In an effort to supercharge the development of military drones, DARPA will this year fast track flight testing of five advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) prototypes as part of the agency's Early ...

And what if that battery could be fueled by nuclear waste? That’s the future scientists are working toward in DARPA’s “Rads to Watts” program, which aims to create lightweight batteries with a high ...

‘Rads to Watts’ program aims to precipitate first step-change prototypes by 2027.

In February 2025, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) revealed that Serco Inc. had completed the construction of a new prototype uncrewed surface vessel (USV). The USX-1 Defiant, ...

Hybrid drone debut: DARPA’s XRQ-73, built by Northrop Grumman, flew for the first time in April, featuring hybrid-electric propulsion to enhance range, efficiency, and stealth. FCC update extension: ...

Aurora Flight Sciences and DARPA hope to see the X-65 drone fly next year after suffering delays and cost growth.

Pentagon neglect played a key role in China’s rise to global dominance in the small drone industry, but now the U.S. Army wants to buy 1 million small UAS over the next 2-3 years and ramp up domestic ...

Battery technology is on the cusp of enabling high-performance flight applications. DARPA just released a “Lift Challenge” for drones, with a prize pool of $6.5M. DARPA is hosting a live webinar on ...

May 19, 2025: The American DARPA research agency has developed something old but with a new twist. They have built a 55 meter long, 250 t0n naval drone, otherwise known as an autonomous ship. This ...

Olympic barbell weights will be used as the drone’s payload for the DARPA Lift Challenge flyoff competition in mid-2026. Credit: DARPA Pentagon neglect played a key role in China gaining global ...

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) issued a challenge, the DARPA Lift Challenge, in October 2025 to develop novel drone designs that have greater payload-to-weight ratio. DARPA, which ...

It's not just boats. Unmanned systems of all types, including air and ground vehicles, are rescue tools changing military medicine and casualty care.