Unmanned Systems

Aurora's Orion long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle will take steps toward deployment over the next two years, although the Air Force has not created a formal program of record.

The Navy should take several steps, such as creating a venture capital firm and an internal "Shark Tank" program, to ensure its autonomy capabilities stay ahead of its adversaries, according a new report by a Navy advisory panel.

Development of the Knifefish unmanned undersea vehicle is facing new delays stemming from a funding shortfall, forcing a 15-month delay to plans for declaring the newest variant of the Littoral Combat Ship mine countermeasure mission package operational.

The Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office will soon begin accepting proposals for a secretive project to allow semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft systems to team with manned fighter aircraft.

A new technology for unmanned aerial cargo vehicles, demonstrated this week, is pushing the Marine Corps to change its thinking about mission sets, according to a service official.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout is expected to reach initial operating capability and see its first deployment in 2020, according to Northrop Grumman officials.

The Pentagon has tapped Boeing to compete in a new technology demonstration effort to integrate a low-power laser on a high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle, handing the company which led the Airborne Laser program -- terminated in 2009 -- another bite at the apple in the U.S. military's latest effort to develop speed-of-light missile defense.

The Air Force recently notified lawmakers it is moving nearly $20 million in fiscal year 2017 procurement funding to modify 14 MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft as a new-start program.

Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, is next in line to receive a wing of 24 MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, the Air Force announced Tuesday night.