French Army Reorganizes Artillery for Drone-Threat Era

Today’s defense news includes military adaptations to drone threats, delays in Russia’s advanced fighter jet program, and growing concerns over AI in orbital defense systems.

French Army Adapts Artillery for Drone Era

The French Army’s 68th African Artillery Regiment is reorganizing its 155mm Caesar howitzer batteries into smaller, more dispersed units to increase survivability against drone threats, Defense News reports. This restructuring changes gun batteries from two four-gun sections to three two-gun sections, maintaining the overall number of howitzers while allowing for greater dispersion. A new dedicated support section will prepare firing positions, set up decoys, and preposition ammunition, aiming to create concealed areas for Caesar guns before fire missions.

Pentagon Orders More Drone-Killing Rocket Fuzes

The Pentagon has ordered an additional $52.3 million worth of L3Harris proximity fuzes, known as FALCO, designed to transform laser-guided APKWS rockets into drone killers, Defence Blog reports. This order more than doubles a previous contract and is slated for completion by November 2027. These fuzes allow a warhead to detonate near a target, eliminating the need for a direct hit on small, fast-moving drones, and have already been used by U.S. Air Force F-16s to shoot down Houthi drones.

Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate Fighter Faces Delays

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation announced construction of the first flying prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate, but the project has been plagued by years of delays and remains untested in flight, Kyiv Post Defense reports. Unveiled in July 2021, the Su-75 was promoted as a cheaper, more advanced stealth fighter with AI-assisted systems, claiming a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and a range of up to 2,900 kilometers. These claims, including an unmanned version displayed in November 2025, remain unverified until the aircraft is completed and tested.

AI Safety Concerns for Orbital Defense Systems

Evan Hubinger, a lead AI alignment scientist at Anthropic, personally believes there is a greater than 10% chance AI could lead to human extinction within the next decade, a concern extending to AI systems in critical defense infrastructure, SpaceNews reports. While current orbital AI models are specialized, the shift to onboard edge AI means these systems are making critical decisions in orbit, such as identifying missile plumes, before human analysts see raw data. This compression of decision time, coupled with acknowledged risks by AI developers, raises questions about the reliability of these systems in high-stakes nuclear scenarios.

Russian Jet-Powered Drone Strikes Ternopil

A Russian jet-powered drone struck the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil early on Tuesday, September 29, with debris falling onto an industrial facility, Kyiv Post Defense reports. The Ukrainian Air Force had issued warnings about the drone’s trajectory, and local Telegram channels reported sounds consistent with explosions. While no casualties were reported in Ternopil, simultaneous attacks in the Zhytomyr region damaged transportation and fuel infrastructure, contributing to power outages in several regions.

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