Defence`s Feeds

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I need this car pic.twitter.com/EFiBftx8Ja

— sofia (@sofiatieger) July 5, 2026 Elon Musk and Telsa would be out of business in a nano second if Chinese electric cars were sold here (yeah I know Telsa is sold in China but it's the American label that does it). As far as Ford, GM and others? They'd get smashed into the ground. What has me spinning is that everyone talks about free market competition yada-yada but in real life? NOPE! What has always been the conservative pitch? Let markets decide? Not applicable when it comes to cars and that's smashing US consumers. Great for auto unions but not for most.

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A female police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina was jumped by a group of teenagers during a "teen takeover." pic.twitter.com/Ibf8lj0sDf

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) July 5, 2026

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A Nyan One Way Effector (OWE) was launched from the experimental testbed vessel XV Patrick Blackett while the ship was underway off the south coast of England.

The trial, which according to image data took place in early June 2026, is billed as the next step towards the operational integration of one way effector (OWE) drones into the British military. The Nyan OWE, designed by BAE Systems subsidiary Callen-Lenz, was previously tested from land by British Army personnel in Estonia.

The Royal Navy has successfully launched a strike-capable drone from a ship at sea, marking a significant step forward in the UK’s drive to create a hybrid naval force to defend against evolving threats. | Source: Crown Copyright 2026

Organised under Operation Neptune Reach, the launch brought together personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and the British Army. Launching an OWE drone from a Royal Navy vessel has been listed as the first goal of Project VANTAGE, with latter stages focused on spreading OWE launch capability to vessels across the fleet, up to and including the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. This is a key part of the Ministry of Defence’s aim to transform the Royal Navy into a ‘hybrid navy’, leveraging a tailored blend of crewed and uncrewed systems with the mantra ‘crewed where necessary, uncrewed wherever possible‘.

.@BAESystems @callenlenz Nyan One-Way Effector launched from @XVPTBK https://t.co/KR68KfHm3I pic.twitter.com/VA8vH69274

— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) July 3, 2026

Lieutenant Commander David Burton, Maritime OWE capability sponsor, Royal Navy, said: “This trial makes a significant step forward in delivering Maritime One-Way Effectors at pace.

“Under Project Vantage we are planning to integrate these capabilities into the Hybrid Navy, combining crewed platforms with uncrewed systems to expand reach, increase tempo and enhance lethality. Working closely with our army colleagues, this activity demonstrates how we are accelerating Atlantic Strike concepts into practical, deployable capabilities of the Fleet,” he added.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: “Britain is serious about the transition to a Hybrid Navy with new, powerful drones at the heart of the Royal Navy. By bringing together Army and Navy expertise to field strike drones from a ship at sea, we are accelerating the capabilities our forces need to stay ahead of our adversaries.”

 

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A post shared by 26th Regiment Royal Artillery (@26royalartillery)

The Nyan OWE, designed for precision strike missions, is powered by a small ‘microturbine’ jet engine, and has a wingspan of 2.9 metres. In a February 2026 direct award contract notice, the MoD noted it as the only off-the-shelf product of its type registered with the UK Military Aircraft Register, stating: “it is the only feasible option to bring into service in the near term on the grounds of safety and legality”.

British Army crews in Estonia move a Nyan OWE on the ground. | Source: via BAE Systems

Matt Foster, CEO of BAE Systems’ Callen-Lenz, says over 1,000 Nyan units have been produced so far, and it has proven itself during land-based trials. “Now it has successfully demonstrated its ability to add real value in a maritime environment too. These trials reflect strong collaboration across the services and industry, highlighting the pace at which we can deliver innovation to advance the UK’s integrated, multi-domain defence capability.”

The drone was launched from a rail installed on the Patrick Blackett’s rear deck, and then directed towards a pre-designated target. Data from the test is now being analysed by a specialist Royal Navy team as well as the Royal Air Force’s Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC).

The Royal Navy has successfully launched a strike-capable drone from a ship at sea, marking a significant step forward in the UK’s drive to create a hybrid naval force to defend against evolving threats. | Source: Crown Copyright 2026 XV Patrick Blackett 

The futuristic all-black trials vessel XV Patrick Blackett was acquired by the Royal Navy in 2022, and officially began acceptance trials in February 2023. Although not a commissioned Royal Navy vessel, it is crewed by Royal Navy personnel and is wholly owned by the UK Government. 

