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Welcome to Drone Technology Daily on this November eighteenth. The past twenty-four hours have delivered significant developments across the unmanned aerial vehicle industry. AIRO Group and Nord-Drone have announced a new transatlantic joint venture designed to rapidly scale production and deployment of battlefield-tested drones for United States, NATO, and Ukraine forces. This partnership leverages American manufacturing with European combat expertise, enabling over four thousand drones per month, including advanced FPV strike units, loitering munitions, and multi-role bombers. Their NORD-10 and NORD-15 drones reach up to fifteen kilometers and carry payloads up to four and a half kilograms, featuring multi-constellation navigation and proprietary controls. As Nord-Drone CEO Dr. Yevgen Kotukh stated, this venture accelerates mass deployment while maintaining high performance standards crucial for current security operations.

Shifting to the commercial sector, the General Atomics MQ-9B now teams with Saab to launch airborne early warning and control capabilities. Demonstrated just yesterday at the Dubai Airshow, this upgrade equips the drone for long-range detection and simultaneous target tracking, defending against threats from cruise missiles to hostile drone swarms. The MQ-9B offers unmatched operational availability in the medium-altitude endurance class. According to GA-ASI President David Alexander, these advancements deliver persistent protection without risking human aircrews, a major step for enterprise and defense applications.

Global drone regulations continue to evolve. In the United States, new Federal Aviation Administration rules now require all registered drones to broadcast remote identification signals, functioning as digital license plates. Operators must comply either through standard built-in remote ID, external broadcast modules, or fly within recognized identification areas. The upcoming National Defense Authorization Act threatens the future of Chinese-made drones such as DJI and Autel; should the Federal Communications Commission determine unacceptable risk, new models may be barred from release or even existing authorizations revoked. The Department of Defense is also scrutinizing Chinese drone supply chains for vulnerabilities and national security risks.

On the global defense scene, BlueBird Aero Systems opened a dedicated loitering munition production site in Morocco to support local military modernization, and Thales has delivered a next-generation sonar naval drone to the French navy for advanced mine warfare countermeasures. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s prolific drone output is demonstrating how mass deployment of affordable UAVs can offset conventional firepower, shifting European defense strategy. Industry experts emphasize that technology alone is not enough; proper operator training, as now exported by Ukrainian teams to allies such as Britain, Denmark, and Poland, is essential for maximizing the strategic impact of drone systems.

For listeners investing in new platforms, a direct comparison of the NORD-15 versus the MQ-9B illustrates regional market trends. The NORD-15 excels in tactical battlefield roles with high volume and modular payloads, while the MQ-9B, now with Saab’s AEW, reigns in strategic reach, persistent data gathering, and force protection for higher-value missions. The MQ-9B specifications include advanced satellite communications, multi-role configurations, and extended endurance, whereas the NORD model emphasizes rapid deployment, affordability, and GPS-GLONASS navigation suited for active combat environments.

Market data indicates that military and commercial drone production has increased dramatically this year. Ukraine alone reports millions of units annually, and state defense budgets in regions such as North Africa and Western Europe continue...