“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money
Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
A prototype of the Atlas drone landing pad was on display at WDS 2022. (Photo: Leonid Nersisyan)
US company Dynamic Drone Solutions unveiled the Atlas all-terrain landing system for VTOL UAVs at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2022 exhibition in Riyadh.
‘Atlas is an all-weather and [all-] terrain drone landing platform, able to sustain a significant amount of weight from a drone or user,’ said Dynamic Drone Solutions CEO Dewayne Yarborough. ‘Countries deploying drones in a rocky terrain or uneven ground can now deploy units safely, efficiently and effectively.’
Atlas consists of two customisable platforms (that allows it to be folded) and four legs with adjustable screws – so the system can be adapted to uneven ground.
The
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Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
The Department of National Defence expects initial contracts to deliver thousands of uncrewed systems, but has yet to establish the quantities, capability mix or deadline behind Ottawa’s promised tenfold expansion.
The company told Shephard that Ukraine is operating modified Protector weapon stations originally supplied for armoured vehicles, with human operators authorising engagements from hundreds of kilometres away.
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.