A French fighter jet has successfully conducted the second development firing of MICA NG air-to-air missile. The New Generation Missile for Interception, Combat, and Self-Defence (MICA NG) was fired from Rafale.

Conducted for the first time in supersonic flight configuration, this firing took place at the DGA Missile Testing Centre’s Mediterranean site.

The test is a major step towards the missile’s qualification and  integration with the Rafale since the first development shot from a Rafale which took place in June 2025.

Firing was made under highly demanding operational conditions

The test was conducted in collaboration with the teams of MBDA, DGA, Dassault Aviation, and the French Air and Space Force.

This firing was made under highly demanding operational conditions. It successfully evaluated the performance of the MICA NG’s infrared seeker in a supersonic flight context, thereby validating its capabilities to handle all types of current and future threats, according to MBDA.

It’s also revealed that the firing successfully validated the full deployment chain of the infrared version of the missile, particularly its seeker, even in extremely challenging flight conditions and high temperatures.

Missile uses seeker to automatically correct its trajectory

The seeker is a system used by the missile to automatically correct its trajectory based on the information it receives. In its infrared version, it uses the infrared radiation emitted by the target. In a supersonic flight configuration of the Rafale, at faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1), the MICA NG and its infrared seeker are subjected to a higher ambient temperature, according to MBDA.

The higher this temperature, the lower the contrast between the target of interest and the background of the image, and the more difficult it will be for the seeker to detect it. This test validated the capabilities of the MICA NG’s infrared seeker under these conditions.

MBDA also revealed that the MICA NG is equipped with advanced technologies that enable it to address high performance future threats that will be faster and  more stealthy. This enhances France’s capability to maintain its operational superiority in contested and high-intensity airspaces.

In addition to the usual targets covered by air-to-air missiles (aircraft, helicopters), the MICA NG extends its capabilities to targets characterized by very low infrared and electromagnetic signatures, such as drones, stealth fighters, and highly maneuverable cruise missiles, according to a press release.

MBDA also highlighted that MICA NG will ensure interception, close combat, and self-defence capabilities for fighter aircraft to maintain air superiority, as well as for ships and areas of terrestrial interest in its VL MICA NG version.

With each development milestone, MBDA moves closer to delivering a next-generation air-to-air weapon that combines advanced sensors, extended range, and superior flexibility.

The successful test not only demonstrates the maturity of the MICA NG program but also highlights France’s commitment to maintaining technological superiority in the rapidly evolving domain of aerial warfare.

A long search has finally concluded: Swiss divers have discovered a legendary Roman-era bridge that researchers have been trying to locate for decades. It may be the only pile trestle of its kind that exists.

As plans were underway to construct a bridge over the Aare River, Swiss archaeologists hired by Cantonal Archaeology conducted routine archaeological investigations in the area near Solothurn, Switzerland, which has long been a subject of interest for archaeologists.

A bridge pier, known as a pile trestle, was believed to have been built in this location. Archaeologists were eager to investigate due to the area’s “strategic geography” and “its position along an important transalpine trade and military route.”

And finally, as construction work would be carried out, archaeologists were hired by Cantonal Archaeology to take the plunge, which they did several times, guided by previous accounts of the presence of “stakes” in the waters. On fins, they came to discover a row of timber piles near Solothurn’s Wengi Bridge.

The piles, just under 6.56 feet long and arranged in the direction of the current, provided the first physical evidence of a pile trestle ever found. Upon analyzing the wood and remnants of the bridge pier, they confirmed its existence, dated it to the 4th century, and established that it was linked to the city’s development as a castrum, or fortified settlement.

A major bridge pier

This long-sought bridge was part of a major road connecting Italy with the Rhine River, according to LBV. Sections of this road had already been identified on either side of the river, suggesting that a bridge must have existed to facilitate crossings.

For years, archaeologists contended that the riverbed near Solothurn could contain a pile trestle due to the unique characteristics of this small municipality in Switzerland. The Aare River narrows at a point near the town, which helped archaeologists estimate where the bridge might have been constructed.

Historically, Salodurum is the Latinized version of a Celtic toponym that means “river narrows” or “gateway of the waves.” Until now, no physical evidence had been found, only rumors of “stakes” underwater.

Previously, it was known that the Romans settled in this area between the 1st and 3rd centuries. In the 4th century, a defensive wall was constructed in response to instability and military pressures, leading to the fortification of urban settlements. This bridge symbolizes an empire striving to protect itself from its ultimate demise.

A system of defense

A castrum wasn’t a town wall, but rather a system, Arkeonews clarified. Solothurn, a picturesque town today, once held strategic importance due to its placement on the Aare. This region was well-developed and interconnected by imperial routes. The Romans built this bridge pier to enhance a gateway crucial for preventing significant losses. The settlement lying beneath the Baroque center even reveals how the Romans intentionally selected this spot for its strategic value.

Because the 1,700-year-old wood would decay if exposed to air, the construction project will not disturb the precious timbers submerged in the river, allowing them to remain in their watery grave. They represent the Roman Empire at a pivotal time in its history.

