based

The ‘outstanding’ historical drama, adapted from a best-selling book series, has been dubbed ‘highly addictive’ by fans who are calling it ‘a treat to watch’ — streaming free on Channel 4

An under-the-radar period drama currently streaming free on Channel 4 is being hailed as a masterpiece adaptation of a best-selling book series — and viewers are ‘obsessed’.

The series, originally developed for the BBC, delves into Britain’s history and is based on real events that took place in the 1400s in the tumultuous battle for the throne of England. With the War of the Roses as the backdrop of the historical drama, the series takes a closer look at real-life incidents and the drama surrounding court politics at the time.

The period drama is based on author Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War book series and has been adapted from three best-selling novels — The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker’s Daughter.

The costume drama is an amalgamation of stories, characters, and instances from all three books and follows the story of three women — Yorkist Elizabeth Woodville, wife of King Edward IV and played by Rebecca Ferguson; Lancastrian Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Tudor King Henry VII of England and portrayed by Amanda Hale; and Yorkist Anne Neville, wife of the Duke of Gloucester, King Richard III, portrayed by Faye Marsay.

Elizabeth Woodville is the protagonist of the 2009 novel The White Queen, while Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville are the focus of The Red Queen (2010) and The Kingmaker’s Daughter (2012) respectively. These three women appear in the three novels which constitute the screenplay of this underrated television drama which first hit UK airwaves in June 2013.

The series has been on the receiving end of glowing reviews from both critics and audiences.

One critic says of the show: “As a love story set in an impossibly chivalrous past, this was deliciously enjoyable. The conflict between the houses of Lancaster and York ceased to matter — the crucial conflict was between Innocence and Experience.”

While another reviewer writes: “Part soap opera, part war film, and part melodrama, this series is an intoxicating jaunt through a snippet of British history fraught with contentious loyalties and lethal power struggles.”

A third critic said: “It’s a great tale and beautifully told with beautiful actors…Don’t miss it.”

One viewer posted to IMDB: “Fantastic!! The BBC, like most of their period piece dramas, got this series right. It is highly addictive and very watchable. The White Queen has everything an avid audience for this type of show craves; It is romantic; It is violent; It is full of vengefulness, cruelty and karma. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted more.”

While another fan of the show added: “Excellent period drama! BBC does it again! I came across this title by accident and I ended up watching the first four episodes! I love the love story, the drama, the betrayal. Truly a treat to watch! I really enjoyed it, I found the actors to be truly convincing, the decor lovely and the storyline engaging!”

Another IMDB user review reads: “I’ve read the 3 books, The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker’s Daughter, and this series is one of the most faithful adaptations I have ever watched.

“The portrayal of the Tudor and Lancastrian England, the life and politics of the feudal society, how Kings and Queens and Great Royal Houses were made or unmade with in fire and blood, and the brilliance and fortunes of Edward’s court, with some artistic license from Philippa Gregory, make for a very compelling watch.”

While one audience review of the show on Rotten Tomatoes states: “I absolutely loved this mini-series. Gorgeous costumes, realistic scenery, intrigue, treachery, lies, unexpected twists and a torrid love story. Seriously, what more could you ask for?”

The White Queen is available to stream for free on Channel 4.

The U.S. Navy is envisioning a future force of carrier-based uncrewed aircraft capable of attacking enemy forces at least 1,000 nautical miles away from the ship. They would also have to be able to do this without needing to refuel in mid-air, though tankers could further extend their reach. This, along with other details, offers the first real sense of the combat drone capabilities the Navy wants to add to its future carrier air wings.

The range target was included in a very broad request for information (RFI) contracting notice regarding a future Air Wing of the Future (AWOTF) “family of systems,” which Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) put out this week. NAVAIR is looking for prospective drone designs that could perform any combination of eight distinct missions. These are surface warfare; strike warfare; anti-submarine warfare; air warfare; electronic warfare; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T); mobility; and logistics. A breakdown of how these missions are defined, in general terms, in the RFI is provided below.

It should be noted here that the Navy says the family of AWOTF platforms already includes the MQ-25A Stingray tanker drone, which will have a secondary surveillance and reconnaissance role, as well as future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The Navy is still very early on in the process of defining what it wants its CCA drones to be able to do, even just initially. As TWZ has noted in the past, the MQ-25’s core design and baseline performance, specifically its extreme endurance and low-signature design, also leave open the possibility that it could be adapted to strike, advanced ISR, and other missions in the future.

