Air Force wants $1 billion to begin fielding AI-piloted drone fighters next year

The U.S. Air Force is ready to move out of the testing stage and begin fielding operational AI-piloted drone fighters next year.
Northrop Grumman’s Talon fighter drone could join Air Force’s CCA program

Talon was designed with a focus on maximizing capability while minimizing cost.
YFQ-42 AI-enabled drone crashes for the first time during testing

This drone fighter is one of several Dark Merlins currently in testing for the U.S. Air Force’s Increment One Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, drone contract.
China’s reported decision to convert 500 dated J-6 fighters into kamikaze drones doesn’t make sense

China is converting retired fighters into kamikaze drones, but does that actually make sense?
Drones haven’t won the fight in Ukraine – and that matters as the West learns new ways of war

Editor’s Note: This article by Sinéad Baker was originally published by Business Insider. Drones are everywhere in Ukraine – hunting tanks, guiding artillery, and killing soldiers in staggering numbers. These weapons have reshaped how the war is fought, but they haven’t decided it. Drone warfare in Ukraine is a survival tactic in a bloody slog, […]
Anduril’s AI-piloted Fury drone goes into serial production, but who will buy it?

For the first time in history, an AI-piloted fighter drone has started serial production.
New weapons and technologies making their debut in the war against Iran

Some of the innovative weapons and tactics being used include sophisticated and layered interceptor air defenses and directed high-energy weapons systems.
Over 200 Ukrainian anti-Shahed experts are helping the US and its allies deal with Iran’s drones, Zelenskyy says

The Ukrainian leader said that such teams are already in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and are “on the way” to Kuwait.
America has reportedly lost 10 MQ-9 Reapers so far in the offensive against Iran, but this isn’t surprising

These MQ-9 losses serve as a valuable reminder of the real risk that’s present in the skies over Iran.
Marines conduct first air insert of an unmanned ground vehicle

The squat MMSP, with eight rugged wheels, can resemble a flatbed mounted with a turret, or take other forms based on mission and payload.
The LUCAS drone is a needed addition to America’s arsenal despite its modest capabilities

Unlike other high-end American weapon systems, this drone isn’t about advanced technology at all.
US embraces ‘Shanzhai’ with copycat Iranian drone

For the U.S., openly copying an adversary’s design is rare, but not unheard of.
Ukrainian F-16 shoots down Russian drone with its onboard cannon – and why this is an incredible feat

Incredible footage has recently surfaced of a Ukrainian F-16 downing a Russian kamikaze drone using its onboard 20mm cannon. Such a feat is a lot more difficult and dangerous than many realize. The drone in the footage appears to be a Russian-produced Geran-2, which is a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136. These kamikaze drones are […]
New frontiers in anti-drone munitions were on display at SHOT Show 2026

At SHOT Show 2026 expo, Sandboxx News had the opportunity to see three new dedicated anti-drone munitions.
Keeping top combat aircraft flying is expected to only get more expensive, consulting firm says

The cost to keep newer combat aircraft ready to fly is going to soar in the coming years, a new report argues.
F-35C shoots down Iranian drone that approached USS Abraham Lincoln

The Abraham Lincoln was sailing roughly 500 miles south of Iran, in international waters, when the interception happened.
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will be first Marine formation to get attack drones

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit has been busy.
Military tests high-tech ways to ensure troops on the frontlines are fed

The U.S. military is innovating in how it delivers to and prepares food for troops on the front line.
The military’s drone-defense confusion is leaving its bases vulnerable, Pentagon watchdog finds

A Pentagon watchdog report is warning that gaps in Pentagon policy are leaving some U.S. military bases vulnerable to drone threats.
In 2025 Russia launched five times more drones against Ukraine than in previous year

The Russian military continues to rely on one-way attack unmanned aerial systems to wage its offensive war in Ukraine. In 2025 alone, the Russian forces launched approximately 55,000 suicide drones against Ukrainian military units, urban centers, and critical infrastructure around the country. Last year, the Russian forces relied extensively on suicide drones for offensive, […]
Navy launches reversed-engineered Shahed drone

The development of the American LUCAS drone was not as simple a story as stealing the tech from Iran.
CIA spies in Venezuela used high tech drones and insider info to map Maduro’s compound and movements

A group of covert CIA operatives was operating inside Venezuela since last August to make Maduro’s capture possible.
British warships will carry DragonFire laser to shoot down drones

The DragonFire promises to offer the Royal Navy a cost-effective and precise weapon system to deal with future threats.
US military experiments with lasers as efficient solutions to counter drones

The U.S. military is considering and experimenting with direct energy weapons as counter-drone tools.
Ukraine strikes Russian Kilo-class submarine docked in port

SBU identified the Russian submarine as the Kilo-class Varshavyanka, which presumably costs $400 million.