WATCH: AUSA 2025 setting the tone for the future of Army tech
The Threat Status team from The Washington Times goes behind the scenes of AUSA 2025, exploring the themes and the tone being set for tech advancements in the U.S. military.
Drones Unleashed
As the U.S. watches the conflict in Ukraine redefine the tactics of warfare, the Department of Defense has issued guidance to strengthen and advance the American drone industrial base to keep up with the changing threats. The Threat Status team takes a deeper look at what industry is doing to meet the demand to keep our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines equipped with the latest technology.
Cutting-edge drone, anti-air expertise has world focused on Ukraine’s battlefield innovations
At the Lviv Arena stadium last month, the buzz of drones competed with the din of investor chatter.
WATCH: On the floor of the Army’s ‘most powerful event’
Guy Taylor, National Security Editor with Threat Status at the Washington Times and John T. Seward, lead NATSEC Tech correspondent at Threat Status, with the themes they see across the 2025 AUSA conference.
WATCH: Inside the Army’s mission to 3D print drones in huge numbers
Army Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, the deputy commanding general and acting commander of Army Materiel Command, explains how the Army plans to use 3D printing to manufacture drone bodies and print drone replacement components near the battlefield. From the floor of the Association of the United States Army convention in Washington.
How the U.S. Army and defense industry will build new generation of counter-drone weaponry
It’s an urgent mission for the Pentagon and its defense industry partners: Build cost-effective tools — lots of them — to counter the increasingly cheap and lethal tactical attack drones wielded by America’s adversaries abroad or terrorists targeting events at home.
Army Secretary Driscoll lays out vision for the future at AUSA conference
Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll slammed the defense acquisition system on Monday, saying it prioritizes the desires of government bureaucrats and defense lobbyists over the needs of the American soldier.
Germany moves to authorize police to shoot down drones violating airspace
German federal police may soon have the power to shoot down drones violating the country’s airspace following a string of drone incursions across Europe that have raised questions about the region’s ability to defend itself.
Israel’s defensive breakthrough is America’s opportunity
Drones are increasingly prominent features of modern warfare, both expendable and hard to detect.
Israeli defense tech CEO highlights importance of soldiers on drone-heavy battlefields
Technological advances like unmanned aerial vehicles and artificial intelligence have changed modern combat, but ground troops are still crucial in warfare, according to the top executive from a key Israeli defense company.
America aims to keep air superiority in high-tech battle spaces
It’s no longer a given that the U.S. and its allies will control the skies with ease in conflict. In the 21st century, gaining and maintaining air superiority will require a combination of cutting-edge tactical drones, surveillance aircraft powered by artificial intelligence, multimillion-dollar fighter jets and stealth bombers.
LISTEN: Why Trump and Hegseth summoned generals, admirals to Quantico
Tomer Malchi, founder and CEO of the Israel-based company Asio, joins the show to discuss soldier-borne technology, 21st-century combat, drones, and much more.
Inside the defense industry’s push to build the next wave of counter-drone weapons
From directed energy weapons to cutting-edge electronic warfare and new computerized fire control systems that improve the effectiveness of a soldier’s AR-15 rifle, the global defense industry is developing new, creative and affordable ways to combat the small attack drones that have revolutionized modern warfare.
Threat Status: On the floor of AFA 2025: Air, Space, & Cyber
Guy Taylor and Ben Wolfgang discuss the latest tech, companies, and collaborations at AFA 2025 in National Harbor, MD.
Threat Status: The future of directed energy weapons
Wesley Sparks, Director of Business Development at Honeywell explains how the company aims to provide power, thermal management, and energy storage for directed-energy weapons. From the floor of AFA 2025 in National Harbor, MD.
Inside Trump’s policy to prioritize advanced technologies
President Trump adopted a new policy for aggressively developing advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum communications, according to a White House memorandum sent to all federal agencies on Monday.
Russia and Ukraine fire drones, missiles and bombs as Zelenskyy seeks help at U.N.
Russia said that it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow while Ukraine said that Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy persevered with efforts to bolster international support for his country at a U.N. gathering of world leaders on Tuesday.
A drone flyover above Copenhagen Airport prompts concerns that Russia was behind it
Several unidentified drones shut down airspace over Copenhagen Airport on Monday night, prompting concerns that Russia could be behind the flyover above Scandinavia’s largest airport.
Russia and Ukraine trade deadly drone strikes as Zelenskyy anticipates intense diplomacy at U.N.
Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of deadly drone strikes on civilian areas of their countries Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipated “a very intense week” of diplomacy at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where the Security Council was expected to discuss the more than three-year war.
Ukraine uses remote-controlled vehicles for dangerous missions to protect soldiers
On a battlefield swarming with deadly Russian drones, Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly turning to nimble, remote-controlled armored vehicles that can perform an array of tasks and spare troops from potentially life-threatening missions.
Major military conference to host Pentagon officials, defense industry leaders at crucial moment
Key leaders from across the U.S. military and defense industry will gather next week just outside Washington to help cement America’s “decisive edge” over its adversaries in the air, space and cyber domains, at a moment when growing threats and raging conflicts around the world are colliding with unprecedented leaps forward in technology.
Israel’s ‘Iron Beam’ laser defense system wraps up final tests before operational use
Israel’s laser-based air defense system has reached full operational capability and is expected to be integrated into the country’s screen against missiles, drones and enemy aircraft by the end of the year, Israeli officials said.
Lawmakers warned in hearing about rising threat of malicious drone operators
The proliferation of drone technology is rapidly outpacing the ability of governments to ensure they are used safely and legally, lawmakers were warned in a hearing Tuesday.