“For missions involving attacking the enemy, the system must be capable of delivering effects a minimum of 1,000 NM [nautical miles; approximately 1,151 miles statute miles or 1,900 kilometers] from the CVN without refueling,” the RFI NAVAIR issued yesterday says.

The drones must be “fully compatible with both Nimitz class and Ford class CVN launch and recovery systems,” per the RFI. “The system must demonstrate increased combat effectiveness over current 4th generation platforms at a given spot factor.”

Spot factor here is the amount of physical space the platform occupies, which is a very important consideration for carrier-based aircraft, where room on the flight deck and below is at a premium. Though the focus is on prospective carrier-based designs, the RFI also highlights the Navy’s interest in vertical takeoff and landing capable drones that could operate from destroyers or other vessels. This is something the service has openly discussed in the past and that we will come back to later on.

The Navy also wants any potential designs to be “capable of integration into existing U.S. Navy Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) control systems.” Furthermore, the service is asking prospective vendors to explain how their concepts “address flight autonomy (e.g., carrier pattern, taxiing) and mission autonomy (e.g., dynamic tasking / retasking, threat evasion, automated aerial refueling) maturity,” and whether “their solution is single-role, multi-role, or a modular/variant-based approach.”

The video below from Collins Aerospace offers a notional look at what crewed-uncrewed teaming involving carrier and land-based CCA-type drones might look like in the future.

Collaborative Mission Autonomy

The range requirement is particularly interesting. As adversary anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) bubbles continue to expand in scale and scope, carriers and their air wings will be pushed further and further away from target areas. Having aircraft, crewed and uncrewed, that can cover those extended distances will be vital. Having CCA-type drones, in particular, with ranges similar to or greater than that of the crewed fighters they are expected to be paired with, is also key to enabling that particular concept of operations.

Not necessarily needing tanker support to complete those missions will also be a boon. Aerial refueling capacity is always in high demand during sustained conflicts, as underscored by the recent fighting with Iran, and that need will be further magnified in a future high-end fight against a near-peer opponent like China. Those same tankers would, by extension, also be top targets for enemy forces.

The new uncrewed carrier-based aircraft RFI from NAVAIR outlines exactly this reality:

“Aligned with the 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS), the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) issued by the Department of War, and the Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO) Fighting Instructions, the Navy is seeking capability improvements to expedite transition from a 4th-generation-centric Carrier Air Wing (CVW) to a 5th/6th-generation manned-unmanned AWoTF. This transition supports the Golden Fleet initiative and the Navy Warfighting Concept, which is a proactive approach leveraging global maritime maneuver to gain sea control, impose sea denial, and project power independently. Unmanned systems are critical to increasing Carrier Strike Group (CSG) strike capacity, extending CVW operational reach, and introducing advanced methods for executing Naval Aviation missions in a Highly Contested Environment (HCE). The objective is to evaluate the feasibility of fielding platforms with extended range and payload capacity, while minimizing deck footprint and integrating with established CVN infrastructure.”

Currently, the tactical core of the Navy’s carrier air wings remains the fourth-generation F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter, along with its EA-18G Growler electronic warfare cousin. Fifth-generation F-35C Joint Strike Fighters are starting to be increasingly in the rotation. The service is also still planning to acquire a new sixth-generation combat jet, currently referred to as F/A-XX, and is hoping to settle on a design in the coming months.

A 1,000 nautical mile range target is in line, at least in broad strokes, with what the Navy is looking for in terms of combat radius for F/A-XX. The service has said in the past that the sixth-generation jets will offer a 25 percent increase in range over the existing tactical combat jets. This would be roughly 837.5 nautical miles (just over 1,551 kilometers) based on the stated combat radius of the F-35C (670 nautical miles, or close to 1,241 kilometers). The F-35C has the longest reach, with a relevant payload, of any tactical jet in the Navy’s current inventory. The service has also previously expressed interest in finding new ways to extend the unrefueled range of its F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs.

In addition, the U.S. Air Force has previously said the combat radius of its new sixth-generation F-47 fighter and its initial fleet of CCA drones will be “1,000+” and “700+” nautical miles, respectively. As TWZ has noted in the past, the estimated combat radii of both the F-47 and F/A-XX are significant, but also notably not as drastic an increase as many had been expecting or may think is necessary given the aforementioned evolution of the threat ecosystem.

