🤖 MQ-20 Avenger Drone Demos Autonomous Intercept of Piloted Aircraft

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🪖 Army Unveils New Tank — Five Years Early

🧨 MineWolf Goes Uncrewed: Pearson Introduces Next-Gen Mine-Clearing Platform

📡 BAE Systems Lands $610M Contract for Advanced Eurofighter Radars

🤖 MQ-20 Avenger Drone Demos Autonomous Intercept of Piloted Aircraft

🛰️ Blue Origin Reveals TeraWave LEO/MEO Constellation Out of the Blue

🎱 Plus 16 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🪖 Army Unveils New Tank—Five Years Early — Read More

• The Army publicly showcased the new M1E3 tank at the Detroit auto show and said early prototypes will begin testing this summer—about 5 years ahead of the original timeline. Leaders said they accelerated the program by building the physical vehicle sooner and treating sensors, radios, counter-drone gear, and other “bells and whistles” as upgradable modules.

• Army officials described a “software first” approach: focus on the digital backbone and software architecture, then “wrap a tank around it,” enabling faster iteration. The service is heavily relying on commercially available components (including a Caterpillar engine, a SAPA transmission, and a Roush race-car cockpit with Recaro seats) to cut development time and reduce costs.

• The program is framed as a marquee example of the Army’s “Continuous Transformation” acquisition model—avoiding bespoke systems that take decades and lock in vendors. The M1E3 targets roughly a 25% weight reduction from today’s Abrams, uses a hybrid-electric setup to cut fuel consumption in half, and is budgeted to scale after an initial ~$75M spent to build early vehicles and software.

🧨 MineWolf Goes Uncrewed: Pearson Introduces Next-Gen Mine-Clearing Platform — Read More

• Pearson Engineering converted its MineWolf 370 (MW370) into an uncrewed mine-clearing platform, aiming to reduce crew exposure during high-risk clearance missions. The company says the move also improves clearance speed, protection, and remote-operating range, while extending the system’s service life compared to legacy approaches that put operators closer to blast hazards.

• The next-gen MW370 adds a reinforced frame for better ballistic protection and a real-time video system that streams feeds to a single screen to strengthen operator situational awareness. Pearson also says the platform improves effectiveness against both anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and can carry up to 15 kg (33.1 lbs) of explosive devices.

• Pearson positioned the upgrade as a lifecycle-backed capability: the firm says it intends to support the system with training, maintenance, and future upgrades. In Pearson’s framing, uncrewed route- and mine-clearance systems like MW370 Next Generation are meant to save lives and expand options for allies operating in mined environments.

📡 BAE Systems Lands $610M Contract for Advanced Eurofighter Radars — Read More

• The UK Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a £454M (about $610M) contract to produce new radars for Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets. BAE says the ECRS Mk2 electronically scanning radar is designed to detect and counter multiple airborne and land-based targets, and that the contract is a major step forward for Typhoon capability within the UK’s broader upgrade effort.

• Under the deal, 38 ECRS Mk2 sensors are slated for manufacture and integration onto RAF Tranche 3 Typhoons. Leonardo will produce the sensor at facilities in Edinburgh and Luton, while BAE’s Lancashire site will support aircraft integration. BAE says entry into service is expected by the end of the decade, following multiple years of development and testing.

• The award sits within the UK’s wider Typhoon modernization program launched in 2022. The article also notes the UK’s inventory of 129 Eurofighters and longer-term plans to transition toward the next-generation Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) being developed with Italy and Japan, even as the UK invests to keep Typhoon relevant against evolving threats.

🤖 MQ-20 Avenger Drone Demos Autonomous Intercept of Piloted Aircraft — Read More

• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) said its MQ-20 Avenger completed demonstrations showing it can autonomously perform an airborne intercept. Using real-time onboard sensor data, the Avenger tracked a piloted aircraft, calculated the target’s trajectory, and executed a simulated shot—without human input—while GA-ASI claimed the target would have been destroyed in a real engagement.

• The demo also emphasized predictable autonomy: the MQ-20 operated within predetermined “keep-in zones” and avoided restricted airspace, which GA-ASI framed as a key step toward safe behavior in complex airspace. The article ties that directly to the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) push, where autonomous aircraft must safely operate alongside manned jets under strict boundaries.

• GA-ASI highlighted “human-like” behaviors during the sortie, including a mid-flight pause while waiting for instructions before continuing the mission. The report says the Avenger adjusted its route while still respecting restricted regions, signaling autonomy that can respond to changing conditions rather than simply following a preplanned path from start to finish.

🛰️ Blue Origin Reveals TeraWave LEO/MEO Constellation Out of the Blue — Read More

• Blue Origin disclosed details of “TeraWave,” a multi-orbit satellite communications network consisting of 5,280 satellites in LEO and 128 in MEO, all optically linked. The constellation is designed to provide both RF and optical connectivity, operating in Q/V-band, with Blue Origin citing customer speeds up to 144 Gbps via LEO Q/V-band links and up to 6 Tbps via optical links from MEO.

• The FCC application details include Q/V-band for user uplink/downlink and E-band for gateway links. The ground segment comprises operations centers, gateway Earth stations with parabolic antennas, user terminals, and optical terminals. Blue Origin’s description frames the multi-orbit design as a way to connect global hubs with distributed multi-gigabit users where diverse terrestrial fiber is expensive or slow to deploy.

• Reporting also notes the rollout timeline and market position: deployment is expected to begin in late 2027, with TeraWave aimed at enterprise, government, and data-center customers rather than individual consumers. That strategy positions TeraWave as a direct competitor in the high-throughput, optically connected constellation arena—without trying to be a consumer ISP like Starlink.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• China Says Exploring 10 Quantum Tools to Deliver Faster Battlefield Intel — Read More

• UK Builds Autonomous Helicopter “Proteus” Concept — Read More

• GA-ASI, Calidus Partner on MQ-9B for UAE — Read More

• L3Harris Night-Vision Binocular Highlighted in New Release — Read More

• Sirbai Showcases Drone Swarm Technology — Read More

• Czech Republic Adds AI-Driven Fixed-Wing Interceptor Drone to Its Anti-Drone Arsenal — Read More

🌊 Sea

• USS Zumwalt Underway for First Time Since 2023 After Missile Refit — Read More

• Optics11 Arms Europe’s Subsea Facilities With ‘Ultra-Sensitive’ Underwater Ears — Read More

🛰️ Space

• France Taps Loft Orbital to Develop Nation’s First ‘Sovereign’ SAR Satellite — Read More

🏭 Industry

• Got an Idea for Reforming Defense Acquisition? The Pentagon’s All Ears — Read More

• Where’s All That Golden Dome Money Going? Lawmakers Want to Know — Read More

• 5 Countries, 10 Companies, €15M: PRECISE AI Project Aims to Protect European Infrastructure — Read More

• GAO Report on the Effects of Continuing Resolutions on Programs Critical to National Security — Read More

• Shutdown Odds Plummet After House and Senate Strike Bipartisan Deal on Remaining Funding Bills — Read More

• UAE Firm Rolls Out Middle East’s ‘First AI-Powered Drone Swarm Tech’ — Read More

• UAE Signs $400M in Local Drone Deals; US Firms Show Off at UMEX — Read More

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