The editors of Popular Science magazine have selected the US Navy/Northrop Grumman Corporation developed X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System to receive a 2011 Best of What's New (BOWN) Award in the Aviation & Space category. The Award was formally announced in the magazine's December
Military
India’s domestic unmanned aircraft programme is progressing on schedule. The Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, according to P S Krishnan Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) laboratory. Rustom-2 would have a wingspan of over 21 meters
Commercial
At the most recent City Council meeting, officials gave Arlington Police Department permission to use of about $202,000 in Department of Homeland Security grant money to buy two small unmanned aircraft. The aircraft, known as Leptron Avengers, are battery-operated helicopters designed to take high-resolution video and photos
VTOL
L-3 WESCAM has received an order from Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Co. LLC (ADASI) for eight of its MX-10 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems. The turrets, to be employed on the Schiebel S-100 unmanned aircraft system platform, will assist with surveillance duties. Deliveries will
Commercial
Scientists from the University of Costa Rica have developed a low-cost unmanned aircraft to monitor steam emissions and other atmospheric markers at Costa Rica's Aranel Volcano. The last serious eruption was in 1998, although the steady emission of steam is a constant reminder of its potential to
Business
North Eastern Aeronautical Company Inc. (NEANY), headquartered in Hollywood, MD, was recently ranked third in the nation for 8(a) Prime Contractors by Washington Technology. NEANY is a minority-owned 8(a) certified research, development, test and evaluation firm currently producing innovative unmanned air and ground solutions providing battlespace awareness,
Research
The United States Air Force has been working on miniature remote controlled drones that resemble a flying insect. Military and civilian scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory came up with the concept while researching how to create unique winged drones that resemble nature’s creations. The goal was to
Events
The United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence has outlined a long-term acquisition strategy that includes fielding a next-generation fighter and an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) between 2018 and 2025. Both requirements were revealed for the first time at the Dubai International Air Chiefs' Conference
Payloads
A move to a new standard communications band is needed because of a saturation of current bandwidth, French Air Chief of Staff Genenral Jean-Paul Palomeros said at a briefing in Dubai on November 12. Increasingly relied-upon unmanned aircraft such as Predators, Reapers and the French Harfang generate huge
Business
Insitu Inc. has announced a new alliance with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company (ADASI) that allows for support and sustainment of Insitu’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) products and services in the Middle East. “As we collaborate on approaches to grow into the Middle
Commercial
BCB International's SQ-4 weighs only 2.9 ozs. (82 grams), flies up to 400 feet in the air, fits in the palm of a hand, contains two video cameras, can hover in place and perch on ledges, and automatically returns “home” when its battery runs low. The
Commercial
Architects have been using a remote-controlled aircraft to survey the historic Stirling Bridge in Scotland. The 500-year-old bridge has been suffering "severe problems" with water ingress, which is eroding the masonry. A team from Historic Scotland, which looks after the four-arched structure, used the