As an aside, it is interesting to remember that the Navy’s abortive Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program had been aiming for a platform with a combat radius of up to 2,000 nautical miles when operating in the strike role. There was also a requirement to be able to fly surveillance and reconnaissance orbits in areas 1,200 nautical miles from the deck of a carrier. UCLASS payload requirements fluctuated, but a pair of X-47B stealthy demonstrator drones tested during the program were designed to carry two 2,000-pound-class munitions internally.

UCLASS showed much promise, and the X-47Bs achieved many firsts for carrier-based drones. Despite this, UCLASS was transformed into the radically different Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program in the mid-2010s, which then led to the MQ-25. This was a shift that seemed abrupt to many and was done for reasons that are still not entirely clear, as TWZ has previously explored in detail in a seminal feature readers can find here.

Northrop Grumman’s X47-B Completes 1st Carrier Catapult Launch

Northrop Grumman X-47B | First to Complete Autonomous Aerial Refueling

As mentioned, the Navy is still refining the requirements for its planned carrier-based CCA drones. Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman are all on contract now to develop conceptual designs. So far, what we have seen are designs intended to operate from carriers in a broadly traditional manner using existing catapults and/or arresting gear. General Atomics has publicly put forward a carrier-based member of its highly modular Gambit family of drones, which are based around the common chassis concept that you can read more about here. Boeing has also previously shown a rendering of a carrier-based version of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a drone developed by the company’s Australian subsidiary. The Navy has also expressed specific interest in Ghost Bat.

It is also worth pointing out that the NAVAIR RFI uses the term “combat radius” but also frames the requirement around “delivering effects” out to the desired range without the need for refueling. This might leave the door open to concepts that use stand-off munitions and/or other capabilities to extend the functional reach of the drone, even if its actual combat radius is under 1,000 nautical miles.

As mentioned earlier, the RFI also discusses VTOL drone operations for vessels other than carriers. Concepts of operations that involve launches from carriers (or other ships) and recovery at tertiary points at sea (or on land) could also have impacts on the range equation. Depending on their design and performance, drones could be launched from forward locations and then recover aboard carriers further to the rear, too.

Shield AI has notably talked about exactly this kind of flexibility as being a key benefit of its still-in-development X-BAT stealthy jet-powered combat drone. X-BAT is designed to take off and land vertically using nothing more than a trailer-based launch and recovery system. Shield AI is aiming for a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles for the drone, which you can learn about in far more detail here

X-BAT: Earth Is Our Runway

The Navy, in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has explored other relevant ship-based uncrewed VTOL concepts in the past, as well.

AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY)

There are also drone designs that can be launched and/or recovered in very different ways. The U.S. Marine Corps’ first CCA-type drone will be a version of the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie that can operate from traditional runways, as well as make rocket-assisted takeoffs using static launchers. Earlier Valkyrie variants can also be launched using the latter method, and are recovered via parachute. The new MQ-58s for the Marines will still need to touch down on a runway at the end of a sortie, but this mix of capabilities still offers significant additional operational flexibility.

Beyond exploring specific design concepts and capability mixes, NAVAIR’s RFI makes clear that the Navy is very much still refining its overall vision for what the uncrewed complement of future carrier air wings will look like. Senior service officials have said in the past that the goal is for the total makeup of carrier air wings to eventually be 60 percent or more uncrewed.

At the same time, the Navy has acknowledged that it has been moving more slowly than the Air Force and Marines with its plans to develop and field a carrier-based CCA fleet. The NAVAIR RFI also points to efforts now to expand that work, but it remains unclear when operational CCAs, or any other future uncrewed members of the AWOTF, will appear on the decks of U.S. carriers. The Navy has consistently said that it is focused first on fielding the much-delayed MQ-25, which will then help serve as a ‘pathfinder’ for other drones. The service is now targeting next year to finally reach initial operational capability with the Stingray, something that was originally scheduled to happen in 2024.

What we do know now is that the Navy also sees a combat radius of at least 1,000 nautical miles as a key threshold requirement for uncrewed tactical elements of its future carrier air wings.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Call Me by Your Name fans need to watch this “sexy” upcoming Netflix drama.

A “magnificent and sexy” Netflix drama is poised to star two Hollywood icons.

Book and film fans were captivated by Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, and now another of his bestselling novels is being transformed for television.

Aciman’s 2017 work Enigma Variations centres on “Paul, a man remade by the lovers who ignite and undo him across six transformative years”.

