drones

The KC-135 have been reproducing airplanes for decades. Now the US wants them to also launch drones to protect themselves

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When we talk about a military plane, we usually think of fighters, as the F-35or bombers, as the B-2. But there are other types of aircraft that are equally essential: Cistern aircraft. The KC-135 It is one of them. Its mission is simple and vital: fly loaded with fuel to refue to others in the air. According to Aviation WeekThe interesting thing is that the US Air Force does not want him to stay there. He has already developed a system so that KC-135 can launch drones while flying, with the idea that they serve as shields, sensors or even communication links in risk areas. A ‘tanker’ that will launch drones It is not a new idea, but an important step. For several years it has been experienced with ways of expanding the capacities of cistern airplanes, and everything indicates that The KC-135 is the first candidate For this change. According to official budget documents for fiscal year 2026the development of this drone launch system It was already tested at some point last year. For now, there are no images or videos of the test. Nor has a public presentation been made. What we do know, so it indicates the budget, is that the objective is to provide the KC-135 with a defensive capacity on board, especially in hostile environments. That is, to be able to launch drones that help you detect threats, confuse enemy missiles or simply expand the visual field of the mission. To achieve this, the development team has opted for a fairly ingenious solution: take advantage of a KC-135 rear hatch and adapt it to integrate a well-known tool Common Launch Tube (CLT)which could also be adapted to the most modern cistern plane KC-46 pegasus. An important point is that these drones would not be thought, at least for the moment, to attack. Its function would be mainly defensive. Everything indicates that they could carry interference systems, act as lures to divert enemy missiles or deploy sensors to monitor the environment and alert the plane of possible threats. They would be, in essence, a first protection line for the KC-135 in areas where flying has become more and more risky. In the background, what the Air Force proposes with this system is not only a specific improvement, but an operating approach change: that a plane designed to refuel can become a kind of Air warehouse for other resourcesready to act in real time according to what happens in the mission. While the United States seeks to squeeze the entire potential of its veterans KC-135, France has chosen to turn page. On June 30, one of its Stratotanker flew for the last time, ending more than six decades of service. Instead, the country has opted for the Airbus A330 MRTT, Like the one that has just received Spaina more modern plane, with greater autonomy, more load capacity and suitable for both medical and logistics missions. Images | Anduril | United States Air Force In Xataka | They are not your imaginations, the seat of airplanes is increasingly uncomfortable. He began to shrink in 1978 and since then he has not stopped

China already has an army of drones and firefighters. And fight the fire to cannon

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In recent days, a video has gone viral in Chinese networks: that of a skyscraper 150 meters with flames at the top. The special thing is that, fighting the flames there were no human firefighters, but drones. And, however futuristic it is, the craziest thing is that those drones are not alone: ​​next to you there are dogs, Robot dogs that have already been incorporated into the Fire Department. Fire drones. Fire can appear at any time. In Spain we know well, especially in summerand fighting it is dangerous for specialists. A way to give a first response to fire is Through robots and drones. But apart from being able to fight the fire without putting us at risk, the advantage is that they can reach high points to which a human would take longer to access. That’s why being able to fly, basically. In the video that we leave on these lines we can see some maneuvers in which two strategies against fire are raised. One is the most striking: robots that, armed with hoses, expel water and foam to placate the flames that appear abroad. As we say, it is something we carry years Seeing in different maneuvers in China. Fighting the fire to missile. Thus, there are several drones that can already rise to 200 meters and start fighting the flames in less than 30 seconds. It is a figure that a human cannot match and that gives time to land equipment to address the entrance to the building and rescue work. One of those models is the HZH CF30a drone with six blades capable of loading up to 30 kilos of weight and that has an interesting feature: it can be equipped with a multitude of tools, from emergency equipment for survival work to missile pitchers that are thrown into the interior to placate the flames from within. EHANG 216F. But there are also manned vehicles. An example is the EHANG 216-Fsimilar to the one that has already completed Test flights for the National Police of Spainbut focused on tasks of extinction and fire assessment in upper skyscrapers. With 16 propellers, an electric motor per propeller, a maximum speed of 130 km/Hy a flight time of 21 minutes, firefighters can use it in two ways. One, as an identification vehicle. Thanks to the camera and sensors like lidarThey can identify the location of the most critical points to act. The second, as a direct action vehicle thanks to its pressurized nozzle to expel fire extinction fluid and its six projectiles full of dry dust superfine. The payload they can transport is 220 kilos and the idea is that the cities fire stations can respond to fires in high -rise buildings that are within a three -kilometer radius with respect to the station itself. Special Unitree B2. Beyond the autonomous and manned drones, another recent added to the Fire Response forces are the United Square robots. Yes, the New Chinese technological jewel that has put to fight to two of his robots. A few weeks ago, They announced A version of your UNITREE B2 Designed for emergencies in dangerous environments. It is a modular robot that can be used within flames buildings to locate the focus, evaluate the level of gases or, directly, use a water and foam cannon that can be coupled to the spine. This model is reinforced with more resistant joints that help greater security when the robot is move through complicated landsuch as stairs or collapsed buildings. As we say, it has several modules that can be installed, being one of them a kind of “shield” that expels water not to turn off the fire, but to prevent the robot from overheating and can, thus, continue to operate in complicated conditions with fire. Rescue robots. And that there is so much device focused on rescue and emergency work in China is not a coincidence. It is something that is being promoted from companies and Governmentas demonstrates the recent International Emergency Exhibition of the Yangtze River Delta. Although it seems a specific name, the Expo has become a meeting point in which innovations are shown in the field of security, rescue work and disaster prevention. 500 companies from 20 countries gathered to show their technology, being models such as that of Unitree some of the main dishes of the event. Because, in the end, China is not alone in this. Japan already has its “Dragon firefighter”To combat the fire and we are clear that they can also be Help in natural disastersas forest fires. Images | UNITREE, Ehang In Xataka | In China patrol a new unstoppable police robot: identifies objectives, launches networks, gas bombs and almost never rests

