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Robotics & Autonomy·July 24, 2026·1 min read

Russia converts planes older than Putin to launch drone killers — 80-year-old An-2 set to get FPV interceptors to down Ukrainian UAV

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Repurposing Yak-52 and An-2 airframes into FPV interceptor platforms shows how quickly low-cost counter-drone layers can be fielded with legacy hardware. Defense and critical-infra operators should assume both offensive and defensive UAV capabilities will iterate on existing fleets, not wait for new airframes.

Robotics & Autonomy

Sources: Waymo is exploring exiting its Uber partnership, with their relationship souring amid an intense lobbying battle over the future of robotaxis

If Waymo and Uber split while lobbying over robotaxi rules intensifies, the AV market may bifurcate into vertically integrated stacks versus aggregator marketplaces. Cities and fleets should avoid single-channel dependence—structure pilots and contracts so you can switch between direct OEM integrations and brokered rides as the politics shift.