Archaeologists will continue investigating the bridge, Heritage Daily concludes, and they hope to glean new insights into their methods of construction and how it functioned in this vast network that linked the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

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A Danish engineering called Danfloss has developed a new digital hydraulic system designed specifically for electric construction equipment, claiming it can reduce energy consumption from a machine’s battery by 35% and improve runtime by more than 50%.

The breakthrough could prove significant for heavy-duty machinery, where electrification has often faced a major challenge: battery-powered machines must deliver enough runtime and productivity to match the demands of construction and mining work.

The project began with a Develon DX300LC-7 crawler excavator, which was converted into a fully electric machine.

The excavator was fitted with a Danfoss Editron EM-PMI375 drive motor, EC-C1200 inverter, and MC050 motor controller, along with three 140-kWh batteries.

The key change, however, came in the hydraulic system. Engineers replaced the excavator’s conventional swashplate hydraulic pump with a newly developed DDP180D pump motor designed to service the boom, arm, bucket, and swing functions.

Digital hydraulics cut battery demand

Unlike a conventional hydraulic setup that supplies constant power and pressure throughout the system, the new unit uses ten individually controllable outlets. These outlets provide hydraulic force only where it is needed, instead of continuously feeding the whole system at a peak-load level.

This allows designers to build around the machine’s average workload rather than its peak load. The result is a more efficient electric excavator that can perform significantly more work using the same amount of stored battery energy.

By reducing unnecessary hydraulic losses, the system cuts battery energy consumption by 35%.

In practical terms, this gives the machine more than 50% additional runtime, a major improvement for electric construction equipment that must operate for long work cycles in demanding environments.

“We are extremely encouraged by these results, but there is more work to do,” said Alasdair Robertson, senior director, Digital Displacement, Danfoss Power Solutions.

“Further gains are possible, and we will continue optimizing the system to maximize the energy savings and value for our customers,” he continued.

UK grant supports red diesel alternatives

The electrification project was partly funded through a grant from the UK’s Red Diesel Replacement Phase 2 Competition.

The program is designed to advance the development of lower-emission alternatives to red diesel used in the construction and mining industries.

Red diesel has long powered off-highway equipment, but industries that rely on heavy-duty machinery are increasingly looking for cleaner alternatives.

Electrification is one route, but battery size, runtime, and total cost of ownership remain central concerns.

Longer runtime could accelerate adoption

For electric construction machines, performance is not just about emissions. Operators also need smooth control, productivity, and cost advantages before battery-electric machines can be adopted more widely.

“Electric excavators offer excellent responsiveness, smooth control, a quiet cab environment and zero-emission operation,” added Robertson.

“With Dextreme Max, they can also deliver the runtime, productivity and total cost of ownership advantages required for wider adoption, thereby accelerating the decarbonization of heavy-duty machinery,” he said.

If the system can be scaled successfully, it could help make electric excavators and other heavy-duty machines more practical for real-world construction and mining operations.

By extending runtime while lowering battery energy demand, the technology could remove one of the biggest barriers facing off-highway electric vehicles.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are pushing materials design closer to the atomic scale by showing how MXenes can be tailored almost atom-by-atom for advanced technologies.

In two recent publications, researchers demonstrated new ways to control the types of atoms in MXenes, where those atoms sit, and what chemical groups attach to their atom-thin surfaces.

MXenes, pronounced “max-eens,” are a family of two-dimensional materials often just a few atoms thick. They are mainly made from transition metals, such as titanium, vanadium, or molybdenum, bonded to carbon and/or nitrogen.

Expanding the MXene material family

MXenes begin as layered solids called MAX phases. When researchers chemically remove one type of layer from a MAX phase, the remaining sheets can be separated into thin, flat MXene layers.

“I like to imagine MAX phases as a textbook with all the pages glued shut and MXenes as a single page you want to extract,” explained Brian Wyatt, a Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellow at Argonne.

“You have to dissolve the glue and coax that page out. The glue and pages represent different chemical environments, so atoms prefer to be near certain layers,” he added.

In work published in Science, Argonne scientists created 40 different MAX phases, each containing at least two metals and, in some cases, as many as nine metals in a single structure.

The achievement nearly doubled the known chemical space that can be used to make MXenes.

When atomic order breaks down

The researchers found that atomic ordering can continue when a material contains up to six different metals. But when seven or more metals are added, the pattern breaks down and the atoms become truly disordered.

“This is where entropy, the natural tendency toward randomness, wins,” Wyatt said. “Nature likes some kinds of order, but once we add enough different ingredients, it becomes too hard for the atoms to stay organized,” he added.

Using secondary ion mass spectrometry, or SIMS, the team measured the material layer by layer to see where different atoms were located.

Designer materials for future technologies

“We like to say that these are like designer materials,” Wyatt said. “If I want a certain application, I use these compositions; if I want something different, I use others. The class is so big, we can design for what we need.”

One promising use is electromagnetic interference shielding, where MXenes can block unwanted signals even in nanometer-thick coatings.

Researchers are also studying them for catalysis, where their exposed 2D surfaces could reduce the need for costly materials such as platinum.

“The tunability of MXenes is key for catalysis,” Muhoza said.