Shahed drones were already a real nightmare for Ukraine. Russia has just made them a little more lethal

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The scene took place a clear day of June. From a secret location, a six -meter “nurse” drone rose to the sky by order of the soldiers, crossed 200 kilometers within the enemy territory and released two suicide drones that hung from their wings. Designed to fly at low altitude and avoid radars, secondary drones autonomously searched for an objective and, once identified, they threw themselves to detonate on it without direct human intervention. This is today the Ukraine War. Systematic terror. We have gone counting to Long of the war in Ukraine. The Shahed drone has become the MORE MORTÍFERA of the contest thanks to additions and evolutions Like fiberbut from a while at this part that evolution is exceeding the known limits. He counted The New York Times In a long and overwhelming piece what is assuming for the Ukrainian people. He Shahed-136developed by Iran and manufactured under a license by Russia as Geran-2, has evolved from being a rudimentary two-stroke drone and cardboard fuselage reinforced to a sophisticated horror weapon. Russia lo has modified with rBlack ecubows For night flights, interference resistant navigation, multiple types of eyelets (included Thermobáricaincendiary and fragmentation with Tungsten balls) and navigation systems assisted by Sim Ukranian cards and kometa satellite antennas, resistant TO THE ELECTRONIC WAR. Cheap. The cost per unit, between 50,000 and 80,000 dollarsit makes it a much cheaper option than ballistic missiles such as Iskander-M (2 million) or The KH-101and even cheaper than the anti -aircraft missiles that are used to intercept them. Its low cost, mass production In industrial complexes In Tartaristan and Izhevsk, and his adaptability has made him one of the most effective weapons of modern war, ideal for hosting civil rear and exhausting defenses. Missiles with ia. They underlined In Forbes The most striking fact of the last evolutions of the Shahed: Reaction engines. Although they will go He had presented publicly a variant of this type (the Shahed-238), It was not until recently that its use in Ukraine was confirmed by means of remains analyzed in the field. It is estimated that these models can reach speeds of up to 480 km/hquadruplying the cruise speed of the previous versions. Its acute and fast roar replaces the buzz of the old engine, and its speed drastically reduces the reaction time of the defenses. However, its cost and complexity probably forces Russia to use a Mixed strategy of drones A piston and turbojetfurther complicating defensive systems. Visual navigation: more. In addition to more powerful engines, some Shahed units are now armored in compartment of the engine and with relocated fuel tanks inside the fuselage. This has reduced and much reduced the effectiveness of light weapons, forcing defensive operators to point surgical precision to vulnerable parts such as the wing or the engine itself. Plus: Shahed drones have already been seen with computerized vision systems with Artificial Intelligence Processorsaccording to images released on June 18 by the Ukrainian specialist Serhii Beskrestnov. These systems offer autonomous visual navigation, regardless of GPS, which would make them immune offers one of the most effective defensive tactics so far: satellite interference. The Shahed would thus enter into a new era of autonomy and lethality. Shahed intercepted Fear of night. Explain in your reports the Times that everything changed from mid -2024, when the releases shot: 34 drones per week in 2022, more than 1,000 per week In 2025. On June 8 of this year, Russia launched 479 drones in one night. Many Shahed no longer aimed at military objectives: they impact markets, apartments, churches and other tactical value, in violation of Geneva conventions. According to UkraineRussia has implemented a deliberate night horror campaign to emotionally and physically exhaust the civilian population. 20% of drones manage to overcome Ukrainian defenses in certain weeks, a growing figure. Ukrainian counteroffensive. To counteract the threat, Ukraine has deployed specialized units Like Darknodea secret regiment within unmanned systems forces. These soldiers, mostly reconverted civilians, fight night battles using hunter drones To intercept Shaheds. Its technology, even in development, already allows identifying and destroying enemy drones in flight, even when they maneuver or change altitude. He Times explained cases like him Kyryloa young pilot recruited for his video game skills that has already demolished more than a dozen objectives. They use interceptor drones of $ 6,000 and throw them from open fields following patterns that remind of night agricultural rituals. In this regard, one of their greatest advantages is that they can guide the enemy drone away from inhabited areas before it explodes, avoiding collateral damage. Black Shahed Evolutionary career. In a race that does not stop, Russia has also adjusted its tactics: the Shaheds now They fly higherthey change altitude, they follow convoluted routes and are accompanied by lures such as The gerbera dronesbuilt in foam, which consume missiles and distract defenses. In addition, some Shahed units carry cameras to evaluate the damage or for remote assistance in flight. In other words, the war has entered into a dynamic of constant innovation: each improvement in defense is answered by a Russian tactical evolution. “It’s like a race between sword and armor”, He explained to the newspaper A Ukrainian soldier. Russian guide in drone handling with fiber The fiber and a guide. It We count A few weeks ago. Fiber drones are evolution MORE MORTÍFERA From the contest to the point that Russia has published A manual (image on top) for FPV operations with optical fiber. It includes procedures for wind conditions, such as avoiding the fiber on trees or electric lines that can move and break the cable, and reduce the altitude to 1 or 2 meters to minimize the curvature of the cable. Why the rules change. Regarding the fiber, he remembered The Financial Times that all the last Russian drones use an ultrafine cable to maintain continuous connection with their operator, which makes them immune to electromagnetic interference. Ukrainian defenses, based on GPS signal blocking, radio or cell phone, are useless to this … Read more