Threat Status: The race for drone dominance
Drone warfare is emerging as a central strategic tool in the push to expand American military power. So, what can the Pentagon and the Trump administration do to stay ahead of a technology that is actively shaping ongoing military conflicts around the world?
Russia shows off conventional and nuclear military might in drills — and raises tensions with NATO
A swarm of Russian drones flies into Poland in what officials there regard as a deliberate provocation.
GAO: Military urged to re-add MIRV warheads to mitigate strategic missile modernization risks
The U.S. military is planning to add multiple nuclear warheads to aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles to increase their deterrence firepower until the troubled Sentinel missile system can be deployed, Congress’ Government Accountability Office disclosed in a report made public Wednesday.
Report: Pentagon unprepared to defend against emerging drone warfare
U.S. forces are vulnerable to drone swarms due to insufficient scale and urgency in efforts to meet the demand for affordable, precise drone and counter-drone systems, a new report says.
New portable drone launch system enables fully autonomous drone launch while mobile
The defense arm of aerospace company Teledyne Technologies unveiled a new portable drone platform this week that can launch and retrieve drones while troops are on the move.
Xi dubs China ‘unstoppable’ as new ICBMs lead parade of advanced weapons
China’s military carried out a large-scale show of force on Wednesday, brandishing its growing arsenal of high-tech arms including missiles, tanks, warplanes and drones during a World War II anniversary parade in Beijing.
Russia launches over 500 missiles, drones overnight as Ukraine seeks more support
Russia fired more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, authorities said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s president and European leaders persevered with talks aimed at strengthening Ukrainian defenses and bringing momentum to so far unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts.
Israel criticized after drones drop grenades near U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon
Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel as they were working to clear roadblocks, the force said Wednesday. No one was hurt in the attack.
China’s military parade reveals new hypersonic missiles, drone submarines and ICBMs
Soldiers in pristine and pressed uniforms marched in lockstep, their boots clacking a steady cadence on the pavement and their eyes following leader Xi Jinping as he drove by in review. Helicopters flew overhead, forming the numbers 8 and 0 in honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Russia launches over 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more support
Russia fired more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, authorities said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s president and European leaders persevered with talks aimed at strengthening Ukrainian defenses and adding momentum to so far unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts.
LISTEN: How closely is the U.S. monitoring China’s expanding activity in the Arctic?
Retired U.S. Army Special Forces Col. Stu Bradin, the President and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation, joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion on Special Operations Forces.
LISTEN: Is the Pentagon too focused on drones?
Retired Air Force Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, joins the show to talk about the future of American air power, whether the Pentagon is focused too heavily on drones, and why the Space Force needs a bigger budget.
LISTEN: How drones could threaten World Cup, Olympics
Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the House Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States, joins the show to talk about potential terrorist threats to the World Cup, Olympics and other major events.
Creating ‘unbelievable chaos’: L3Harris ‘Wolfpack’ aims to give U.S. an edge in crowded battlespace
It’s a simple idea but one that’s far more complex in practice: Create an “unbelievable” level of chaos on modern-day battlefields so that America’s enemies are overwhelmed, overmatched and unable to mount an effective counterattack.
Ukraine’s drone attacks spotlight U.S. bomber vulnerability to container-launched missiles
The stunning effectiveness of recent Israeli and Ukrainian attacks deep inside enemy territory using smuggled and disguised drones and missiles has raised sharp new questions about the vulnerability of U.S. bases, ships and planes to weapons hidden in harmless-looking shipping containers — containers that may already be stashed on American soil.
LISTEN: Here’s why the Army wants to 3D print drones
Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general and acting commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command, joins the show to talk about the 3D printing of drones and how the Pentagon is rethinking the way it moves materiel and personnel around the world.
Russia blasts Kyiv with hundreds of drones for second straight night
Moscow launched another blistering swarm of drones at Ukraine’s capital city Tuesday morning, striking most of Kyiv’s districts in response to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb last week.
L3Harris to provide the Defense Dept. with more equipment to disable drones
L3Harris secured a new contract this week to provide the Department of Defense with additional equipment to disable drones or unmanned aerial systems.
Russia launches massive overnight drone, missile strike on Kyiv
Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, killing at least four people and injuring around 20, in response to Ukraine’s massive drone offensive from earlier this week.
Russia downplays damage done in Ukrainian drone attack, says it will make repairs
Russia’s deputy foreign minister downplayed Thursday the scale of damage done by a Ukrainian drone attack that reportedly destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes.
LISTEN: Here’s what the future of drone warfare looks like
Ben interviews Ryan Gury, co-founder and CEO of the drone company PDW, live from the SOF Week 2025 convention in Tampa, Florida.
Behind-the-scenes with L3Harris: Robots, precision missiles and futuristic drone cameras
Retired Navy Vice Admiral and L3Harris VP Dave Johnson takes National Security Editor Guy Taylor on a tour of disruptive products the company displayed at IDEX 2025.
Threat Status podcast: Inside the IDEX 2025 weapons expo
Guy joins the show from the United Arab Emirates and offers an inside look at the major IDEX 2025 weapons expo.
AeroVironment unveils JUMP 20-X AI powered drone at IDEX
Robotic systems developer AeroVironment revealed its latest uncrewed aircraft system, the JUMP 20-X, at the International Defense Exhibition this week, showing off its precision in complex and dangerous environments.
Shield AI’s V-BAT among advanced drones on display at weapons expo in Mideast
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — One of the more futuristic drones that Ukrainian forces have used to carry out surveillance for strike missions deep inside Russia is on display at the massive International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) that has drawn weapons companies from around the world to this Mideast city in recent days.
