higher than current designs and could still be produced chea...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

The transport planes Britain retired in 2023 are about to start flying for Türkiye. The first two of 12 C-130J Super Hercules arrive in December, and Turkish pilots are already training in the U.S. defence-blog.com/britains-ret...

defence-blog.com

Britain’s retired Hercules head to Türkiye in December

Türkiye will receive the first two of 12 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft it is buying from the UK in December, once maintenance on them is finished in Britain, the Turkish Defense Ministry sa...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

The U.S. Air Force's laser lab in New Mexico is paying BAE Systems up to $19.7 million to figure out new uses for lasers that fire in short, powerful bursts. What those uses are, it hasn't said. defence-blog.com/u-s-air-forc...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Air Force taps BAE for pulsed laser research

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has hired BAE Systems to work out how pulsed lasers could be used for military missions and how to pair solid-state lasers with beam control systems the U.S. Air...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

U.S. Navy destroyers are trading their 25mm deck guns for 30mm ones built to hit small drones and fast boats. The latest order: $197 million to MSI Defence Systems, with most of the work done in England. defence-blog.com/u-s-navy-buy...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Navy buys more 30mm guns to shoot down drones

The U.S. Navy has awarded British-owned MSI Defence Systems a $197 million contract for 30mm deck gun mounts and the electro-optical sights that aim them, the weapons the service is fitting to its war...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

The U.S. Air Force is spending $146.7 million on 40 sets of the system that warns F-15EX pilots when enemy radars lock on, jams them, and fires off flares and chaff. BAE Systems builds them in New Hampshire. defence-blog.com/u-s-air-forc...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Air Force buys 40 electronic warfare kits for F-15EX

The U.S. Air Force has awarded BAE Systems a $146.7 million contract for 40 sets of the electronic warfare suite that protects the F-15EX Eagle II, covering jets in the fighter's seventh and eighth pr...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

Russia says it now has drones that do the job of cruise missiles for much less money. Two are built to fit inside the Su-57 stealth fighter. Ukraine says one of them was found carrying a U.S.-made AI computer chip. defence-blog.com/russias-stat...

defence-blog.com

Russia’s state arms giant claims a new drone-missile class

Russia's state defense conglomerate Rostec says three of its newest jet-powered strike drones, the S-71M, S-71K and Dan-T, can now do the job of cruise missiles at a fraction of the cost, and that all...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

Two European tech companies want to sell countries their own satellite internet for the military and emergency services, so they don't have to rely on someone else's network. ICEYE and Nokia aim to launch the first satellites in 2028. defence-blog.com/iceye-and-no...

defence-blog.com

ICEYE and Nokia team up on sovereign satellite internet

Finnish satellite company ICEYE and telecommunications group Nokia will jointly develop broadband satellite communications systems that governments can own and run themselves, with the first satellite...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 01/10/2026

The Pentagon ordered 14,000 attack drones from one California company, Neros. That's nearly a quarter of the 60,000 drones bought in its latest round of field tests with troops. defence-blog.com/pentagon-ord...

defence-blog.com

Pentagon orders 14,000 attack drones from Neros

The U.S. Department of War has ordered 14,000 attack drones and explosive payloads from California drone maker Neros after the company finished near the top of both events in the Pentagon's latest Dro...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

The U.S. Air Force wants its newest F-15, the F-15EX, to warn pilots when a missile is fired at them. It's asking companies for systems that are already flying on other jets and can be bolted into six spots built into the aircraft. defence-blog.com/u-s-air-forc...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Air Force plans missile warning upgrade for F-15EX

The U.S. Air Force is looking for a system that warns F-15EX Eagle II crews when a missile has been fired at them, and it wants one that is already proven on other military aircraft so it can be fitte...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

Ukrainian firm M-Fly makes the stabilized cameras that let drones spot targets at up to 350 km/h. It just raised a new funding round to expand production, with buyers in Ukraine and NATO countries. defence-blog.com/ukraines-m-f...

defence-blog.com

Ukraine’s M-Fly raises cash as NATO buyers show interest

M-Fly, a Kyiv-based company that builds stabilized cameras and laser guidance systems for military drones, has raised a new funding round led by MITS Capital to expand production as orders from Ukrain...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

A British company building a spacecraft to grab dead satellites out of orbit passed an independent cybersecurity audit. It's also working on a UK military program to service satellites in space. defence-blog.com/british-firm...

defence-blog.com

British firm set to clear space junk passes security audit

Astroscale UK, the British arm of the Japanese company building spacecraft to clear junk from orbit, has earned an international information security certification as it prepares a planned debris remo...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

A battery-powered craft that takes off from the water and skims the waves at up to 180 mph just got more U.S. Marine Corps funding. Total so far: $19.25 million, all for testing and demos. defence-blog.com/u-s-marine-c...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Marine Corps to test electric seaglider in the field

The U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab has added $5 million to its work with REGENT Craft on the Seaglider, an electric craft that skims just above the water, bringing the total value of the partnershi...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

The U.S. Army picked the winners of a humanoid robot contest. One of them, a robot called Alex, has ballistic protection and joints built to take hits. The goal: keep soldiers out of the most dangerous jobs. defence-blog.com/u-s-army-sco...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Army scouts armored humanoids for risky missions

The U.S. Army has picked five winners in a competition to test how commercial humanoid robots could be used by the military, including a two-legged robot called Alex that is built to take hits and car...

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The Defence Blog @defence-blog.com · 30/09/2026

The U.S. Army wants a missile that fits on a HIMARS truck and can hit a moving ship 1,000 km away. Five companies now have deals to build prototypes, and they'll compete in test flights starting next year. defence-blog.com/u-s-army-tap...

defence-blog.com

U.S. Army taps five firms for 1,000 km HIMARS missile

The U.S. Army has picked five companies to build competing prototypes of a new Precision Strike Missile that can be fired from a HIMARS truck and hit moving ships and relocatable land targets 1,000 km...

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