Year: 2026

The Story Behind the “Drone” Word

Most every story on this site uses a word that started life describing an insect with no job. Tracing how "drone" got from a beehive to a battlefield says something about how military language actually forms: less design, more nickname that stuck. The...

Bridges Fall Piece by Piece

Ukraine has downed more bridges this month than in the previous three years combined, using $55k drones and AI-guided mini cruise missiles. Plus: Pentagon consolidates drone oversight, London stands up a taskforce, Ukraine exports FPVs to the US. Bridges...

Russia’s Drone Launching Shadow Fleet

IISS traces 144 European drone sightings across 13 states to Russia's shadow fleet. Also: One Pentagon drone office, London's £5 billion autonomy bet, NDAA doctrine push, Ukraine's Pacific test run, CCA production start. A Paper Trail For Ghosts A...

So Which Tasks Will Be Left For Humans?

In 1951, the psychologist Paul Fitts drew a line for the US National Research Council on the division of labour between people and machines in aviation. Humans got judgement in novel situations, flexibility, inductive reasoning, the detection of faint...

Drones Are Eating the Military’s Command Structure Too

Ukraine floats a stratosphere missile that defeats Russian jamming by cutting its own navigation off. Also: Britain ditches its destroyers for drone-coordinating warships, a US company cleared a fortified breach with 35 drones and 100 pounds of C4, AI is...

Shaheds That Think, Drones That Pay, and a $4 Billion IPO

Ukraine's top drone analyst says AI autonomous targeting is weeks away for Shaheds. Also: Kyiv's e-Points system is steering units toward harder targets 100 km from the front, a hand-launched recon drone reaches 150 km for a fraction of the usual cost, an...

Wingmen, Swarms, and the Race to Command Them

The US Air Force awards production contracts for 1,000 autonomous combat jets, four months ahead of schedule, and opens a six-vendor competition to write their brains. Also: 43 FPVs collapse a road bridge, a European C2 startup raises €32 million at...