“Sometimes you need specific metals as active sites, but only a small area of bulk material is actually active. With MXenes, you can put those metals on a 2D structure, so they’re all exposed,” he added.

The next challenge is scaling these materials for manufacturing and industry adoption. Artificial intelligence and machine learning may help researchers identify which element combinations are most worth testing.

Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have designed and tested a key component for rotating detonation engines (RDEs), an emerging combustion technology that could help make next-generation gas turbines more efficient, less fuel-intensive, and cleaner.

The work focuses on pressure gain combustion, a long-sought advancement in turbine technology.

Unlike conventional gas turbine combustion, which typically loses pressure during the combustion process, pressure gain combustion can increase pressure as fuel is burned.

This could significantly improve turbine performance while reducing fuel use and lowering nitrogen oxides emissions.

Detonation waves instead of conventional combustion

Rotating detonation engines operate in a fundamentally different way from today’s turbine combustors. Instead of relying on conventional flame-based combustion, RDEs use rapidly moving detonation waves inside a chamber.

These waves release energy quickly and generate high-pressure pulses that can potentially improve overall engine efficiency.

“We could achieve pressure gain combustion with RDEs because they operate using detonation waves rather than conventional combustion used in today’s gas turbines,” said NETL’s Justin Weber, who leads this project with his colleagues in the Lab’s Advanced Turbines research team.

“Detonations release energy more rapidly, forming a high-pressure pulse and shock wave. But transitioning this concept into reliable hardware has long posed scientific and engineering challenges — particularly in ensuring stable, repeatable detonation under varying operating conditions,” he continued.

That challenge has been one of the major barriers to turning RDEs from a promising laboratory concept into practical hardware for turbine-scale systems.

Computer modeling guides injector redesign

To address the issue, NETL researchers used high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations to redesign the injector that delivers fuel and air into the detonation chamber.

Earlier injector concepts suffered from startup instabilities, making it difficult to reliably generate and sustain the detonation waves needed for RDE operation.

The team used CFD modeling to examine how injector geometry, flow distribution, and fuel-mixing behavior affected wave formation.

This approach helped researchers develop a novel-aero strut injector configuration. According to NETL, the new design can sustain detonation waves while producing a lower pressure drop across the injector, improving performance.

The research demonstrates how advanced modeling can accelerate hardware development by reducing reliance on trial-and-error testing. It also gives researchers a deeper understanding of how combustion dynamics change under extreme operating conditions.

Stable waves confirmed in testing

NETL then tested the redesigned injector using its water-cooled RDE test platform, a research rig built to withstand extreme thermal loads during high-pressure detonation.

“To validate the new design, we integrated the injector into NETL’s water-cooled RDE test platform — an advanced research rig designed to withstand extreme thermal loads during high-pressure detonation,” Weber said.

The result directly supports NETL’s Advanced Turbines Program, which is focused on maturing pressure gain combustion and reducing technical risks for next-generation gas turbines.

A stable injector is considered a critical building block for practical RDE-based systems. By demonstrating consistent detonation behavior across multiple conditions, NETL has moved the technology closer to real-world deployment.

Researchers now plan to continue refining RDE components and exploring integration with turbine hardware, with the goal of eventually bringing pressure gain combustion from the laboratory into commercial energy infrastructure.

The University of Manchester has discovered that the world’s largest scorpion, which lived 415 million years ago, was hiding in the museum’s collection for 150 years.

Since the 1870s, researchers have debated the identity of the strange fossil remains lurking in the Manchester archives. They possessed tiny fragments recovered from sites in England and Wales that puzzled them, but they could not piece them together. Was it a large woodlouse-crustacean?

In the 1980s, some research suggested that a scorpion might be the source of the fossil remains. However, this hypothesis faced challenges due to a lack of fossil evidence of its most distinctive feature: its tail.

To resolve the debate, paleontologists conducted a study of the remains using modern imaging and analytical techniques, according to a press release from the University of Manchester. They were “able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting.”

The 3.3-foot-long Praearcturus gigas scorpion now joins the ranks of Earth’s ferocious prehistoric beasts, boasting pincers 6.2 inches long. As it roamed the Earth over 400 million years ago, researchers sought to understand the factors that allowed this prehistoric predator to grow to such an astonishing size.

The t.rex of scorpions

According to the study authors, “Along with dinosaurs, mammoths, and other charismatic megafauna, giant arthropods are an iconic symbol of the Earth’s deep paleontological history in popular culture.”

Lead author Dr. Richard J. Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum in London, described the imagery often associated with giant arthropods: “Carboniferous rainforests filled with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects… but Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was just beginning.”

In other words, researchers may have identified the T. rex of arthropods nearly two hundred million years before the rise of the dinosaurs. The Praearcturus gigas lived during the Early Devonian period—a time when forests had not yet evolved—so this giant scorpion lived among small plants and fungi, as per the press release.

What did it eat?

Researchers were stunned: how did the scorpion grow to such a size, surrounded by relatively unassuming and unimposing neighbors? The answer lies in its lack of competition. As few large animals were present at that time, Praearcturus was free to become a predatory giant, according to the NYPost.

