#Drone Battery Industry

[amrutmnm]

The Drone Battery Market is projected to grow from USD 4.0 billion in 2021 to USD 9.6 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 19.0% from 2021 to 2026. The increasing usage of drones for goods delivery in the transportation and logistics industry is creating lucrative opportunities for existing drone and drone component manufacturers as well as emerging players in the market. Key players in the market are also focused on developing drones with a long flight time, high payload capacity, and equipped with advanced technologies. The growing e-commerce sector worldwide and the increasing adoption of drones in it are expected to propel the demand for high payload capacity hybrid drones. This is expected to boost the growth of the Drone Battery Industry over the forecast period.

[aerospace-and-defence]

The Drone Battery Market is projected to grow from USD 4.0 Billion in 2021 to USD 9.6 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 19.0% from 2021 to 2026.

[techdriveplay]

DJI's Avinox Drive System Wins Eurobike Award 2024

DJI, a global pioneer in drone and camera technology, has taken a significant leap into the e-bike industry with the introduction of the Avinox Drive System at Eurobike 2024. This innovative e-bike drive system promises to transform the electric mountain bike (eMTB) landscape, earning the coveted “Winner” award in the Components category at the prestigious event. “The DJI Avinox Drive System…

[jcmarchi]

Old BMW in the Hands of Ukrainians Became a Rocket System - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/old-bmw-in-the-hands-of-ukrainians-became-a-rocket-system-technology-org/

Old BMW in the Hands of Ukrainians Became a Rocket System - Technology Org

Ukraine needs all the weapons it can get. Of course, military aid from the West is crucial for the survival of the Ukrainian defenses, but some weapons they can make themselves. The Ukrainian defense industry has always been very strong, but ingenuity on the field is no less impressive. For example, a BMW MLRS has not been spotted in the eastern part of the country.

Old 3-series BMW working as a multiple launch rocket system. (Screenshot)

An advantage of unguided rockets is that they are easy to fire. They are dumb in a way that they don’t know where they are headed. Like a bullet from a pistol, these missiles fly straight (well, as straight as they can) and hit whatever is at the end of their journey. They are not seeking targets, they don’t have active flight controls and navigation. This makes them less precise but very easy to integrate.

Because computers are basically not involved, unguided rockets are easy to launch. A recent Ukrainian field invention proves that. Someone in Ukraine has mounted a rocket launcher on an old 3-series BMW.

This rocket launch mechanism was taken from a BM-21 Grad and was mounted on a BMW sedan, making it into an improvised multiple launch rocket system (MLRS for short). Normally these things are mounted on a truck chassis, but due to their modular design they can be adapted to other things too. Like an E46 BMW.

It was reported that this particular BMW MLRS is serving with the 114th territorial defense brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is supporting troops east of Klishchiivka not too far from Bakhmut.

Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces from the 114th TDF brigade have deployed their BMW 3-series MLRS to the front, seen here shelling the Russian positions east of Klishchiivka with 122mm Grad rockets. pic.twitter.com/vuvsukooBR

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) December 22, 2023

Is it accurate? It doesn’t have to be. The Grad itself wasn’t made to be accurate – it simply covers a large area where enemy troops and equipment are known to be.

Previously the defenders of Ukraine have been making improvised MLRS by mounting various unguided rocket launchers on pickup trucks. Again, they need to be unguided and fairly simple, with no computer integration of other fancy electronics. These rocket launchers were frequently taken from aircraft – there are many types of self-contained rocket launchers in military aviation.

Of course, the disadvantage of such improvised weapons is that they have a rather short range and are quickly destroyed with drones or counter-battery fire. However, they are cheap, quick to make and highly mobile. And the defenders of Ukraine are using everything they can get their hands on.

Written by Povilas M.

Source: Focus.ua

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[apacnewsnetwork0]

PLI scheme for Pharma, drones and textiles to be modified by govt

New Delhi: The government is planning to make adjustments to the production-linked incentive PLI scheme for pharmaceuticals, drones, and textile sectors. According to an official statement, these modifications are intended to stimulate investment and bolster manufacturing. An official source has stated that these sectors were chosen on the basis of their performance under the existing scheme for various products.

Higher disbursement scheme for PLI scheme

The official said, “Disbursement of production-linked incentives (PLI) for white goods (AC and LED lights) would start this month and that would push the amount of disbursement, which was only Rs 2,900 crore till March 2023.”

After the identification of sectors, a combined note for approval from the Union Cabinet will be sent. The change in disbursement includes an extension of time for Pharma sectors, and addition of products in some sectors. Within the textile industry, there is a proposal to expand the scope of particular products within the technical textiles category, while in the drone sector, there is a plan to raise the incentive amount.

Read More here : https://apacnewsnetwork.com/2023/09/pli-scheme-for-pharma-drones-and-textiles-to-be-modified-by-govt/

[mindblowingscience]

Imagine a person on the ground guiding an airborne drone that harnesses its energy from a laser beam, eliminating the need for carrying a bulky onboard battery. That is the vision of a group of University of Colorado at Boulder scientists from the Hayward Research Group. In a new study, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering researchers have developed a novel and resilient photomechanical material that can transform light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity, offering innovative possibilities for energy-efficient, wireless and remotely controlled systems. Its wide-ranging potential spans across diverse industries, including robotics, aerospace and biomedical devices.

Continue Reading.

[eretzyisrael]

Confrontation with Iran: Who Won?

The West likes its Jews passive, dependent, and weak. When American officials say “Israel has a right to defend [herself]” they mean that they will allow her, and even assist her, to ward off the blows of her enemies. But their “rock solid support” does not extend to Israel taking offensive actions. Israel is allowed passive defense, but not to take the war to our enemies. And don’t even think about preemption.

