BLACK CAT WATCH
Welcome to the April 2026 edition of the Black Cat Watch. In this edition we cover the months of March and April 2026. We report on the latest updates in EOD Drone capabilty, the worldwide EOD news, and a small sample of recent UK EOD incidents.
The Regiment
Regimental Update
The Spring is punctuated by Easter leave, The Regiments Squadrons have used their drill nights and weekends to enhance the EOD and Search training skills required by personnel to attend their next level of qualificaton courses at DEMS.
EOD Capability Update
Royal Engineers EOD uses landmine-hunting drones for first time
33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) has successfully tested a new landmine-hunting drone. The aerial drone uses AI to spot and identify explosives hidden in the ground. If successfully deployed in combat, they could revolutionise the way wars are fought, speeding up how soon troops can clear a minefield and making it safer to do so. An evaluation team from 33 Engineer Regiment put the experimental system through its paces at their base in Essex. Officers used drones equipped with sensors to scan for mock mines and explosives before using AI tools to locate and identify munitions.
How AI-powered landmine-hunting drone works
1> The ariel drone uses sensors to scan the battlefield [top].
2> Information is relayed back to the soldiers control pad where AI works out the locations and types of mines [Left].
3> EOD teams destroy them [Bottom].
The 33 Engineer Regt drone trial was conducted in coordination with the Defence Science and Technical Laboritories (DSTL).
public World News
Conflict Zone: Ukraine
As of late April 2026, Ukraine has evovoled its digital battlefield, Ukrainian drones are now starting to make a significant difference to the front line, air defence, and deep strike operations against russian air defences, airfields, ports and oil refinaries.
A digital no go kill zone has been created 25k behind the front line, any enemy forces detected in the zone are immediately detected and destroyed. Drone operators now supervise the operation of drones on the basis of a operator to many drones basis. Drone AI autonomy is being advanced on a weekly basis in terms of navigation to area of operation, loitering, and target identification.
Ukraine continues to expand its use of EOD Drones both for minefield surveying, and EOD strike and disruption purposes.
With the defeat of Viktor Orban in the Hungarian elections on the 23rd April, the EU cleared the release of a 90 billian euro loan to further sustain the Ukrainian economy and defence development over the next two years.
Conflict Zone: The Middle East
Following the US/Isreal - Iran ceasefire that took effect on 8th April 2026, tensions remain tense, as at the 24th April the Strait of Hormuz remains under the control of the IRGC, and the US has maintained a blockade of Iranian shipping traffic in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. Thus, the shipping of oil and other commodities critical to the world economy remains blocked from the Persian Gulf.
During the most recent kenetic part of the war (28th Feb to 8th April), Iran launched a significant number of ballistic missles and drones against Israel and the Gulf States that host US bases and energy infrastructure. It is estimated that circa 50% of the worlds patriot air defence missle stocks has been expended in the period, with each missle (PAC-3 MSE or PAC-2 GEM-T) costing in excess of $4m. These missles are being fired against Irainian Fateh or Shahed Drones costing $30,000 a copy, so the asymetric cost of fighting the war is in Iran's favour.
A further problem exists, not only because the Iranians can launch drone swarms and overwelm the missle defences, but the Irainians have also fitted the warheads of up to 50% of their ballistic missles (Qiam-1, Fateh-110, Fateh-313, Zolfaghar, Emad) with bomblets.
The Irainians launch their ballistic missles in waves, on increasing occasions the missles have dispensed their bomblet load before being engaged by the patriot, arrow or iron dome air defence systems. 10% of the missle dispensed bomblets have become UXO, and have created an EOD issue for the Israeli population.
Each missle carries between 24 to 80 bomblets depending on the type of missle.
radar Recent UK EOD Incidents
April 2026
| Date | Location | UXO Discovered | Disposal Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 22nd | Cathwaite, Paston, Peterborough | "Suspicious device" found in a residential property. | EOD identified the device as non-viable. No explosives were found; a 46-year-old man was charged with threatening to damage property. |
| April 21st | Midland Road, Derby | Potentially hazardous industrial chemicals (risk of explosion). | 100m cordon and evacuations. The Army EOD team transported the substances to Elvaston Castle Country Park for a controlled explosion. |
| April 19th | Southbourne Beach, Dorset | Suspected ordnance found by a metal detectorist. | Southbourne Coastguard and EOD attended. Item assessed and safely removed/disposed of (standard protocol for beach finds). |