Tag: drones

“Send Us A Tip”: U.S. Dangles $15 Million Reward For New Intel On Iran’s Drone Network

There is little doubt that Iran’s Shahed drone threat has become a major concern, menacing surrounding Gulf states, commercial tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. bases across the region. This backdrop helps explain why the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has now put up to $15 million for new information in connection with an already sanctioned Iranian drone-production network linked to the IRGC-Qods Force. 

Rewards for Justice has named Kimia Part Sivan Company (KIPAS), which the State Department says serves as the drone-production arm of the IRGC-Qods Force. KIPAS has tested drones, supported drone transfers to Iraq, and procured foreign-made components for Iran’s drone program.

“The IRGC has financed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally, including via its proxies outside Iran, such as Hamas, Hizballah, and Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq. The IRGC funds its international activities – in part – through sales of military equipment, including UAVs. Proceeds from Iran’s sale of weapons and UAVs, including to buyers in Russia, also benefit the Iranian military, including the IRGC-QF,” Rewards for Justice wrote on its website.

The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC already sanctions KIPAS and appears on the Specially Designated Nationals list. OFAC designated KIPAS on October 29, 2021, for materially assisting the IRGC with its drone program.

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Russia Launches Massive Drone And Missile Assault On Ukrainian Western Border Crossings Amid Escalation Signs. Pentagon Halts 4,000 Troop Deployment To Poland.

In one of the largest aerial assaults of the ongoing conflict, Russia on Wednesday unleashed hundreds of kamikaze drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, with a notable focus on border crossings to Western neighbors. Ukrainian officials and regional reports described the strikes as unprecedented in scale, raising concerns about efforts to isolate Ukraine economically and logistically from Europe.

According to Ukrainian Air Force data, Russian forces launched 753 strike drones—primarily Geran-2 (Shahed-type) models, along with decoys—between 08:00 and 18:30 local time. Air defenses reportedly neutralized or suppressed around 710 of them, though strikes caused damage in multiple regions, including western areas near NATO borders, reported Military.com.

At least 150 Geran-2 drones specifically targeted Ukraine-side border crossings with Poland, according to preliminary assessments. Slovakia temporarily closed all its border crossings with Ukraine for security reasons after Russian drones approached the Zakarpattia region and the city of Uzhhorod. Operations resumed after a brief suspension.

Drones were also spotted in Moldovan airspace during the assault. Moldovan authorities reported the incursion but took no interceptive action, observing the drones flying near the Romanian border, wrote Spectator.

The attacks included a significant missile component, with reports of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles among the strikes on targets across Ukraine.

Analysts and observers note that the emphasis on western border infrastructure suggests an intent to disrupt not only weapons flows but also cross-border trade and economic links. This comes as some describe the conflict shifting from Russia’s initial “special military operation” framing to a more conventional full-scale war.

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Zelensky Touts That 20 Countries Seek Ukraine Drone Deals

Ukraine is emerging as a global drone export powerhouse, coming fresh off vast experience gained in over four years of war with Russia – or at least that’s the image Kiev is seeking to present to the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that nearly 20 countries are pursuing drone agreements with Ukraine, with four deals already finalized.

Agreements already confirmed include deals with Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, alongside ‌long-term security partnerships with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which were inked in late March as Zelensky personally toured the Gulf, even amid the ongoing Iran war, according to Reuters.

Zelensky has been offering Ukraine’s services and drone supplies to Gulf countries as a cheaper, effective alternative to dwindling and costly American-supplied anti-air defenses.

“Nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages: 4 agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts under these agreements are now being prepared,” Zelensky has newly proclaimed on X.

“Ukraine has ​already ⁠started to receive the necessary volume of fuel thanks to the agreements,” Zelensky also stated. Interestingly, he’s also of late been pitching being a supplier of battlefield robots, as we’ve detailed before.

Starting in April, Zelensky had hailed that Ukrainian personnel were able to help partners build effective air defenses using interceptor drones to combat Iranian Shaheds.

Low-cost interceptor drones deployed by Ukraine are among the most effective ways to combat the inexpensive $20,000 Shaheds, as a war of attrition makes little economic sense when interceptor missiles cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

Ukraine has had four years to develop low-cost one-way attack drones and interceptors during its war with Russia. Now, this technology is clearly being exported across multiple theaters in Eurasia.

Zelensky did not identify the countries or the exact interceptor drones used in his comments at the time, but it is possible that Octopus-100 autonomous interceptor drones were deployed.

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Stolen agricultural drones recovered at New Jersey warehouse

Fifteen agricultural drones that were stolen last month in New Jersey were recovered on Monday, the New Jersey State Police said.