Insofar as Israel obeys her Western “allies,” she is placed at a great disadvantage for several reasons. The most obvious one is that an entirely passive defense does not deter enemies from attacking over and over again. Why shouldn’t they? They have nothing to lose. The opposite: they will learn valuable lessons from their failures, which they can apply to the next round. And everyone is encouraged to keep trying for the honor of being the one who finally broke the Jewish state.

Then there is the relative high cost of defensive weapons. Each Arrow 3 missile like the ones used to intercept missiles fired at Israel on Saturday night, costs $3.5 million. Each Tamir interceptor used by the Iron Dome system to destroy the cheap Qassams of Hamas, the Katyushas of Hezbollah, and the drones of Iran, costs $50,000 (and two are usually fired at every enemy weapon). Each Iron Dome battery costs $50 million. The cost of using F-35s to shoot down drones is also high relative to the cost of the drones. Passive defense is expensive.

A purely passive defense strategy is so expensive, in fact, that no small country can afford to sustain it for a long period of time (and passivity guarantees that it will be needed forever). As a result, there is no alternative but to turn to one of the great powers as a sponsor. The price is loss of control and ultimately of sovereignty. It is already clear from the way American officials talk about Israel (e.g., President Biden is often described as “furious” with Israel), that Israel is seen as a satellite at best and a satrapy at worst.

Finally there is the message that is inherent in passivity. Shooting at Jews, because there are no consequences for it, becomes normalized. The Jews, people think, must deserve being shot at because, after all, everyone is doing it with impunity. This is particularly important in the Middle East, where honor is a paramount element in most cultures. Individuals, tribes, or nations that are hurt by an enemy must strike back or suffer a loss of honor, a mark that invites others to victimize them as well. Even in Western cultures – well, at least in the recent past – children were taught that failure to strike back at a bully invites more bullying.

An active defense, on the other hand, creates deterrence and restores lost honor. Nobody will attack Israel if they know that retaliation will be swift and disproportionate. If they are hurt badly enough, they will think twice about attacking again – if they have even retained the ability to do so. There is also an economic advantage: offensive weapons, like drones, rockets, missiles, and artillery, are far cheaper and simpler than technological marvels like Arrow and Iron Dome.

Israel has come a long way down the road to losing her sovereignty to the US as a result of her increasing dependence on military aid, in part to finance astronomically expensive systems of passive defense, and in part because she chooses to adopt other super-sophisticated weapons systems that are “free” even when they may not be optimal for her needs (e.g., the F-35). She has developed a culture at the top of her military hierarchy which is as loyal to the American military-industrial complex as it is to the State of Israel. The American government has, for its part, extended its influence deeper into all the affairs of our state, and in particular her management of her wars.

After the horrific atrocities of 7 October 2023, Israeli leaders had no choice but to adopt the strategic objective of removing Hamas from power and destroying its military capabilities. The US opposed this from the start, forced Israel to delay her ground invasion, and now – for several months – has prevented her from entering the last Hamas stronghold, Rafiah. The US has pushed for an extended (in effect, permanent) ceasefire, and has tried to turn Gaza over to the corrupt, terrorist, Palestinian Authority, a step which would nullify the gains made by the IDF at great cost.

After Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday night, President Biden called for Israel to treat its success at intercepting most of them as “a win,” and not retaliate. The media in Israel are trumpeting the success of our air defense array, which – with some significant help from the US, the UK, and Jordan – managed to down 99% of the weapons before they could land in Israel. This is a remarkable technological achievement, but it was an expensive operation, estimated to cost 5 billion shekels, or more than $1.3 billion.

Israel has not yet retaliated, and it is clear that the price demanded for accurate American intelligence about the impending attack and assistance in defending against it was that any retaliation will be at best symbolic – and certainly not include an attack on the Iranian nuclear project.

But the 99% figure is not as “phenomenal” (Israeli media love this word) as it looks nor is it likely to be repeated. Respected Israeli analyst Yigal Carmon wrote that the whole operation was choreographed by Iran with the cooperation of the US in order to allow the Islamic Republic to come down from the tree of needing to retaliate for Israel’s recent assassination of an Iranian general:

Iran wanted to retrieve its deterrence after the killing in Damascus of Iranian General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who, by Iran’s own testimony, was the mastermind of the October 7 attack. … [The US] coordinated with the Iranians so that civilians would not be struck. Arab media are already reporting this coordination. Iran made it easy for the U.S., Israel, Britain, and Jordan to know what it would and would not do, and where it would do it. Israel was not part of this coordination. …

The Americans played Israel and they are continuing to do so by preventing an Israeli reaction. In fact, they began the pressure on Israel not to react even before the attack took place. CENTCOM’s commander General Michael Kurilla went to Israel on April 13 and pressed for prior coordination with the U.S. of any action by Israel. Now President Biden said it himself: You were not hurt, they failed. Do not do anything. Do not escalate because you will be dragging us into a war. We protected you and no one was hurt. The answer will be diplomatic.

What did the various parties gain and lose from this exercise? Iran’s top priority today is to avoid triggering a serious confrontation that might result in damage to her nuclear weapons program, which is on the verge of completion. However (unlike Israeli leaders), the Iranians understand the psychological importance of at least appearing to get revenge when they have been injured, and this massive attack achieved that end. At the same time, the coordination with the Americans insured that Israel will not strike back, and therefore will lose points in the calculus of honor that is so important in the region. Israel also lost an opportunity, perhaps her last, to take action against the Iranian nuclear project before it becomes operational.

The Americans gain exposure for their defensive weapons systems, establish themselves as the protector of their allies, and increase their influence over Israel and her dependence upon them. Israel will have to replenish her supply of American weapons and ammunition, and the military aid is an important subsidy for the US defense industry. The Biden administration also maintains its (still inexplicable to me) policy of protecting and even encouraging Iran’s drive to become the nuclear hegemon of the region.

