At this morning’s keynote roundtable at XPONENTIAL 2026, government and industry leaders outlined a new phase in the effort to scale the U.S. drone industry: moving from innovation and prototype development to industrial production, supply chain scrutiny, and rapid military acquisition. Moderated by Michael Robbins of AUVSI, the panel focused on the Department of Defense’s … [Read more...] about Drone Dominance: The Defense Department’s Push to Build a Scalable U.S. Drone Supply Chain
unmanned systems
U.S. Navy Awards Packet Digital $9.8 Million to Scale Drone Battery Production in North Dakota
North Dakota facility will manufacture NDAA-compliant battery cells for drones and defense systems Packet Digital and its subsidiary Badland Batteries announced that the company has received $9.8 million as part of Phase 3 of a U.S. Navy contract focused on advanced batteries for logistics drones and unmanned systems. The funding comes through the Navy’s Logistics UAS Family … [Read more...] about U.S. Navy Awards Packet Digital $9.8 Million to Scale Drone Battery Production in North Dakota
New Intelic Platform Lets European Militaries Find and Deploy Drones Faster
New hub aims to speed deployment and improve interoperability across European defense systems A European defense technology company has introduced a new platform designed to help governments find and deploy unmanned systems more quickly. Amsterdam-based Intelic announced the launch of Intelic BASE on May 4, 2026. The platform serves as a procurement hub for Ministries … [Read more...] about New Intelic Platform Lets European Militaries Find and Deploy Drones Faster
Teledyne FLIR Defense Expands Payload Program with Emesent Hovermap for GPS-Denied Operations
New integration brings LiDAR mapping and radiation detection together across air and ground platforms Teledyne FLIR Defense has expanded its Third-Party Payload Integration Program with the addition of Emesent’s Hovermap LiDAR payload. Announced at Modern Day Marine 2026, the certification allows the Hovermap system to operate across Teledyne FLIR’s unmanned aerial systems … [Read more...] about Teledyne FLIR Defense Expands Payload Program with Emesent Hovermap for GPS-Denied Operations
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace Demonstrates Wireless Power Beaming to K1000ULE at Shaw AFB
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace and PowerLight Technologies sustain the K1000ULE in flight using laser-based wireless power beaming, maintaining continuous ISR operations without ground recovery. Kraus Hamdani Aerospace (KHA) and PowerLight Technologies demonstrated wireless power beaming to the K1000ULE at Shaw Air Force Base. The AFCENT Battle Lab hosted the event. CENTCOM and the … [Read more...] about Kraus Hamdani Aerospace Demonstrates Wireless Power Beaming to K1000ULE at Shaw AFB
