Autonomous Drones Harness Wind for ISR and Counter UAS
Windlift, a North Carolina-based startup, recentlyannounced successful results from initial testing of a new autonomous tethered drone system that leverages winds aloft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS). Windlift's new "GUARD" system is a mobile platform that includes a launcher and a tethered drone equipped with a navigation system that autonomously leverages wind to maintain altitude and stability. "GUARD is set to deliver performance far beyond what's possible today. Where most tethered drones struggle or fail in high winds, GUARD excels. As the wind increases, the GUARD platform, originally designed to harness the wind through complex flight patterns for airborne power generation, thrives," said Rob Creighton, Windlift Founder & CEO. "This breakthrough has been in the making for years, with technical oversight from the Naval Research Laboratory every step of the way. Initial testing marks a pivotal moment."Creighton is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace& Defense Technology podcast to explain how Windlift's autonomous tethered drone system leverages wind to power a wide variety of defense applications.
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Autonomous Targeting Systems for a New Autonomous Ground Vehicle
During the Association for the United States Army (AUSA)2025 annualmeeting and exhibition, AimLock announced a partnership with Overland AI that will integrate their autonomous targeting and engagement systems into Overland’s new ULTRA autonomous ground vehicle. The partnership announcement came following the U.S. Army’sselection of Overland AI for a vendor position in their UxS Autonomous Maneuver Program that will evaluate autonomous capabilities using upfits on their Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). “The evolution of autonomy on the battlefield is changingthe very nature of ground operations as we know it, and our systems are at the forefront of helping the warfighter prevail against the enemy,” said Bryan Bockmon, CEO of AimLock, commenting on their new partnership with Overland AI. Bockmon is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace &Defense Technology podcast to discuss their new partnership with Overland AI and the future of autonomous targeting systems in modern warfare.
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The Army's New Approach to Buying AI, Drones and Robotics
During the Association for the United States Army (AUSA)2025 annual meeting and exhibition, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll's opening keynote presentation provided a reality check on the type of technologies their soldiers are using on a daily basis. While AUSA's annual exhibition featured some of the mostadvanced ground vehicles, drones and weapons systems available on the market, Driscoll said that most of the technologies the Army uses on a daily basis weredeveloped 30 years ago. According to Driscoll, "if small arms defined the 20th century, drones will define the 21st."Listen to this episode of the Aerospace & DefenseTechnology podcast to hear selected portions from Driscoll’s AUSA 2025 opening keynote. In his keynote, Driscoll discusses the Army’s transition to a drone-centric future and an acquisition paradigm reshaped by Silicon Valley principles. He details how the service will contract with startups, accelerate AI/robotics/Drone prototyping, and shift from multi-yearprocurements to lean, iterative delivery in months and thousands rather than years and billions.
MGI Engineering recently unveiled their new long-rangeautonomous precision strike drone, TigerShark, at the 2025 Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event in London. MGI is a U.K.-based engineering consultancy founded byformer Formula 1 (F1) Chief Designer Mike Gacoyne. The company developed TigerShark in response to the growth in demand from defense customers for the top of low cost drones, one way effectors and loitering munitions that havebeen effectively used on both sides of the war in Ukraine. Gascoyne is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace& Defense Technology podcast to explain how MGI is leveraging their history of collaborating with Formula 1 racing teams to design low cost precision strike drones that can be manufactured at scale.
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AI-Powered Military Communications at the Tactical Edge
On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Fuse Integration CEO Sumner Lee is the guest to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is re-defining how military communications and networks are leveraged in contested environments. Lee is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot who founded FuseIntegration in 2010 with the goal of providing user-centric communications, networking and computing technologies for defense customers. Earlier this year, the company launched its new AI Radio Environment (AIRE) technology. AIRE provides an application interface for third-party AI developers to train onreal-time RF and network data models. By training on real-time data, third-party developers can create cutting-edge algorithms that learn better network routes, link prioritization or other key parameters to produce a more effective and resilient network.Listen to this episode to learn how Fuse Integration isusing AI to ensure warfighters are connected when it matters most.
The Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast provides independent coverage of information that impacts the business, innovation, and trends occurring across all segments of aerospace and defense, with an emphasis on technology. Across a continuing series of seasons, the A&DT Podcast provides insights into the most pertinent topics occurring in today's aerospace system engineering field.
The podcast also features interviews with experts on topics featured at SAE Media Group Defense's U.S. and Europe-based live conferences and exhibitions.
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