An army of 25,000 North Koreans addresses Russia. They will not fight, they will build the biggest army of kamikaze drones

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It is taking place A paradox in the war that is taking place in Europe. While Ukraine has weakened Russian artillery, another growing threat has been increasing more and more over the months. If kyiv became a industry of combat drones in record time, Moscow is determined to overcome. As? To begin with, with the arrival of thousands of North Koreans. Drones, workers and an alliance. The strategic alliance between Russia and North Korea has ceased to be a marginal cooperation to become a structural axis with direct implications in the evolution of the war in Ukraine and in the security architecture of Eastern Asia. According to diplomatic sources cited in media Japanese and Western, Pyongyang has begun to send an army of up to 25,000 workers to the Special Economic Zone of Alabuga, in the Russian Republic of Tartaristan. THE OBJECTIVE: Massive support the industrial production of Shahed dronesof Iranian origin, used by Moscow As a main weapon of saturation and attack in Ukraine. But there is more. This collaboration also includes knowledge transfer operational, training in the use of unmanned systems, and a component of reconstruction aid in combat areas, Like Kurskwhich has suffered important damage from the Ukrainian offensive of August 2024. The arrival of North Korean personnel not only represents a solution to the growing labor shortage qualified in Russia, but also contributes to consolidating a political and military axis based on convergent interests against the West. Mass kamikazes. The Alabuga factory, epicenter of the Russian Drones Shahed program, currently produces some 2,000 units per month with the objective of reach 5,000 Thanks to this new workforce. In fact, satellites They have detected an enormous expansion in the industrial zone, with the construction of Collective bedrooms designed to accommodate hundreds of workersfollowing an intensive and permanent occupation architecture. The logistics reinforcement aims to guarantee the continuity of production even under direct threat, since the plant has repeatedly suffered attacks by Ukrainian drones, as it happened June 15 with a Airrakt A-22 loaded with explosives that towed a glider, unpublished tactics Until then and capable of attacking two goals simultaneously. Russian Drones Shahed A key drone. The Russian need to maintain pressure on Ukrainian defenses has turned Shahed into the backbone of his aerial offensive. It We have counted before: these vehicles are modified to carry major explosive loads and, in some cases, elements of autonomy that make them more difficult to intercept. He massive use (With attacks that reach more than a hundred drones per night) it forces Ukraine to accelerate their anti -aircraft reserves, progressively weakening their defense and reaction capacity. Rebuild with military logic. The sending of North Korean workers is not limited to the production of weapons. After his visit to Pyongyang, Russian Defense Minister Serguéi Shoigú, confirmed the incorporation of about 1,000 North Korean and at least 5,000 civil workers which will participate in the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure in Kursk. This region, invaded by Ukrainian forces In August 2024 And recovered by Russia after weeks of combat, it has been deeply damaged. Moscow considers its reconstruction essential both in terms of national morals and the logistics sustainability of the front. Not just that. They counted the Twz analysts that the initiative also responds to a Internal logic: Kremlin perceives Central Asian migrants as politically unstable and potentially vulnerable to recruitment for Western or Ukrainian intelligence services, which has driven the search of “Leales migrants”like North Koreans. A labor hybrid. According to General Ukrainian Kyrylo Budanovpart of these workers will end up signing Contracts with the Ministry Russian defense, constituting unofficial units of Russian nationality but North Korean origin, which would mark a new step in hybridization between foreign workforce and regular military structure. Inverse technological transfer. It is another leg to analyze. The alliance has an even deeper geopolitical dimension. According to BudanovRussia is actively helping North Korea to improve the accuracy of Your KN-23 ballistic missilesto Modernize your missiles long-range air-air and reinforce the capacities of Its nuclear submarinesparticularly in relation to missile launch from submerged platforms. Strategic evolution. In exchange for Labor and Cooperation Logistics, Moscow is consolidating a North Korean offensive capacity that could alter military balance in the Korean peninsula. In that sense and how We countPyongyang is developing (with Russian assistance) the necessary infrastructure to produce local versions Of the Shahed drones, which would endow the regime of Kim Jong-un of an arsenal capable of, for example, saturate the aerial defenses of South Korea through mass and simultaneous attacks. This change represents a strategic evolution for a country that until a few years ago operated outside the large global military production chains, but now emerges as a relevant actor in asymmetric technological warfare. “Other” world order. In short, the image of a giant factory where thousands of Russians and North Koreans come together In a Shahed drone assembly line, that Moscow-Pyongyang alliance at a new level. If you also want, it marks the emergence of an authoritarian axis not only military, but also economic and structuralthat frontally challenges the Western Alliances System. What doubt fits, if Russia manages to stabilize its forehead through Drones produced by mass With North Korean help and at the same time strengthens Pyongyang’s strategic capabilities in Asia, global security architecture will experience A dangerous mutation. Now it is not simply an exchange of resources for services, but the training of a Coordinated Interest Network With a shared narrative against the United States, Europe and its Asian allies. Image | KNCA, X. In Xataka | North Korea has been sending armament for months to Russia. In return, Russia is giving him what longs for her: a functional army In Xataka | Ukraine is surviving in the war thanks to the drones. Russia has an ally to change that: North Korea