Netflix further describes it as an “intimate yet sweeping portrait of masculinity, sexuality and modern love.

“And in a world of endless choices, it asks the question: will we know when we’ve found the one?”

Taking the lead role as Paul is none other than Aaron Taylor-Johnson, renowned for 28 Years Later, Kicka**, Nosferatu and Nocturnal Animals.

Taylor-Johnson has also remained consistently amongst the bookmakers’ top picks to be cast as the next James Bond, alongside other contenders such as Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi.

He’ll be appearing opposite Alicia Vikander, celebrated for The Danish Girl and Tomb Raider, who plays Claire, one of Paul’s principal love interests throughout this period.

An official launch date hasn’t been revealed yet, but the Netflix adaptation is anticipated to mirror the books by being set across multiple locations including Italy, New York and New England.

Enigma Variations was hailed as a “magnificent living thing” by The New York Times Book Review, which added that “Aciman writes arousal so beautifully”.

The book has also garnered enormous praise from readers, with one commenting on Good Reads: “This book is staggeringly beautiful. Powerfully emotional, haunting, frank in its sexuality and its romanticism, this is a book about love, infatuation, longing, and lust.”

Another agreed that the “book blew me away”, while a third added: “Evocative, poetic and hopelessly romantic, Andre Aciman has written a cerebral narrative of love undefined.”

Enigma Variations is arriving on Netflix

Streaming service Netflix has started early production on your next thrilling TV obsession

Another bestselling thriller is coming to screens soon.

Netflix has lined up an adaptation of Lucy Clarke’s bestselling thriller The Surf House with a familiar name behind the scenes.

No casting has been announced just yet, but the upcoming drama is being helmed by director Ed Lilly, who was behind episodes of major TV titles such as Industry and Tell Me Lies.

Clarke’s novel is set in Morocco and follows a woman named Bea seeking sanctuary amongst a community of travellers.

However, Bea’s travels soon take a dark turn when she uncovers a sinister secret at the heart of the commune.

A synopsis via Deadline reads: “The Surf House is set high on the cliffs of Morocco and is based in a sanctuary for surfers and travellers chasing sunshine and waves.

“But the idyll hides a dark mystery, and when Bea washes in, seeking refuge after a dangerous encounter in Marrakesh, she soon gets caught in the current.

“A woman her age – who stayed in the same area, walked the same beaches, met the same guests – disappeared one year earlier, vanishing without trace, and her last known whereabouts was The Surf House.”

Author Clarke is quickly becoming a household name for thriller fans, with Deadline’s report describing her as a “British Liane Moriarty” (author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers).

Two of her novels, The Castaways and No Escape, have already been adapted by Paramount+, the former starring Sheridan Smith.

Another book, The Hike, has also been optioned by Urban Myth Films, which is backed by Studiocanal, so a big screen adaptation could be imminent.

In the meantime, The Surf House is shaping up to be another must-watch thriller for Netflix based on the original novel’s rave reviews from readers.

One Goodreads user gushed: “This is the perfect thriller. It had everything going on. The scenic beach front hostel in Morocco as the setting was amazing.”

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Another wrote: “I felt like I could not put this one down. I needed to keep reading to see what was going to happen. Also the last 60 percent has several twists and turns. Once I thought I had it figured out it kept changing up on me.”

“I could not get enough of this book,” someone else said. “I am going to buy all of this author’s books now. Such a perfect 5 star for me.”

And a final fan recommended: “If you like fast paced thrillers, multiple mysteries wrapped up in one story all in the back drop of a gorgeous destination and travel setting then this is absolutely for you.”

Netflix’s The Surf House does not yet have a release date.

One of the most devastating moments in world history will be brought to life on Disney+ by a beloved star of The Night Manager and Marvel blockbusters

It’s shaping up to be one of the year’s most gripping docudramas.

BBC The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston will be playing time detective in an immersive new historical series coming to National Geographic and Disney+ later this year.

Pompeii: Out of Time will reunite the iconic Marvel star with Loki executive producer Kevin R Wright for the three-part series that promises to lift the lid on the explosive historical moment.

The first-look trailer has given fans a glimpse of Hiddleston stepping into his new role as he makes the case that the eruption of Vesuvius wasn’t just a catastrophic day of death and destruction.

His latest series will feature an eye-opening investigation into those who may have survived the blast, brought to life with immersive and thrilling dramatisations.

