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☆ Britain's Royal Navy says it did what only the US has until now: flown a large drone off the deck of an aircraft carrier
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Britain's Royal Navy announced it hit a milestone that only the US has managed to achieve so far. It flew a large drone from the deck of the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK's newest aircraft carrier. AdvertisementA large, specially modified drone successfully flew from Britain's newest aircraft carrier, the Royal Navy announced, in a major milestone that only the US had until now managed to achieve. A US Marine Corps test pilot lands an F-35B aboard HMS Prince of Wales in the Western Atlantic on October 11, 2023. The HMS Prince of Wales was commissioned in 2019, two years after the HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is the flagship of Britain's fleet.

Persons: Britain's, HMS, Wales, —, Queen Elizabeth, Prince, James Parkin, HMS Prince, Atomics, Gray Eagle, Adm, Martin Connell, Dane Wiedmann, Queen Elizabeth class, Cmdr, Martin Russell, Elizabeth Organizations: Britain's Royal Navy, Service, Britain's, Royal Navy, US, US Navy, British, Royal, Marine Corps, Atlantic Locations: Virginia, Britain, Wales, British, Prince, HMS Prince

☆ The US Army needs to 'unman unmanned' units by building a drone force that fewer soldiers can more easily fly from more places, general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Army is rethinking its approach to drones and looking to "unman unmanned" aircraft. The aim is for drones to be able to fly more easily from anywhere with fewer people involved. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US Army is aiming to "unman unmanned" aircraft operations, as one of its top generals likes to say, and that process involves developing the ability to fly drones easily from more places with fewer people in the mix. That could include employing AI to help troops fly UAVs and make decisions in real time, too. But even with the move toward this future for Army drones, there's potentially still opportunities for older models to serve a purpose.

Persons: —, Michael McCurry, McCurry, McCurry's, Gray, that's, Christine Wormuth, Rodney Davis Organizations: US Army, Service, Army, US Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Defense, Association of, Gray Eagles, US, Aviation Locations: China, US, Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland

☆ The US Army is rushing to rearm its electronic warriors after watching Russia and Ukraine jam each other's drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Electronic warfare has played a prominent role during the war in Ukraine. This has put fresh impetus behind the US Army's electronic-warfare upgrades. Concern about electronic warfare, or EW, isn't new, nor is the US deficient in all EW aspects. For its part, Russia has been able to use electronic warfare to send Ukraine's GPS-guided JDAM glide bombs and HIMARS rockets off course. Most armies — or at least the high-tech ones — are vulnerable to electronic warfare, but the US military is especially vulnerable because its way of war is so dependent on electronic communications.

Persons: Douglas Bush, Simon Mictizic, Bush, Charles Brown Jr, Denis Abramov, Brown, Lockheed Martin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Army, Army's 1st Infantry Division, Staff, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy, Russian Defense Ministry, Mil.ru, Domain Command, GPS, Support Force, US, Combat, Stryker, TLS, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, China, Forbes

☆ Bad weather and Russian jammers prevent Ukraine from using its precious drones to retake area around the ruins of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bad weather and Russian jammers are preventing Ukraine from using precious drones around Bakhmut. Ukraine's counteroffensive is heavily relying on drones for air power, The Washington Post reported. Kyiv's forces remain posted around the outskirts and villages outside of the ruined city of Bakhmut. Experts say part of the problem is Ukraine's lack of advanced air support, such as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Gray Eagle drones. Ukraine's biggest air asset right now is its UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles, which have seen major battlefield success in recent weeks.

Persons: they're Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Shadow Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Russia

☆ Here's why Ukraine needs the US Army Tactical Missile System to win the 'deep battle' against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US is considering providing ATACMS to Ukraine, according to a WSJ report. Kyiv has long sought ballistic missiles, which could strike targets far beyond the front lines. Kyiv has long been asking the US for the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which has a range of about 190 miles and could be used to strike Russian targets far beyond the front lines, including Crimea. "ATACMS is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," says its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution last week calling for ATACMS to be sent to Ukraine immediately.