Its primary role is supporting trials of uncrewed surface and sub-surface vessels, which are in line to become a major part of the Royal Navy’s overall fleet structure in the coming years. 

Confimation of the new RN construction plan, as radical as Fisher’s new navy. These were revealed in the recent Frazer-Nash NDP renders (below).

Type ?? Common Combat Vessel, smaller crewed command hub (possibly AH140 based?) to be in-service by early 2030s.
Type 91 – uncrewed… https://t.co/NJcFFPFeE3 pic.twitter.com/l2mpWVInfI

— JamesFennell MBE (@FennellJW) June 29, 2026

The ship’s large, open rear deck area is ideal for frequent configuration changes to support different programs. In this case, it provides ample room for the rail launcher. In one previous exercise, the deck area has even been used as a target area for dummy bombs dropped from a drone. 

UAV Roton conducts a successful artificial bomb drop on XV Patrick Blackett as part of a training exercise in Portugal during exercise REPMUS24. | Source: LPhot Daniel Bladen/Crown Copyright 2024

A lesser seen but vitally important additional part of XV Patrick Blackett’s duties is pioneering the use of quantum navigation equipment at sea. These systems use atom interferometry to provide inertial navigation, meaning that it could provide the answer to the problems posed by the vulnerability of GPS. Additionally, quantum navigation would work in places where GPS simply can’t – under the sea, underground, or in some of the few locations in the world where access to reliable global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) cannot be guaranteed.

The first UK test of airborne quantum navigation systems took place from MoD Boscombe Down in 2024, backed by BAE Systems and Qinetiq. 

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At the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran H.E Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attended the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who had embraced martyrdom on 28th February, 2026 during the attacks on Iran.

Press conference with Federal Chancellor Merz and the B3 heads of state and government

A report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) assesses that it is ‘highly likely’ many of recent drone incidents throughout Europe were ordered by Moscow as part of a wider hybrid campaign against NATO.

The investigation focuses on incidents taking place between August 2024 and February 2026, including incursions into the airspace of thirteen individual countries. All but one of these nations, the exception being Ireland, are members of NATO. 

Among the incursions documented in the report are those which targeted U.S. Air Force sites in the UK – which The Aviationist covered in depth across three articles – as well as the incident over the French Navy ballistic missile submarine base at Île Longue.

This report assesses that it is highly likely the Kremlin conducted a coordinated Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) campaign over Europe between August 2024 and February 2026, spanning a dozen NATO states and Ireland.

It is also likely that Russian-linked vessels and the shadow… pic.twitter.com/pGRtWRHPtE

— IISS News (@IISS_org) July 2, 2026

By corroborating the various reports of drone incursions with data relating to ships that are known or suspected to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet, the IISS has named several vessels in particular that it believes were responsible for launching and/or directing the drones. 

It notes that the cargo vessel Hav Dolphin (IMO 9073854), investigated by both Germany and the Netherlands after drone incursions in the spring of 2025, was in fact docked in Hull, UK, while British and American authorities were dealing with the drone sightings over military sites in November 2024. 

Suspected drone carrier / cargo ship HAV DOLPHIN entered Baltic Sea via Kiel kanal, last port Antwerp. Stated destination Vasa, FI

The Russian crewed ship is suspected if being behind drone flights over military installations in NW Germany a few months ago. pic.twitter.com/i4QfsyLyzi

— auonsson (@auonsson) August 24, 2025

At the same time, the tanker Seasons I (IMO 9308950) travelled eastbound through the Straits of Dover and routed approximately parallel to the southern coast of East Anglia where RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and a number of other sensitive U.S. and UK military facilities are located. 

Positions of selected Russian shadow-fleet tankers around Germany and the UK, 26 November 2024 | Source: The International Institute for Strategic Studies

Comment from anonymous U.S. officials at the time of the incursions suggested that the drones were of a sophistication beyond what would be expected for commercially available civilian drones. As we noted, the incursions over these important U.S. bases came just days after then President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the long awaited all-clear to use long range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. 