The March 24 theft at CAC International, a logistics and shipping company located in Harrison, N.J., spooked authorities because the drones are built for precision spraying of crops and, in the wrong hands, could be programmed to disperse dangerous chemicals over a route controlled by GPS.

The drones were recovered at Prudent Corporation, located in Dover, New Jersey.

“This is an active, ongoing investigation that Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol are assisting with. No additional information is available,” a state police statement said.

The stolen drones were dropped off at the Dover warehouse the same day, where they have apparently been sitting ever since, according to workers who said they noticed them and called police.

Reports began to surface that authorities, including the FBI, were on the lookout for the drones. That’s when someone at the Dover warehouse contacted police.

The drones are operated remotely and can drop chemicals anywhere the operators decide.

The farming drones were catalogued by investigators and placed on a large tractor-trailer to be moved to a secure location.

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Russia Claims Frontline Progress in War With Ukraine, as Drone Strike Kills Two in Kherson

Two people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said. Hours later Russia attacked another minibus in Kherson, wounding the driver, he said.

Meanwhile, along the northern border with Belarus, Ukraine recorded “rather unusual” activity on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram on Saturday. Without elaborating, he said activity was seen on the Belarusian side of the border and that Ukraine would act if matters escalated.

“We are closely documenting and keeping the situation under control. If necessary, we will react,” he said.

Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin, has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground to send troops into Ukraine and to host some of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons.

On Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, a Russian strike damaged port infrastructure in the city of Odesa. No casualties were reported.

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As Hegseth Touts Autonomous Warfare Command, Human Rights Expert Pushes Civilian Protections

As the US military accelerates its adoption of autonomous weapons systems amid a growing global artificial intelligence arms race, one expert told Common Dreams on Wednesday that “greater action needs to be taken urgently” to protect civilians and ensure meaningful human control over rapidly developing technologies.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional lawmakers Wednesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027 that the military will soon have a new “sub-unified command” dedicated to autonomous warfare.

Hegseth, who advocates “maximum lethality” for US forces, has expressed disdain for what he called “stupid rules of engagement” designed to minimize civilian harm. He has overseen the dismantling of efforts meant to mitigate wartime harm to civilians – hundreds of thousands of whom have been killed in US-led wars during this century, according to experts.

This “maximum lethality” ethos, combined with AI-powered systems allowing for exponentially faster and more numerous target selection, has raised concerns that have been underscored by actions including Israel Defense Forces massacres in Gaza and Lebanon, and US attacks like the cruise missile strike on a school in Iran that killed 155 children and staff.

“A sole focus on achieving maximum lethality is inherently incompatible with civilian protection,” Verity Coyle, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) crisis, conflict, and arms division, told Common Dreams. “If the United States truly seeks to protect civilians, it should forgo this limited focus and ensure it has guardrails in place that assess the proportionality of its actions and guarantee a distinction between civilians and combatants.”

“Under international humanitarian law, civilian protection requires that military actions abide by the principles of distinction and proportionality,” Coyle noted. “In other words, military actors must distinguish between civilians and combatants and ensure that the resulting harm to civilians from their actions would not be excessive in comparison to the perceived military gain.”

Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems – commonly called “killer robots” – stress the need for meaningful human control. However, with industry-backed efforts afoot to ban state and local governments from placing guardrails on AI development, retaining such control could become increasingly difficult as the technology advances.

“The lack of serious guardrails… shows a troubling lack of concern for these real and immediate risks to civilians both in the United States and abroad,” Coyle said. “While we have seen some Congress members and state legislators express concern over these developments, greater action needs to be taken urgently.”

Asked about the “if we don’t build it, they will” mentality of many US proponents of unchecked AI development that is reminiscent of the Cold War nuclear arms race, Coyle said the United States is ignoring its “ability to set the global agenda and international humanitarian law norms.”

“As we see greater integration of AI in the military domain and resulting civilian harm, we need strong international leadership to respond to these threats, not states relinquishing their responsibilities,” she asserted.

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California Approves Rules Allowing Automakers to Test, Deploy Heavy-Duty Autonomous Vehicles

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on April 28 approved new regulations that would allow autonomous vehicle (AV) makers to test and deploy heavy-duty AV technology on California roadways.

The California DMV said manufacturers are required to test their vehicles with a safety driver, then progress to driverless testing, before they can apply for deployment on state roads.

Manufacturers must complete 50,000 miles of testing at each phase for light-duty vehicles and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty AVs and provide “a structured safety case” showing the safety of vehicle hardware, software, and operations in order to obtain a permit, according to the DMV.

The new rules would also expand safety and oversight requirements for all classes of AVs, allowing law enforcement agencies to cite companies for moving violations committed by their vehicles.