Along for the journey is a team of ancient Rome experts, from archaeologists and historians to geologists and disaster experts, who will uncover remarkable real-life stories that challenge assumptions people have about the fateful day in 79 AD.

A teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard are all vital pieces of the puzzle as Hiddleston steps back in time to explore the hours before and during Vesuvius’ eruption in what is shaping up to be an essential watch for any history buff. A synopsis from Disney+ teases: “As the volcano awakens and the countdown to catastrophe begins, the evidence converges in a gripping race against time to uncover who survived, who perished, and what determined their fate.”

Hiddleston says in a statement: “The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life.

“Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real.

“Our relationship with the past is alive — studying who we were in order to understand who we are. Pompeii is a gateway for that conversation. It’s a privilege to host this visually immersive and dynamic series.”

He added: “Pompeii is often remembered for how its story ended. But by looking closer, we can uncover the details of people’s lives, the choices they made, and the moments that came before the city was buried.

“To revisit the final hours of those ordinary people, caught in an extraordinary moment, and to help bring these remarkable human stories back into the light, is a genuine honour.”

The upcoming series is already generating excitement amongst fans, with one user commenting below the trailer on YouTube: “Omg this seems so interesting.”

“This is absolutely fascinating — Pompeii is an incredible place, and this approach brings its story to life in a very powerful way,” someone else replied, adding they’re “really looking forward” to tuning in.

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“I want to see it NOW!” another fan exclaimed, and a final fan wrote: “For someone who’s survived Ragnarok, Tom Hiddleston couldn’t be better suited for this doc. Looking forward – or back – to it.”

Mark your calendars, as all three episodes will be available to stream in just over a month’s time.

Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres Thursday, 23rd July on National Geographic and Disney+.

This “gripping” missing child thriller is brought to life by Slow Horses and Murders At White House Farm creators.

Crime thriller fans shouldn’t miss out on this “addictive” drama with an all-star cast.

Apple TV has given fans a first-look at its upcoming six-part drama Last Seen, based on Ryan David Jahn’s best-selling 2011 novel The Dispatcher.

The series follows Detective Ian Ridley (played by Patrick Brammall) whose life is turned upside down when his young daughter Maggie disappears.

Fast forward to the present day and Detective Ridley answers a call from a distressed teenage girl and becomes convinced it’s his daughter.

The official synopsis goes on to add that “he will stop at nothing to find her and reunite his broken family, whatever the cost.”

The Last Seen cast will be headed up by Glitch and Devil Wears Prada 2 star Patrick Brammall as Detective Ridley.

He will be joined by Shameless, The Village and Three Girls star Maxine Peake, as well as Dune: Prophecy actor Brendan Cowell, Mickey 17 Daniel Henshall and Mr Inbetween Jessica Wren.

Thankfully, the wait isn’t too long before Last Seen premieres with the six-part series coming out on Wednesday, September 9.

Only the first two episodes are going to be released on this initial release date with the remaining episodes coming out weekly until Wednesday, October 7.

It isn’t just about the cast that fans should be excited about either as Last Seen was written by The Murders at White House Farm creator Kris Mrksa.

He’s also backed by executive producers from Slow Horses and Down Cemetery Road.

Given that Last Seen is based on Jahn’s best-selling book The Dispatcher, the drama already has a fanbase ahead of its release.

Describing the series on Good Reads, someone called the novel an “adrenalin rush” as another shared: “When I sat down to start reading this book which has closer to 400 pages than 300, it was early in the morning and little did I know I would be in the same spot that evening tapping to the final pages of this addictive read.”

Meanwhile, a third commented: “This book is right up my alley- gritty, violent, brutal, psychologically thrilling and fast paced.”

Last Seen premieres on Wednesday, September 9, on Apple TV

A British historical fantasy drama series has left viewers on the edge of their seats

Fans of period dramas have been eagerly binge-watching a beloved series.

Britannia is a British historical fantasy drama created by Jez Butterworth and Tom Butterworth. The series is set in 43 AD, when the Romans invaded Britain – 90 years after Julius Caesar failed to conquer the nation.

General Aulus Plautius and his second-in-command, Lucius, are hell-bent on succeeding where Julius Caesar fell short, by whatever means necessary.

The series chronicles Rome’s conquest of the Celts across the British Isles – “a mysterious land ruled by wild warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld,” according to the official synopsis.