Carmon also notes – and this is a critical point for Israeli planners – that the 99% success rate in interceptions is not likely to be repeated in the event of a real surprise attack by Iran.

Israel can’t continue on the path of subservience to the US, because American objectives in the region are inconsistent with the continued existence of a Jewish state. She must reduce her dependence, develop her own defense industries, approach other great powers (e.g., China), and become a “nonaligned” nation rather than a satellite of one side or the other. In the short term, she must enter Rafiah, crush Hamas, repel Hezbollah, and keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

May Hashem give our leadership the sense to see this and the strength to act.

[assortedvillainvault]

I got this idea from our convo on discord but here's a scenario: Reader getting kidnapped by Zurg and NOS coming to the rescue -- all the while Reader finds out Zurg was just really eager to meet his future daughter-in-law (could just be headcanons if you're not feeling prose for this)

Rose I had to scroll an ungodly long time to find this again but cackled the entire time. Also - this one gets the full prose treatment!

NOS4A2 x Kidnapped!Reader

You come to slowly, ears ringing. The bag over your head is silk – odd choice, kinda humid - but the darkness is a blessing. You shift slowly, testing – there's a dull ache of cuffs against your wrists, tied to something flat on either side, maybe the arms of a chair..? – But no numbness or pain. You wiggle your toes – good, no spinal injuries. A decent kidnapping by a professional who was actively trying to be nice. How rare.

Where the hell is NOS? You had been docking for fuel - both for the ship and for him - and you swear you had only nipped out for cheap takeaway, but beyond grease and streetlights the memories fade out. It’s an effort not to reflexively comm him out of panic, but you can see the ‘no signal’ light in your internal comm system, and any attempts would let your kidnapper know you were awake.

Speaking of – sounds are muffled but you can make some out. Squeaky wheels, the occasional ‘gloop’ of bubbles through thick liquid – the pitter patter of tiny footsteps like nails against a steel floor. Industrial air conditioning droning in the back, and the place smells… chemical-y? Like if warm metal and cold smog had a baby in a janitors closet-

The bag is ripped away, and you blink against warm overhead lights.

There’s a twenty foot long purple table covered in chefs platters in front of you. On some of the plates sit whole jenga blocks of triple grade batteries. You’re tied to a designer chair, and there’s a great big fucking ‘Z’ etched onto the tabletop. There are candles.

“Hello my dear! I trust the accommodations are acceptable??” Evil Emperor Fucking Zurg swooshes in though a set of thirty foot double doors and it’s all you can do not to groan.

The monolith of purple plops himself into the oversized chair at the other end of the table and merrily begins piling food onto a plate also emblazoned with his logo. Is literally everything on Planet Z trademarked, or are you just lucky he got out the Good Silverware this time..?

Zurg smacks his lips. “I must apologise for the crude methodology in getting you here – you see, my errant creation has a nasty habit of ignoring my calls, and I’ve just been dying to meet you.” He eyes your empty plate. “Eat up, eat up! It’s good – imported all the way from...some backwater planet or other.” He waves a hand dismissively. You raise an eyebrow and flex your – still tied – hands.

The tyrant glances at them and snickers.

“Still tied up? Hm. What a shame.” He shrugs. “I had hoped that NOS4A2 would pick someone a little more experienced in our line of work, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers-”

Thats about as far as he gets before you taze the metal table and electrocute his dinner. Space potatoes make their grand ascent skyward like starchy fireworks straight into Zurgs stupid helmet. You allow yourself a brief bit of pride as you stuff the taser back into your sleeve (having cut through the cuffs while the evil emperor was talking) and launch yourself up to dine and dash like never before.

You freeze as hornets block your path. Zurg strides towards you, dotted in potato guts. Would it be too late to kick him in the shin before getting shot…?

“How lovely!” He exclaims, scooping you into a rib-creaking hug and digging you into his armour. The fact he says ‘lovely’ almost exactly the same as NOS does makes you twitch.

“Eh? You squeak, and he pulls back to pinch your cheeks condescendingly.

“Just the kind of mean spirited trickery to come off as charming – a little rough around the edges perhaps, but who’s counting!” He guides shoves you back into the chair and grabs a minion from under the table, flinging the poor bug away with a crash. “A fine prospect for a daughter-in-law.”

You absently choke on nothing as he blithely continues. “Of course I can’t have you out and about with such outdated toys. My armoury will have plenty of new military grade goodies for you to play with after dinner, say the word and daddy-in-law Zurg will have you covered~!”

Distantly, your internal comm's pop up a cheerful ‘signal restored!’ message.

There bug minions scream as the lights overload and explode – and the hornets judder before swivelling to draw their weapons on their suddenly not so jovial emperor.

“ZURG!!”

Mechanical, vampiric rage really does fill you with warm fuzzies these days.

[vnynv]

MEET THE DISPATCHER

The Dispatcher is the RED Team's 10th mercenary who exists outside the boundaries of being an offense/defense/support class. Real name "Naima Les" (lit: Nameless) and uses she/he/they pronouns. His main stock item is a briefcase, giving him a topographic map and her teammate's locations, who she can aid through missile strikes, traps, or air supply drops.

Used to bureaucratic jungles, tax write-offs, and the occasional contract killing for a shady yet powerful firm, Dispatcher has to swallow their arrogance and learn how to fight alongside the team after a sudden transfer.

(more art and weapon ideas below! warning. p long.)

Dispatcher's stock kit (125 HP, 93% speed, weapon and PDA keybinds similar to Spy/Engineer's):

(PDA) Briefcase:

-  Includes topographic map/sensors of teammates (coordinate interaction), touch-tone phone to communicate (Scout’s headset now has a reason to exist). Connected to TF Industries satellite, has automated air support, and [SPOILERS].

- Takes medium set-up time and hauling open briefcase slows speed to 85%.

