Ukrainian ground robots and US autonomous combat drone test reshape unmanned warfare

Ground combat robots are becoming a core element of Ukraine’s army, performing supply runs, ammunition transport, casualty evacuation, mine laying and, increasingly, trench assaults. According to Ukrainian officials, thousands of missions are flown each month, and in April President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that a Russian‑held position was seized using only unmanned systems, without risking a single soldier.

In the United States, the Air Force successfully launched a live AIM‑120 AMRAAM from the YFQ‑44A Fury collaborative combat aircraft, marking the first real air‑to‑air missile shot by an autonomous combat drone. The test, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, validates the Pentagon’s CCA program, which aims to pair such drones with manned fighters like the F‑35 to add firepower and reconnaissance while keeping pilots out of harm’s way.