Jaén conquered Spain for its olive oil. Now he has conquered Europe with his drones

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Jaén has achieved a New milestone related to drone flight at European level. For the first time in Europe, a control transfer operation (Handover) has been carried out in full flight without interruptions in the link. The importance of the operation lies not only in crucial applications that have this type of flights for the transport of medical supplies in remote areas, but in how they have achieved it. What happened. In the Jiennense olive grove, between Beas de Segura and Villacarrillo, its Atlas Alpha and Atlas Bravo centers have carried out successfully The first European drone control transfer operation. Those responsible for the project describe a flight in which a protagonist has participated a UAS Tarsis (non -manned fixed -wing system) of 75 kilos, accompanied by two multi -pile drones and three Spanish flight teams, in collaboration with the University of Seville. The goal? Show the viability of unmanned air systems in transport of health material in remote or difficult access areas. But the key is not in the objective of use, it is on the flight itself. Why is it important. It is the first time in Europe that an operation of this draft is performed. Until now, it had never been possible to transfer the full flight control of a fixed wing drone with these dimensions between two stations separated by 23km. This flight represents an important advance in the future of drug transport in remote areas and a break between the barriers of distance: the limitations cease to be a problem if the transfer of the drone is successful. Why is it so difficult. Dron’s operations are limited by their radius of scope: If the aircraft moves away from its control stationGoodbye flight. Hence the importance of achieving a real -time control transfer and without interruptions. But this goes beyond the technical side. The milestone here is not the distance, it is the relay. The “Handover” is not just a transfer of flight mechanics, it is a transfer of legal and operational responsibility. This project shows that, in the future, a drone managed by a company A can go through space and transfer flight responsibility to a company B. The U-Space. To make this transfer possible, the European Union has a set of services and procedures framed within what it calls U-spaceits traffic management system for drones. When operating under this framework, each operator must register their drone, present their flight plan and obtain real-time digital authorization through the U-Space system, under the supervision of the common information provider (CISP), in this case the Spanish ENAIRE. This flight was not a simulation, but a real test with multiple actors of how it is possible to coordinate a control transfer operation under an U-SPAC infrastructure. It shows that it is viable to climb this model to other missions with low altitude drones, from health logistics to surveillance, agriculture or emergencies. Europe had not achieved it. Jaén has been the first to achieve it, although in Europe efforts are being focused to minimize reach losses on long distance flights. Galicia has designed U-Space cells in the ports of A Coruña and Malpica To connect two points in the same management and Valencia space too Drones for logistics operations in its ports. The Jiennense project will not be the only one. This is a project at European level, and it is planned to develop throughout eight Spanish autonomous communities: Andalusia, Aragon, Canary Islands, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Galicia, Madrid and Navarra. Image | ENAIRE In Xataka | China conquered us with its cheap drones. Now the price of its pieces is shooting for a reason that is not accidental

