drones

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Why Soldiers Are Covering Tanks in Cages and Rubber

Crews resort to makeshift armor and inventive fixes to keep drones at bay

(Newser) - When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, tanks on both sides looked exactly as you'd expect them to—heavy, low-slung, and designed to withstand frontal assaults. But as the war ground on, these armored vehicles began sprouting makeshift cages, nets, spikes, and dangling chains, all signs of a rapidly...

Poland, Allies Deploy Planes Over Drone Threat to Ukraine

Russian drones had crossed into Poland's airspace earlier in the week

(Newser) - Polish and allied aircraft were deployed Saturday in what officials described as a preventive operation to guard the nation's airspace in response to the threat of drone strikes in neighboring areas of Ukraine. In addition, the airport in the eastern Polish city of Lublin was closed, the AP reports....

A $4B Security Industry Has Risen Around School Shootings

But it's business that vendors don't necessarily want

(Newser) - At a recent school safety conference in Texas, the scene looked less like an education expo and more like a tech demo for a high-stakes action movie. Drones from Campus Guardian Angel zipped around a test dummy, showing off their ability to fire pepper balls and confront would-be shooters....

Australia to Put $1B Into Underwater Attack Drones

Ghost Sharks will make nation an undersea leader, defense minister says

(Newser) - Australia will spend more than $1 billion on building dozens of underwater attack drones, Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday. The first of the stealthy, long-range Ghost Sharks will be delivered to the Australian navy in January under a five-year contract with Sydney-based Anduril Australia, Marles said. "Australia...

Poland Isn't Messing Around After Russian Drone Invasion

Country invokes NATO's Article 4, calls emergency UN Security Council meeting after drone incursion

(Newser) - The United Nations Security Council is set for an emergency session at Poland's request after shooting down Russian drones that crossed into Polish airspace, a move that Poland's president described as a test of both Poland and NATO's readiness. Following the incident—the first armed response...

Polish PM: 'A Line Has Been Crossed' With Russian Drones

Poland says it shot down Russian drones violating its airspace, upping tension in already tense region

(Newser) - Poland said early Wednesday that multiple Russian drones entered and were shot down over its territory with help from NATO allies, describing the incident as an "act of aggression" carried out during a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine. Several European leaders said they believed Russia was intentionally escalating...

Report: Russian Drones Are Tracking Supplies to Ukraine

Surveillance flights raise alarms over potential sabotage on European routes used by US

(Newser) - US and European officials say Russian surveillance drones are being flown over key military supply routes in eastern Germany, gathering intelligence that could help Moscow's sabotage efforts in its war in Ukraine. The activity along routes used by the US and its allies, described as "straight-up espionage"...

Along the Border, a 'Virtual Wall' Is Emerging on Both Sides

Drone tech escalates as police, drug cartels in Mexico face off

(Newser) - Local police along the US-Mexico border are increasingly turning to AI-powered drones to track drug traffickers, seek out migrants trying to cross into the US, assist in emergencies, and compensate for staff shortages and reduced federal funding. While US officials have long used drones along the border, creating what...

Company Says Its Drones Can Stop School Shooters

Campus Guardian Angel says its operation can be launched against an attack within 5 seconds

(Newser) - In Ukraine, drones have transformed warfare. A Texas-based company says the unmanned aircraft could also radically alter the response to school shootings. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved a trial of the Campus Guardian Angel system in three school districts, Newsweek reports. The company maintains that the drones, stored in...

'Giant Nagging Mosquitoes' May Soon Be Your DoorDasher

Proposed rule by FAA could open doors to mass drone deliveries instead of scattered exceptions

(Newser) - Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the US. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries via drones, the...

Report: Russian Teens Recruited to Build War Drones

Teens are lured in through video games, national tech competitions, per banished Russian outlet

(Newser) - A new investigation by an exiled Russian outlet has uncovered a systematic effort by Russian authorities to recruit children into designing and testing military drones used in the war against Ukraine. The process reportedly begins with educational video games such as Berloga ("Bear's Den"), launched in...

Mayor: Kharkiv Hit in Worst Russian Assault Yet

At least 3 are dead as missiles hit homes, schools in Ukraine's second-largest city

(Newser) - Russia launched a large-scale attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, early Saturday, killing at least three people in what local authorities say is the worst assault upon the city since the war began, per CNN . At least 21 people were also said to be injured after being attacked...

Ukraine's Stunning Drone Strike a 'Wake-Up Moment' for US

Russia isn't the only country with a lot of military aircraft parked out in the open

(Newser) - Ukraine's drone attack on parked aircraft deep inside Russia was a spectacular success—but it's likely to cause sleepless nights for military officials in other countries, including the US. The Washington Post reports that the strike brought the "chilling realization" that the US is vulnerable to a...

Fisherman Uses Drone to Save Girl From Drowning

He dropped flotation device to girl struggling in rip current at Florida beach

(Newser) - A teenage girl in Florida might not be alive today if Andrew Smith hadn't made the last-minute decision to go shark fishing at Pensacola Beach. Smith, who can't swim or kayak because of a seizure disorder, uses a drone to drop baits. Last Thursday, he used it to...

Russia's Airports Close as Drones Rain Down

13 of them, including 4 major airports near Moscow, after Russia says it stopped 100 Ukrainian drones

(Newser) - All four international airports around Moscow temporarily suspended flights on Tuesday as Russian forces intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones fired at almost a dozen Russian regions, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. Nine other regional Russian airports also temporarily stopped operating as drones struck areas along the border with...

Near Major Airports, Drones Pose a Growing Concern

Two-thirds of near-misses involve them

(Newser) - For air travelers—and, more to the point, for pilots—a slew of recent incidents highlights a growing concern:
  • A commercial airliner was on final approach to San Francisco International Airport in November when the crew spotted a drone outside the cockpit window. By then it was too late "
...

North Korea Has Expanded Its Troop Support for Russia

The South says an additional 3K troops have been sent

(Newser) - In a move that underscores their deepening alliance, North Korea has reportedly dispatched an additional 3,000 troops and more military hardware to bolster Russia's war effort in Ukraine. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the troops were added in January and February as were more missiles...

Coming to the Aid of Everest's Sherpas: Drones

Organizers hope the devices delivering supplies, removing waste will cut down on climbing fatalities

(Newser) - Climbing season at Mount Everest kicks off in full force next month, but Sherpas won't be the only ones helping mountaineers try for the summit. The New York Times reports that companies running expeditions up the world's highest peak have been testing out drones that will be able...

Report: US Drones Search for Mexican Drug Labs

Secret program has apparently been expanded—with or without Mexico's cooperation

(Newser) - A secret government program to send US drones to look for fentanyl labs in Mexico has been dialed up under the Trump administration, reports the New York Times . Started under President Biden, the drone flights have increased under President Trump and his CIA director, John Ratcliffe, who've promised more...

Man Admits Flying Drone That Hit Firefighting Plane

Canadian 'Super Scooper' was hit while fighting Palisades Fire in Los Angeles

(Newser) - A California man has agreed to plead guilty to flying the drone that took an aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire out of action earlier this month. Prosecutors say Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, KCAL reports. Akemann will...

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