Celtic rivals Kerra and Antedia eventually join forces to repel the Roman invasion spearheaded by Aulus. But are they successful? You’ll need to tune in to find out, reports Wales Online.

Britannia originally aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK in 2018, with two further series following in 2019 and 2021. For those wishing to immerse themselves in the mystical era of the Roman Empire, all 27 episodes are now available to stream on NOW and Sky Go.

The programme boasts an impressive ensemble cast, featuring David Morrissey as Aulus Plautius, Hugo Speer as Lucius, and Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly as Kerra. Further stars include Aaron Pierre, Zoë Wanamaker, Mackenzie Crook, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Barry Ward, Stanley Weber, Joe Armstrong, Eleanor Worthington Cox, and Ian McDiarmid.

The production was largely shot across Wales and the Czech Republic. In Wales, the dramatic coastline and untamed landscapes were captured in rural settings, including the nation’s “most beautiful” beach Rhossili Bay, along with Henrhyd Falls and Nash Point.

Britannia garnered a broadly favourable response following its launch, with numerous critics labelling it “the new Game of Thrones”.

Viewers have similarly praised the series, with one IMDb user commenting: “What an epic series! You’ll definitely not regret watching this show. It’s perfect.”

Another wrote: “Excellent production, breathtaking locations, amazing cast. One of the best series I have watched in a while,” while a third remarked: “A magical retelling of British history. Game of Thrones fans will love this.”

A further viewer posted: “One of the best series ever! Captivating story telling with superb locations. A wild tale brought to life. Couldn’t stop watching. I’m hooked!”

A fifth enthusiast concurred, stating: “The show is brilliant, the actors are phenomenal. Crazy, funny, and steamy. Total masterpiece.”

Yet another viewer noted: “Britannia is a mesmerising historical fantasy series that masterfully blends myth, mysticism, and warfare. The series stands out for its bold storytelling, rich character development and immersive soundtrack. If you’re a fan of historical dramas with a touch of the mystical, Britannia is a must-watch.”

Britannia is available to stream on NOW and Sky Go

After my father’s will banned me and my siblings from his funeral, I wrote a novel about some brothers and sisters stealing their dad in his coffin. The emotions were drawn from my painful experiences, but I invented the characters and the tragi-comic narrative in Stealing Dad. Despite growing up in England, I’ve lived in and written about Athens for 25 years, and it came naturally to create several Greek characters. Alekos is a wild sculptor who dies in London, and his daughter Iris (one of seven dispersed half-siblings) lives off Victoria Square – one of Athens’ most fascinating corners.

The U.S. Marine Corps is set to test at least two new autonomous cargo helicopters, as it seeks to field platforms that can rapidly resupply Marines in contested environments. The service recently awarded contracts for two such platforms, one being the R66 Turbinetruck that inserts Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system in the proven Robinson R66 airframe. The second is the Uncrewed 505, a development of the Bell 505 in a program led by Near Earth Autonomy, in collaboration with Bell Textron, Moog Inc., and XP Services.

This is all part of ongoing efforts to develop uncrewed logistics platforms that the Marines can use in contested environments, something that is of particular relevance as the branch looks to the requirements for a future conflict with China in the Pacific.

Lockheed Martin announced yesterday that its Sikorsky subsidiary and Robinson Unmanned had received a contract for the Turbinetruck from the Marine Corps. This comes under the Marines’ new-look Autonomous Aerial Logistics Program Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle — Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL). The contract is worth $15.5 million and covers Increment 2 of MARV-EL.

“As we expand the MATRIX family, we also extend the reach of uncrewed solutions for both civil and military customers,” said Rich Benton, vice president and general manager of Sikorsky. “The commercially developed R66 Turbinetruck is simple, economical, and re-configurable; ideal for high-risk, hard-to-reach environments, where keeping personnel out of harm’s way is essential.”

“Our partnership with Sikorsky brings the trusted performance and reliability of the R66 platform into the unmanned logistics arena,” added David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “The R66 Turbinetruck represents a significant step forward in expanding proven rotorcraft into scalable, autonomous cargo solutions for demanding operational environments. Together, we are delivering a game‑changing capability that will enhance warfighter readiness and open new opportunities for safe, reliable, and affordable autonomous transport.”

