AIR BASE AIR DEFENSE / DAILY BRIEFING

ABAD Daily NewsAcquisition, military and joint-force developments.

15SEP 202616 STORIES

Sixteen reports from the past week, including seven additions on UK base protection, Navy counter-drone selection, uncrewed-aircraft acquisition and resilient navigation.

· Europe/BerlinCoverage: 8 September 2026–15 September 2026Edition permalink ↗

Acquisition · Military · Joint force

BLUF = bottom line up front
01
Swarm Aero's Gamera mockup displayed behind ropes inside a conference hall.
Gamera mockup at Air, Space & Cyber 2026, photographed at the unveiling. Eric Tegler / The War Zone
Uncrewed aircraft

Swarm Aero unveils Gamera for large, lower-cost drone missions

BLUF Swarm Aero unveiled a Gamera mockup at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference, pitching a large modular drone for strike, sensing and other missions. Its manufacturer describes a design built around lower-cost production and interchangeable payloads. The unveiling broadens the field around the Air Force’s Massed Modular Aircraft effort; performance remains developmental.

The War Zone · Reporting

Reported 14 September 2026 · Unveiled: 14 September 2026

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02
Air Force personnel during counter-drone training.
Security Forces counter-drone training; file photo used by the source. U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman Amanda Jett
Acquisition

Air Force eyes a dedicated point-defense acquisition office

BLUF Air Force leaders are considering a dedicated acquisition executive for base point defense and an umbrella effort combining kinetic and nonkinetic counter-drone systems. The new career field is expected to be operational in two years. The acquisition office remains a proposal, signaling a stronger institutional commitment to defending air bases.

Air & Space Forces Magazine · Reporting

Remarks: 14 September 2026

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03
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink speaking into a microphone while seated at the conference.
Secretary Troy Meink at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference, 14 September; photo from the accompanying report. Jud McCrehin / Air & Space Forces Association
Acquisition

Air Force names Vengeance and Fury, targets 500 CCAs by 2032

BLUF The Air Force officially named its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury. The service says it entered production for 150 aircraft in June and aims for 500 combat-ready systems by 2032. The announcement clarifies its acquisition direction; the fleet target is a plan, not a delivery count.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs · Official release

Announced: 14 September 2026

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04
Close view of a Quell SkySpyke optical sensor array against the sky.
Quell SkySpyke equipment pictured in the official Halo Shield case study. UK Defence Innovation / GOV.UK
Base defense

UK Army reports passive drone detection at Warminster

BLUF A new UK case study describes Halo Shield, combining Dedrone radio-frequency sensing and Quell optical detection at Warminster garrison. Operational since March, the system recorded 29 drone-position alerts during its first 17 days, none assessed as threats. The deployment offers practical evidence on combining passive sensors for military-site protection.

UK Defence Innovation · Official case study

Operational since March 2026; case study published 14 September

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05
Perseus Defense personnel reviewing equipment and test data at Yuma Proving Ground.
Perseus Defense team at Falcon Peak, 11 September; accompanying official photo coverage. Yuma Proving Ground / DVIDS; Staff Sgt. Colten Tessness
Joint force

Falcon Peak names 21 industry participants for joint counter-drone trials

BLUF A new participant list identifies 21 companies supporting NORTHCOM and JIATF-401 at Yuma Proving Ground. The ongoing experiment combines sensors, command and control, and counter-drone defeat options, with immediate operator feedback. This is an evaluation of capabilities for installations and the southern border; participation does not establish an acquisition award.

U.S. Army / DVIDS · Official release

Experiment: 31 August–25 September 2026

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06
AIM Defence Fractl laser equipment on a range.
Fractl laser effector, as pictured in the companies’ announcement. AIM Defence / DroneShield
Directed energy

DroneShield and AIM Defence team up on laser integration

BLUF DroneShield and AIM Defence plan to connect the Fractl laser with the DroneSentry platform, adding directed energy alongside RF sensing and electronic warfare. Initial work will explore interoperability and demonstrations with military and government users. For base defense, the proposed integration could broaden engagement options within a shared command environment.

DroneShield · Company announcement

Announced: 14 September 2026

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07
Stylized Castelion illustration of aircraft and a missile over the sea.
Company illustration accompanying the Blackbeard production-order announcement. Castelion — promotional illustration
Industrial base

Castelion announces Navy Blackbeard order worth up to $200 million

BLUF Castelion says the Navy placed a production delivery order worth up to $200 million for Blackbeard hypersonic weapons, following 50 earlier operational-capability rounds ordered in June. Work covers manufacturing, assembly, testing and delivery. This is a broader acquisition and industrial-capacity development; the announcement does not disclose the new lot’s quantity or delivery schedule.

Castelion · Company announcement

Announced: 14 September 2026

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08
SGT STOUT air-defense vehicle in Army exercise footage.
Still from the Army’s Saber Junction 26 video report. U.S. Army / Sgts. Luis Garcia and Zedekiah Kitchens
Military

Army air defenders protect artillery during Saber Junction 26

BLUF New Army footage shows SGT STOUT short-range air-defense systems protecting field-artillery positions against simulated drones and other aerial threats in Germany. The exercise took place from August 27 to September 3. It illustrates how maneuver air defense supports offensive fires, with relevant lessons for protecting dispersed forces and critical assets.

