U.S. Destroyer Spotted With a Mystery Weapon, Strange Ukraine Drones

Subscribe to Dark Tech for weekly coverage of the technology, weapons, and strategic shifts defining the future of war. The Dark Weapons Report This week, Ukraine’s mysterious JEDI Shahed Hunters emerge as one of the most promising new answers to Russia’s drone war — low-cost, high-speed interceptor drones built to chase down Shaheds before they reach their targets. We also examine Boeing’s vision for the CH-47 Chinook, which could transform the legendary heavy-lift helicopter into a drone-launching mothership capable of deploying unmanned systems for reconnaissance, electronic attack, and future strike missions. Then, we look at the strange new launcher spotted aboard the USS Carl M. Levin, an Arleigh Burke–class destroyer that may be testing a new counter-drone or precision-strike weapon as the U.S. Navy adapts to the age of drone swarms. Finally, U.S. Marines are training with the SMASH 2000L smart scope, a fire-control system designed to help ordinary riflemen lock onto and shoot down fast-moving drones with far greater accuracy. From Ukraine’s battlefield innovation to America’s next generation of air, sea, and infantry defenses, this episode covers the systems reshaping how modern militaries hunt, defend, and survive.