Unmanned Systems

An experimental unmanned surface vessel program initiated by Pentagon research agencies and bound for the Navy has fallen behind schedule by several months with a contract to build a prototype now expected early next year.

During an upcoming experiment, the Air Force will demonstrate the ability of the Phaser high-powered microwave system to thwart adversary unmanned aerial systems in an overseas operational environment.

The Advanced Battle Management System will be a major player in the Air Force's plans for air superiority and manned-unmanned teaming, by providing the networking backbone for the service's platforms and likely gaining a large influx of funding in the fiscal year 2021 budget proposal.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is the only one of four key congressional panels overseeing the Pentagon's budget expressing support for the Navy's plan to purchase two unmanned surface vessel prototypes.

A Senate panel today marked up its version of the fiscal year 2020 defense spending bill in accordance with a bipartisan budget deal, appropriating $622 billion in base spending, $70.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations and $1.7 billion in emergency funding.

The top small drone manufacturer in the world is hitting back at the Pentagon's assertion that the company’s unmanned aerial systems send user data to China, as Defense Department officials use the claim as part of their case for establishing an alternative U.S. supply of small UAS.

The Navy today announced a medium-sized, unmanned undersea vehicle program developed to hunt mines has cleared the milestone C acquisition hurdle, paving the way for a low-rate initial production contract to be made to prime contractor General Dynamics Mission Systems.

The Pentagon's acquisition and sustainment office is exploring whether the Defense Department should shift to a model where it pays contractors to defend some U.S. military installations from unmanned aerial systems, rather than using government personnel and systems.

The Air Force's lead for remotely piloted aircraft wants to use a 1950s fighter production concept being resurfaced by senior officials to reduce acquisition time lines and costs as the service prepares for the next era of its drone enterprise.