AIR BASE AIR DEFENSE / DAILY BRIEFING

ABAD Daily NewsAcquisition, military and joint-force developments.

24SEP 202610 STORIES

Ten distinct reports on counter-drone command and control, air-defense industrial capacity, tactical networking, sensors, autonomous mission planning and allied aircraft delivery, checked against every earlier edition and original event dates.

· Europe/BerlinCoverage: 17 September 2026–24 September 2026Edition permalink ↗

Acquisition · Military · Joint force

BLUF = bottom line up front
01
A pile of small drone parts recovered during the Falcon Peak 26.2 counter-drone exercise.
Drone wreckage photographed on site during Falcon Peak 26.2 at Yuma Proving Ground. Brandi Vincent / DefenseScoop
Command and controlUPDATED

Falcon Peak makes Lattice the baseline counter-drone command layer

BLUF Falcon Peak 26.2 is using Anduril Lattice as its common counter-drone command layer for the first time. At least 20 vendors must integrate sensor, radar and targeting data into the baseline across three test lanes, including a southern-border scenario. That advances the earlier participant announcement into an interoperability test; it does not establish procurement of every connected system.

What changed: On-site reporting adds the exercise's three test lanes, southern-border scenario and first use of Anduril Lattice as the common command-and-control baseline for every participating sensor-to-shooter system. Previous coverage

DefenseScoop · Original on-site reporting

Reported 23 September 2026 · Exercise runs August 31–September 25; on-site report published September 23, 2026

Sources: Earlier official Falcon Peak participant announcement · 2026-09-14 / Anduril enterprise-agreement background · 2026-09-23

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02
A SPYS high-speed interceptor drone shown in a source-supplied equipment image.
Source-supplied SPYS interceptor equipment image accompanying the September 23 report. Quantum Systems, via Unmanned Airspace
Counter-UASUPDATED

New footage identifies SPYS in a reported Geran-5 interception

BLUF New footage and reporting identify the SPYS interceptor in a claimed Geran-5 engagement, adding a system name to earlier Ukrainian combat-interception claims. Its developers state a 600 km/h maximum speed, roughly five-minute endurance, 12-kilometer engagement range and 300-gram warhead. The system remains in combat testing, and the footage does not establish the earlier claims' total or repeatable performance.

What changed: Newly published footage and specialist reporting identify the interceptor as the WIY Drones SPYS and add the developer's stated speed, range, endurance and warhead figures. Previous coverage

Unmanned Airspace / Militarnyi · Specialist reporting on source footage

Reported 23 September 2026 · Footage reported September 22–23; underlying engagement date not stated

Sources: Militarnyi report on the SPYS footage · 2026-09-22 / Quantum Systems and WIY Drones partnership release · 2026-03-23

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03
South Korea's first production KF-21 fighter aircraft in flight during delivery to the Air Force.
Official Air Force photograph of the first production KF-21 during its September 22 delivery flight. Republic of Korea Air Force, via Yonhap News Agency
Acquisition

South Korea's Air Force receives its first production KF-21

BLUF South Korea's Air Force received the first production KF-21 and flew it from KAI's Sacheon plant to its initial operating unit at Yecheon. The delivery begins squadron conversion after production started in 2024. The government plans more than 100 aircraft by the early 2030s and an operational declaration in late 2027; neither milestone is complete today.

South Korea DAPA and Air Force · Official joint release

Aircraft accepted and delivered September 22; official release September 23, 2026

Sources: Yonhap report on the delivery flight · 2026-09-22

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04
Turkish air-defense equipment shown in a photograph accompanying the contract report.
Contextual photograph accompanying same-day reporting of the ASELSAN–ROKETSAN contract. Anadolu Agency, via Hürriyet Daily News
Industrial capacity

ASELSAN and ROKETSAN sign €1.23 billion air-defense subsystems contract

BLUF ASELSAN and ROKETSAN signed a €1.23421 billion contract for air-defense-system subsystems. The official disclosure records the value and customer relationship, but names no system, quantity, delivery schedule or material contract terms. It is a substantial industrial commitment, not evidence that equipment has been produced, delivered or fielded.

KAP / ASELSAN · Official public-company disclosure

Contract and KAP disclosure September 23, 2026

Sources: Hürriyet Daily News contract report · 2026-09-23

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05
Army personnel observe a drone flight at the Northern Strike counter-UAS test area in Michigan.
Army Reserve innovation personnel and an Army National Guard UAS operator fly and observe drones at Camp Grayling on August 5. U.S. Army Reserve / Master Sgt. Matthew Chlosta
Counter-UAS

Army Reserve evaluators test UAS detection and jamming at Northern Strike

BLUF Army Reserve evaluators engaged 21 companies at Northern Strike 26-2 and used soldier-worn passive drone detection, handheld RF jamming and other UAS and counter-UAS technology. The August exercise informed an after-action review and technical report for possible requirements. The September 23 account documents hands-on evaluation, not a procurement decision or validated fielding plan.

