Reconnaissance

Mass attacks by one-way drones have created an increasingly difficult problem for air-defense forces. Systems such as the Shahed family can be launched in...

Drones are useful for surveillance and reconnaissance because they can remain overhead without putting a crew at risk. But they also create signatures that...

Autonomous drones can move quickly in open air, but cluttered environments are much harder. Buildings, trees, narrow passages and other obstacles leave little room...

Small drones approaching ships, ports and coastal installations create a difficult defensive problem. They can fly low, arrive in numbers and cost far less...

Military forces are rapidly adding drones and robotic systems, but operating them as separate platforms creates a growing coordination problem. One aircraft may collect...

As armed forces deploy growing numbers of unmanned aircraft, managing them efficiently is becoming as important as the drones themselves. Controlling each aircraft individually...

Modern cybersecurity systems face a scale problem. Networks generate enormous amounts of traffic, and malicious activity may be hidden among millions of ordinary interactions....

Detecting unauthorized drones around airports, power plants, stadiums and other sensitive locations usually requires dedicated radars, radio-frequency sensors or cameras. Deploying enough of those...

Modern battlefields are increasingly crowded with radio-frequency signals. Drones, aircraft, ships, communications equipment and electronic warfare systems all transmit across the electromagnetic spectrum, creating...

Persistent surveillance is one of the biggest challenges in modern military operations. Conventional drones are limited by battery capacity or fuel, requiring frequent landings...

Small military drones are taking on increasingly complex missions, from reconnaissance and target tracking to autonomous navigation and coordinated swarm operations. Yet many of...

Modern military operations are influenced by more than events on the physical battlefield. Social media posts, messaging platforms, videos, news reports and foreign-language sources...

Unexploded bombs, naval mines, and artillery shells left behind by past conflicts remain a hazard in coastal waters around the world. Buried beneath sand...

Resupplying personnel in remote or contested areas is one of the most difficult challenges in military and emergency operations. Landing a drone to deliver...

Maritime surveillance often requires both surface vessels and aerial drones to maintain awareness over large areas. While drones provide a much wider field of...

Robots designed for industrial inspection or emergency response often face a tradeoff. Wheeled platforms can move quickly and efficiently over long distances but struggle...

Underwater environments are notoriously demanding for electronic systems. Sensors used by divers and underwater robots must withstand pressure, moisture and constant mechanical stress while...

Modern fighter pilots are expected to do far more than fly and engage targets. They must process sensor data, manage electronic warfare systems, coordinate...

Modern combat aircraft face an increasingly difficult challenge: operating in airspace saturated with advanced radar systems, long-range missiles, and integrated air defenses. For unmanned...

Robots are increasingly being used for inspections, emergency response, and field operations in locations that are difficult or dangerous for people to reach. However,...

Modern air defense systems are becoming increasingly difficult to penetrate. Long before an aircraft reaches its target, ground-based radars can detect, track and coordinate...

Collecting data at sea often requires researchers to choose between two very different types of vehicles. Aerial drones can quickly survey large areas but...