Persons: Biden, Ben Hodges, Sergei Shoigu, Hodges, Lockheed Martin, Putin, ATACMS, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, Abrams, James Risch Organizations: Kyiv, Washington DC, Service, Wall Street, Army Tactical Missile, Army, Russian, The Telegraph, British Storm Shadow, US High Mobility Artillery, Lockheed, Black, White, Getty, Politico, US, Pentagon, Foreign Affairs, GOP, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Crimea, Army Europe, Kherson, Kerch, Russia, Ukrainian, Odesa, Sevastopol, Washington , DC, Washington

☆ No Russian ammo depots would be safe in Ukraine if the US provided longer-range HIMARS missiles and better drones, retired US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

ATACMS and new drones would allow Kyiv hit all Russian positions in Ukraine, a retired US general said. The Biden administration has been reluctant to send longer-range missiles and drones to Ukraine. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told Insider that Washington is likely concerned about Russian escalation. ATACMS in particular could make it easier for Ukraine to target the occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia's Black Sea Fleet. "Because we, the US, have continued to refuse to provide ATACMS, we have, in effect, created a safe haven for the Russians inside Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Ben Hodges, —, it's, Hodges, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Pat Ryder, Mark Milley, ATACMS, they've, Abrams, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Army Tactical Missile, US Army, Army, Getty, Street, Pentagon Press, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Artillery, Shadow, AP, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, US, Washington, Moscow, Russian, Army Europe, Kyiv, ATACMS, Crimean, Ukrainian, Odesa, Sevastopol, Donetsk Oblast, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia

☆ A US weapons maker is offering Ukraine a pair of deadly combat drones for $1, 'no strings attached,' but it's not that simple
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US weapons maker General Atomics offered two lethal drones for Ukraine for just $1. However, General Atomics acknowledged that preparing these drones for combat use come with additional costs that are outside the company's control. "Factoring in hardware and training that is essentially free, the offer is a remarkable deal with no strings attached," General Atomics said. The US has so far avoided providing Ukraine with larger and more lethal drones such as the Reaper and Gray Eagle. "There are limits to what an American defense company can do to support a situation such as this," General Atomics wrote.

☆ Zelenskyy comes to Washington, DC, with a long military wish list. But what could he ultimately get?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is in Washington to meet with President Biden and Congress. Zelenskyy brings with him a long military wish list, though it's unclear what he will go home with. He is set to ask for weapons that the US has long balked at providing, including Gray Eagle drones. But it's only one of the weapons Zelenskyy is expected to press for in his meetings with Biden and others. But the US has long balked at providing them, fearing that long-range weapons would be too provocative for Russian leaders.

☆ Zelenskyy comes to Washington DC with a long military wish list. But what could he ultimately get?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is in Washington to meet with President Biden and Congress. Zelenskyy brings with him a long military wish list, though it is unclear what he will go home with. He is set to ask for weapons that the US has long balked at providing, including Gray Eagle drones. But it's only one of the weapons Zelenskyy is expected to press for in his meetings with Biden and others. But the US has long balked at providing them, fearing that long-range weapons would be too provocative for Russian leaders.

☆ Ukraine-Russia war sees U.S. mull Patriot missile defense battery for Kyiv. It's not enough.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Pavel K. Baev | Pavel K. Baev Is A Research Professor At The Peace Research Institute Oslo | Prio | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The feeble Russian response to Ukraine’s recent drone attacks suggests the West has room to maneuver. The drone attacks also point to how the West can do more to turn the tide of war in Ukraine’s favor. But the Patriot deployment would take months even in the best circumstances, and the war gives no respite. And the feeble Russian response to Ukraine’s recent drone attacks suggests the West has room to maneuver. A U.S. Army Patriot Missile System operates at a joint exercise with NATO allied and partner forces, in Zadar, Croatia, on May 17, 2021.

☆ The US secretly put limitations on its HIMARS rocket launchers before letting Ukraine have them, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Kit Gillet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US modified HIMARS rocket launchers it sent to Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal. Instead, the launchers work with shorter-range munitions that can strike Russian forces occupying Ukrainian territory, but not reach far into Russia itself. Since June, the US has supplied Ukraine with at least 20 HIMARS launchers. Rockets fired from HIMARS have been used to strike Russian ammunition depots, logistics supplies and command centers on Ukrainian territory, according to the Journal. The Biden administration has so far proved reluctant to provide the weapons, according to an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal, over fears that sensitive technology could end up in the hands of US adversaries.