Furthermore, the “cool” creature, which might inspire a new figurine in a child’s toy collection, may have been partially aquatic, as suggested by its epimera—the descending lateral plates or flaps found on the bodies of crustaceans.

Dr. Howard stated in Live Science, “Without complex ecosystems to support Praearcturus on land, these animals probably spent part of their lives hunting in water.” The Praearcturus was even “before its time,” and its extraordinary size might be explained by one factor: water.

“This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth’s history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans,” as per a press release.

 “The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time,” Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, and co-author of the study, continued. “Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments.”

“It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land,” AOL concludes.

You can read the study here.

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A research team at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) recently documented the electronic behavior of a specific plutonium compound, shifting the focus of modern actinide research toward quantum mechanics.

According to their published paper, the compound plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) functions as a topological Kondo insulator. “Plutonium hexaboride gives us a rare opportunity to see how strong correlations and topology work together in actinide materials,” said INL scientist Krzysztof Gofryk, who led the study.

This precise atomic state provides alternative structural data for an element that has historically resisted complete physical classification since its initial synthesis eighty-six years ago.

Giving physicists a controlled baseline

While plutonium remains a primary component within nuclear security frameworks and commercial reactor fuel cycles, its internal electron dynamics have consistently proven difficult to map. The state observed in the PuB6 compound gives physicists a controlled baseline to study the underlying physics governing the heaviest elements of the periodic table.

The classification of PuB6 as a topological Kondo insulator indicates a departure from standard electrical behaviors. Standard substances are categorized by their ability to either transmit an electric current or resist it entirely. 

Topological insulators alter this distribution by acting as barriers to electricity within their bulk core while maintaining open conductive pathways along their outer perimeter. 

“The surface conductivity of topological insulators is unusually strong; it can’t be easily disrupted by impurities or physical defects,” said the researchers in a press release.

Identifying a specific quantum phenomenon

The term “Kondo” identifies a specific quantum phenomenon where individual electrons experience strong mutual repulsion. These close-range interactions cause the particles to act collectively rather than as independent units, generating physical properties that cannot be extrapolated by looking at single, isolated atoms. 

“Plutonium is a striking example,” added the researchers. “It contains 5f electrons, which are especially prone to these intense interactions, making it one of the most dramatic and complex materials known.”

By testing the hexaboride compound, the laboratory team recorded how these strong electron correlations coordinate with the geometric boundaries of the material’s surface.

Because actinide elements are highly radioactive, physical experimentation requires specialized safety protocols. The laboratory used a plasma focused ion beam to isolate microscopic sections of the plutonium compound, allowing researchers to place the material into ultra-low temperature environments. 

Minimizing thermal energy removes ambient atomic vibrations, allowing the team to measure pure quantum mechanics without heat interference.

Validating the metrics

“These advanced preparation techniques allow us to study plutonium at very low temperatures,” explained INL researcher Daniel Murray.

To validate the metrics, the researchers worked alongside theoretical physicists at Columbia University, matching the physical measurements against numerical computer models. 

The resilient currents found on the surface of topological materials offer a potential pathway for building stable processing units in quantum computers and developing high-precision magnetic sensors.

“On the quantum side, the research has potential applications in quantum computing, advanced sensing and frontier technologies that could fundamentally reshape how researchers model nuclear systems and materials,” concluded the press release.

A trio of students from the University of British Columbia has put their expertise to the test by building a single-player, artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled air hockey table. This is interesting enough, but what really takes the biscuit is that the AI managed to learn to play purely in simulation.

Typically, AI-controlled robots like this are trained through trial and error in the “real world” by failing and learning from thousands of practice runs. While effective, this is time-consuming and can damage hardware.

The UBC team, however, decided to see if they could train the AI in the digital space, make its mistakes there first, and then be unleashed on a real air hockey table. To this end, they built a highly accurate digital twin of the table to train the AI.

Once the training was complete, they then copied the trained AI into the real robot to see how it performed against a human opponent. And the results were surprising.

Despite any real-world experience, the AI-controlled robot air hockey player was able to put up a real challenge. All this straight “out of the box,” as it were.

Tempered digitally for the real world

What’s also interesting here is that AI typically struggles to learn tasks like air hockey. This is because the puck, in particular, moves very fast, can move unpredictably, and is heavily influenced by subtle changes from interactions with paddles and walls.

Any robot player also has to factor in time lags from motors, cameras, voltage fluctuations, mechanical vibrations, and imperfect puck tracking. So, even tiny errors can result in game-losing miscalculations.

To this end, the team purposefully designed the AI’s training environment to be imperfect. This is a diversion from most training scenarios, which can be “too perfect,” but the real world clearly isn’t.

So, the team factored in things like uneven rails, warped tables, inconsistent rebounds, power supply dips, and camera latency. Called “domain randomization,” this enabled the AI to learn to expect the unexpected and react as best it can, just like a human player has to.

This, the team explains, teaches the AI to predict a range of likely outcomes from a puck bounce rather than an exact outcome based on a set algorithm. So, the AI learned to expect a puck to be in an approximate place in the future and react accordingly.

To speed up training, the team ditched the idea of using normal physics engines like Unity and Unreal and instead turned to something called “soft actor critic” training. In short, this is a sort of carrot-and-stick-based learning environment.

