UNMANNED SYSTEMS
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Shield AI’s X-BAT: A Leap in Autonomous Air Combat or a Step Too Far?
In a significant development for unmanned aerial technology, Shield AI has unveiled the X-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) autonomous fighter jet designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments. The company touts the X-BAT as a revolutionary…
U.S. Army’s Strategic Pivot: Prioritising Counterspace Capabilities in 2027 Budget
At the 2025 Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference, a notable development emerged: for the first time, the U.S. Army has included counterspace capabilities as a top priority in its five-year budget program, set to commence in fiscal year…
Commission to Extend ‘Drone Wall’ into EU-Wide Defence Network
BRUSSELS — The European Commission plans to expand its proposed “drone wall” on the EU’s eastern flank into a continent-wide scheme, rebranded the European Drone Defence Initiative, according to officials briefed on the draft. The move is set to appear…
Trump Signals Tomahawk Option for Ukraine, Raising Stakes for Peace Talks
President Donald Trump has publicly floated the possibility of arming Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles should Russia refuse to negotiate peace. The announcement, made en route to Israel aboard Air Force One, marks perhaps the most assertive U.S. signal yet…
Unidentified drones reported over Thales Belgium sites as company seeks clearer counter-UAS rules
Thales Belgium has reported a rise in sightings of unidentified drones over sensitive company sites in the Liège region and is urging clearer guidance on when and how private operators may counter unmanned aircraft near critical infrastructure. The reports come…
Germany Moves to Empower Police to Shoot Down Rogue Drones Amid Surge in Airspace Incursions
The German federal government has approved a controversial measure that would allow police forces to shoot down unmanned drones in cases where they pose a clear danger to airspace or public safety. The decision — backed by cabinet agreement on…
Ukraine reports overnight strikes on Russian refinery, missile ship and command post
Ukraine’s Armed Forces said they conducted a series of strikes overnight into 4 October, claiming hits on an oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast, a small missile ship in Karelia, military equipment in Kursk Oblast, and a command post of Russia’s…
Russia’s Aging Nuclear Arsenal: A Significant Threat to the World
Amid the constant chatter of global crises, a quieter but far more insidious danger is growing: the state of Russia’s nuclear weapons, largely inherited from the Soviet era, aging, overworked, and increasingly unreliable. Russia boasts the world’s largest nuclear stockpile, with…
Orbital Arms Race: The Emerging Reality of Space-Based Weapons
The militarisation of space, long a topic of speculative fiction, has become an increasingly tangible reality. In the coming years, the heavens may not be the serene domain once envisaged by early space explorers, but rather a contested frontier where…
The Role of Innovation as the Foundation of a Strategy of Sustained Resistance in Depriving Russia of the Ability to Impose Its Terms Through War
EU Today presents an English translation of an opinion essay by General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, a Ukrainian four-star general, former Commander-in-Chief (2021–2024), and since July 2024 Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK. Writing in the context of DSEI 2025, he analyses the…