Air strike (Offense)

- Calls upon a drone from the air to strike general location of enemy based on teammate’s vision (think spectating when waiting to respawn). Not suited for high speed fights; missile has timer to land. Functions similarly to Soldier’s/Demo’s explosions. Low ammo count.

Stock Missile: A ballistic missile. The missile knows where it is at all times. Base: 90 / Crit: 270. Sugar Glider: Free-fall bomb. Always Mini-crits, but less precise - easier to damage teammates. Artillery Battery: Smaller missiles rain down in a group. Splash damage, faster reload/higher ammo count. Precision-Guided Munition: Guaranteed to not hit teammates. -50% damage and no crits.

Stun traps (Defense)

- Drops stun traps to slow enemies down in hot spots (think Control Points/Payload). Functions similar to Primary taser. Can be changed for caltrops (bleeding damage) or something else, I dunno.

Air supply (Support)

- Basically interpretation of med kits/ammo on the ground. Canon cool down and wait to replenish teammate’s health/ammo/metal from afar - no biggie. 

(Primary) Modified taser gun:

- Stuns enemy on impact, needs numerous shots to kill. Base: 40 damage.

2. (Secondary) Med kit: (veterinarian) (for animals) (dogs. mutts)

- Lore wise, meant for animals. Not as good as air supply health kit, but no drop time. Functions similarly to Heavy’s Sandvich.

(Melee) Swiss Army Knife / Knife of All Trades (KOAT):

- Weak in itself (30 damage) but can cause bleeding damage. If hitting teammate, temporarily buffs their primary weapon.

just some potential weapons for him! i'm more of a visual concept designer so their kit might be pretty op or underpowered, but the general basis is nerfed speed (in everything) and attack for whole-map range tradeoff. potentially a similar playstyle as engie (with a whole chilling in a lawn chair taunt), though in an alternate universe there could be a loadout for a battle!patches. i GUESS in actuality she would be counted as support, but i didn't want to ruin the 3x3 style.

anyways. she's the star of a canon/oc fic i have. tootles now.

[amrutmnm]

The Drone Battery Market is projected to grow from USD 4.0 billion in 2021 to USD 9.6 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 19.0% from 2021 to 2026. The increasing usage of drones for goods delivery in the transportation and logistics industry is creating lucrative opportunities for existing drone and drone component manufacturers as well as emerging players in the market. Key players in the market are also focused on developing drones with a long flight time, high payload capacity, and equipped with advanced technologies. The growing e-commerce sector worldwide and the increasing adoption of drones in it are expected to propel the demand for high payload capacity hybrid drones. This is expected to boost the growth of the Drone Battery Industry over the forecast period.

[zvaigzdelasas]

Azerbaijan’s armed forces conducted large scale air defense drills, the Azeri Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday, including live-firing of the Israeli made Barak-8 ER air defense system. According to the statement, the Barak-8 detected and destroyed a ballistic missile “launched by an imaginary enemy.” Israel has had a strategic alliance with Azerbaijan for the past two decades, selling the large Shi’ite-majority country weapons worth billions of dollars – and in return, Azerbaijan, per sources, supplies Israel with oil and access to Iran.[...]

Israel and Azerbaijan took their relationship up a level in 2011 with a huge $1.6 billion deal that included a battery of Barak missiles for intercepting aircraft and missiles, as well as Searcher and Heron drones from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It was reported that near the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, a Barak battery shot down an Iskander ballistic missile launched by Armenia.

An investigation by Haaretz in March revealed that over the past seven years, 92 cargo flights flown by Azerbaijani Silk Way Airlines have landed at the Ovda airbase, the only airfield in Israel through which explosives may be flown into and out of the country. The investigation found the number of flights spiked during periods of fighting against Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Since March, there have been 11 more Azeri flights, including 5 in the past two weeks, totaling 103 flights in 7 years.

13 Sep 23

18 Sep 23

[athena5898]

🟡Hezbollah releases episode 3 of the Hudhud (Hoopoe), showing scenes of military bases, headquarters and vital facilities in the Haifa-Carmel area captured by the drones of the resistance.

RNN has provided a transcript below

You may watch previous subtitled Hudhud episodes here: Episode 1 - June 18, 2024 - Haifa (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/44818) (transcript) (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/44792) Episode 2 - July 9, 2024 - Occupied Syrian Golan (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/47565) (transcript) (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/47550) Special episode - July 23, 2024 - "Ramat David" Air Base (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/49656) (transcript) (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/49369) — 0:20 - The Hudhud - Episode 3 / Haifa-Carmel

0:25 - The map shows three areas colored red: The Haifa-Carmel area, the "Ramat David" airbase (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/49656) south of Haifa, and the occupied Syrian Golan. 0:29 - From left to right, the cities shown are Haifa, Nahariyya, Afula, Safad, "Kiryat Shmona," and the occupied Syrian Arab Golan Heights. The camera pans to the Haifa-Carmel area.

0:44 - The Haifa-Carmel area:

A strategic height that forms the first line of defense for the "Gush Dan" ("Tel Aviv" suburbs) area in terms of air defense.

Several military installations are located there amidst a surrounding civilian environment. (https://t.me/RNN_Backup/60933)

Includes highly important industrial, touristic, and scientific facilities.

0:58 - The "Kiryat Nahum" industrial zone. 1:13 - Haifa Oil Refineries. 1:29 - The "Kiryat Ata" industrial zone. 1:58 - "Nesher" factories for building materials.

2:27 - "Mishar" Base 2:30 - A main communications hub between the Northern Command and the Ministry of War in "Tel Aviv."

2:46 - "Mishmar HaCarmel" Base 2:51 - An air defense base responsible for protecting the Haifa area and its surroundings. 2:57 - "Iron Dome" radar. 3:01 - "Iron Dome" radar. 3:05 - "Iron Dome" radar. 3:09 - "Iron Dome" platforms. 3:13 - Commanders rooms and soldier positions. 3:23 - "Yitzhak Rabin" Complex.

