R&D - globaldefencemagazine.com

May 18, 2026
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Air Platforms
R&D

UK shortlists 4 firms for Apache drone wingman

The UK Ministry of Defence has shortlisted four companies to develop autonomous drone wingmen for the British Army’s AH-64E Apache helicopters under Project NYX. The selected firms — Anduril...

May 18, 2026
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Missile & Missile Defence
R&D

Lockheed NGC2 prototype proven in Balikatan live-fire test

Lockheed Martin’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype was successfully tested during the Balikatan 2026 military exercise involving US and Philippine forces. The advanced system integrates sensor data,...

May 16, 2026
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Unmanned Systems
R&D

Hermes drone capabilities explained

The Hermes drone family, developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems, has emerged as one of the most influential unmanned aerial vehicle platforms in modern warfare. Long before drones became a...

May 15, 2026
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Communication and Electronics
R&D

L3Harris adds AI counter-drone tech to radios

L3Harris has unveiled Wraith Shield, an AI-powered software upgrade that transforms tactical radios into distributed counter-drone sensing nodes. Integrated into existing communication systems, the technology uses radio frequency sensing...

May 15, 2026
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Communication and Electronics
R&D

Kopin expands US OLED microdisplay output

Kopin Corporation is moving OLED microdisplay manufacturing entirely in-house at its Massachusetts headquarters following the acquisition of advanced OLED deposition equipment. The decision eliminates reliance on outsourced fabrication and...

May 15, 2026
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Air Platforms
R&D

Israel extends F-35I range with fuel tanks

Israel has awarded Elbit Systems subsidiary Cyclone a $34-million contract to develop external fuel tanks for the Israeli Air Force’s F-35I “Adir” stealth fighters, aiming to significantly extend operational...

May 15, 2026
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Land Platforms
R&D

M1301 ISV: fast, light, deployable

The M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) was developed to provide US Army Infantry Brigade Combat Teams with rapid tactical mobility across rugged and contested terrain. Designed by General Motors...

May 14, 2026
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Air Platforms
R&D

India’s first indigenous C-295 nears rollout

India’s first domestically assembled Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft appears close to rollout at the Tata-Airbus final assembly facility in Gujarat. The aircraft is part of a $2.5-billion contract...

May 14, 2026
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Unmanned Systems
R&D

Ziesel UGV successfully fires Spike missiles

Diehl Defence has successfully demonstrated the launch of Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles from its Ziesel uncrewed ground vehicle during a five-day live-fire campaign. The trials included the firing...

May 14, 2026
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Missile & Missile Defence
R&D

Barracuda cruise missile production expands

The Pentagon has signed a framework agreement with Anduril Industries to scale production of the Barracuda-500M low-cost containerized cruise missile under the Ground-Launched Low-Cost Containerized Munition initiative. The deal...