A single destination for timely, editor-curated robotics news from around the world.
The U.S. Department of Defense redesignated its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) as the Super Intelligence Office (SIO). The department said the change does not alter the office’s mission and aligns its name with the Trump administration’s effort to replace references to artif...
The University of North Dakota (UND) has entered a groundbreaking partnership with the Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) to assist in evaluating counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS). This collaboration, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed at...
The Pentagon aims to choose a site for a new military base by June 2024, focusing on four essential criteria. Assistant Secretary of Defense Dale Marks emphasized that this initiative is akin to constructing a city, as it will support a modernized military posture against multi-domain threats. The b...
The Pentagon is accelerating its efforts to increase aerial drone production, but industry and military officials express differing opinions on the effectiveness of this approach. James Slider, CEO of Performance Drone Works, emphasized the need for sustained demand to support a viable domestic dron...
The Pentagon is currently assessing the damage to US bases in the Middle East and considering changes to its force posture. A senior defense official indicated that evaluations are ongoing with CENTCOM to determine which installations require rebuilding, emphasizing a strategic investment approach b...
The U.S. Department of Defense is significantly increasing its investment in autonomous systems, with recent contracts awarded to various companies for drone production and AI-piloted aircraft. Notably, Orqa U.S. secured a $38 million contract for the Drone Dominance Gauntlet II program, while Shiel...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has incorporated previously submitted letters from the Department of War into its official records regarding drone manufacturers DJI and Autel Robotics. However, the FCC clarified that these letters did not influence its recent updates to the Covered List,...
The Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program is set to initiate a significant competition, aiming to procure around 60,000 one-way attack drones under a $450 million Phase III initiative. This initiative also includes a delay of the Gauntlet 2.5 competition for reusable bomber drones until early November,...
The Defense Department has chosen four vendors for its directed energy pilot program, aimed at enhancing high-energy laser and high-powered microwave capabilities domestically. This initiative, mandated by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, will be managed by the Army-led Joint Inte...
During the Falcon Peak 26.2 exercise at Yuma Proving Ground, a dozen vendors showcased their counter-drone technologies. The event aimed to evaluate these systems in challenging conditions, including sand and wind, as part of the Pentagon's efforts to enhance border security. This evaluation is sig...
The Pentagon has announced the creation of a new combatant command focused on autonomous and robotic capabilities, tentatively named Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM). Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined this initiative during a speech at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, emphasizi...
Raytheon has secured a multiyear U.S. defense contract valued at up to $20.7 billion, aimed at ramping up AMRAAM missile production to a record 1,900 units per year. This five-year agreement, awarded on September 25, is part of the U.S. Department of War's Arsenal of Freedom initiative, which seeks...
The Pentagon is utilizing the US-Mexico border as a testing ground for advanced technologies, including high-energy lasers and unmanned systems. Mark Ditlevson, the assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense, expressed a desire to expand these projects, contingent on future funding from Con...
The Pentagon has requested Congress to approve a reprogramming of approximately $1.5 billion from fiscal years 2025 and 2026. This funding aims to support a high-priority AI initiative, sustain the MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor program, and address financial impacts from operations related to Iran. The r...
The Pentagon is grappling with increasing operational costs for fiscal year 2026, prompting discussions on potential solutions. A former official expressed concern about the situation, indicating a sense of urgency in addressing these financial challenges. As the fiscal year approaches, stakeholde...
The Pentagon's counter-drone task force is set to conduct a live fire test of directed energy weapons in December, as stated by Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross. If successful, these systems could be purchased immediately to expedite their deployment in the field. This initiative is significant as it aims...
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has partially reversed a lower court ruling regarding DJI's designation as a 'Chinese military company' by the Department of Defense. In its August 14 decision, the court upheld most of the district court's findings but reversed one aspect, sending the...
DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, has received a significant legal boost as a federal appeals court identified a major flaw in the Pentagon's case against the company. Although DJI remains on the blacklist, the ruling compels a lower court to reassess the government's justification for th...
The Pennsylvania National Guard's UAS Training and Innovation Facility at Fort Indiantown Gap has been chosen as the primary training site for the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program. This selection follows the recent Drone Gauntlet competition, where the top 11 drone systems were identified for mili...
Robinson Unmanned has progressed to the next stage of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Program, marking a significant shift in defense procurement practices. The program now assesses not only drone performance but also the ability of manufacturers to produce reliable and cost-effecti...
The Pentagon has issued an urgent solicitation for the development of robotic boats capable of launching drone swarms within 120 days. This initiative, led by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) under the Department of Defense, aims to address the rising costs of modern warfare, where expensive naval...
Tesseract Ventures, a Kansas City-based robotics and drone company, has been chosen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to participate in a prototype program aimed at enhancing the U.S. military's use of autonomous drones. This initiative, known as the Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System...
The U.S. Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital has announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $450 million to Neros, a California-based small military drone manufacturer. This funding aims to enhance U.S. production of drones and critical components, thereby reducing reliance on fore...
MP Materials, the sole scaled rare earth mine and refinery in the U.S., is producing finished magnets in Texas, crucial for humanoid robots. Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets are essential for electric actuators in humanoid joints, with China controlling the majority of the supply. The company's...
The Pentagon is set to increase the complexity of the Falcon Peak exercise by simulating urban warfare scenarios. This follows previous tests of counter-unmanned aerial systems (cUAS) technology in desert conditions, where the focus was on performance against heat and sand. This development is sign...