Robinson Unmanned | The Future of Autonomous Rotorcraft is Here

The R66 Turbinetruck puts together the R66 airframe from the Robinson Helicopter Company, a single-turbine engine design that is best known as a five-seat light rotorcraft on the commercial market. The R66 was selected for the Turbinetruck application primarily on account of its reliability, low maintenance demands, and high level of versatility. The aircraft is currently in widespread civilian service as a trainer, passenger, and utility helicopter.

Combining the R66 airframe with Sikorsky’s MATRIX system provides the ability to perform autonomous uncrewed operations. MATRIX has previously been proven in a U.S. Army UH-60M helicopter, giving it a ‘robotic brain,’ and the culmination of a series of tests stretching back years now that have been steadily working on ever-greater pilot-optional capabilities for the Black Hawk family. As we have noted in the past, the same technology could easily find its way onto other aircraft, as evidenced by the Turbinetruck.

Sikorsky and DARPA Autonomous Black Hawk Flies Logistics and Rescue Missions Without Pilots on Board

Lockheed Martin says the Turbinetruck is intended to give the Marines “flexible, affordable and rapid combat sustainment,” with its primary roles including the delivery of ammunition, medical supplies, and other essential equipment directly to the troops that need it. These critical loads need to be supplied “regardless of terrain, weather, or enemy threat,” the company adds.

According to Robinson Helicopter, the Turbinetruck can carry a load of 1,300 pounds internally, or external loads supported via a cargo hook. The internal cargo compartment is accessed via front clamshell doors and a right-hand baggage door. A total useful load of 1,500 pounds can be transported, and the aircraft has a range of more than 325 nautical miles.

When it comes to MARV-EL, this now stipulates an uncrewed aircraft that can carry a logistic payload of between 1,300 and 2,500 pounds to a combat radius of 100 nautical miles, operating through a common digital handheld device.

In an operational scenario, the mission objectives would be entered into the Turbinetruck using a digital tablet. The system would then automatically create a flight plan, using sensors and algorithms to guide the helicopter safely to the target location.

The Turbinetruck would allow the Marines to conduct critical logistics missions without having to put any additional personnel at risk, as would be the case if crewed rotorcraft were employed at the tactical edge of the battlefield. Crewed rotorcraft also come with increased demands on maintenance and availability. Meanwhile, crew-rest cycles might mean that the aircraft have to stay on the ground during high-tempo operations, while these assets will inevitably be in heavy demand for all kinds of other missions in any kind of high-end fight.

A video outlining the Robinson R66 Army Trainer, a crewed version of the helicopter offered to the U.S. Army schoolhouse:

Robinson R66 Army Trainer Helicopter | Press Conference & Official Reveal | AAAA in Nashville

At the same time, the MARV-EL concept is especially tailored for the Indo-Pacific theater, in which Marines and other U.S. military forces would be expected to fight from and around austere forward operating bases — a concept known as Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations — as well as unimproved landing zones, and from the decks of ships.

In this context, the Turbinetruck, and the MARV-EL program, more generally, hope to fill a notable capability gap between small tactical drones and larger crewed airlifters. This is something that Lockheed Martin describes as a “middleweight” uncrewed logistics platform capable.

Robinson Unmanned will deliver the first R66 Turbinetruck to Sikorsky for integration, test and evaluation, and demonstration. At that point, the aircraft will undertake capability demonstrations to prove out the MATRIX system in the R66 airframe.

Since MATRIX is platform-agnostic and has an open architecture design, it is intended to be easily integrated into various airframes.

As for the rival Uncrewed 505, this takes the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter and combines it with Near Earth’s Captain autonomous system, and Moog’s Genesys avionics. The 505 is also a single-turbine helicopter that is in use in similar training, passenger, and utility roles as the R66.

The MARV-EL Increment 2 program will also see the Uncrewed 505 prototype developed for the Marine Corps. Near Earth says it will spend the next 36 months integrating and flight-testing the autonomous flight system in the Uncrewed 505, before progressing from early demonstrations to full mission capability.

“The program is to develop an uncrewed aerial logistics aircraft for where the risk and need are highest,” said Lyle Chamberlain, CTO of Near Earth. “We are combining our Captain autonomy architecture with a proven Bell 505 platform to move cargo without putting Marines in harm’s way. To be as intuitive as possible, we are designing the aircraft around existing Marine Corps workflows. Operators will be able to request, dispatch, and manage missions through familiar command-and-control pathways, including MAGTAB and MANGL integration. At the same time, cargo can be loaded with standard pallet jacks and forklifts. This approach reduces infrastructure burden and helps make autonomous resupply practical for expeditionary operations.”

