Loitering Munitions
Loitering Munitions 2026: Systems, Costs and Who Builds Them — Page 2
What a loitering munition is, how it differs from an FPV drone and a cruise missile, what the systems actually cost, and who is buying them in 2026.
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France Plans Up to 400% More Explosive Drones by 2030
The rise covers explosive drones, not the whole fleet. A Senate report says most of France's drone money still goes to a few big programmes.
Russia is shipping upgraded Shahed drones back to Iran
Russia is transferring improved Shahed drone variants to Iran, including versions with better navigation and anti-jamming.
Companies
AeroVironment
US manufacturer of small tactical UAS, loitering munitions and counter-UAS systems, transformed in scale by its 2025 acquisition of BlueHalo.
United States
Anduril Industries
US defense technology company building autonomous weapons, counter-UAS, and AI command software, and manufacturing them at its own Arsenal-1 plant in Ohio.
United States
Helsing
Munich defence company building AI software, the HX-2 strike drone, the SG-1 Fathom underwater glider and the CA-1 Europa uncrewed combat jet.
Germany
Quantum Systems
German maker of VTOL reconnaissance drones and autonomy software for European and US defense customers, with large-scale deployment in Ukraine.
Germany
STARK
Berlin defense company building loitering munitions, uncrewed surface vessels and command software, supplying the Bundeswehr under a 2026 framework.
Germany
Auterion
Drone software company whose AuterionOS operating system and Skynode flight computers turn other makers' drones into autonomous strike systems.
United States
Baykar
Turkish defense company behind the Bayraktar TB2, the most widely exported armed drone of the past decade, now also the owner of Italy's Piaggio Aerospace.
Turkey
Destinus
Netherlands-headquartered defence manufacturer producing cruise missiles, interceptor drones and turbojet engines, leading the Bliksem EXO consortium.
Netherlands
Funding
Series C
Sequoia Capital, American Strategic Technology Fund, Interlagos, Valor Equity Partners, Allen & Company, Thiel Capital, Spark Capital, Dylan Field
Neros TechnologiesGrowth
Dragoneer Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Disruptive, Iconiq, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, JPMorganChase, CPP Investments, General Catalyst, Plural, StepStone
HelsingSeries D
Blackstone, Noteus, Airbus, Advent, BOND, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Wellington Management, A.P. Moller Holding, Elephant Lake Ventures, Balderton, HV Capital
Quantum SystemsUndisclosed
Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, NATO Innovation Fund, Project A, Air Street Capital, 201 Ventures, Advent, Döpfner Capital
STARKContracts
U.S. Air Force
General Atomics
Contractor logistics support for Taiwan's MQ-9B drones through 31 August 2029, paid with Foreign…
U.S. Air Force
DZYNE Technologies
Modification P00005 to the same Long-Endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft assessment contract…
U.S. Coast Guard
General Atomics
Order for four MQ-9B long-range drones with ground control stations and supporting equipment, placed…
U.S. Air Force
Leidos
Engineering and integration support for the Medusa counter-small-drone system of systems.
U.S. Air Force
DZYNE Technologies
Modification P00003 to FA8691-26-C-B007 for operational assessment of uncrewed Long-Endurance…