Global Scans · Drones · Weekly Summary

• [New] Phoenix Aero will be based in the Western Ukraine area in the city of Lviv, where it will engage in drone manufacturing and testing of counter-UAS solutions including the Interceptor P - 1 one way interceptor drone. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] The U.S. Army has requested $994 million for counter-small unmanned aerial system capabilities in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget - a figure that reflects just how dramatically the drone threat has reshaped ground force priorities over the past three years. Defence Blog
• [New] Utilizing the Kongsberg-PGZ consortium, Poland plans to deploy a dozen anti-drone batteries rapidly, with the first units scheduled to enter service as early as 2026 and the final battery expected by 2027. Ronin's Grips Analytics
• [New] Recognizing that traditional air defence missiles could be rapidly depleted by millions of low-cost Chinese drone swarms, Taiwan is heavily investing in affordable interception methods and counter-drone measures. Ronin's Grips Analytics
• [New] The US and its allies in the Middle East are now facing drone threats that Ukraine has fought for years, driving demand for low-cost interceptor drones. Business Insider
• [New] Drone swarms, AI, the J-20, and defence saturation: China is pursuing a mass strategy that could upend the balance of power in Asian airspace. Fly a Jet Fighter
• [New] Ukraine has damaged or destroyed so much Russian oil and gas infrastructure in the past two weeks that it has prompted Russia to issue a warning to European countries and industries against funding its long-range drone production. Al Jazeera
• [New] In addition to the Royal Air Force's ORCUS drone-detection system, the UK will deploy Rapid Sentry, an anti-drone system, in Kuwait. Manara Magazine
• [New] Further research could determine whether cheap and scalable OWA drones, FPV drones, and lightweight C-UAV EW solutions are mature enough innovations to be diffused and implemented into the Baltic States and their NATO allies' doctrine, force structures, and defence industries. sUAS News
• [New] Urgent standardization and mass production of vehicle-mounted C-UAV jammers represent a significant Russian top-down effort to address the devastating threat from Ukrainian FPV drones. sUAS News
• [New] There's a distinct possibility that laser weapons could see increasing domestic applications amid the U.S. military's growing appetite for novel drone defences. Navy Times
• [New] Ukraine's drone production has exploded from roughly 800,000 units in 2023 to nearly 5 million projected for 2026. usfunds
• Amazon plans to serve communities with 30 million customers by year-end with its Prime Air drone delivery service and expects to deliver half a billion packages by the end of this decade. Aviation Week Network
• Strengthening the American drone industrial base will require a highly-skilled workforce to support development, manufacturing, and operation of drones, including in the fields of telecommunications and electrical engineering. Federal Register
• Serbia's Yugoimport SDPR state arms producer will open a drone plant with Elbit Systems. Just Security
• France has just announced an €8.5 billion investment to increase drone and missile stocks by 400% before 2030. Euronews
• EASA continues to advise airlines to avoid Middle East and Gulf airspace due to high risk levels, driven by the compounding effects of drone activity and electronic warfare. RTE
• The confirmed Buk-M1 loss at approximately $10 million against a drone system costing a fraction of that value represents an asymmetric exchange rate that, if sustained, will erode Russian air defence depth over time. Drone Warfare
• Sweden's Skr2.6bn ($273m) mobile C-UAS procurement from Saab suggests a deliberate effort to close a layered air defence gap against low-signature drone threats, likely influenced by operational lessons observed in the Ukraine conflict and Sweden's recent NATO accession posture. Drone Warfare
• China is advancing a dual-use heavy cargo UAV capability that could meaningfully reduce logistical constraints in contested high-altitude and island environments, likely including Taiwan Strait and South China Sea scenarios. Drone Warfare
• Predictive Analysis: Ukraine will likely conduct at least two additional drone strikes against Admiral Makarov or other Novorossiysk-based Black Sea Fleet vessels, given the USF's stated intent and the established pattern of repeated targeting following inconclusive damage assessments. Drone Warfare
• A non-state actor or proxy force equipped with a commercial UAV and an ARTEMIS-equivalent system could conduct persistent pattern-of-life surveillance on military or government personnel without triggering traditional electronic warfare detection. Drone Warfare
• The Baykar-Leonardo joint venture is accelerating European naval unmanned aviation beyond legacy rotary-wing dependencies, with the Cavour carrier likely serving as a testbed for MALE drone carrier operations that could influence NATO naval doctrine. Drone Warfare

Last updated: 26 April 2026