Procurement of tactical UAS, such as RQ-20B Puma for the US Marines Corps, is one of the drivers for a decade of growth. (Photo: USMC)
Speaking at the Drone Summit 2025 in Riga, Latvia, Theo Francken, Belgium’s Minister of Defence, stated that uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were the future of warfare.
Francken described the capability being comparable today with the revolutionary impact gunpowder made in the Hundred Years War or the influence that the industrial revolution had on World War I.
The use of UAVs in combat is nothing new. They were used in the Bosnia War in the 1990s and throughout the Global War on Terror (GWoT) military campaigns carried out in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks against the US.
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The US Air Force is seeking additional contractors to support communications upgrades for the B-52, while multiple Stratofortress modernisation programmes continue to experience delays, cost growth and technical challenges.
Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2026 revealed the growing scale of the UK’s uncrewed ambitions, with companies showcasing new CCA, autonomous wingmen and surveillance drones, while sovereign production emerged as a key factor for multiple programmes.
The biannual Farnborough International Airshow 2026 was the backdrop in July for scores of deals, partnerships and announcements, including developments in the multinational next-generation Global Combat Air Programme and the UK’s $486 million trainer aircraft requirement.
Bell Flight’s modular open-systems approach for the US Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne could open doors for international allies and suppliers once locked out by closed rotorcraft architectures.
BAE Systems’ all-digital EW delivers 360-degree threat awareness in contested environments, boosts survivability, and cuts lifecycle costs.
The USAF is looking for commercial avionics solutions to improve the T-38 Talon’s reliability, readiness and flight safety as continued T-7A Red Hawk delays increase the likelihood that the legacy trainer will remain in service longer than planned.
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