August 22, 2026:
The American military considers a Class 5 drone to weigh at least 600 kg and operate at up to 5,500 meters. Current Group 5 drones include the MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and MQ-4 Triton. Several new Class 5 aircraft are in development, and one of the most interesting is Thunder, expected to make its first flight by 2027 and enter service in the early 2030s.
This is a drone version of the AH-64 gunship, but smaller and lighter. It uses OSTR/Optimum-Speed Tiltrotors that vary rotor RPM to maintain efficiency across different flight conditions while reducing power demand and fuel use during operations, and it is silenced to make it more difficult to detect near the ground. Thunder is being built with commercial and military models in mind. In combat, an AH-64 crew will control several Thunder drones. A few Thunders and an AH-64 will make a very powerful combination.
Thunder is a twin-tilt rotor aircraft. The V-22 was the first American tilt-rotor military aircraft. Users liked the unique hybrid, but early models proved very expensive to operate. Eventually, they addressed all the problems. Thunder can carry ten Hellfire missiles, pods for dozens of guided 127mm rockets, and several smaller 12.3 kg reconnaissance and surveillance drones that can remain airborne for up to four hours. Drone interceptors can also be carried. Earlier this year, Anduril developed a new drone weapon for the Apache attack helicopter in only six months. This weapon was tested when an AH-64 launched this drone for the first time. It flew 457 kilometers and had an impact comparable to that of a Hellfire missile. The 10-ton AH-64E carries a pilot and a weapons officer, as well as up to 16 Hellfire missiles plus the 30mm automatic cannon. Sorties average three hours. The AH-64 can operate at night and has a top speed of 260 kilometers an hour.
Other types of autonomous weapons and systems are already available. European defense manufacturer Thales has an autonomous mine-clearing system. The French Navy will be the first to use it and, if it works, other NATO nations will likely adopt it. Test and evaluation models are currently used, and production models are expected by 2028.The big advantage of the new Thales system is that it uses unmanned drones using sonar to find bottom mines. These are the most common mines currently used. Older floating mines could be spotted easily and destroyed using drone-delivered explosive charges or autocannon fire by a manned ship. It’s safer to let the drones do all the work, but if you are in a hurry, autocannon fire will do the job.
The new Thales system uses several different types of sonar to detect mines, including lidar. The minesweeper drones are five meters long, half a meter in diameter, and weigh half a ton. The drones can operate at depths up to 300 meters and run for up to ten hours before recharging.
Taiwan successfully conducted sea trials for six SeaShark 680 naval drones. These drones, including the larger SeaShark 800, carry payloads that include an autonomous guidance system, navigational sensors, explosives, and an AI-enhanced navigation and communications system that enables groups of SeaSharks to form and maintain a swarm formation despite enemy electronic jamming. Taiwan is buying 1,350 SeaSharks at $750,000 each. The larger SeaShark 800 will carry a ton of explosives.