Air hockey is a punishing sport

Within it, the AI takes action and gets rewards or punishments based on its performance. Over millions of simulated games, the AI gets better and better at playing the game and adapting to all the built-in chaos of the game.

When applied to the real world, the AI player was also giving a helping hand using a special overhead camera and a retroreflective tape-coated puck. This helps the AI “see” the puck more clearly at 120 frames per second.

Beyond air hockey, the team’s innovation also has some potential applications for training other autonomous systems like drones, vehicles, robots, etc. If the training of these platforms could be sped up and made more realistic, similar sim-to-real transfers could be a huge boon.

If you want to learn more, details are available on the project’s official GitHub page.

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Teledyne Technologies Incorporated has announced that Teledyne FLIR Defense has secured an $11.2 million contract from the U.S. Army’s Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense to deliver more than 45 advanced CBRN unmanned aerial system kits.

The award is centered on equipping frontline units with unmanned systems that can detect, map, and assess hazardous environments without putting soldiers directly in danger.

The kits are based on Teledyne FLIR’s R80D SkyRaider unmanned aerial system and will include modular chemical, biological, and radiological detection payloads, along with resilient communications technologies.

“Safe-guarding soldiers from weapons of mass destruction is at the core of our mission,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne Defense and Aerospace Group and Senior Vice President of Teledyne Technologies.

“These SkyRaider-based sensor kits dramatically improve how units can detect and map CBRN hazards without exposing warfighters to dangerous environments,” he added.

Drone kits built for CBRN threat detection

The kits were developed under the U.S. Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Sensor Integration on Robotic Platforms program, known as CSIRP.

The program is focused on rapidly prototyping and fielding modular sensor solutions that can enhance drones and unmanned ground vehicles.

According to the announcement, CSIRP brings together advanced sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, and communications technologies to improve robotic platforms used in hazardous environments.

For this contract, the R80D SkyRaider drone has been specially configured with semi-autonomous CBRN search and survey capabilities developed under the CSIRP program.

Once deployed, the drone can autonomously locate and characterize CBRN threats, giving operators a safer way to understand the risks present in contaminated areas.

Using detection payloads mounted on the drone, operators can view real-time hazard data through mapping, targeting, and communications tools.

This allows dismounted frontline units to rapidly assess contaminated environments while keeping personnel out of harm’s way.

Carrying modular payloads

Each kit includes the R80D SkyRaider drone carrying a selection of chemical, biological, and radiological detection payloads. The payload suite includes the Teledyne FLIR MUVE B330 biological sensor and features autonomous operation.

The modular nature of the system is a key part of the Army’s CSIRP effort, which aims to field sensor solutions that can be integrated onto robotic platforms for different operational needs.

In this case, the SkyRaider-based kit gives units a mobile aerial platform that can support CBRN search, survey, and hazard characterization missions.

The technology is intended to strengthen how frontline units respond to environments where chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear hazards may be present.

Instead of sending soldiers directly into contaminated zones, operators can use the drone to gather hazard data remotely and in real time.

Deliveries expected in 2026

The sensor kits will be built at Teledyne FLIR Defense facilities in Elkridge, Maryland, and West Lafayette, Indiana. Additional engineering work will be performed in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Deliveries under the $11.2 million contract are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.

For Teledyne FLIR Defense, the award adds to its work in integrated CBRN detection solutions and unmanned sensing systems.

For the Army, the SkyRaider-based kits represent another step toward using robotic platforms to help soldiers detect, map, and respond to dangerous battlefield hazards from a safer distance.

As the flying car industry moves from prototype development toward commercial deployment, attention is increasingly shifting to the technologies needed to support safe and scalable operations. 

Su Qingpeng, founder and CEO of GAC Govy, a low-altitude mobility company incubated by GAC, recently described solid-state batteries as the “essential path” for the future of flying cars, highlighting their potential to deliver the energy density and safety required for aerial mobility.

At the same time, investor expectations are evolving. Rather than focusing primarily on technical specifications and performance claims, capital markets are placing greater emphasis on practical indicators of commercial success, including vehicle deliveries, profitability, production readiness, and the timeline for obtaining airworthiness certification.

Flying cars follow a path similar to early EVs

Su compared the current stage of the flying car industry to the position electric vehicles occupied roughly a decade ago, when the market was still transitioning from early adoption to large-scale growth. He argued that aviation mobility could advance even more rapidly than the EV sector once adoption reaches a critical threshold. 

According to his outlook, the industry is expected to establish a sustainable commercial ecosystem by 2030, supported by technological progress, regulatory approvals, and the gradual rollout of low-altitude transportation services, CarNewsChina reported.

After entering the market with its first production model, GAC Govy has been advancing toward regulatory approval and commercial deployment. Its flagship aircraft, the Govy AirCab, opened for pre-orders in 2025 and officially entered production in May 2026. 

The Chinese company aims to complete airworthiness testing and secure Type Certification (TC) by the end of 2026, while Production Certification (PC) is targeted for the first half of 2027, paving the way for larger-scale manufacturing and commercial operations.