10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command / DVIDS · Official video

Exercise footage: 27 August–3 September 2026

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09
A soldier inspecting a counter-rocket, artillery and mortar gun.
C-RAM inspection in Iraq, 4 April 2025; file photo from the report. U.S. Army / Steve Asfall
Acquisition

Air Force seeks affordable guns to defend overseas bases

BLUF The Air Force is surveying suppliers for a transportable, medium-caliber gun system to counter drones and subsonic cruise missiles. Requirements emphasize affordable engagements, multiple incoming threats and integrated sensors. This is market research, with particular relevance to reducing the burden on expensive missile interceptors at overseas air bases.

Stars and Stripes · Reporting

RFI issued in the preceding week; report: 10 September

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10
Artist's rendering of Wildfire aircraft over the sea.
Manufacturer illustration of the proposed Wildfire aircraft. GA-ASI — artist’s rendering
Acquisition

GA-ASI proposes Wildfire for the Air Force’s large-drone competition

BLUF General Atomics unveiled Wildfire and says it has proposed the aircraft for the Air Force’s Massed Modular Aircraft competition. The concept emphasizes autonomous operations, modular payloads and lower-cost production for reconnaissance and strike. It is a proposed alternative to parts of the MQ-9 mission, with company performance and delivery claims still to be demonstrated.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems · Company announcement

Announced: 10 September 2026

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11
Lumberjack unmanned aircraft resting on camouflage material outdoors.
Lumberjack aircraft photographed in the company-supplied release imagery. SandboxAQ / Northrop Grumman, via PR Newswire
Resilient navigation

SandboxAQ reports magnetic-navigation flight test on Lumberjack

BLUF SandboxAQ reports a Lumberjack flight test pairing magnetic and visual navigation, intended to reduce dependence on GPS. The company says its software ran on the aircraft’s existing systems. For air-defense watchers, the test is a reminder that drone resilience to satellite-navigation disruption is evolving; the release provides no accuracy data for this flight.

SandboxAQ / Northrop Grumman · Company announcement

Reported 9 September 2026 · Test announced 9 September; exact flight date not stated in the release

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12
Promotional image of a Kongsberg platform with Echodyne radar.
Radar-equipped platform pictured in Echodyne’s announcement. Echodyne / Kongsberg — promotional image
Sensors & C2

Kongsberg selects Echodyne radar for counter-drone weapon stations

BLUF Echodyne says Kongsberg has selected its radar platform, including integration with PROTECTOR RS4 and RS6 weapon stations. The collaboration combines precise local tracking with networked fire control. It is relevant to linking detection and gun-based drone defeat on fixed or mobile platforms, although the announcement gives no order quantity or value.

Echodyne · Company announcement

Announced: 9 September 2026

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13
Boeing illustration of its proposed IFPC interceptor in flight.
Concept illustration of the proposed interceptor. Boeing — artist’s rendering
Acquisition

Boeing–Anduril interceptor advances in Army base-defense competition

BLUF Boeing says its Anduril-powered interceptor has advanced to the next phase of the Army’s IFPC second-interceptor competition. The development work targets cruise missiles and hostile drones threatening fixed and forward bases. The selection funds further design and demonstration; it does not establish a fielded system or validated performance.

Boeing · Company announcement

Announced: 9 September 2026

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14
A Patriot PAC-3 missile launching from a ground launcher.
PAC-3 launch image accompanying the propulsion announcement. U.S. Army, via L3Harris
Industrial base

L3Harris receives $4.7 billion PAC-3 MSE propulsion award

BLUF L3Harris reports a seven-year, $4.7 billion Lockheed Martin award for PAC-3 MSE propulsion components. Some contract terms remain to be finalized. Two additional Camden production facilities are expected to open in 2027. The award supports interceptor supply growth, but its value should not be read as immediate deliveries or fully realized spending.

L3Harris · Company announcement

Announced: 8 September 2026

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15
AeroVironment LOCUST counter-drone laser system.
LOCUST system image supplied with the international-order announcement. AeroVironment
Directed energy

AeroVironment announces first international LOCUST laser order

BLUF AeroVironment says its first international LOCUST laser order exceeds $50 million and covers systems plus support. The customer is not named. The deal adds an export milestone to growing demand for laser-based counter-drone defense; the order itself does not establish delivery timing or performance in a buyer’s operating environment.

AeroVironment · Company announcement

Announced: 8 September 2026

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16
VAMPIRE sensor mast and four-tube launcher displayed inside an industrial building.
VAMPIRE sensor and launcher pictured in L3Harris' Navy-selection announcement. L3Harris
Joint force

Navy selects L3Harris VAMPIRE for counter-drone defense

BLUF L3Harris says the Navy selected VAMPIRE for littoral counter-unmanned-systems defense and that it is adapting the system for maritime conditions. The announcement extends an existing counter-drone product into another service's defense architecture. It discloses neither contract value nor system quantity, and does not establish the timing of operational deployment.

L3Harris · Company announcement

Announced: 8 September 2026

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