Lucas Meyer, Author at DEFENSE-AEROSPACE

Army Pushes 3D-Printed Drone Production Through SkyFoundry Network to Reach 10,000 Per Month

The Army aims to turn its organic base into a distributed network that builds small drones by the tens of thousands per month. Leaders set a near-term stretch goal of 10,000. The plan leans on additive manufacturing, faster tooling, and a parts

October 15, 2025

AI & Autonomy

YFQ-44A Flight Imminent, Anduril Advances Early Autonomy for Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Air Force leadership set mid-October for the first flight of Anduril’s YFQ-44A, the company’s entrant in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The aircraft will use push-button departure and recovery with no conventional stick and throttle while human operators watch from the ground.

September 24, 2025

Two interceptor missiles are launched at a Kratos Defense Firejet cruise missile surrogate target

Missiles / Drones / Directed Energy

Taiwan Unveils New Generation of Low-Cost Strike Drones and Missiles at 2025 Defense Exhibition

Taipei’s aerospace and defense show ran September 18-20 at TaiNEX 1 with 490 exhibiting companies across 1,500 booths. Organizers counted 51 first-time products on the floor, signaling a heavier emphasis on unmanned and low-cost strike systems this year. At the Xiangshan Forum

September 19, 2025

Missiles / Drones / Directed Energy

Army to lead Joint Interagency Task Force 401, consolidating Replicator 2 and DoD counter-drone programs

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Army to establish a new joint interagency task force to speed delivery of counter-drone systems across the U.S. military. The entity, designated Joint Interagency Task Force 401, will sit under the Deputy Secretary of Defense

September 12, 2025

Aircraft

First Flight for General Atomics Collaborative Combat Aircraft Starts Edwards and Nellis Test Campaigns

General Atomics' YFQ-42A collaborative combat aircraft completed its first flight on August 27, 2025, with the U.S. Air Force announcing the milestone the same day.

September 12, 2025

Cybersecurity & Electronic Warfare

Defense memo orders JIATF 401 under Army leadership to fast-track acquisition and fielding of counter-small UAS

The Pentagon has ordered the Army to stand up Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and shut down the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office once the new team is in place.

September 5, 2025

Aircraft

Lockheed Martin projects F-35 Block 4 modernization and TR-3 rollout into 2032

At the London defense show on September 16, officials stated that Block 4 integration began in 2018 and is expected to continue through 2030-2032. Company officials described TR-3 as the baseline for Block 4 software and acknowledged the slip that reset milestones

September 2, 2025

Aircraft

AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR)

AeroVironment completed the first delivery of P550 autonomous Group 2 eVTOL systems to the U.S. Army under the Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program, with gear already handed to units earmarked for Transformation in Contact (TiC) brigades.

August 29, 2025

Joint Exercises / Special Ops Training

August 2025 Joint Military Drills Test U.S.-South Korea Readiness Across All Domains

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on August 18, spreading across dozens of military sites in South Korea. It runs for 11 days, led by command post simulations that pull in real-world data and stress tests.

August 18, 2025

Contracts & Deals

Turkey’s Navy Orders 149 m TF2000 Destroyer and Four Offshore Patrol Vessels from ASFAT

Türkiye has concluded two linked naval contracts with the state-owned shipbuilder ASFAT: one for a TF-2000 air-defense destroyer and another for four offshore patrol vessels. The agreements were signed at IDEF 2025 in Istanbul by ASFAT CEO Mustafa İlbaş and Admiral Ercüment

August 6, 2025

Lucas Meyer

Army Pushes 3D-Printed Drone Production Through SkyFoundry Network to Reach 10,000 Per Month

YFQ-44A Flight Imminent, Anduril Advances Early Autonomy for Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Taiwan Unveils New Generation of Low-Cost Strike Drones and Missiles at 2025 Defense Exhibition

Army to lead Joint Interagency Task Force 401, consolidating Replicator 2 and DoD counter-drone programs

First Flight for General Atomics Collaborative Combat Aircraft Starts Edwards and Nellis Test Campaigns

Defense memo orders JIATF 401 under Army leadership to fast-track acquisition and fielding of counter-small UAS

Lockheed Martin projects F-35 Block 4 modernization and TR-3 rollout into 2032

AeroVironment Delivers Initial P550 Group-2 eVTOL Systems to U.S. Army for Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR)

August 2025 Joint Military Drills Test U.S.-South Korea Readiness Across All Domains

Turkey’s Navy Orders 149 m TF2000 Destroyer and Four Offshore Patrol Vessels from ASFAT

Authors

Julien Mercier

Clara Nguyen

Priya Shah

Michael Adler

Lena Kovacs

Diego Ramos

Peter Johansson

Lucas Meyer