Safer, longer-range flying cars depend on solid-state batteries 

In the long run, battery technology is emerging as one of the most important factors shaping the future of aerial mobility. Su noted that solid-state batteries will play a central role in enabling the next generation of flying cars by delivering both the energy density required for longer flight ranges and the safety standards needed for commercial operations. 

Furthermore, the business case for solid-state batteries is markedly different in aviation than in the automotive sector. Whereas carmakers are pursuing the technology largely to lower costs and improve competitiveness in high-volume markets, flying car manufacturers can absorb significantly higher battery costs due to the economics of aircraft production. Su noted that conventional aircraft are far more expensive to build than automobiles, giving eVTOL developers greater flexibility to adopt advanced battery technologies. 

As a result, solid-state batteries can already be deployed in limited production runs for aerial vehicles. Over time, broader adoption across the automotive industry is expected to drive down battery costs, making flying cars more economical to operate and opening the door to wider commercial use.

However, Su also warned that flying car production is likely to scale more slowly than traditional automobiles. Extensive design iterations, airworthiness certification, and manufacturing validation requirements make the path to mass production longer and more complex, resulting in a gradual ramp-up in deliveries.

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Electric vehicle startup Harbinger has reportedly teamed up with American Rheinmetall to develop various trucks for military use. Based on the former’s medium-duty hybrid and electric truck chassis, the plan is to develop trucks ranging from robotic cargo haulers to battlefield logistics and resupply vehicles.

Since Rheinmetall has extensive experience as a defense contractor, it will be able to provide expertise on survivability and integration into military supply chain operations.

The new vehicles will use something called “drive-by-wire,” which essentially means steering, braking, and acceleration will be electronically, not mechanically, operated. Such a setup will be essential for remote operations, autonomous operations, and potentially artificial intelligence-assisted driving.

The new vehicles will also form part of the Pentagon’s drive for what it calls “attritable mass.” In essence, this means they are looking for ways to field hardware that is cheap enough to be essentially disposable if needed.

Harbinger of the future of army logistics?

This is especially the case when trained personnel are thrown into the mix. Losing a $50 million vehicle and its crew is not only expensive but should be avoided if at all possible.

And this is where Harbinger and Rheinmetall’s venture potentially comes into its own. If dangerous logistics and supply runs can be achieved using cheap autonomous electric vehicles, the costs of losses become more acceptable.

Electric vehicles (EVs), in particular, offer some interesting benefits in this role too. First and foremost, they are relatively quiet in operation, making them better suited for stealth logistics, reconnaissance, and nighttime resupply.

They also produce less of a heat signature compared to internal combustion engine-driven vehicles. EVs also benefit from massive onboard power, which can be used as a kind of mobile giant battery to power/recharge other electronic assets like drones, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and potential directed-energy weapons.

This new venture is looking, specifically, at providing an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) like its announced “Praesidia.” In short, this is basically a militarized, ruggedized hybrid electric-diesel vehicle that provides the best of both worlds.

Such a platform will have an excellent range and reliability, making it very attractive for military operations in a range of theatres. Scant details have been officially released, but according to Harbinger, the Praesidia should have a range of around 500 miles (805 km).

Any army marches on its stomach

This vehicle, according to Harbinger, will also provide “100kW Exportable power for counter-drone systems, directed energy, radar, and off-grid needs like forward operating bases.”

“Harbinger has always built for the toughest commercial missions, and the Warfighter’s mission is the toughest of all,” explains John Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Harbinger.

“Partnering with American Rheinmetall, one of the most capable ground systems integrators serving the DoW, allows us to bring our autonomy-ready platform at a price point that makes true attritable mass possible,” he added.

Together, we can give Soldiers robotic systems that are affordable enough to be everywhere they’re needed, and tough enough to do the job when they get there. Most importantly, by taking the driver out of the vehicle with advanced autonomy and teleoperation, we can keep service men and women out of harm’s way,” he said.

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A Washington-based firm has flown reusable launch system exceeding Mach 4. The rocket-free reusable launch opens path to affordable, repeatable and scalable hypersonic and suborbital missions.

General Hypersonics conducted two launches exceeding Mach 4 from the same reusable launch system, with the second launch occurring approximately 90 minutes after the first.

The company claimed that the achievement sets another ram-accelerated mass-to-velocity milestone and advances the company’s goal of making high-cadence hypersonic and suborbital launch operations affordable and repeatable.

More affordable testing, faster technology development

“What changes the conversation is this: we took a reusable launch system beyond Mach 4 twice before lunch,” said Mark Russell, founder and chief executive officer of General Hypersonics.

“Most launch systems are designed around a single mission. We’re building a system designed to launch again and again. That’s what ultimately enables more affordable testing, faster technology development and a practical path toward responsive access to space.”

General Hypersonics also revealed that the latest demonstration highlights a fundamentally different approach to flight testing: the ability to rapidly reset, reload and relaunch the same reusable system multiple times per day. As government and commercial organizations seek more affordable access to high-speed testing and more responsive paths to space, higher launch cadence has the potential to accelerate technology development, expand testing capacity and reduce costs, according to the company.

