Americas
Teledyne FLIR Defense’s Black Hornet 4 drone has been approved for the US military’s Blue UAS List after meeting cybersecurity requirements under the National Defense Authorization Act and passing verification by the Defense Innovation Unit. The listing grants Authority to Operate and allows government agencies to deploy the system for official use.
Middle East & Africa
There is speculation that Iran might be closing the world’s busiest oil shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, and its most vital oil transit choke point. Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the corridor – which is only about 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit, and about 33km wide at its narrowest point – connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.
Europe
As part of a large-scale security and modernization campaign sparked by the invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian government is moving to set up and deploy a “drone wall” across its entire eastern border with Russia by the end of 2027.This massive, in-the-works fortification will include a combination of surveillance assets, multilayer sensors, countermeasure platforms, and uncrewed systems that can take out hostile enemy drones across the roughly 183-mile border, which also marks a major boundary shared between Russia and the NATO alliance.
Asia-Pacific
The Indian Army has tested an artificial-intelligence (AI)-based light machine gun (LMG) in the mountains. Tested at a height of 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) above sea level, the AI-enabled Negev LMG demonstrated autonomous identification and engagement capabilities, according to India Today. Citing local developer BSS Material, the outlet wrote that the system “maintained stable target acquisition, adaptive fire control, and semi-autonomous surveillance throughout the trials.”