Drones and Unmanned Systems - Air, Sea, Land, Micro & Robot Systems

WASHINGTON -- Red Cat Holdings has introduced its B-Series line of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) through its maritime division, Blue Ops. Expanding on the flagship B-26 (formerly Variant 7), the portfolio now includes the B-18 and B-39, both of which are reportedly available for orders to address immediate operational demands from the U.S. Navy and allied forces. The B-Series establishes a unified naming convention for Blue Ops’ family of USVs, with designations reflecting vessel length in feet, the traditional American methodology for naval and commercial shipbuilding.

According to Red Cat, the 18-foot B-18 USV completed sea trials ahead of schedule and incorporates a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) tailored for tactical reconnaissance, shipboard deployment from Littoral Combat Ships, and one-way attack missions. The larger 39-foot B-39 leverages an established commercial vessel hull already in low-rate production to deliver scalable manufacturing alongside extended range, endurance, and payload capacities.

Source: Ocean News and Technology
Associated URL: https://oceannews.com/news/defense/red-cat-holdings-launches-b-series-usv-portfolio-through-blue-ops/?utm_source=ONT+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2bc626ff75-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_10_28_01_09&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2bc626ff75-546570786

ANTALYA, Turkey -- Turkish naval special forces (SAT) used DATUM’s LÜFER, a fibre-optic-guided unmanned underwater vehicle, during the TURNAs-2026 unmanned maritime systems exercise held in Antalya Bay from October 19 to 27, 2026. In the exercise scenario, commandos launched the torpedo-shaped vehicle from an inflatable boat to scout a landing beach remotely before drone strikes hit targets ashore.

Developed by an Istanbul Technical University-based company and first unveiled at Teknofest 2026, LÜFER is a 4-ft (1.2-m), 28.7-lb (13-kg) system that a single operator can carry. A spool of up to 8.1-nm (15 km) of fiber-optic cable carries control signals and HD video, which the company says keeps communications reliable under heavy electronic warfare. The vehicle can serve in reconnaissance roles or carry an optional warhead for one-way attacks intended to disable vessels. When configured for attack, the LÜFER is designed to disable rather than sink target vessels.

DATUM also displayed KOFANA, a larger 23.3-ft (7.1-m) vehicle with an 43.2-nm (80-km) fiber-optic link, designed to covertly deliver a single naval mine. The company says it is funding development of both vehicles itself.

Source: Naval News
Associated URL: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2026/10/datum-lufer-reconnaissance-attack-uuv-showcased-in-turkish-naval-exercise/
Author: Tayfun Ozberk 

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish drone maker Baykar’s newest vertical takeoff and landing drone, the Kalkan, has completed its first flight tests at sea, according to an October 24 social media post by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense.

The drone was launched from the Turkish navy frigate TCG Gelibolu, which was operating with the Somali Sea Task Group in the Indian Ocean. The ministry released several photos of the tests but provided no other details. The test comes as Turkey works to help Somalia protect its waters from piracy, illegal fishing and other maritime threats.

Designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the Kalkan can take off, fly and land on its own. It uses electric motors for vertical flight and switches to a combustion engine for forward flight. The drone has a 16-foot wingspan, can carry about 6.6 pounds of cameras and a laser rangefinder, reaches a top speed of about 63 mph and can stay aloft for up to 6 hours. Baykar delivered the Kalkan to the Turkish armed forces last August and has not disclosed any operational or combat use.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/2026/10/baykar-completes-at-sea-flight-test-of-kalkan-vtol-uav/