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North Korean Hackers Target European Drone Makers in Sophisticated Espionage Campaign
North Korea

North Korean Hackers Target European Drone Makers in Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

North Korean state-sponsored hackers are actively targeting European defense contractors in a cyberespionage campaign designed to steal drone manufacturing secrets, security researchers revealed this week. The attacks, linked to the notorious Lazarus Group, focus specifically on companies developing unmanned aerial vehicle technology that’s currently being deployed in Ukraine. ESET researchers dis

Haye KestelooOct 27
Russia Deploys Ring-Wing “Kometa” Drones Over Ukraine As Experimental Design Triples Range
Ukraine

Russia Deploys Ring-Wing “Kometa” Drones Over Ukraine As Experimental Design Triples Range

Ukrainian forces have spotted unusual Russian drones with circular ring-wing designs operating over front lines, marking the first combat deployment of an experimental aerodynamic configuration that could extend strike range by up to three times compared to conventional quadcopters. The Kometa drones, manufactured by Russian company Shag Vpered, represent Moscow’s latest attempt to gain tactical…

Haye KestelooOct 26
DJI Mini 5 Pro Ships Fast From Amazon While UPS Destroys Packages in Tariff Chaos
DJI

DJI Whiplash: from empty shelves to next-day delivery in the U.S.

Why haven’t you been able to find DJI drones in stock recently? DJI drones in the U.S. have been hard to come by since late 2024. DJI has been going up against U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, battling allegations of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) violations, and being deemed a “Chinese Military Company” by…

Zachary PeeryOct 26
Wake‑Up Call: How China’s Colleges Are Powering the Next Drone Arms Race
Search & Rescue

Wake‑Up Call: How China’s Colleges Are Powering the Next Drone Arms Race

More than 200 university teams competed in military drone scenarios organized by China’s top defense leadership, revealing Beijing’s systematic campaign to recruit young talent for autonomous warfare development. The final round of China’s National Youth Intelligent Unmanned Systems Application Competition drew over 200 teams from 106 universities to Shanghai last week, according to a China…

Haye KestelooOct 26
From Film Casting To Billion-Dollar Defense: Ukraine’s Fire Point Faces Corruption Probe As Drone Industry Matures
Ukraine

From Film Casting To Billion-Dollar Defense: Ukraine’s Fire Point Faces Corruption Probe As Drone Industry Matures

Three years ago, Fire Point was scouting locations for Ukrainian film productions. Today, it’s a $1 billion defense contractor producing long-range strike drones and cruise missiles that are pounding Russian infrastructure. But the company’s meteoric rise has triggered a corruption investigation examining inflated pricing, quality concerns, and alleged ties to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former

Haye KestelooOct 26
Ukraine Emerges as NATO’s Drone Warfare Teacher as Europe Rushes to Learn Battle-Tested Tactics
Bell

Ukraine’s AI Drone Revolution Hits Hardware Reality: Full Autonomy Remains Years Away Despite Battlefield Success

Ukraine’s rapid advances in AI-powered drone warfare are running into a fundamental obstacle that no amount of software innovation can overcome: the physical limits of what computing power a small drone can carry into battle. A comprehensive investigation by the Kyiv Independent reveals that despite deploying thousands of AI-enabled systems and achieving dramatic improvements in…

Haye KestelooOct 26
FDNY Drone Saves Life In East River Rescue, Dropping Buoys To Mark Drowning Victim
DJI

FDNY Drone Saves Life In East River Rescue, Dropping Buoys To Mark Drowning Victim

An FDNY drone successfully rescued a person from the East River on Saturday, using cutting-edge technology to drop flotation markers that guided emergency crews to a drowning victim near the Queensboro Bridge. The life-saving operation demonstrates the tangible value of New York’s massive investment in emergency response technology. The rescue showcases how drones have evolved…

Haye KestelooOct 25
Rochester Police Gets $8M For Surveillance Drones And Cameras To Monitor Protests—Part Of Hochul’s $127M Statewide Push
Bell

Rochester Police Gets $8M For Surveillance Drones And Cameras To Monitor Protests—Part Of Hochul’s $127M Statewide Push

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is investing $127 million in law enforcement surveillance technology across the state, with Monroe County receiving $24 million—the largest share of any county. Rochester Police Department plans to use $8 million of its allocation to upgrade a 20-year-old blue light camera system and purchase additional drones specifically for crowd control…

Haye KestelooOct 25
Trump Jr.-Linked Unusual Machines Lands Major Pentagon Drone Contract Amid Ethics Concerns
Skydio

Trump Jr.-Linked Unusual Machines Lands Major Pentagon Drone Contract Amid Ethics Concerns

Florida-based Unusual Machines has secured its largest Pentagon contract to date, winning a deal to supply 3,500 drone motors and components to the U.S. Army—just months after Donald Trump Jr. joined the company as an adviser with a $4 million stake. The Financial Times first reported the contract award on Friday, reigniting conflict-of-interest concerns that…

Haye KestelooOct 25
Hong Kong Railway Operator Cuts Tunnel Inspection Time By Two-Thirds With Automated Drones
Skydio

Hong Kong Railway Operator Cuts Tunnel Inspection Time By Two-Thirds With Automated Drones

