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✈️ New mid-flight defense mechanism enables drones to fly through cyber attacks
Florida International University’s SHIELD introduces a mid-flight cyber defense that detects and counters attacks on drones in real time, enabling missions to continue during active intrusions.
Dallas Hartley
October 09, 2025
📬 In Today’s Defense Brief
🛡️ Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems unveil integrated counter-electronics system: Stryker Leonidas Read More
🤖 AimLock partners with Overland AI to provide multi-mission solutions on fully autonomous tactical vehicle Read More
🛰️ Space Force taps Muon for 3 prototype weather satellites Read More
🔫 FN America delivers guns chambered in 6.5mm LICC for U.S. military testing Read More
✈️ New mid-flight defense mechanism enables drones to fly through cyber attacks Read More
🎱 Plus 7 other news stories you may like
📰 Full Breakdown
🛡️ Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems unveil integrated counter-electronics system: Stryker Leonidas Read More
Epirus and GDLS integrated the Leonidas high-power microwave array onto a Stryker combat vehicle less than a year after signing a teaming agreement, field-demonstrating successful denial of individual drones and swarms. The pairing brings maneuverable counter-electronics effects to front-line formations and will be shown at AUSA alongside a full-scale prototype.
Leonidas’ software-weaponeering, modular architecture, and open interfaces allow rapid waveform updates and C2 integration to detect, track, and defeat evolving UAS threats. The system’s deep-magazine, counter-swarm performance targets urgent SHORAD gaps for joint forces in contested environments.
Stryker Leonidas joins a family that includes the ground-based Leonidas and the compact Leonidas Pod. Used together, they create layered counter-swarm and counter-electronics coverage, with planned enhancements aimed at next-generation threats across domains.
🤖 AimLock partners with Overland AI to provide multi-mission solutions on fully autonomous tactical vehicle Read More
AimLock will integrate its autonomous targeting and engagement systems onto Overland AI’s ULTRA unmanned ground vehicle, combining human-in-the-loop effects with autonomous mobility designed for beyond-line-of-sight, GPS-denied, and jammed conditions. The modular, attritable platform is built to deliver combat power across contested terrain.
Powered by AimLock’s Keystone Core Targeting Modules, the teamed solution pursues decision-accelerating effects for missions including C-UAS, force protection, direct action, integrated defense, strike anti-armor, and support-by-fire.
ULTRA supports most AimLock payloads—Spur, Rampart, Summit, Switchback, and ROLS—allowing end users to tailor kinetic configurations. Company leaders say the partnership aims to reduce operator burden while increasing survivability and mission versatility on the autonomous battlefield.
🛰️ Space Force taps Muon for 3 prototype weather satellites Read More
Space Systems Command awarded Muon Space a $44.6M Phase III SBIR to modify its Quickbeam multispectral IR imager into Quickbeam-S, adding spectral bands (nine channels spanning visible through IR) for military environmental monitoring. The dual-use effort builds on Muon’s FireSat prototype launched in March.
Under an OTA, SSC’s System Delta 810 will mature and integrate the payload and launch three demos for commercial environmental Data-as-a-Service evaluation. Initial launches are planned for late 2027 (two satellites) and early 2028 (one), supporting nowcasting for aviation, maritime routing, launch ops, and theater missions.
The project reflects a strategy to leverage commercial constellations to close weather gaps as legacy systems age, accelerating capability while sharing costs and validating hybrid government-commercial architectures.
🔫 FN America delivers guns chambered in 6.5mm LICC for U.S. military testing Read More
FN America delivered prototype LICC-Individual Weapon System carbines/rifles and a LICC-Assault Machine Gun to the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate. The steel-cased 6.5×43mm round is ~20% lighter than brass equivalents and seeks better range, accuracy, and terminal performance than 5.56×45mm while limiting recoil and weight.
FN reports Army Marksmanship Unit results show LICC-IWS accuracy roughly twice that of the M4A1, with handling comparable to the carbine. The LICC-AMG (a 6.5×43mm Evolys variant) demonstrated improved accuracy over the 7.62×51mm Mk 48 in full-auto, along with gains in lethality, durability, balance, and handling.
Barrel length options for LICC-IWS span CQB (12.5"), Carbine (14.5"), and DMR (18"). Following user evaluations, FN aims to incorporate feedback and transition to low-rate initial production, while broader fielding plans and potential users remain to be finalized.
✈️ New mid-flight defense mechanism enables drones to fly through cyber attacks Read More
Florida International University’s SHIELD introduces a mid-flight cyber defense that detects and counters attacks on drones in real time, enabling missions to continue during active intrusions. The system monitors the full control stack, flags anomalous behaviors (e.g., power surges), and targets compromised components.
Using machine learning to recognize attack patterns, SHIELD applied customized countermeasures in lab simulations—detecting in 0.21 seconds and restoring normal operations in 0.36 seconds. Researchers say recovery, not detection alone, is vital to operational resilience.
While defense is a prime use case, FIU notes potential for commercial applications in delivery, infrastructure inspection, and emergency response. The work debuted at the IEEE International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks in Naples, Italy, with expanded real-world testing planned.
🌏 Other Important News
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