3:29 - University of Haifa 3:40 - "Eshkol" Tower 3:44 - A military communications hub located on the roof of the university building. 4:00 - The upper cable car station.

4:26 - "Grand Canyon" shopping mall complex. 4:36 - The central tunnel junction in Mount Carmel. 4:48 - These tunnels are used as fortified hospitals during wartime.

5:12 - "Bnei Zion" Hospital. 5:31 - "Ze'ev" Base 5:35 - A reserve air defense base equipped with "David's Sling" batteries. 5:40 - A military communications hub. 5:46 - "Tchernichovsky" Street.

5:53 - "Kiryat Eliezer" Base. 5:58 - The main air defense base responsible for protecting the Haifa area and its surroundings. 6:03 - "Iron Dome" radar. 6:08 - "BMC" command rooms. 6:13 - "BMC" command rooms; "Iron Dome" platform [left to right].

6:22 - "Stella Maris" Base. 6:26 - A strategic base for naval monitoring and surveillance along the northern coast. 6:31 - It contains multi-layered radar systems.

6:47 - ‎על הכוונת (In the crosshairs)

[kineticpenguin]

I'm a bit skeptical this is gonna work out. There's a reason Rolls-Royce pulled out of the supersonic startup: there really just aren't any viable supersonic commercial missions. Aside from the "inexpensive replacement for sounding rocket testing" angle, I don't really see any appearing for hypersonic aircraft, either. So of course, it's no surprise that all the money for this is coming from the Air Force.

I'm also a bit disappointed that Real Engineering seemed to buy the oldest defense industry bait in the book: the Missile Gap. The US hasn't invested in hypersonic missiles because it hasn't seen a need to, and for as scary as they're supposed to be... Ukraine has already shot down at least one with a Patriot battery.

If it weren't for the production demand, the war in Ukraine is probably one of the worst things to happen to the NATO defense industries: we now know beyond a reasonable doubt that Russia's still at least 30 years behind in every way that matters. The idea that they could succeed in a conventional war with the West is now outright laughable. So, without scary wunderwaffe like "hypersonic missiles" and "tsunami torpedoes" of dubious and unproven capability, there's really nothing left to justify the insane amount of money dumped on these guys for R&D beyond just staying on top.

A drone SR-71 is probably going to be DOA as well, unless they can make them super cheap and find a reason you really, really need one. After all, the Blackbird went the way of the dodo because spy satellites got too good. Way better value for your defense dollar.

Finally, I'm pretty confident in saying it'll be a cold day in Hell before you see a hypersonic Air Force One. There really isn't a scenario in which you need the POTUS on the other side of an ocean in 2-3 hours. The priorities for Air Force One are dependability, endurance, communications, survivability and comfort. It's why they always buy a mature airliner to convert for the job, not a bleeding edge racehorse that's liable to be the President Exploder 2000.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Researchers develop arrays of tiny crystals that deliver efficient wireless energy

Imagine a person on the ground guiding an airborne drone that harnesses its energy from a laser beam, eliminating the need for carrying a bulky onboard battery. That is the vision of a group of University of Colorado at Boulder scientists from the Hayward Research Group. In a new study, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering researchers have developed a novel and resilient photomechanical material that can transform light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity, offering innovative possibilities for energy-efficient, wireless and remotely controlled systems. Its wide-ranging potential spans across diverse industries, including robotics, aerospace and biomedical devices. "We cut out the middle man, so to speak, and take light energy and turn it directly into mechanical deformation," Professor Ryan Hayward said.

Read more.

[mariacallous]

On the top floor of a building somewhere in Ukraine is a drone workshop.

Inside is a chaotic workbench covered in logic boards, antennas, batteries, augmented reality headsets, and rotor blades. On one end of the room is a makeshift photo studio—a jet-black quadcopter drone sits on a long white sheet, waiting for its close-up.

This particular workshop’s Geppetto is Yvan. He grins as he shows off his creations, flittering around with a lit cigarette in his mouth, dangling ash, grabbing different models. (Yvan is a pseudonym; WIRED granted some of the people in this story anonymity due to the security risk.)

Yvan holds up a mid-size drone: This model successfully hit a target from 11 kilometers away, he says, but it should be capable of traveling at least 20. He’s trying different batteries and controllers to try to extend the range. He screws on a stabilizer tailpiece to a hard plastic shell—Yvan 3D-prints these himself—and holds up the assembled bomb. It’s capable of carrying a 3.5-kilogram explosive payload, enough to take out a Russian tank.

He uses his index finger and thumb to pick up a nondescript beige chip: This, he says, is what he’s really proud of.

One big problem with these drones—which are based on commercially available first-person-view (FPV) or photography drones—is that their explosive payload is jimmy-rigged on. It requires the drone to crash in order to close the circuit and trigger the explosion.

This chip, Yvan says, allows for remote detonation from a significant distance, meaning the operator can park their drone and lay in wait for hours, even days, before it goes off. He expects this technology could, eventually, be connected to AI—exploding only if it registers a nearby tank, for example. He has created a long-range smart land mine, I note. After the idea is passed through our translator, he nods enthusiastically.

There are many of these FPV drone workshops around Ukraine—Kyiv estimates there are about 200 Ukrainian companies producing aerial drones, with others producing land- and sea-based uncrewed vehicles. But Yvan, grinning proudly, insists that the manufacturer which he represents, VERBA, is the best.

Ukraine is facing increasingly tough odds in its defensive war against a better-resourced, better-equipped enemy. Thanks to delayed aid from Washington and shortages in other NATO warehouses, Ukraine has lacked artillery shells, long-range missiles, and even air defense munitions.