Russian drones bother for $ 2,400

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From a time to this part the Shahed word an important hole has been made in the Military scope. We talk about a Iranian combat drone that in the Ukraine War has erected as important actor in Moscow’s offensives. In fact, Russia has such a capacity that even the technology for North Korea for add it to your army. Meanwhile, in Ukraine an unprecedented decision has been made: civilians can go armed in search of the Shahed. The reward is up to $ 2,400. Volunteers and weapons of another time. I counted this week The New York Times A live scene on the periphery of Kyiv. While the night fell on the Ukrainian fields, a group of civilians armed with old machine guns and tablets prepared to face one of the greatest challenges of modern conflict: the Drones swarms Russians Yes, they are volunteers (teachers, journalists, construction workers) who travel rural roads in trucks, With rudimentary equipment and tons of determination, to protect the capital of Ukraine from unmanned air attacks that They intensify every week. In one of the surveillance points in the city of Pereiaslav, about 80 kilometers from Kyiv, the led group By Mykhailo and Sofia It is organized every night with a mixture of military routine, camaraderie and resignation before a threat that does not give truce. Invisible fear. While latest generation anti -aircraft systems such as Patriot missiles They defend urban nuclei, Kyiv’s exterior protection is based on a network of mobile units Like Pereiaslav. These operate in the rings farther from the capital, with the task not only to tear down drones, but also to alert the interior layers of the defense system on imminent attacks. The volunteers, formed very basically by the army and supplied with armament of past times as Maxim machine guns From World War II or Czechoslovacos models of the 50s, they patrol areas where enemy drones are detected that try to evade radars following the course of the Dnieper River. In their twelve shiftswhich combine with day work, trust coffee, the acquired experience and a strong coordination with other units to survive. Sophisticated threat. And here that old man appears again acquaintance. Russia has perfected your aerial strategy through the massive use of Shahed and imitations droneswhich uses in waves to exhaust Ukrainian defenses before launching cruise or ballistic missiles. In recent attacks there have been record figures for Up to 472 drones and lures in one night. These tactics include flights, unpredictable trajectory changes and a Increasing use of Decoyswhich greatly complicates the defense work of poorly equipped units. Despite its limitations, the Pereiaslav unit He told the Times which has managed to demolish more than 30 drones since its creation in 2024. its weapons, although “vintage”, remains effective against low -height objectives, while it is increasingly frequent that drones fly to altitudes that their weapons cannot reach, leaving volunteers in a role of observation and coordination. Civil resistance. We talked about volunteers who even received any economic stimulus. The protagonists of this improvised defense are citizens who have transformed their lives into A double day: During the day they teach, they work in works or write reports, and when the night arrives they become sentinels. Yaroslav, For exampleHe is a University Professor of Computer Science and examines his students during the day, but at dusk he monitors the sky with night vision prismatic. Sofia, experimentist, has dedicated her life to work with unity after witnessing how Russian drones flew over her city without opposition. Without salary or stable logistics support, the group depends on Personal donations to acquire from bulletproof vests to fuel. They told the Times They now have Browning machine guns Americans mounted in a vehicle … who are still learning to drive. The reward comes. In recent weeks something has changed, as They explained in Insider. In a bold attempt to reinforce their defensive capacity in the face of Russian drones, the Ukraine government has approved a new program that allows these civilians to actively participate in the interception of unmanned aircraft in exchange for a remuneration that can reach The 2,400 dollars per month. The measure was formalized by the Ukrainian Parliament and Announced by Taras Melynchukrepresentative of the Cabinet before the Supreme Rada, who stressed that the main objective is strengthen aerial defense of the country at a time when Shahed drones waves They punish Ukrainian infrastructure and cities too often. A fortune in the face of salaries. The figure is not trivial. The economic incentive offered by the Government amounts to 100,000 grivas per month, equivalent to approximately $ 2,426, a figure that represents a very income superior to the average salary of the Ukrainians before the war, located at just 14,577 grivnas (about $ 353) according to Official data of January 2022. Even taking into account the increase registered by employment portals as work.uawhich place the current salary average in about 24,241 grivnas, the payment for collaborating in anti -aircraft tasks represents considerable remuneration for a population that has seen its deeply affected economy after three years of conflict. It is worth everything to break down. The plan contemplates the integration of non -mobilized civilians who can act independently Under military supervision, allowing them to use not only equipment provided by the Ukraine Armed Forces, but also their own private vehicles, hunting weapons, light weapons and other available means. This decision is aligned with the tactics that have already proven to be effective and that place us in a dystopia that approaches a civil War scene: mobile units of civilians who patrol at night armed with machine guns mounted on trucks or personal cars, shooting against Russian drones from the ground. Although officially these units have heavy armament as the M2 browningit is not unusual that I also know Use shotguns To tear down FPV drones in combat areas. Supervision for volunteers. To the big question, where the money will come from for the Rewardsthe Government has explained that … Read more

The drones of the greatest attack against Russia lost the signal before reaching the target. Ukraine had an ace in the manga