Selected reported UAV sightings in Europe by location and site, August 2024–February 2026 | Source: The International Institute for Strategic Studies

In its executive summary of the lengthy report, the IISS argues that while not every UAV incident during this period is likely to have been linked to Russia, “the aggregate pattern of UAV sightings cannot be adequately explained by misidentification, hobbyist activity or opportunistic harassment alone.”

Careful Scrutiny

There is no smoking gun that definitively proves Russia’s involvement, and none of the nations affected in these drone incursions have yet directly pointed their finger in Russia’s direction, though IISS researchers have suggested that these countries have given their tacit approval of the report. “Every government we spoke to said they would welcome the report being published,” said Charlie Edwards, Senior Fellow for Strategy & National Security. 

Without the smoking gun, some have questioned the report’s findings. Dronewatch Europe have said: “The conclusions are striking. However, they also deserve careful scrutiny.”

“The report does not present physical evidence linking any specific drone to any specific vessel. No launch has been observed, no command links have been intercepted, no wreckage has been recovered, no credible video footage was recorded, and no telemetry or forensic data has been released tying a drone to a Russian ship.”

New IISS report revives ‘Russian shadow fleet drone’ theory, but fails to provide evidence https://t.co/aQNZoaX2O3 pic.twitter.com/efG2r4BgCD

— Dronewatch Europe (@DronewatchEU) July 2, 2026

This forensic data is, of course, difficult for a non-state actor to obtain. Primary radar data and advanced intelligence (including the use of electro-optical sensors, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and human intelligence (HUMINT)) capabilities would be of paramount importance to gathering the definitive facts in cases like this.

Whether the capable intelligence agencies – in many cases, world leading – of the nations involved have in fact collected these facts is unclear. While one could argue that the fact no country has stepped forward and set out a comprehensive case for Russia’s involvement, it is also true that doing so could prejudice some of the capabilities and/or sources of intelligence available to them. Proving Russia’s guilt in the public domain might not outweigh the value of these intelligence assets. 

The @RoyalAirForce has recently deployed its Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System to Belgium in response to rogue drones interrupting flights at Brussels Airport. This comes just a month after the system was deployed to Denmark.

The RAF’s C-UAS capability is called ORCUS, which is a… pic.twitter.com/bS6buQuCDc

— Leonardo Electronics (@LDO_Electronics) November 11, 2025

Dronewatch’s own investigation into 61 drone sightings across Europe in 2025 found that, in many cases, “reported drones turned out to be perfectly ordinary aircraft, helicopters, stars, planets or other explainable phenomena. In numerous cases there was simply no evidence that a drone had ever been present.”.

The IISS report does touch on these earlier investigations, though it argues that “In an operating environment where European detection capability was demonstrably insufficient to reliably track low-altitude, non-cooperative UAVs, a high non-confirmation rate is the expected outcome regardless of whether the sightings were genuine.”

“A high false-positive rate in public reporting is, if anything, analytically consistent with Russian operational design: engineering an environment of ambiguity in which genuine incursions are difficult to distinguish from noise is itself a feature of the campaign,” the report continues. 

Whether any of the drones were in fact linked to Russia or not, the IISS states that Europe’s counter-UAS (C-UAS) strategy has not kept up with the threat now posed by these systems: “detection is uneven, legal authorities are fragmented, response options are often disproportionate, and attribution remains too slow to support timely deterrence.”

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat took part in a flight with the F-15EX and a proof-of-concept FARP operation as part of the Experimental Operations Unit’s activities during Valiant Shield 2026.

The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) released new undated photos from Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, showing that the MQ-28 Ghost Bat flew together with the F-15EX Eagle II. The milestone flight transformed into reality Boeing’s concept artworks which suggested the goal of having the two platforms work together in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) operations.

“An MQ-28 Ghost Bat and U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 over the Philippine Sea, demonstrating the future of human-machine teaming in the theater,” said PACAF in a post on social media. “Uncrewed systems act as a force multiplier, extending the reach and effectiveness of human pilots.”



It is unclear if crew of the F-15EX, assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, took control of the MQ-28 during the flight. It should be noted that the service’s fighter jets already took control of drones during past tests, thus the possibility of the F-15EX controlling the MQ-28 should not be excluded.