☆ Pentagon weighs sending Ukraine a strike weapon system that can hit targets almost 100 miles away: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US is weighing a proposal to send a cheap, 94-mile strike weapon to Ukraine, per Reuters. The proposal, from Boeing, would combine a small, inexpensive bomb with an existing rocket system. The proposal is one of around six being developed to aid military production in US, to support Ukraine and allies in Eastern Europe, Reuters reported. The Pentagon insisted in a recent statement to Insider that it "will not go below our readiness requirements" when it comes to supplying weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, proposals to send powerful Gray Eagle drones, much desired by Ukraine, have remained stuck in political limbo.

☆ Senators urge Pentagon to reconsider Gray Eagle drones for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of 16 U.S. senators pressed the Biden administration to carefully reconsider Ukraine's request for lethal Gray Eagle drones to fight Russia and asked the Pentagon to explain why it has not moved ahead, according to a copy of the letter. The Biden administration has so far rejected requests for the armable MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, which has an operational ceiling of 29,000 feet and would represent a great technological leap forward for Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesman said, "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on our communication with elected officials." The letter and its contents were reported on by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Tuesday. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Alexandra Alper and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle push Biden administration to provide Ukraine with lethal 'Gray Eagle' drones
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lawmakers are asking the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with MQ-1C "Gray Eagle" drones. The drones, made by General Atomics, can carry four Hellfire missiles. "The long-term upside of providing Ukraine with the MQ-1C is significant," lawmakers wrote. C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for General Atomics, told Insider that lawmakers are right to argue that Ukraine could put the drones into service soon after receiving them. "We believe it would be a game-changing decision to send Gray Eagles to support the Ukrainian defense."

☆ The US may downgrade an advanced drone to ease its concerns about letting Ukraine have it, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is considering modifying the powerful Gray Eagle drone for Ukraine, CNN reported. Two unnamed officials told CNN this week that the US was investigating how to change the components in the Gray Eagle, or MQ-1C drone. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the US had declined the request for the Gray Eagle. But both Ukrainian and US officials told CNN since then that discussions were continuing. "These are very expensive systems and there are concerns that they could be shot down," an unnamed official told CNN.

☆ U.S. Refuses Advanced Drones for Ukraine to Avoid Escalation With Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Gordon Lubold | Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration won’t give Ukraine advanced drones despite pleas from Kyiv and a bipartisan group of members of Congress, a reflection of the limit of the kinds of weaponry Washington is willing to provide for Ukraine’s defense. The decision deprives Ukraine of the kind of advanced weaponry Kyiv has been requesting for months. The Pentagon declined the request based on concerns that providing the Gray Eagle MQ-1C drones could escalate the conflict and signal to Moscow that the U.S. was providing weapons that could target positions inside Russia, U.S. officials and other people familiar with the decision said

☆ Congress tells Pentagon to speed review of large drones for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterU.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin speaks after a meeting at the American military's Ramstein Air Base near Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Seventeen members of Congress told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to speed up a Pentagon security review of a Ukrainian request for large armable drones, according to a letter dated Wednesday and seen by Reuters. The Biden administration's plan to sell four large, armable drones to Ukraine hit a snag in June because of a fear the unmanned aerial system's sophisticated surveillance equipment might fall into enemy hands, sources had previously told Reuters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPreviously the plan to sell the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones, which has been circulating since March, had been approved by U.S. officials, three people had said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Salesforce, Oracle, Palantir and other tech companies are interested in building a new Army tool to manage weapons distribution and troop deployment
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Caroline Haskins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Army is looking for tech companies to build a prototype for its new "operational back-bone." Palantir, Gitlab, Salesforce, Oracle, RedHat, IBM, and others submitted "Requests for Information" to build the prototype, a step before submitting a bid. The prototype would manage the deployment of troops, and the supply and distribution of missiles, guns, tanks, and other weapons. Palantir has an $823 million Army contract for data mining and analytics. It's also unclear if Amazon, Google, or Microsoft will contribute to the project in some capacity, including as a subcontractor.

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