Drones

News, explainers, and analysis about military drones.

Latest in Drones

An MQ-9 Reaper taxis on the runway after landing in support of Freedom Flag 24-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 23, 2024. Freedom Flag 24-1 is an advanced, large-scale tactical exercise between the U.S. and allied partners dedicated to the protection of regional peace and stability through the adaptation of novel and collaborative training methods, ensuring readiness against a wide range of threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Maria Umanzor Guzman)

Air Force revives WWII-era squadron in South Korea as modern drone force

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Sep 29, 2025

Workers at Allen Control Systems accidentally ordered parts for a Bullfrog weapon system in rose gold rather than black. The company says the military services can order it in this color if they so please.

Someone accidentally ordered this drone-killing robot in rose gold

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Sep 23, 2025

US deploys MQ-9 Reaper drones to the Caribbean

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Sep 12, 2025

Rangers Test Drones

Army Rangers are testing out drones as anti-tank weapons

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Sep 8, 2025

A soldier uses the KnightFigher drone jamming device during Project Flytrap, July 28, 2025.

Project Flytrap and the Army’s answer to drone warfare

Posted on Aug 29, 2025

1st Cavalry Division Trooper, Sgt. Nathaniel Martin, an Unmanned Aircraft System Operator, assigned to 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, launches a drone from his hand during Pegasus Forge, on Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 6, 2025. Pegasus Forge allows the First Team to utilize new technology and gain experience in the field to support and progress in the Army's Transformation in Contact initiative. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. David Dumas)

Army plays ‘catch up’ on drone warfare with new operator course

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Aug 21, 2025

A Z-137 crop duster plane with two missiles under its wings flies over the skies of Ukraine.

A missile-armed crop duster is the latest anti-drone weapon in Ukraine

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Aug 10, 2025

The Navy, in partnership with Skydweller Aero, recently achieved continuous solar-powered unmanned flight during a nonstop three-day test from Stennis, Mississippi. Led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the test of Skydweller UAS marks a significant advancement in both long-endurance solar-powered UAS technology and its potential to enhance maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

The Navy flew a solar-powered drone for 73 hours straight

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Aug 5, 2025

How far does the US military have to go to catch up on drones?

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Aug 4, 2025

U.S. Army Sgt. Elena Killough and Sgt. Demond Blach, assigned to the Deathwatch Platoon, 10th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conduct maintenance on an Unmanned Aircraft System during a first person view individual qualification on Grafenwöhr Training Area, July 21, 2025. The 1st ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division, tests purpose-built, retrievable FPV drones to highlight the ability against autonomous targets to improve battlefield readiness and integration with armored units. The 1st ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division, and V Corps are part of America’s Forward Deployed Corps in Europe which works alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises, and retain command and assigned units in the European Theater. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Josefina Garcia)

No drone war for old men? How an Army exercise highlighted a generational divide

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jul 30, 2025

U.S. Army paratroopers operate and analyze a first-person view (FPV) drone in-flight April 27, 2025. Photo by Sgt. Mariah Y. Gonzalez

‘Brutality over precision’ — What the Army is learning from Russia in Ukraine

Posted on Jul 28, 2025

An M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank at Bergen-Hohne Training Area, Germany, equipped with Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles and the Trophy Active Protection System, July 10, 2020.

What the Army is doing to keep its tanks alive against drones

Posted on Jul 24, 2025

The Army is rapidly advancing capabilities in the Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program by deploying cutting-edge Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (SUAS) to Trans-formation in Contact (TiC) Brigades. In April, the PEO Aviation, Project Office UAS, responded to an urgent request to deploy Tranche 2 SUAS to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Fort Campbell, Kentucky) in support of their rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. Both the Skydio X10D system and Teal Drones' Black Widow system will support Army TiC Brigades in developing and refining tactics, techniques, and procedures for employing networked reconnaissance and surveillance systems against emerging battlefield threats. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo)

Expect to see more drones during training under new Pentagon rules

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jul 17, 2025

SMASH 2000L fire control system

Marines to field new smart scope to help shoot down small drones

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 16, 2025

An 8th Air Force B-17 bomber flies over a bombed target in 1943.

The Army Air Forces tried to use remote-controlled bombers as attack drones in World War II

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 7, 2025

Pentagon sets up interservice counter-drone task force

Pentagon sets up interservice counter-drone task force

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 6, 2025