The US Department of War has chosen four directed-energy systems, including high-energy lasers and high-powered microwaves, for a counter-drone pilot program. This initiative aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing homeland defense capabilities against uncrewed aircraft...
The US Defense Department has chosen four companies to participate in a pilot program testing directed-energy weapons for homeland defense. This initiative will evaluate high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems in operational settings to counter emerging drone threats. The program aims t...
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set to undergo a significant security overhaul aimed at countering small drone threats. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance security across various U.S. spaceports, which are increasingly viewed as critical and busy locations that require...
The Pentagon has announced that the costs for all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are rising by approximately 11 percent. The average flyaway cost for the F-35A has increased to $92 million for production lots 18 and 19, up from $82.5 million, while the F-35B and F-35C have also seen...
General Atomics plans to propose a new aircraft for the Pentagon's Massed Modular Aircraft project, aimed at creating a cost-effective hunter-killer drone. CEO Dave Alexander expressed skepticism about the feasibility of the Defense Innovation Unit's low-cost target, suggesting that the Pentagon may...
The Trump administration is collaborating with a U.S. company to counter China's stronghold on rare earth elements, which are crucial for manufacturing components in various technologies, including smartphones, robotics, fighter jets, and drones. This initiative comes amid growing concerns over supp...
In a significant development this month, the Pentagon announced the inclusion of several major Chinese companies on a list of entities allegedly supporting the Chinese military. This decision has prompted a swift reaction from Beijing, which condemned the move as an unjustified attack on its busines...
Aurelius Systems, a US-based technology firm, has successfully completed live testing of its Archimedes autonomous directed-energy system. This significant milestone was achieved recently, showcasing the system's capabilities in real-world scenarios. The testing took place at a designated facility,...
In a recent discussion, Emil Michael emphasized the ongoing debate within defense sectors regarding the allocation of resources toward military technology. He highlighted the critical trade-offs being made between investing in advanced weaponry and systems versus developing low-cost autonomous weapo...
The Department of Defense has placed an order for 20,000 small FPV-style drones from ten different vendors. This significant procurement aims to enhance the military's operational capabilities and improve surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. The decision reflects an ongoing commitment to moderni...
In a significant move to streamline its software procurement, a new five-year blanket purchase agreement has been established, consolidating Microsoft 365 licenses into a single contract. This initiative aims to enhance efficiency and reduce administrative burdens associated with managing multiple l...
The Pentagon has responded to concerns regarding significant increases in fees associated with linking LUCAS kamikaze drones to SpaceX's Starlink satellite network. Despite the pushback on these reports, the military's reliance on SpaceX's technology has become increasingly crucial for U.S. operatio...
The Pentagon has entered into a significant contract worth up to $500 million with a California-based defense technology startup specializing in drone and counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology. This agreement comes as the U.S. military seeks to enhance its capabilities in response to evol...
The Pentagon has chosen Shield AI to implement its Hivemind autonomy software on the Low-Cost Attritable Strike Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This decision, announced recently, aims to enhance the operational capabilities of the military's drone fleet. By integrating advanced artificial intelligenc...
In recent months, a surge of interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs) has emerged, fueled by a combination of conspiracy theorists, YouTubers, and enthusiasts who have long championed the topic. This renewed focus has coincided with a series of government disclosures and reports regarding aeri...
The U.S. government is set to release a collection of files related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that includes videos, photographs, and original documents. This initiative, announced by the Department of Defense, aims to provide transparency regarding UAP encounters. The files will be m...
Congress is preparing to introduce a second reconciliation bill that includes funding for immigration enforcement. This development comes as lawmakers continue to navigate the complexities of budgetary allocations. While the immigration funding appears to be moving forward, the prospects for future...
AeroVironment's LOCUST laser weapon successfully completed a significant counter-drone test in collaboration with the Pentagon, showcasing its advanced capabilities in neutralizing aerial threats. This testing took place recently, highlighting the growing emphasis on innovative defense technologies...
The U.S. government is intensifying regulations on advanced artificial intelligence technologies, responding to growing concerns over their potential risks and ethical implications. This initiative, announced recently, aims to establish a framework that ensures the responsible development and deploy...
The Department of Defense (DOD) has intensified its efforts to diversify its partnerships with artificial intelligence (AI) vendors following a contentious dispute with Anthropic regarding the usage terms of its AI models. This strategic move aims to mitigate risks associated with reliance on a sing...
The Defense Department has announced new agreements with several major technology companies, including Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, OpenAI, SpaceX, and Reflection, with Oracle joining the list shortly thereafter. This initiative, revealed in a morning announcement, aims to enhance...
HII, a prominent player in unmanned and autonomous maritime platforms, has secured a contract from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop a submarine Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery (TTLR) system. This innovative system aims to autonomously deploy and recover HII’s REMUS unmanned underwater v...
US officials have dismissed Cuba's recent warning regarding escalating tensions, indicating that there will be no change in the military posture of the United States. This stance raises questions about how Washington might react should the situation deteriorate further. The ongoing diplomatic stando...
DJI, the prominent technology company known for its drones, faced a setback in its efforts to counteract the U.S. government's restrictions on foreign-made drones. Recently, the Pentagon intervened decisively, reinforcing its stance against DJI and effectively closing off any potential avenues for t...
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