April
Eric Schmidt is helping build Ukraine’s war machine
Google’s ex-chief executive is a force behind a new generation of drones that may revolutionise warfare.
- David Sanger
March
- Tech
- Life & Leisure
Smaller, faster, deadlier - how drones are changing our world
Unmanned flying machines from insect-sized swarms to car-sized transports are about to become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives.
- Tony Davis
Australia joins ‘Drone Coalition’ to help Ukraine fight Russia
Defence will also upgrade ties with the British military, as uncertainty grows over America’s commitment to the war.
- Andrew Tillett
US, UK, French shoot down Houthi drones after attack on carrier
US Central Command says US military and coalition forces downed at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday.
- Mohammed Ghobari
January
- Analysis
- Russia-Ukraine war
Russia has the upper hand in electronic warfare with Ukraine
Both sides have invested heavily in systems that can neutralise each other’s drone armies, but Moscow maintains the advantage because it started first.
- Roman Olearchyk
October 2023
How China is reining in Ukraine’s war of drones
The world’s largest manufacturer of the aircraft is making it harder for Ukraine to access the key battlefield tech.
- Paul Mozur and Valerie Hopkins
September 2023
Aussie drone start-up banks $36m from US energy giants
A start-up that replaces human crews in helicopters with drones to string high-voltage power lines has attracted several big-name backers.
- Updated
- Tess Bennett
This fintech lets you pay for fuel with bitcoin
A small, but growing, cohort of consumers is tapping their crypto wallets to pay for fuel, powered by a local payments innovation.
- Tess Bennett
Cardboard drone maker used in Ukraine is Australia’s top innovator
Sypaq has won the 2023 AFR Boss Most Innovative Companies Award, for its flat packed cardboard drones, which have been serving on the front line in Ukraine.
- Paul Smith
New business guidelines aim to help firms account for impact on nature
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures released its final rules on nature risk, which will force banks to understand the effects of lending.
- James Eyers
Triton drone purchase to boost northern defences
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has announced $1.5 billion in new spending to boost maritime and air protections.
- Tom McIlroy
‘Nothing illegal’: Australia rebuffs cardboard drone attack claim
The Defence Department said weapons are being supplied to Ukraine on a lawful basis after Russia claimed Australian-made drones hit targets inside Russia.
- Andrew Tillett
August 2023
Meet Australia’s ethical arms dealer
Oleg Vornik fled Russia as a teen when his homeland took an authoritarian turn. Now he is helping Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s army.
- Updated
- Andrew Tillett
July 2023
Shares soar as US government buys up Aussie company’s anti-drone tech
Shares in ASX listed defence tech company DroneShield have soared 19 per cent, after it struck a $33m deal to sell equipment to the US Department of Defence.
- Nick Bonyhady
There’s no substitute for Chinese drones (and that’s a problem)
US unmanned aircraft pilots in fields ranging from search and rescue to scientific research are painfully aware they lack alternatives to China’s products.
- Faine Greenwood
- Analysis
- Russia-Ukraine war
Drone warfare could tip the balance in Ukraine
An Australian company is helping Ukrainian forces fight for control of the sky, where drones carrying small bombs or flying ‘kamikaze’ missions are increasingly important.
- Misha Zelinsky
May 2023
Drone strike in Moscow brings war home to Russians
The physical damage was minimal, but the psychological impact may prove far bigger for Russians who’ve gone about daily life with little thought for the bloodshed in Ukraine.
- Anatoly Kurmanaev, Ivan Nechepurenko and Eric Nagourney
April 2023
Australia emerges as major drone delivery market
With new, sprawling suburbs quickly outpacing key amenities, Australian cities are tipped by Alphabet subsidiary Wing to become a major market for drone technology.
- Tom Rabe
Satellite data promises to unlock fresh capital for agriculture
Spatial finance is a new buzzword in banking and insurance. Mapping rural property boundaries and crops will provide a better picture of risk and productivity.
- James Eyers
March 2023
World-first use of drones lights up new Australian dance work
Amy Hollingsworth had an idea for a piece using the small aircraft to emulate human emotion – a concept that was new to the international tech supplier.
- Matthew Drummond