These drones, however, represent a bright spot for the Ukrainians. Entrepreneurship and innovation is scaling up a sizable drone industry in the country, and it’s making new technological leaps that would make the Pentagon envious.

The age of drone warfare is here, and Ukraine wants to be a superpower.

After Yvan showed off his workshop, we loaded into the car to visit one of his factories.

Behind a steel door is a room filled with racks, where 30 3D printers are working simultaneously, printing various drone components in unison. The twentysomething employees seem accustomed to the screeching alarm—some are soldering the drones together, others are tinkering with designs in AutoCAD, one is lounging on a sofa.

Strung across one shelf of 3D printers is a black flag, a take on Blackbeard’s (apocryphal) pirate flag. It shows a horned skeleton wearing an AR headset and holding a controller, thrusting his spear toward a bleeding heart as a quadcopter flies above.

In the first year of the war, when FPV drones were providing extraordinary footage of the front lines and viral video of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) dropping grenades on Russian tanks captivated the world, Ukraine was snatching up every consumer drone it could find. Chinese technology giant DJI became a household name in Ukraine, thanks to its drones’ ubiquity on the front lines. Ukraine’s early advantage was quickly lost, however, as Russia scrambled to snatch up these Chinese-made UAVs.

“When Russia sees, from Instagram, my product, Russia starts buying all these components in China,” a VERBA executive says. The new demand from Moscow can often cause either shortages or inflation, squeezing out the Ukrainian companies. So entrepreneurs like Yvan began building their own.

When Yvan began his operation in the early months of the war following Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, he was creating a handful of frankendrones to send to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Now, Yvan says, his operation is producing 5,000 FPV drones per month. He offers a range of systems, from a mammoth 12-inch model to a 4-inch prototype.

At first, these entrepreneurs were pursuing this project on their own—scrambling, like most of the country, to be useful in helping Ukraine defend itself. Kyiv was initially cool to the idea that a domestic drone industry was worth the money and attention, especially given the demand for more conventional arms. Some in the military, one executive says, dismissed the utility of these innovative weapons and surveillance platforms as merely “wedding photography drones.” (One executive said Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s new commander in chief, had been an early adopter inside the military, directly contracting 10 firms in early 2023 to begin assembling new technology for his forces.)

That attitude changed in 2023, when Ukraine set up Brave1, a government-run technology agency and incubator that helps connect private enterprise to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Since its creation, Brave1 has worked to streamline design, development, and procurement of new defense technology, while helping companies navigate government and military bureaucracy. Brave1 has already awarded more than $3 million in research and development grants and connected more than 750 companies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

When United24, the Ukrainian government’s in-house crowdfunding platform, first pitched an “army of drones” to its donors in 2022, it aimed to buy just 200 units. Today, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky projected late last year that his country would produce over 1 million drones in 2024.

“I would say that we can even double this number,” Natalia Kushnerska, head of Brave1’s defense technology cluster, tells WIRED.

“We have the responsibility and the motivation to do it today and to do it very fast,” she says. “Because we don't have any other choice.”

This is a war, one executive told me, “where the economy matters.”

Even hampered by sanctions, Russia has a $2 trillion economy—about 6 percent of that is geared toward its wartime production. Ukraine’s entire GDP, by contrast, is less than $200 billion.

While Kyiv has received substantial support from its NATO partners, it faces constant pressure to find efficiencies. The economics of these drones are looking better and better.

Yvan’s drones are, compared to conventional munitions, cheap. His most expensive unit runs about $2,500, but the cheapest is only $400.

Early in the war, the Ukrainians could reasonably expect—depending on weather, the mission, and Russian jamming efforts—that about 30 percent of their drones would connect with the target. Today, good Ukrainian-made systems are approaching a 70 percent success rate.

It can often take four or five artillery shells to successfully destroy a medium-range target, such as a tank. At $8,000 per shell—which are in short supply and high demand—that is an expensive proposition. Even if it takes two of Yvan’s most expensive drones to achieve the same objective, that’s thousands of dollars in savings. The proliferation of these drones reduces the “cost-per-kill,” as one executive phrased it, and reduces the strain on those dwindling ammunition stockpiles.

Even if Yvan and other producers are making more and more of their systems in Ukraine, they still rely on Chinese suppliers for critical onboard components. That comes with a trade-off—Chinese suppliers are cheaper, but they tend to be of lower quality and are happy to do business with Russia as well. Other options, such as companies in Taiwan, the United States, Canada, or Europe, are better quality but can be several times more expensive.

These supply chains, Yvan says, are “complicated.” Drone manufacturers who spoke to WIRED say anywhere between 40 percent and 80 percent of their drone components are made in Ukraine. Asked how long it would take before Ukraine manufactures nearly everything in these drones, from the rotor blades to the onboard components, Yvan provides a bullish estimate: “six months.”

It’s not an entirely unrealistic dream. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and also minister responsible for digital transformation, said late last year that Kyiv hopes to break ground on a semiconductor factory, capable of producing 50,000 chips a year, by 2025. Ukraine produces about half the world’s supply of neon, necessary for the lasers used to make the chips.

There are already companies in Ukraine that have developed electronic design automation software—a necessary tool for producing chips—and that do electronic assembly inside the country itself. An industry source tells WIRED that a working group was formed in late 2023 to chart out how Ukraine could be a player in the semiconductor industry.

Another defense technology executive, Igor, manufactures considerably more-sensitive drones. “We definitely don’t buy anything from China,” he says. His products are more expensive, he says, “but we are looking for something that would differentiate us from the Russians.” At the moment, he says, “Russia is ahead.” He’s hoping to close that gap.

For any of this to work, however, there needs to be demand for these drones. The more they can sell, the more they can invest. “The things that they need,” Kushnerska says: “contracts and money.” Demand has certainly grown—fundraising platform United24 helped finance a fleet of naval drones and raised funds to purchase 5,000 surveillance UAVs. Other organizations have led similar purchases. The drone-makers, however, say it’s just not enough.