75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command · Official after-action report

Northern Strike activity August 4–15; official report published September 23, 2026

Sources: Originating DVIDS report · 2026-09-23

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06
A KONGSBERG PROTECTOR counter-UAS remote weapon platform in a manufacturer image.
Manufacturer image of a KONGSBERG PROTECTOR counter-UAS platform equipped with Advanced Navigation's Boreas inertial navigation system. Advanced Navigation / KONGSBERG
Industrial capacity

KONGSBERG orders hundreds of Boreas inertial units for Polish C-UAS systems

BLUF KONGSBERG ordered hundreds of Advanced Navigation Boreas inertial units under a €16 million supply agreement for PROTECTOR counter-UAS platforms destined for Poland. The navigation units are intended to preserve pointing and alignment when satellite navigation is jammed or spoofed. This is a supplier award inside the larger Polish program, not a new Polish platform contract or delivery milestone.

Advanced Navigation · Manufacturer supply announcement

Reported 22 September 2026 · Supply agreement announced September 22, 2026

Sources: KONGSBERG Polish PROTECTOR program background · 2026-08-14

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07
The HENSOLDT South Africa exhibition pavilion at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2026.
HENSOLDT South Africa's pavilion at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2026, where the KENIS announcement was made. HENSOLDT South Africa, via Unmanned Airspace
Sensors

HENSOLDT opens KENIS thermal sensor to standalone sales and takes first order

BLUF HENSOLDT South Africa is offering the KENIS 1280 AK thermal sensor as a standalone product and reports a first order from Estonia's HEVI Optronics. The sensor combines a 1280×1024 cooled MWIR detector with 30× continuous zoom for long-range surveillance and counter-drone use. Neither quantity, value, delivery timing nor independent performance data was disclosed.

Unmanned Airspace / HENSOLDT South Africa · Specialist report on manufacturer announcement

Reported 22 September 2026 · Product availability and first order announced at Africa Aerospace and Defence 2026; report published September 22

Sources: HENSOLDT corporate source · 2026-09-22

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08
The Royal Navy XV Excalibur uncrewed underwater vehicle carries a Mk 48 torpedo during testing.
U.S. Navy imagery of XV Excalibur carrying the Mk 48 test torpedo during the September 13 proof of concept. U.S. Navy, via The War Zone
Joint force

UK and US launch a Mk 48 torpedo from uncrewed XV Excalibur

BLUF The UK and US conducted a proof-of-concept Mk 48 heavyweight-torpedo launch from the Royal Navy's XV Excalibur uncrewed underwater vehicle on September 13. Officials say it was the first such US or UK launch from an uncrewed submarine and validated allied payload integration. The externally carried test weapon and experimental platform do not establish an operational armed-UUV fleet.

UK Prime Minister's Office / U.S. Navy · Official joint-technology announcement

Reported 22 September 2026 · Proof-of-concept launch September 13; official announcement September 22, 2026

Sources: Defense News report on the September 13 launch · 2026-09-22 / Royal Navy XV Excalibur platform background · 2025-05-15

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09
An MQ-20 Avenger surrogate aircraft flies during the Navy's Collaborative Autonomy Mission Planning demonstration.
MQ-20 Avenger surrogate used for the CAMP demonstration at Point Mugu on September 10. U.S. Navy / Jamie Cosgrove
Command and control

Navy demonstrates common mission planning for autonomous aircraft

BLUF The Navy demonstrated Collaborative Autonomy Mission Planning with an MQ-20 Avenger surrogate at Gray Flag. CAMP translated an operator's force-level plan into aircraft-executable tasks, timing, authorities and constraints, then supported post-mission review. The test advances open mission-planning interoperability for autonomous aircraft; it is not an operational deployment or proof across every platform and autonomy stack.

U.S. Navy PAE Munitions / DVIDS · Official acquisition report

Gray Flag demonstration September 10; official report September 22, 2026

Sources: Connected DVIDS image record · 2026-09-22

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10
A soldier operates Bittium TAC WIN tactical communications equipment in a forest.
Official Bittium photograph of a soldier operating TAC WIN tactical-network equipment; contextual to the memorandum. Bittium
Command and control

Bittium and Safran sign French tactical-communications memorandum

BLUF Bittium and Safran signed a memorandum to pursue tactical communications for France, including ground-based air-defense networking, counter-drone links, unmanned systems and mission networking. The companies say their portfolios are complementary, but named no French requirement, order value, selected product or delivery schedule. This is an industrial teaming framework, not a French procurement award.

Bittium · Company memorandum announcement

Memorandum announced September 22 at 09:00; source does not state a timezone

Sources: Bittium tactical-communications material bank · 2026-09-22

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