Industry & Contracts
Drone industry news from UASFeed — procurement awards, defense primes and startups, funding rounds, and the business of uncrewed systems.
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Industry & Contracts
Tekever Hits $6.4 Billion Valuation as University of California Leads First-Ever Direct European Bet
Tekever closed $580 million at a $6.4 billion valuation led by UC Investments' first direct European bet, a week after landing a UK deal worth up to £400 million to replace Watchkeeper drones.
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Industry & Contracts
The Army Has Fielded 40,000 Attack Drones. FAA Data Shows Why It's Short on Pilots
The Army says it has fielded or is fielding 40,000 small attack drones ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline, but FAA registration data shows the hobbyist pipeline it has leaned on for pilots is shrinking fast.
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Industry & Contracts
Beam Global Signs LOI to Acquire European Drone Firm, Eyes Vertical Integration
Beam Global has signed a non-binding LOI to acquire a European drone maker whose product already holds a Department of War Conditional Approval, betting its decade of military battery work can turn the deal into domestic drone manufacturing.
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Industry & Contracts
Hungary's ABZ Innovation Expands Drone Output as Its FCC 'Covered List' Exemption Hinges on a US Factory
ABZ Innovation tripled its Hungarian drone factory capacity toward 3,500 units a year, but the real story is regulatory: its FCC Covered List exemption now legally depends on the company actually building drones in the United States.
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Industry & Contracts
South Korea Commits KRW2.16 Trillion to a Home-Built Army Recon Drone, Then Five of 12 Drones Fail at Its Own Defense Ministry Showcase
Seoul approved KRW2.16 trillion for a domestic VTOL recon UAV on 15 Sept; the next day a KAI jet drone crashed at the Defense Ministry's first drone exhibition, where outlets count five of 12 or six of 17 demos going wrong.
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Industry & Contracts
Air Force Names Its Combat Drones Fury and Vengeance, but Anduril Says Production Can't Start Without an FY27 Budget
The Air Force christened the FQ-42 'Vengeance' and FQ-44 'Fury' at AFA, but Anduril says its self-funded Ohio plant can't begin CCA production without FY27 money, and a continuing resolution is holding spending at FY26 levels.
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Industry & Contracts
Canada's Drone Marketplace Goes Live With First Contract Awards Tied to Ukraine Partnership
Canada's new Defence Drone Initiative Marketplace issued its first C$50 million in contracts to six drone makers on Sept 10-11, with 30% of the resulting systems earmarked for Ukraine's Defense Forces under a broader C$1B+ bilateral package.
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Industry & Contracts
AeroVironment Guides to $2.1-2.2 Billion for FY2027 as Backlog Tops $1.2 Billion
AeroVironment posted 6% revenue growth in fiscal Q1 2027 and guided to $2.125-2.225 billion for the full year, days after a $464.8 million Army laser-weapon contract and a record fiscal 2026 backlog.
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Industry & Contracts
Army's 'Amazon-Style' Drone Marketplace Tops $750M in Sales, Now Adding Group 3 Systems
Six months after launch, the Army's UAS Marketplace has moved past $750 million in sales and is expanding from small Group 1/2 drones to systems weighing up to 1,320 pounds, with the UK and other allies exploring access.
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Industry & Contracts
Mach Industries Doubles Valuation to $3.7B With Additional $600M Series C
Mach Industries added $600 million to its Series C on September 10, 2026, pushing the round to $900 million total and the company's valuation to $3.7 billion in just three months.
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Industry & Contracts
Echodyne Rides Europe's Counter-Drone Boom, Lands Kongsberg PROTECTOR Radar Deal
Seattle-area radar maker Echodyne is weighing a European production line as NATO's counter-drone spending surges, just as Norway's Kongsberg picks its MESA radar to give PROTECTOR remote weapon stations real-time drone tracking.
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Industry & Contracts
AeroVironment's Laser Weapon Lands Its First Foreign Buyer, Days After the Army's Production Deal
AeroVironment's LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone laser scored its first international sale, worth more than $50 million, barely a week after the US Army handed the company its first-ever production contract for a high-energy laser weapon.
