Defense giants Boeing, General Atomics, Anduril, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Airbus are accelerating the development of AI-powered combat drones for the US Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, aiming for widespread deployment by the mid-2030s.
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a stealth-oriented multirole drone, will participate in Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, its first large-scale multinational deployment, to refine manned-unmanned teaming tactics alongside US and allied forces.
South Korea's Navy is accelerating its adoption of AI technology across all operations to enhance future warfare readiness and operational efficiency, according to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul. A comprehensive plan includes developing AI-driven manned and unmanned combat systems.
South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back emphasized the need for a military overhaul by 2040, including expanded AI use and manned-unmanned teaming systems, to address future warfare and declining manpower.
The increasing autonomy of AI-powered drones in warfare raises urgent ethical and legal questions about programming morality into weapons systems. Experts debate whether AI can make moral decisions, distinguish combatants from civilians, and the implications of a "kill box" scenario.
DRDO has emphasized space as the most critical domain for future warfare, warning that India faces a "Herculean challenge" to bridge capability gaps with global rivals. Speaking at the DefSpace Symposium, DRDO outlined focus areas including space situational awareness, NAVIC enhancement, space-based surveillance, and early missile detection. The organisation called for a "whole-of-nation" approach and higher R&D investment, currently at just 0.65% of GDP with only 5% of defence budget, though the defence minister has committed to increasing defence R&D spending to 10% over five years.