Near Earth says the Uncrewed 505 is optimized for efficient transportability, with two aircraft fitting inside a C-130 cargo aircraft with minimal disassembly.

Other aircraft have previously emerged out of the MARV-EL program.

These included the Kargo UAV, a rotary-wing drone from the Kaman Corporation, which previously developed an optionally crewed version of its K-Max helicopter.

KARGO UAV | Transforming Expeditionary Logistics

Notably, Kaman partnered with Near Earth Autonomy for the autonomy system for both the Kargo UAV and the optionally crewed K-Max.

Another competitor for MARV-EL was the SeaOnyx from Leidos. In 2023, it was announced that Leidos had won a Marine Corps contract to develop a prototype of this autonomous resupply vehicle under the Medium Unmanned Logistics Systems — Air (MULS-A) program, which later became MARV-EL.

However, neither of these platforms met Marine Corps requirements, leading to MARV-EL being recompeted. At the same time, the previous requirements (including delivering a logistics payload of 300-600 pounds within a radius of 25 to 100 nautical miles to a combat area) were made more ambitious, increasing cargo payload and range.

Overall, MARV-EL again highlights the Marines’ growing focus on expeditionary warfare in contested environments, in the Pacific theater especially. With their versatile airframes, the R66 Turbinetruck and the Uncrewed 505 could be adapted for other missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare (EW), communications relay, and search and rescue. All of these are growth areas for the Marines specifically and the U.S. military more generally.

A video outlining the Bell 505, as offered for the U.S. Army Flight School Next requirement:

Bell 505: Ideal Trainer

At the same time, the R66 already has a foothold with the U.S. military, with TH-66 Sage used to train U.S. Army and Navy helicopter operators, under contract. The Army is also now looking at both the R66 and the Bell 505 for its Flight School Next training helicopter program.

Whichever design or designs are ultimately selected for the MARV-EL requirement, the Marines can expect a new medium-weight logistics platform that bridges the gap between smaller drones and larger crewed aircraft currently in use. At the same time, it will help reduce risk by keeping more fixed-wing and helicopter crews out of harm’s way.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

The film has been hailed a “must-see” by fans.

Fans of war films are being urged to watch a “powerful and moving” movie with a star-studded cast.

Those who love war movies and historical dramas are in for a treat as a classic biographical war drama is available to stream now.

The film is based on the Austrian mountaineer and Schutzstaffel sergeant Heinrich Harrer’s 1952 memoir of the same name.

Documenting his experiences in Tibet between 1944 and 1951, Seven Years in Tibet stars Brad Pitt and David Thewlis, and it is available to stream on Paramount+.

The film sees Thewlis play Austrian Peter Aufschnaiter, with Pitt as Harrer as the pair go mountaineering in 1930s India.

When the Second World War begins, their German citizenship results in their imprisonment in a British prisoner-of-war camp in the Himalayas.

Fans have taken to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on the film, with one hailing it a “masterpiece”, adding: “I strongly recommend this movie to those who think about war and occupation all day long.”

Another called it “vital viewing”, adding: “This movie is in my Top 100 of all time. Well acted by everyone involved, well directed, and the soundtrack is awesome. I feel this movie should be shown in schools [over the world].”

A third called it a “must-see”, sharing: “I accidentally picked this movie up w/o knowing anything about it! I was intrigued with it from the very beginning! Brad Pitt did an excellent job! I don’t know why I haven’t seen or heard anything about it before.”

Another fan added: “I can’t believe I did not watch this masterpiece earlier. Heinrich Harrer, from climbing mountains and escaping prison to being the Dalai Lama’s teacher, lived a life that it’s fascinating to learn about, and the movie shows that excellently.”

Another viewer commented: “This masterpiece still makes me curious every time I see it. Brad Pitt does an amazing job portraying an Austrian, even down to his accent.

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“The cinematography is extraordinary, and the direction is quite good. I love watching it every so often, and learning new things that I missed the times before.”

The film did not go down well in China, and it was condemned by the government of the People’s Republic of China, which said the Communist Chinese military officers were intentionally shown as rude and arrogant, brutalising the local people.

Films produced by Sony were initially banned from playing in China and Pitt and Thewlis were temporarily banned from entering the country.

The movie was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and Pitt won a Rembrandt Award for Best Actor for his role.

Seven Years in Tibet is on Paramount+