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation is testing automated drones to inspect railway tunnels, slashing inspection times from 30 minutes to less than 10 minutes per kilometer. The trial, conducted in the tunnel between Admiralty and Exhibition Centre stations on the East Rail line, is part of Hong Kong’s ambitious 38-project regulatory sandbox program designed to accelerate…

Haye KestelooOct 25
Firefighting Drone Startup Seneca Secures Record $60M to Deploy Autonomous Suppression System
Drone Companies

Firefighting Drone Startup Seneca Secures Record $60M to Deploy Autonomous Suppression System

California-based startup Seneca has emerged from stealth mode with $60 million in funding to deploy AI-powered autonomous firefighting drones capable of suppressing wildfires within minutes of detection. The round, believed to be the largest early-stage investment in wildfire defense technology, was led by Caffeinated Capital and Convective Capital. Founded by Stuart Landesberg—who previously buil

Haye KestelooOct 25
China’s 15,947-Drone Show Breaks World Records
China

China’s 15,947-Drone Show Breaks World Records

Forget what you thought you knew about drone light shows. Liuyang, China—the place famous for its fireworks—just set a whole new standard. Nearly 16,000 drones lit up the sky together, pulling off a performance so big it landed two Guinness World Records. The ten-minute show, run by Gaoju Innovation out of Shenzhen, mixed ancient Chinese…

Rafael SuárezOct 25
The Verge Confirms What We've Been Saying: Nobody Is Replacing DJI, and Drones Are Now for War - DJI Mini 5 Pro on Amazon: Only 7 Days Left to Buy Before December 23 Deadline - 7 Reasons the DJI Mini 5 Pro Owns Travel Photography
DJI

7 Reasons the DJI Mini 5 Pro Owns Travel Photography

Hello fellow pilots, how’s your day been? Your week? Your month? How long have you been playing with the idea of getting your Mini 5 Pro, even through… less official channels? Or maybe you just got it and are waiting for that perfect moment to break it in? Well, one way or another, I’ve been…

Rafael SuárezOct 25
DJI Mini 5 Pro Ships Fast From Amazon While UPS Destroys Packages in Tariff Chaos
Amazon

DJI Mini 5 Pro Ships Fast From Amazon While UPS Destroys Packages in Tariff Chaos

The DJI Mini 5 Pro officially isn’t for sale in the United States—except it absolutely is, and it’s shipping faster than packages of chocolate from Canada that are being destroyed in customs. While UPS admits to “disposing of” thousands of international packages stuck in Trump’s tariff chaos, the brand-new drone that DJI won’t sell Americans…

Haye KestelooOct 24
DJI Neo 2 New design and new battery on top! Fly More Combo will be €399 / £349 / $429
DJI

DJI Neo 2 Just Leaked, First Images, Features, Prices and Release Date

Surprise! DJI actually managed to keep the DJI Neo 2 a secret until yesterday but today Russian leaker Igor Bogdanov managed to get his hands on some very interesting Neo 2 images and some first specifications. Credit where credit is due; Igor found this way quicker then I did, so I will show his pictures…

Jasper EllensOct 24
Merrimac Police Drone Locates Missing 8-Year-Old in Massachusetts Woods Within an Hour
DJI

Merrimac Police Drone Locates Missing 8-Year-Old in Massachusetts Woods Within an Hour

An 8-year-old boy who walked away from his home in Merrimac, Massachusetts, was safely located within 72 minutes Thursday morning thanks to the department’s Drone Unit. Officer William David operated the drone that spotted the child in a wooded area behind his home, demonstrating how small-town police departments are using drone technology to save lives…

Haye KestelooOct 23
DEXA Secures Game-Changing BVLOS Waiver for Drone Delivery Operations
Drone Delivery

DEXA Achieves Elite FAA Drone Delivery Certification With Fraction of Big Tech’s Budget

A woman-led drone delivery startup has joined the exclusive ranks of FAA-certified air carriers after accomplishing in four years what cost tech giants hundreds of millions of dollars and significantly longer timelines. DEXA (Drone Express) announced it has secured Part 135 Air Carrier Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, making it the seventh company in…

Haye KestelooOct 23
ukraine drone drones ai kit skynode - 100 Switchblades to Ukraine in March 2022
Aerovironment

Why Are $400 Ukrainian Drones Beating $100,000 American Switchblades?

Western military drones like the American Switchblade have proven too expensive and ineffective for Ukraine’s high-intensity battlefield, forcing a strategic shift to mass-produced FPV drones that cost a fraction of the price. The Economist reports that sophisticated Western systems costing tens of thousands of dollars are being outperformed by Ukrainian-made drones assembled for as little…

Haye KestelooOct 23
French Underwater Drone Maker Exail Soars 370% as European Defense Boom Fuels Growth
Underwater drone

French Underwater Drone Maker Exail Soars 370% as European Defense Boom Fuels Growth

French underwater drone manufacturer Exail Technologies posted an 18% surge in third-quarter revenue as European defense spending accelerates in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Baird Maritime. The company’s stock has rocketed 370% this year, lifting its market value above €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion USD) from less than €300 million ($320 million USD)…

Haye KestelooOct 23
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