US Army soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment launched a Czech-built STORK LR long-range reconnaissance drone during exercise Combined Resolve 27-01 at the Hohenfels Training Area in Germany on October 16, 2026. Operating as the exercise's dedicated opposing force, the battalion utilized the fixed-wing platform to replicate modern peer-threat aerial surveillance and electronic warfare dynamics observed on the Ukrainian front. The deployment follows a May 2026 supply contract between manufacturer U&C UAS and US Army units in Europe to integrate battlefield-tested reconnaissance technologies into coalition training regiments. Read full defense news at this link... Developed by U&C UAS in the Czech Republic using heritage designs from Ukraine’s DeViRo Leleka series, the STORK LR features catapult launch, belly-landing recovery, a range of up to 135 kilometers, and up to 5.5 hours of flight endurance. (Picture source: U.S. Army) Read more... from Worl...
US Navy tests long-range control of MQ-25A tanker drone from aircraft carrier to extend fighter combat range
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) remotely controlled a Boeing MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker over a distance exceeding 2,100 miles (3,379 km) during a milestone command connectivity test. Operating in the Pacific Ocean, the carrier established a beyond-line-of-sight link with the aircraft at Boeing’s Mascoutah, Illinois facility using an MD-5C Ground Control Station and a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. The demonstration validates long-range satellite-based command architecture required to shift aerial refueling responsibilities from strike fighters to dedicated carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Read full defense news at this link... The MQ-25A Stingray aims to extend the combat range and endurance of U.S. Navy carrier-based fighters by providing aerial refueling farther from aircraft carriers, freeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from tanker duties for combat missions. (Picture source: Boeing) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/rAIv...