“The US military has been steadily exploring the potential applications of USVs to naval warfare for years. Four large USVs associated with the US Navy’s Ghost Fleet Overlord initiative have been autonomously transiting oceans since at least 2018 as part of a large-scale effort to add unmanned systems to the surface fleet. In 2021, the Navy stood up Task Force 59 to ‘rapidly integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations’ in the 5th Fleet area of operations in the Middle East, as officials announced at the time. The following year, the service established an Unmanned Surface Vessel Division to focus on building the ‘foundational knowledge’ for the regular operation and sustainment of USVs. And in mid-2024, the service unveiled a new Robotic Warfare Specialist to focus on drone systems and stood up a separate squadron of small USVs explicitly ‘to deliver the most formidable, unmanned platforms in the maritime domain,’ according to officials.”
A weekly dispatch featuring exclusive interviews with deep tech founders & a roundup of the most important deep tech news.
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American defense startup XDOWN has unveiled a hand-thrown, football-shaped combat drone called the PS Killer (PSK), designed for special operations and counterterrorism. Weighing just 1.77 pounds, the PSK has a range of over 40 miles and can reach speeds of 135 knots. It features stealth and swarming capabilities and can be used for tasks like overhead reconnaissance, neutralizing snipers, and intercepting enemy drones. Additionally, it supports convoy protection, countering rocket-propelled grenades, and maritime surveillance. (via The Defense Post)
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- K2 Space raises $110M to scale up satellite production
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