Under the regulations, companies operating AVs must respond to first-responder calls within 30 seconds, and local emergency officials will have the authority to issue “electronic geofencing directives” requiring autonomous vehicles to leave active emergency zones.

“California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said.

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Kiev’s attacks on Russian refinery cutting global oil supply – Kremlin

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure on the Black Sea coast are worsening the global oil crunch caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Multiple Ukrainian drone strikes have hit Tuapse, a key densely-populated port in Russia’s Krasnodar Region, have targeted its refinery and adjacent marine terminal. Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported fires at the site, including a major blaze at the refinery, prompting evacuations of nearby residents and emergency response measures.

The attacks led to high-risk air pollution, with residents advised to use respirators, as an oil spill destroyed miles of the beach in the resort town. Kondratyev also released a video of the town filled with smoke, with a clean-up operation ongoing on the beach.

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Report: Iran Using Russian and Chinese Technology to Improve Drone Accuracy

Defense analysts and security officials told The National on Monday that Iran is “relying on Chinese and Russian-made guidance chips” to improve the accuracy of its drone and missile attacks.

“Key to the advance is special computer chips designed for sophisticated navigation systems placed in Iran’s Shahed drones and its ballistic missiles,” the report said.

These chips allow Iran’s drones and ballistic missiles to employ Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) communications, which protect the attack vehicle from electronic jamming.

CRPA is an antenna system that skips rapidly between different frequencies and signal sources to defeat jamming attempts. Combined with refinements to the navigational software of a drone or missile, CRPA antennas help remotely-guided vehicles to operate in dense electronic warfare environments that would be overwhelming for less sophisticated communications systems.

CRPA only works if the remote vehicle has been equipped with very sophisticated electronics to handle inputs from multiple onboard antennas and external transmitters, adjusting on the fly to spoofing and jamming attacks.

According to The National’s report, the Iranians acquired such chips recently from its patrons in Russia and China and rapidly began upgrading its weapons, which allowed them to perform much better than the missiles and drones Iran launched at Israel in 2024. It also seems likely that Iran enjoyed targeting assistance from Russian satellites and ground stations this time around.

“CRPA allows drones and missiles to filter out jamming signals and lock onto genuine satellite data. That means they can stay on target even in heavily defended airspace. It’s a capability that, until recently, was largely confined to more advanced military powers,” a Western official told The National.

Other analysts pointed to Iran’s lucrative exchange of drone technology with Russia, during which Iran initially supplied Russia with huge numbers of its inexpensive Shahed kamikaze drones to overcome Ukraine’s advantage in drone warfare. The Russians later began building their own versions of the Shahed, with technological improvements, and sent some of the knockoffs back to Iran.

Durham University astrophysics professor Bleddyn Bowen noted that China may also be supplying Iran with access to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), China’s version of the Global Positioning System (GPS). China’s version of GPS is much more accurate than Russia’s, which is known as Glonass.

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Sophisticated Theft of 15 Cop-Drones in New Jersey Sparks Bioterrorism Fears

The theft of 15 crop-drones in New Jersey has sparked concerns among the FBI.

National security news outlet High Side reported that 15 agricultural Ceres Air C31 drones were stolen from a New Jersey warehouse last month.

According to the report, a man impersonating a delivery driver deceived logistics company CAC International into giving him the fleet of drones.

The drones have the ability to spray up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, but authorities are concerned the drones could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons.

Per Yahoo News:

Fifteen industrial spray drones vanished from a New Jersey facility last month in what investigators call a sophisticated, coordinated theft. These aren’t hobby quadcopters—they’re precision farming machines capable of dispersing 40 gallons of liquid across 30 acres per flight, all guided by GPS autopilot.

Federal investigators launched a probe amid bioterrorism concerns, treating the theft as more than expensive equipment loss. Each drone operates as a potential delivery system that could disperse hazardous materials over wide areas without human pilots at risk.

Retired FBI agent Steve Lazarus warned of serious consequences and called it a concerning scenario, emphasizing these are industrial sprayers designed for precision agriculture, not weekend flying. The sophisticated coordination required suggests professional thieves who understood the equipment’s capabilities and value.

The theft revives post-September 11th anxieties about agricultural aircraft being weaponized for chemical or biological attacks. Today’s threat multiplies exponentially—instead of recruiting and training pilots for single planes, bad actors could deploy swarms of pre-programmed drones simultaneously.

The report comes a month after The Gateway Pundit reported that the U.S. Army Fort Campbell Facebook Page revealed that four Skydio X10D Drone Systems were stolen from the 326th Division Engineer Battalion building.

A spokesperson at Fort Campbell has since announced that the suspects behind the drone theft have been identified, but did not release their names.

Drone threats have reportedly increased since the United States began military operations in Iran.

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