In early 2023, Ukraine’s parliament passed new laws to regulate how drone manufacturers can contract with the state; while profiteering is generally discouraged in the wartime economy, the law specifically allows the companies to charge up to 25 percent profit.

Yvan says he charges just a 10 percent premium for his drones and reinvests all that profit back into his operation. Representatives from other drone companies who spoke to WIRED say they operate on a similar basis.

More orders will mean more investment. Thus far, NATO countries have preferred to purchase locally-made equipment and ship it to Ukraine. That may be changing.

Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of defense, visited Kyiv shortly before I was there. While there, he announced that Ottawa would donate 800 Canadian-made drones to Ukraine. While the donation was lauded, a senior official asked the minister, “Why didn't you buy our drones?” After being briefed on the various innovations taking place in the Ukrainian drone industry, Blair was convinced. “We're also going to find ways to invest in Ukrainian industry,” he tells WIRED. “The point of the [Ukraine Defense Contact Group drone coalition] is to create capability, not only in the countries that are in the coalition but also capability in Ukraine.”

Even still, bureaucracy moves slowly. What’s more, startups—some of which are helmed by technologists or special effects gurus with no experience in procurement, let alone war—are often learning as they go. One executive, covering his eyes with his hand, says: “It’s like going completely blind.”

Not every company has been able to hack it. One executive says he’s aware of five defense technology startups that have shut down since the war began.

Much attention has been paid to FPV drones. They reinforce the idea that Ukraine’s defense is a scrappy, homespun effort. But even as the country has professionalized production of these light, agile drones, it has rapidly spun up production of other, more complicated systems.

One of Ukraine’s biggest disadvantages, from the start of the war, has been its difficulty in hitting targets inside Russia. Because Moscow has so effectively dominated the skies, Ukraine has been left playing defense.

That equation has changed substantially in recent weeks. Ukraine has had enormous success in attacking Russian oil refineries—knocking out as much as 15 percent of the country’s total refining capacity—and bombing Russian air bases. This has all been made possible by Ukrainian-made long-range attack drones.

Igor, who represents a company responsible for producing those long-range bombers, says they have developed a unit capable of flying 1,000 kilometers and carrying a 25-kilogram payload and has produced “several hundred” units for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And they are actively working on a new model, capable of flying up to 2,500 kilometers. (It will pack a smaller punch, he said: “The longer you go, the lighter the payload.”)

These systems are more expensive: from $35,000 to $100,000. But if they can destroy millions of dollars worth of Russian equipment, that’s a bargain.

“These are no simple drones,” Igor says. “We don’t have the luxury, like the Western guys, to spend years in development.”

They’re not stopping with drones, either. They’re using the same technology to develop Ukrainian-made missiles, capable of flying farther and doing more damage to Russian military infrastructure, tucked well behind the front lines, which is regularly used to attack Ukrainian cities.

Igor’s goal is to “bring the war to Russia.” FPV drones have broadcast the realities of the front lines in high definition—long-range bombers could successfully make it feel real, he says. “They don’t suffer like we suffer.”

The effort to bring the war to Russia is advancing on multiple fronts. One of the most famous uncrewed systems of the war has been Kyiv’s Sea Baby drones. Videos have gone viral of these sleek ships clipping along the waters of the Black Sea.

According to Kyiv, they can carry 850 kilograms of explosives, go 90 kilometers per hour, travel some 1,000 kilometers—and they are invisible to radar. This is the kind of capability that the Pentagon, and other defense departments, has spent years trying to develop. “We like to joke that everything we do now, in Ukraine, takes three days—globally, it takes three years,” Brave1’s Kushnerska says.

Ask around Kyiv about these drones, however, and everyone is mum. Even otherwise talkative defense sources go quiet when asked about the Sea Babys. Asked about the vehicles, one defense executive smiled and said simply, “That’s classified.”

Kushnerska is equally evasive: “We need to keep silent about new solutions and new surprises that we are preparing for the enemy.”

The skullduggery is understandable. These uncrewed vehicles have been responsible for doing massive damage to Russia’s prized Black Sea fleet and spearheading the first major attack on the Kerch Bridge, in Crimea, in 2022.

Developing naval drones, however, is relatively easy compared to uncrewed land systems.

Over tea with Stepan, another defense entrepreneur, he lists the litany of difficulties of trying to build uncrewed land systems: They don’t travel well over tough terrain, they don’t operate well in inclement weather, and they don’t tend to go very far.

And yet, Stepan says, his company has overcome all those obstacles—which the Pentagon is still wrestling with—and has put these land systems in the field. Plus, Stepan says he’s “pleasantly surprised by how they’re being used.” He says their smallest unit, which has generally been used to deliver food and equipment, recently rescued and evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line.

Ukraine is not the only side deploying these land systems, however. In late March, pro-Kremlin channels celebrated what they said was the successful deployment of Russian-made uncrewed land systems, outfitted with an AGS-17 grenade launcher.

Ukraine believes its advantage will come from how it dispatches these systems. “You need a mesh system,” Stepan says. And that’s one of the single hardest things to do. Ukraine has started dispatching repeater UAVs, which are used to extend the base station signal, allowing the drones to fly farther and defend better against Russian jamming.

One ground drone, basically a mobile machine-gun turret, boasts an 800-meter range. What’s more impressive, however, is what happens when the land system is paired with a surveillance drone. Rather than them firing directly ahead, Stepan’s team has been training Ukrainian soldiers how to raise the weapon's trajectory, firing in a parabolic pattern and using the drone’s camera to adjust its aim. This tactic, he says, extends the drone’s firing range to 2.4 kilometers.

Doing combined operations with a couple of drones is hard enough. If Ukraine wants to really take advantage of these autonomous systems, it will need to figure out how to command multiple systems across land and air—and that’s where artificial intelligence comes in.