Hypersonic test programs rely on complex launch infrastructure

General Hypersonics highlighted that while many high-speed and hypersonic test programs rely on complex launch infrastructure, including carrier aircrafts and rocket boosters, and specialized ranges and extensive mission planning.

The company completed both launches from the same reusable platform in approximately 90 minutes. Both launches were conducted using manual loading procedures, with automated loading systems currently under development to further improve turnaround times and increase launch cadence, according to a press release.

It’s also revealed that the Mach 4 (about 3,100 mph) is more than four times the speed of sound, while hypersonic flight is generally defined as Mach 5 and above. At Mach 4, a vehicle could theoretically travel across the continental United States in less than an hour, illustrating the significance of sustained high-speed flight.

General Hypersonics’ ram accelerator technology accelerates payloads through a reusable launch tube powered by clean combustible gases — eliminating the need for a first-stage rocket booster and toxic propellants. Designed to reload quickly, launch frequently and operate from fixed or mobile sites on land or at sea, the platform is being developed and tested at HyperLab, General Hypersonics’ reusable open-air launch facility, as per the release.

The achievement comes at a time when governments and private aerospace companies are increasing investments in reusable hypersonic technologies. Across the industry, organizations are pursuing methods to reduce testing costs and increase flight frequency, recognizing that rapid iteration is essential for advancing next-generation aerospace systems.

General Hypersonics plans to increase automation within its launch operations and move beyond high-speed testing toward routine suborbital missions.

Chinese state media has revealed what it described as the first operational live-fire evaluation of the PLA’s new HQ-16F air defense missile. Footage broadcast by CCTV showed troops from the 73rd Group Army, part of the Eastern Theater Command responsible for operations around Taiwan, conducting the exercise in the Gobi Desert after traveling more than 1,200 miles from their home base in Fujian Province to train with the newly issued system.

During the test, a missile was launched from a mobile platform and successfully intercepted an aerial target at roughly 31 miles, according to CCTV. The live-fire exercise was presented as a validation of the system’s operational readiness under field conditions.

Footage also showed the missile’s streamlined, wingless design, which relies on four rear-mounted fins for flight control. This configuration reduces drag while enabling rapid maneuvering and course corrections to engage moving targets at medium range.

New missile is latest variant in China’s Hong Qi-16 air defense family

Although state media avoided identifying the missile by name, footage from the exercise appeared to reveal its designation. A close-up shot showed a nameplate marked “HQ-16F”, while the missile’s external configuration closely resembles the HQ-16FE, the newest export-focused member of China’s Hong Qi (“Red Flag”) 16 air defense family that debuted publicly at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow, the South China Morning Post writes.

The missile features a streamlined, wingless design that relies on rear control fins for maneuvering. This configuration reduces aerodynamic drag and overall weight, helping improve flight efficiency and potentially increasing engagement range compared with earlier designs.

The HQ-16 family forms a key part of China’s medium-range air defense network and is available in both land-based and naval configurations. Footage from the recent test showed the missile being launched from fully vertical cells, indicating compatibility with shipborne vertical launch systems and suggesting potential cross-platform deployment.

While Beijing has not released official performance data for the HQ-16F, Chinese domestic variants have historically offered greater capabilities than export models. The export-oriented HQ-16FE is designed to engage a wide range of threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, and supersonic cruise missiles. 

HQ-16F can engage targets from 2.2 to 100 miles away

According to publicly available specifications, it can intercept conventional aircraft at ranges of up to about 100 miles, a fourfold increase over the original HQ-16, while retaining the ability to engage targets as close as roughly 2.2 miles away. The system can reportedly target threats flying as low as 50 feet above the ground and at altitudes reaching approximately 17 miles.

In terms of reach, the HQ-16FE is often compared to the US Patriot PAC-2, while its sensor suite and missile-defense functions are considered closer to those of the more advanced Patriot PAC-3. The two systems, however, employ different interception methods. The PAC-3 uses a hit-to-kill approach, destroying incoming threats through direct kinetic impact rather than a conventional explosive warhead.

The new HQ-16F missiles add another layer to the PLA’s already extensive air defense network, which covers threats from low altitudes to near space. Their deployment is particularly significant because they are being fielded by the PLA’s 73rd Group Army, based in Xiamen across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan and considered a key frontline force in any cross-strait contingency.

The move comes as analysts debate how Beijing might seek to pressure Taiwan. Foreign policy commentator Eyck Freymann has argued that China’s most likely path could be a prolonged blockade rather than a direct invasion. In that context, the deployment highlights Beijing’s continued efforts to strengthen the military capabilities of units positioned closest to Taiwan.

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China’s CATL has outlined a concrete roadmap for the commercial rollout of sodium-ion battery technology, announcing that customer deliveries of its first sodium-ion energy storage systems will begin in September. 

The company also expects sodium-ion battery shipments to reach the gigawatt-hour scale in 2026, marking a significant step toward wider adoption of the technology. The timeline was revealed by CATL’s energy storage solutions CTO, Lin Jiubiao, during a sodium-ion battery industry event in China. 

The announcement builds on the company’s earlier statements that sodium-ion batteries are moving into large-scale production and deployment across a range of applications, including energy storage and electric mobility.