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On June 1 and the agreed time, trucks parked for weeks in several points from Russia They opened their doors. A swarm of more than 100 advanced drones thus began a mission that was destined for several air bases in Moscow. Upon reaching the designated objectives, explosive loads were automatically activated. The mission was historic for The sophistication level in the Uncianned war. In fact, the drones even lost every signal before achieving the goal. And at that time the algorithms came into play. The face that changes the war. We had slipped it weeks agobut now it has been The Financial Times The one described that AS in the Ukraine manga so that the Spiderweb operation was a success. The war in Eastern Europe has entered a new phase marked by accelerated integration of artificial intelligence In attack and defense systems, and in “Spiderweb”, where the drones successfully attacked Russian military airfields even beyond the Arctic Circle, it was key. A new generation. The operation, carried out by the Ukraine Security Service (SBU), not only evidenced Kyiv’s technical and strategic capacity for enemybut exposed the growing importance of Automation On the modern battlefield. Behind the attack was a new generation of drones designed by the First Contact companydirected by Valeriy Borovyk, whose flagship, The Osastands out for its sophistication, high -end materials and autonomous navigation capabilities resistant to adverse conditions and interference systems. These devices, five times more expensive that conventional drones were scheduled to continue their flight following pre -established routes even After losing signal and automatically detonate when reaching the goal. SBU map that illustrates drone transports in trucks from Cheliábinsk to the five target air bases Assisted autonomy. He counted the medium that the development of these drones has not been exclusive to a single company. Yaroslav Azhnyuk, creator From The Fourth LawHe explained that both Ukraine and Russia are expanding their deployment capacity of autonomous systems in early stages, although still with partial human intervention in the terminal guidance. For a year, Adehnyuk He has delivered To the lines of the Front Systems with these experimental functions, and other Ukrainian companies have followed the same path. The idea of ​​delegating final decisions to AI in environments where signals can be easily blocked by the enemy has become a tactical need rather than a technological ambition. In parallel, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine recently announced the activation of carrying drones capable of Fly 300 kilometers and launch two free FPV, thus expanding the operational dimension of these tools in strategic depth. Invisible war. We had already talked about the term With optical fiber. In this war of wear, technology not only responds to advances but also to deficiencies. The lack of anti -aircraft missiles, artillery or ammunition has forced Ukraine to reinvent continuously. Civil foundations like The Prytula Foundationheaded by Bohdan Danyliv, they have contributed hundreds of fixed wing interceptors They have managed to demolish almost 250 Russian drones, demonstrating how improvised solutions have compensated for the shortage of traditional systems. Russia has not been left behind. He has identified Ukrainian drones and has counterattacked with improved modelsmany of them equipped with autonomous technology, optical fiber and even components from American video game consoles, According to services of Ukrainian intelligence. This evolution reveals a technological career in which the borders between civil and military are increasingly blurred. The Russian challenge. It We have explained: One of the most surprising turns has been the effectiveness of Russian drones connected by fiber optic cable, a seemingly rudimentary solution but brutally effective in front of Ukrainian interference systems. This technology, which allows operators to control drones without worrying about electronic blockages, has been decisive in the recent Russian offensive In the Kursk region, where they have made faster advances than at any other time since November. The Ukrainian reaction has been slow. Oleksandr Yakovenko, director of Taf Drones, recognized having underestimated the potential of this technique, and your company now tries to recover land by increasing production to 10,000 fiber optic drones per month, although he admits that they would need to manufacture at least 70,000 to match the Russian offensive capacity. New war balance. It seems clear that drone war It is no longer a complement to the conflict, but its central operating core. In an environment saturated with interference, scarcity of resources and geostrategic pressure, Ukraine and Russia face in a duel where innovation is not a luxury, but A vital imperative. Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, improvised production networks and unexpected adaptations such as the use of cables or video games are redefining the limits of the possible. Seen, the question that looms over the coming months does not seem to be who has more drones, but who will adapt faster in a war where intelligence, in any of its forms, has become the decisive factor. Image | Ssu.gov.ua In Xataka | The Ukraine War is getting rid, first of all, with drones. And that is leaving an infinite fiber optic trail through the field In Xataka | We suspected that Ukraine drones attack had been destructive. Space images have revealed how much

Russia is surprising Ukraine with suicidal attacks. They are not drones, they are waves of an assault on the Max style motorcycle

