United States tests V-Bat combat drone and GPS-independent hypersonic navigation

The United States is advancing several unmanned and hypersonic defense technologies. The U.S. Navy is testing the V-Bat combat drone developed by Shield AI. Designed for vertical takeoff and landing, the V-Bat can operate from ships and platforms with limited space by landing on its rear, eliminating the need for conventional runways. The drone, which weighs approximately 10 tons, features internal weapon compartments similar to fifth-generation fighters like the F-35 and is intended for reconnaissance and offensive missions with a projected range of up to 1,340 nautical miles.

Separately, General Dynamics Mission Systems and the U.S. Army successfully tested the MO-Nav navigation receiver on the Talon-A hypersonic aircraft, a reusable platform from Stratolaunch. The test aimed to demonstrate navigation capabilities without the use of GPS, a critical requirement for future hypersonic weapons and precision munitions in environments where GPS signals may be degraded or jammed. The MO-Nav system uses a software-defined architecture to process various positioning and radio frequency sources, providing reliable navigation references through multiple satellite constellations and commercial services.