Stepan walks through the four levels of how AI can augment warfare: One is reconnaissance, where machine learning can be used to collate large volumes of footage and satellite imagery. Two is “copiloting,” as he calls it, where AI can analyze that intelligence and help draw insights. Third is planning, where AI can help develop “interlinked, complex orders” for multiple systems across land and air; he likens that to having AI develop football plays. Finally, step four is full autonomy, where AI collects intelligence, analyzes it, develops orders based on the intelligence, and dispatches and commands autonomous units based on that information—although humans review and approve each step of the process.

There are steps beyond this, Stepan notes, that remove human involvement entirely, but he isn’t interested in going there. Another executive recounted a story of how one company designed an autonomous machine gun, capable of conducting object detection and opening fire on its own—that was a “big, big problem,” he says, after the weapon’s radio signals were jammed and it began firing wildly. “I think we can do this slowly,” he adds.

Stepan’s systems are capable of operating at step four, he says. It means his systems have the “ability to take in variables” in real time—it allows his drones to change tactics depending on the environment. He provides examples: “What if our team is close? What if there is [electronic warfare]? What if one system loses connection?”

Kushnerska says Ukraine, alive to the concerns about and risks of AI on the battlefield, is mostly interested in using artificial intelligence only in the “last mile.”

It’s not enough to build drones. Ukrainians also have to know how to pilot them.

The last stop on Yvan’s tour is at a strip mall some distance away. Outside, a group of fresh-faced young men smoke cigarettes and enthusiastically greet him as he walks past.

Inside is a sterile classroom, with a dozen desks laid out—each featuring a tablet, a workstation, and an array of tools. In the back corner are pallets of FPV drones waiting to be unloaded.

This is Yvan’s drone school. Here, students learn not just the ins and outs of piloting these quadcopters but also how the machines work and how to repair them. Down the hallway is a large conference room where the students first test their skills—flags and checkpoints are propped up on cardboard boxes taped together into platforms of different levels. Once students can successfully navigate this makeshift course, they graduate to piloting the drones outside.

Yvan’s drones are normally painted jet black, designed to look as nondescript as possible. One drone, sitting on a desk in the training school, is spray-painted a bright orange. Yvan grins: “We’re sick of losing them in the grass.”

As Kyiv mobilized tens of thousands of ordinary Ukrainian men to fight, training has been a critical necessity. Particularly as ammunition supplies have dwindled, virtual training has been especially attractive. High-tech combat simulators have allowed Ukrainian troops to simulate real combat scenarios with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, even anti-tank missiles. Ukrainian entrepreneurs are hoping to have dozens of these simulators online in the near future, with the goal of training 100,000 troops.

An industry source tells WIRED that a drone combat simulator went online last month, allowing trainees to simulate the entire process of launching a long-range drone strike. Version 2.0 is being rolled out now, they say, adding that it is likely the first immersive offensive drone simulator in operation. The simulator is also intended to help Ukrainian pilots practice integrating their drones with land systems, which is notoriously difficult for even experienced soldiers.

While Yvan’s drone school offers hands-on experience for users of the FPV drones, this new drone simulator allows pilots to practice long-range targeting, flying in adverse weather conditions, and countering electronic warfare.

All of this—the FPV drones, the long-range bombers, the flight simulators—is Ukrainian innovation at work. And it is moving remarkably fast. Some day, after the war is over, Yvan may well be on the front lines of a Ukrainian technology renaissance, fulfilling orders for the Pentagon. First, both he—and Ukraine—need to survive.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have made modest but steady advances along the front lines. Defense executives, meanwhile, see sabotage and industrial espionage as constant problems. Even more acute is the threat of Russian air strikes. One executive recently recounted how one of his company’s main facilities was nearly hit by two Russian cruise missiles. The risk is very real.

Leaving the school, Yvan opens up the back of his car. He rummages around and hands me two patches: One features a cartoonish and scantily clad woman wearing an FPV headset with the Ukrainian flag on the side, piloting one of Yvan’s rotocopters. The other, an army-green Canadian flag, carries the words “ALWAYS BE READY.”

[usafphantom2]

ADEX: MBDA highlights Meteor air-to-air missile with the KF-21

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/17/2023 - 14:00in Armaments, Military

During the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2023, MBDA is presenting its Meteor missile on KF-21 Boramae fighter planes.

KF-21 fighters equipped with Meteor will dominate air combat, as the Meteor provides a far greater escape exclusion zone and a higher probability of shooting than any other missile. This is due to its unique ramjet engine that powers the Meteor at supersonic high speed throughout the missile flight, allowing the Meteor to chase and maneuver behind hostile fighters like any other missile.

The integration of Meteor into KF-21 Boramae combat aircraft is being conducted quickly and in close partnership between Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and MBDA, with flight and launch tests already underway.

MBDA is a true world leader in missile systems, with more than 60 years of experience in developing cutting-edge missiles in cross-border partnerships that make the company a natural partner to accelerate national development programs, increase platform lethality and exportability.

KAI and MBDA are also working together to integrate MBDA's Mistral ATAM air-to-air missile into the Marine Corps of Korea's KAI MAH helicopter. MBDA has a long history of cooperation with Korea through MBDA's participation in the Taurus deep attack cruise missile that equips Korea's F-15K attack fighters.

MBDA will also display many other powerful missile systems in ADEX. These include the MBDA ASRAAM air combat missile, the Brimstone precision attack missile, the Sea Venom helicopter-launched anti-ship missile, the Sky Warden anti-UAV system, the SPEAR miniature cruise missile and the SPEAR-EW electronic warfare system.

Tags: Military AviationKADEXKF-21 BoramaeMBDAMeteor BVRAAMROKAF - Republic of Korea Air Force/South Korea Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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