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Drones have changed so much Combat tactics that the war in Ukraine has become a Test laboratory where leading and arsenal technologies of the past are mixed to try to find an advantage over the enemy. Already We have seen like the First and second World War were recognized in Some practices. The last one: a Russian offensive that Ukraine did not see to arrive: two -wheel troops offensive waves. Suicide loads. The images That they have state seeing In different channels they are more typical of The Mad Max saga that we saw in the cinema. And not only because of the appearance and surroundings of these squads, but for the type of offensive and the end in most cases. What is appreciated is a dangerous evolution of assault tactics, one where the Russian army has begun to Use motorcycles as a main tool to move towards the Ukrainian lines, in an attempt to avoid the destruction of their armored Modern to the power of precision attack drones. In figures, Telegram told That a quarter of the Russian soldiers who participate in terrestrial offensives now do so on two wheels, a number that underlines Moscow’s strategic despair before an enemy that dominates the air with swarms of DONS FPV. These incursions, which often involve More than 100 motorists simultaneously, they have a mortality rate extremely highwhich is why Russian combatants themselves have begun to share in networks Survival guides with tips that seem to be extracted from a postpocalyptic war scenario. A brutal logic. The logic behind these motorcycle loads is as simple as chilling: the tanks They are easy white and the soldiers on foot too slow. Motorcycles, on the other hand, can move quickly, disperse, zigzagen and, hopefully, dodge the drones before being detected. It happens that speed is not protection, and FPV, with speeds of up to 190 km/hy autonomy of several minutes, make any error into a death sentence. The shared guide on the Russian channel of Telegram Rambo School It summarizes it clearly: “Your motorcycle is speed, no armor. An error is death.” The recommendation: Avoid straight roads, move through broken land, react in less than three seconds, get rid of any extra weight and, if a drone is detected, separate from colleagues to divide the risk. “No frenzy. Or you die,” repeat the central slogan. The small possibility of surviving improves if exhaust routes have been explored and drives between trees, buildings or directly towards the weeds, waiting for drone to shock before impacting. Tactics without return. They counted in Forbes that these attacks do not seek to take a large -scale strategic ground, but to win a few meters and press defensive lines. His success, therefore, is marginal and almost always temporary, but responds to A brutal reality: The life of the Russian soldier is treated as expendable in a wear war where priority is volume, not efficiency. Unlike any western army, which would hardly accept such a low level in a single operation, Russia seems comfortable assuming that 80-90% of these motorcyclists It will not return. Surviving one of these onslaught does not imply a reward, but to be the first in the next wave. A war that mutates. We have gone counting before. The change of military paradigm on the Ukrainian front shows a war that It is reinventing Its forms In real time. Of tanks turned into mobile coffinsit has passed to Light vehicles such as buggies, quads and motorcycles, which offer some more mobility at the cost of protection. The trend seems clear: prioritize evasion over resistance. However, the evolution is reciprocal. If motorcycle loads demonstrate a real tactical threat, it will be possible much before Ukraine introduces specific countermeasures, such as “antimotos” drones with wider fields of vision or explosive fragmentation heads designed to cancel these mobile targets, and then the Russian contrary and thus…. At the moment, Ukraine has already tripled its production of drones in a year, reaching the 4.5 million in 2025with increasingly trained operators to intercept and eliminate motorcyclists before they approach the front. Perpetual sacrifice. In short, the phenomenon of Suicide charges In motorcycle not only evidences the high human cost that is willing to pay, but also the increasingly character asymmetric and technological of the conflict. The image of soldiers without armor launching On dirt roads to avoid drones as if they were intelligent projectiles portrays a war that has left behind any traditional notion of war confrontation. If you want also, what happens in the front is more similar to a lethal experiment of military evolution, where adaptation means the difference between being sprayed in seconds or lasting enough to, perhaps, die in the next wave. The phrase that summarizes this dynamic is not a metaphor, it is a battle array Among the troops: run or die. Image | Telegram/Ministry of Defense of Russia In Xataka | The Ukraine War is getting rid, first of all, with drones. And that is leaving an infinite fiber optic trail through the field In Xataka | Renault was a pioneer in the production of war tanks. And now you will start manufacturing drones for Ukraine

China conquered us with its cheap drones. Now the price of its pieces is shooting for a reason that is not accidental

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The Chinese market has been the most attractive option to buy drones for years, both for price and variety. From Ultraeconomic models of 30 euros even professional drones such as DJI MAVIC 4 PROfor more than 2,000 euros. The fan is really wide. Now, that successful formula begins to face a new context. Such as collect Financial Timesthe prices of the components from China are rising, in some cases duplicating. Let’s analyze the reasons and scope of this phenomenon. The scenario has changed. More and more suppliers operating in China are raising their prices for international clients. They do, according to the aforementioned British newspaper, in response to the reinforcement of the export controls that Beijing is applying on “sensitive components.” The aforementioned changes occur in a global context where the United States and China are immersed in a commercial war marked by ups and downs. Although in recent months Some offensives have softeneduncertainty still persists how the next steps will be. Key components in the spotlight. Among the elements most affected by these restrictions are Thermographic cameras. These cameras allow to detect temperature differences and generate images in low visibility conditions, such as night, fog or smoke. Image captured by a drone with thermographic chamber They are used both in civil applications (such as rescue work or industrial inspection), but also in military environments. This last use could be behind the increase in controls and increase in exports, since these cameras allow surveillance tasks in adverse conditions. A strategy that reminds the US. Although the hardening of controls from Beijing may seem a sudden response, it is not an isolated or new movement in the global context. USA It has been restricted for years China’s access to certain products for “national security.” Here we find The well -known case of Huawei. In 2019, Donald Trump’s administration imposed a prohibition that forced US companies to request licenses to offer some technology to the Asian manufacturer, a measure that would be maintained during Joe Biden’s mandate. Drones in front of war. One of the reasons behind Chinese controls is precisely the military use of these devices. Certainly, in recent years we have seen how consumer drones have become an essential part of the military arsenal in conflicts such as Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian attack with Hundreds of drone drones on Russian basesor the massive production of low -cost explosive drones, they have made it clear that there is no border between the civil and the military. Possibly this also explains why China wants to control who sells what. Europe and the US try to react. Both Europe and the United States are reacting to Chinese domain. In the American case, associations like Auvsi They have claimed Fiscal incentives and loans to facilitate the transition to local drones, especially in security forces and public services. There have also been more forceful movements, such as the decision of the United States Department of Defense to include DJI in its list of “Chinese military companies.” This classification led to the manufacturer To start a legal battle with the aim of revoking said label. In the European case, the answer is taking shape through initiatives such as the program Eurodronea joint development between France, Germany, Spain and Italy that seeks to reduce the dependence of non -European manufacturers. There are also other programs, such as European Defense Fund. And what does this affect us? For now, what seems clear is that access to pieces from China is no longer as easy or as cheap as before. Restrictions and controls are making key components more expensive, something that some buyers already notice throughout the planet. We will have to wait to see if this trend ends also affecting the price of the drones that we use on a day -to -day basis (those we buy online or in stores), but everything indicates that the market, as we knew it, is starting to change. Images | DJI | J. Weisner | ABODI VESAKARAN | Guillaume Issaly In Xataka | Huawei was the first great victim of the commercial war initiated by the US. Today is at the head of mobiles