Sodium-ion batteries emerge as a viable alternative to lithium

Long viewed as a promising alternative to lithium-based technologies, sodium-ion batteries are now approaching their first large-scale commercial deployments. While research into sodium-ion chemistry dates back to the 1970s – around the same time as lithium-ion batteries, the technology remained largely in the background for decades, CarNewsChina reported.

Early sodium-based cells struggled to match lithium batteries in key areas such as energy density, cycle life, and overall performance, slowing their path to market. Recent advances in materials and manufacturing, however, have significantly improved their competitiveness, paving the way for broader adoption in energy storage and other applications.

After several years of development, CATL has steadily expanded its ambitions in the sodium-ion battery market, as the company first introduced its inaugural sodium-ion battery in 2021, marking its entry into the sector. 

Four years later, in April 2025, CATL unveiled its second-generation Naxtra sodium-ion battery and outlined plans to deploy the technology across a wide range of applications, including passenger and commercial vehicles, battery-swapping networks, and stationary energy storage systems.

Lower production costs pave the way for sodium-ion expansion

Declining raw material and supply-chain costs are helping pave the way for the wider commercial adoption of sodium-ion batteries. As production scales and manufacturing processes mature, the economics of sodium-ion technology are becoming increasingly attractive, improving its competitiveness against established battery chemistries and supporting broader deployment across energy storage and mobility applications.

Industry suppliers say sodium-ion battery materials are beginning to benefit from the same economies of scale that helped drive the success of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

As production capacity expands, manufacturing volumes are increasing and costs are steadily falling, improving the commercial outlook for the technology. At the same time, hard-carbon anodes, one of the key components used in sodium-ion batteries, have moved into industrial-scale production, marking another important milestone in the development of a mature supply chain.

One of the main advantages of sodium-ion technology is its use of widely available and inexpensive sodium resources, which reduces reliance on often constrained lithium supply chains. The chemistry has therefore emerged as a promising option for large-scale energy storage, where cost, resource availability, and operational reliability are critical factors.

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A collaboration between Chinese company Pangoo Power and the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering has resulted in a new axial flux motor platform built around a permanent-magnet material developed specifically for this motor architecture. 

According to the developers, the material improves magnetic energy performance, high-temperature stability, and mechanical strength while remaining suitable for large-scale manufacturing. The technology is drawing increasing interest because axial flux motors are fundamentally different from conventional radial-flux designs. Instead of directing magnetic flux outward from the center, axial flux motors channel it parallel to the shaft. 

This disc-shaped configuration reduces the motor’s overall length and enables torque to be generated closer to the outer edge, helping deliver higher torque and power density while lowering weight – which are key advantages for electric vehicles, humanoid robots, and emerging electric aircraft.

Modern materials revive a centuries-old motor design

Although axial flux motors are often viewed as a cutting-edge technology, the concept traces its origins to some of the earliest electric motor experiments conducted by Michael Faraday in the 19th century. For decades, however, the design remained largely impractical due to limitations in magnetic materials, manufacturing precision, and power control systems. 

Recent advances in permanent magnets, power electronics, and high-precision production techniques have changed that equation, enabling engineers to revisit the architecture and unlock performance levels that were previously difficult to achieve in commercial applications, CarNewsChina writes.

According to Chinese researchers, axial flux motor designs can cut both weight and axial length by roughly 50% compared with conventional motors that deliver comparable output. This reduction in size and mass makes the architecture especially attractive for electric vehicle applications, where drivetrain compactness is a critical design constraint. 

By shrinking the motor footprint, manufacturers can free up valuable chassis space, improve overall packaging efficiency, and potentially enhance vehicle performance and range through better system integration.

Breakthrough material enhances high-load motor operation

Recent engineering work on the new magnet material focuses on overcoming several persistent barriers to wider axial flux motor adoption, with researchers fine-tuning magnetic formulations, engineered more controlled microstructures, and increased resistance to high temperatures in order to limit demagnetisation during sustained high-speed and high-load operation. 

These improvements are critical for maintaining stable performance under demanding conditions, where thermal stress and magnetic degradation have historically constrained efficiency and long-term reliability. The finished production-oriented motor is reported to deliver a power density of 25.73 kW/kg while operating at speeds above 18,000 rpm. Researchers note this combination of high rotational speed and high power output could support demanding electric vehicle use cases, including sustained highway cruising and frequent hard acceleration.

These results come as Chinese automakers continue to rapidly advance electric motor technology across multiple design paths. Xiaomi Auto recently revealed that its Xiaomi YU7 GT will use the upgraded HyperEngine V8S EVO powertrain, an evolution of its earlier V8S system. The motor is capable of reaching up to 28,000 rpm and incorporates a self-developed silicon carbide (SiC) power module that increases output by 5.9%. Xiaomi also highlighted the use of 0.15 mm ultra-thin silicon steel laminations and a reported peak efficiency of 98.38%.

Recent developments in China’s electric drivetrain sector also highlight a broader push toward higher-output and more diversified motor architectures. BYD has introduced a 240 kW traction motor that is increasingly making its way into lower-priced electric vehicle segments, reflecting a trend toward more powerful drivetrains at accessible price points.

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