⚛️ US Tests Quantum-Linked Drone Swarms for Jam-Proof Battlefield Connectivity

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

⚛️ US Tests Quantum-Linked Drone Swarms for Jam-Proof Battlefield Connectivity — Read More

🔋 KULR’s New High-Capacity Power Tech Promises Major UAS Endurance Jump — Read More

🤖 Japan to Let Helicopter Crews Command Drones as Remote Battlefield Wingmen —
Read More

🧠 Air Force Seeks AI for Advanced Wargaming & Integrated Force Design —
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🕵️ Counter-Drone Warfare at Scale: Army Demo Shows It’s Getting Close —
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🎱 Plus 17 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

⚛️ US Tests Quantum-Linked Drone Swarms for Jam-Proof Battlefield Connectivity — Read More

• A U.S. partnership between IonQ and Heven AeroTech is integrating quantum networking and navigation tech into hydrogen-powered drones. The goal: secure communications, alternative navigation when GPS is jammed, and autonomous operation in contested environments.

• The partnership will deploy quantum sensors and quantum-secure networking links among unmanned platforms, supporting resilience in denied domains. The drones themselves (Z1-H2D250 model) incorporate hydrogen propulsion to extend endurance.

• This move signals a broader defence shift: as drones proliferate, reliance on traditional GPS/comm links is a vulnerability—quantum-enabled systems could offer a step-change in autonomy, stealth, and connectivity against peer adversaries.

🔋 KULR’s New High-Capacity Power Tech Promises Major UAS Endurance Jump — Read More

• KULR Technology Group is launching its “KULR ONE Air (K1A)” battery system in partnership with Amprius Technologies and Molicel, combining ultra-high-energy-density SiCore® cells and high-power P50B cells to deliver significantly greater endurance for UAS platforms.

• The initiative aims to serve fixed-wing, rotary, and eVTOL drone platforms in both defence and commercial roles, delivering modular, rugged, mission-ready batteries designed for extreme operating environments.

• With the global drone battery market projected to grow dramatically—and endurance being a critical limiter for many UAS missions—this power technology could unlock extended-range, persistent unmanned operations in contested airspace.

🤖 Japan to Let Helicopter Crews Command Drones as Remote Battlefield Wingmen — Read More

• The article outlines how Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are experimenting with helicopter-borne command of drone swarms: helicopter crews will serve as operators and controllers of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that will function as wingmen or sensor platforms.

• This concept shifts from conventional manned-only flights to integrated manned-unmanned teaming, expanding the utility of helicopters from transport/attack to the orchestration of unmanned assets in real time.

• The development reflects evolving doctrine: rather than simply buying more drones, Japan is leveraging existing rotorcraft platforms and crews to lead, control, and integrate unmanned forces into mission sets—improving flexibility and reducing the need for standalone UAV infrastructure.

🧠 Air Force Seeks AI for Advanced Wargaming & Integrated Force Design — Read More

• The United States Air Force has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to industry for AI-enabled wargaming and integrated force design capabilities, aiming to simulate large-scale war scenarios, test decision-making, and explore force structure changes faster than traditional processes.

• The initiative underscores a desire to accelerate war-fighting concept development, reduce time-to-insight, and explore “what if” scenarios that combine air, space, cyber, and unmanned domains—moving beyond siloed exercise models.

• By embedding AI-driven models into integrated force design, the Air Force hopes to adapt more quickly to peer-challenge environments, refine capability portfolios, and build resilience into future force structure.

🕵️ Counter-Drone Warfare at Scale: Army Demo Shows It’s Getting Closer — Read More

• During the Project Flytrap demo at the German training ground Truppenübungsplatz Putlos, the United States Army integrated more than 20 vendors to stand up a layered counter-UAS network that included net-shooting hunter drones, modified rifles, machine guns, and resourced data fusion of active and passive sensors.

• A key breakthrough: real-time sensor integration across platforms with zero latency, enabling unit-level commanders, first-person view drone operators, and higher echelons to share tracking and intercept data instantly—a major leap toward scalable defence against cheap swarms.

• Army officials emphasized cost-effectiveness: many effectors at the demo cost “a tenth of the cost of that drone” targeted, suggesting a growing shift from expensive interceptors to scalable, lower-cost layered-defeat options.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• BEL & Safran Begin ‘Hammer’ Precision Weapon Manufacturing in India — Read More

• IBCS Set for Full-Rate Production After Polish Milestone, Northrop Says — Read More

• China Debuts Wing Loong-X, Its Most Advanced Strike-Capable Drone Yet — Read More

⚓ Sea

• U.S. Navy Massachusetts-Class Submarine Passes New Development Milestone — Read More

• Sweden to Pick Next Frigate Design by Early 2026; Negotiating GlobalEye Sale to France — Read More

• U.S. Approves Possible Sale of Navy Satellite-Communication Terminals to UK — Read More

• USS Abraham Lincoln Quietly Deploys From San Diego — Read More

🛰️ Space

• Space Force Faulted for Failing to Build Weapons Fast Enough — Read More

• Europe’s “Drone Wall” Officials Say Detection Is Challenge #1 — Read More

⚡ Emerging Tech

• Defense Disruptors: PowerLight Shows Laser-Based Wireless Power Beaming — Read More

• Denmark Sends Ukrainian Interceptors With AI “Brains” for Drone Defense — Read More

• Ukraine Fields New Lethal Combat Robot With Modular Weapon Options — Read More

🏛️ Policy

• DOGE Program No Longer Has Centralized Leadership, White House Says — Read More

• U.S. Formally Labels Maduro’s Cartel de los Soles a Terror Organization — Read More

• Foreign Spies Targeting Army Soldiers, Civilians & Families, Official Warns — Read More

• CNO Caudle Warns Sailors in Guam: “Be Ready for Conflict Now” — Read More

🏭 Industry

• Amentum Reports Strong Q4 & FY25 Results — Read More

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