With Renault doing combat drones

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It happened in World wars of the last century, and has passed again in Ukraine after the invasion of Russia. We talk about the factor conversion Automotive in military production plants, a story that was news again a few months ago in Germany when the almighty Rheinmetall, the largest defense contractor, began to negotiate with Volkswagen himself To convert one of its plants in tank producer. However, the news that has been known in the last hours is, perhaps, even more surprising. France does not want to be left behind. It We have counted Before, the Ukraine War has transformed in just three years the Combat drone In the tactical weapon more influential of the 21st century, relegating many traditional doctrines to the archive and forcing European powers to adapt to a war reality that moves through invisible swarms, artificial intelligence and remote maneuvers. In that context, France has decided not to be left behind. THE PACT. The most recent and surprising announcement: the collaboration between Renault and a French SME of the defense sector To produce drones Combat in Ukrainian soil, a movement that marks a radical turn in the industrial strategy of Paris. As The Minister of Defense explained Sébastien Lecornu, it is a “Win-Win” agreement with Ukraine, in which the automotive group joins a specialized firm to establish assembly lines within the country at war (exact locations have not been revealed for obvious reasons for security). Nor has it specified what type of models, although it is known that They will be destined both to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the French army, which seeks to train with systems directly developed in the real operating environment. Local production with Ukrainian brain. The essence of the agreement is, not only in the physical transfer of the assembly chains to Ukraine, but in the Explicit trust deposited in the experience of Ukrainian technicians, engineers and operators. Lecornu lo has expressed clearly: “They are better than us designing drones and, above all, developing the accompanying doctrine.” In fact, French personnel will not be sent to factories: production will be completely national In Ukrainian terms, reinforcing kyiv’s war economy at the same time and France’s military learning capacity. This synergy between real -time tactical knowledge and heavy industrial capabilities puts Ukraine in a central position as a warpacket pole. The most notorious example: the “Spiderweb” operationin which drones hidden in civil trucks were deployed thousands of kilometers from the border, attacking Russian aerodromes in Siberia. These tactics, impossible to anticipate only a decade ago, today are raw material for military strategy from all over. A European industry. The truth is that France It is not the only power that has decided to manufacture in Ukraine. The trend comes long and we count it last week: Europe bets for making the country invaded by Russia its new defense platform. Finland has already established A production plant of drones with local partners and start mass production in 2025. The Netherlands have committed 700 million euros To this industry, the United Kingdom will invest additional hundreds next year, and Norway has Redi -retracted military funds specifically for the development and manufacture of Ukrainian drones. In parallel, NATO has decided to institutionalize this impulse with a specific mechanism of Armament productionannounced at the last Ramstein summit. No doubt, for Ukraine, that plans to manufacture more than 4.5 million drones By 2025, these agreements represent a vital source of resources, technology and industrial legitimacy. France to counterreloj. Despite its historical influence on military, France has been one of the great lags in the technological career of the drone. Such and as he acknowledged General Jean-Paul Perruche, former director of the EU military General Staff, the country spoke of drones already in the 80s, but the lack of “important” conflicts caused development to stagnate, while the United States, China and even advanced. Today, the French army has Around 3,000 dronesa modest figure compared to the Ukrainian vision of millions deployed in the coming months. A fact to place it in perspective: in the front, the 70% of destruction Russian team is already attributed to drones, not tanks or classical artillery. France, like other allies, is recognizing that the unmanned revolution is no longer a promise of the future, but a present unquestionable. The war as a catalyst. In short, France has made the decision to be Main actor in Ukraine with a collaboration that has several readings and with the symbolic figure of Renault on the front. These ties between one of the most historical car companies on the planet and the military industry is not just an example of pragmatic adaptation to a prolonged conflict: it is also a sign that the 21st century defense economy is already does not distinguish between civil and military. The alliance with Ukraine, based on a logic of complementarity (experience in combat by kyiv, industrial capacity by Paris) represents a New cooperation model European against hybrid and prolonged threats. While the battlefield is digitized and the airspace becomes a swarm Of sensors, ammunition and cameras, the drone is no longer just an accessory, it is the backbone of the modern military strategy. On that board, Ukraine is positioned as the experimental laboratory more relevant From the planet, and France (with Renault) does not want to lose that train. Image | Wikimedia, Rawpixel In Xataka | The US is leaving Ukraine without help, so Ukraine has proposed something to Europe: you give me the money, I manufacture my arms In Xataka | We believed that the large numbers of soldiers dead in combat were a thing of the past. Until the Ukraine War arrived

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