An F-15EX Eagle II and an MQ-28 Ghost Bat fly together during Valiant Shield 2026. | Source: PACAF

Moreover, in the press release announcing the MQ-28’s involvement in Valiant Shield last month, PACAF said “the uncrewed MQ-28 will fly in concert with crewed fighter platforms, providing a critical opportunity for the joint force to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for this next evolution of airpower.”

Take a peek into the future.

With the F-15EX’s future manned-unmanned teaming capabilities supported by an advanced cockpit system, communication networks and two-seat configuration, the superior fighter could serve as a battle manager and joint all domain command and control. pic.twitter.com/07oRhGdIjV

— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) September 4, 2025

The MQ-28 was deployed to Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, for the duration of the exercise. The specific aircraft is a production representative airframe, which is equipped with an Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) system.

Artist concept of a Boeing F-15EX flying in formation with four MQ-28s, back when it was still known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS) aircraft. | Source: Boeing

While at Rota, the MQ-28 also took part in a proof-of-concept Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) operation for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) on June 28. The operation was supported by a HC-130J Combat King II and Airmen assigned to the 79th Rescue Squadron, alongside members of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU).

The involvement of the EOU is notable as it was activated in June 2025 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to accelerate the introduction of CCA. The role of the EOU will be to develop the initial tactics, techniques and procedures needed to ensure CCAs are integrated in the fleet and tactically viable for future conflicts.



The unit recently conducted a round of testing with the YFQ-44A at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The service said the unit “executed a series of sorties that refined core operational and logistical procedures for deploying and sustaining CCA in a contested environment.”

With PACAF confirming the involvement of the EOU, it is likely the participation to Valiant Shield 2026 was part of a new round of testing which used the MQ-28 as surrogate for the FQ-42 and FQ-44. The Air Force recently awarded production contracts for the two CCAs.

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II and Airmen assigned to the 79th Rescue Squadron, alongside members of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Nellis Air Force Base-based Experimental Operations Unit, conduct a proof-of-concept Forward Arming and Refueling Point operation for Collaborative Combat Aircraft with the MQ-28 Ghost Bat in Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, June 28, 2026, in support of VALIANT SHIELD 2026. | Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Austin Salazar F-15EX Visits Kadena Again

The same F-15EX which flew with the MQ-28 also arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on June 29, 2026, accompanied by two F-15E Strike Eagles. The visit, whose duration is unknown, might have happened after the flight with the MQ-28, as Valiant Shield officially ended on July 1.



This is the second time an F-15EX is deployed to Kadena as the base prepares to receive its permanently assigned Eagle IIs. As we reported in the past here at The Aviationist, the base is transitioning from the F-15C/D Eagle to the new F-15EX Eagle II.

The 67th Fighter Squadron will be Kadena’s first operational F-15EX unit, followed by the 44th Fighter Squadron. A total of 36 new fighters is expected to be delivered there starting next year, according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II assigned to 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, lands at Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 29, 2026. | Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess

“The F-15EX represents the next chapter of airpower at Kadena,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander. “Our Airmen have the opportunity to train with the aircraft, build confidence in its capabilities and ensure we’re ready to project lethality and integrate into operations as we continue providing combat power in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Valiant Shield

Valiant Shield is a biennial, multinational, joint exercise focused on integrating the joint force in a multi-domain environment. The exercise brings together forces from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Space Force, alongside regional allies and partners, to train across a vast geographic area in the Pacific.

First established in 2006, Valiant Shield has evolved into one of the largest and most sophisticated military exercises in the Pacific. This reflects the growing emphasis on joint and combined operations in response to an increasingly contested security environment.

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II and F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, fly in formation after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 909th Air Refueling Squadron over the Pacific Ocean, June 29, 2026. | Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dwane R. Young

“Valiant Shield demonstrates our enduring commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Exercising advanced multidomain capabilities with our allies ensures we continue to seamlessly innovate and operate together, project combat power together and prevail over any challenge – together.”

The exercise typically features a wide range of assets, including fighter aircraft, bombers, aerial refueling tankers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, naval surface combatants, submarines, amphibious forces, and advanced command-and-control systems. “This routine training fosters real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas,” explains PACAF.

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