Three war-tech stories from 13 October 2026, in one article. Iran is reported to be staging missile drills. Researchers in China say a new sensor could, in simulation, detect a stealth jet. And an American company has announced a sight designed to bring down drones.
Iran Fires Missiles in Readiness Drills
Reports say Iran's IRGC missile readiness drills entered a third day. At least three ballistic missiles were launched from Isfahan. This was reported by JFeed on 13 October.
The Institute for the Study of War's 13 October Iran Update says Iran is conducting drone, missile and anti-aircraft tests. It says Iran is doing this while trying to deter renewed US operations.
China Hunts the F-35 — in Simulation
Researchers at China's Air-to-Air Missile Research Institute published simulation results. They were reported on 13 October via SCMP and the Seoul Economic Daily. The claim is that a missile-mounted single-photon lidar sensor could detect a US F-35C stealth fighter from up to 61.5 km at night and 27.7 km in daytime.
This point is important. This is a simulation claim, not a fielded weapon. It is not proven performance in the field.
The claim matters because it targets the one thing stealth jets rely on: radar invisibility. Laser light still reflects off the airframe. So a lidar sensor works in a different way from radar.
America Builds a Drone-Killer Sight
At AUSA, SIG SAUER unveiled the XRAY9-CUAS. It is a counter-drone electro-optic sight for remote weapon stations. This came in a company announcement on 13 October.
The company says its SWIR laser rangefinder and slew-rate sensors instantly calculate a drone's distance, speed and vector. They then generate a custom disturbed reticle. The system engages out to about 300 yards, depending on drone size. It is day and night capable, with thermal fusion. It weighs 24 oz and has up to 50 hours of battery.
All of these claims are attributed to their sources above. Nothing here is presented as proven fact.
Watch the video: Iran Fires Missiles, China Hunts the F-35, America Builds a Drone-Killer on YouTube. This article is the full written version of the video, in simple English. See all articles on the Blogs page and more videos on the Science & Tech page.