UAM/UTM
The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (“RAKTA”), Joby Aviation, Inc. a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, and Skyports Infrastructure have announced a long-term collaboration to launch a passenger air taxi service network in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah by 2027. The announcement followed the signing
The Kalashnikov Concern has unveiled an upgraded version of its SKAT 350M unmanned aerial system, now equipped with an integrated HD infrared camera and a night vision module. The new system was showcased in Izhevsk during the annual Gunsmiths’ Day arms exhibition, according to the company’s press service. The
AI
* Shield AI, the deep-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software products and aircraft, has announced the completion of a successful autonomous flight demonstration in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space, through the integration of Shield AI’s Hivemind software with Airbus’s DT25 target drone. The flight, conducted in Andøya, Norway,
Business
* Auterion, a provider of autonomous systems software for defense, has announced that it has raised $130 million in Series B funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Auterion’s Series B funding will accelerate its mission to “build swarms, not individual drones” by scaling production of its AuterionOS platform and Nemyx
BVLOS
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has has approved Windracers, a British civil and defence drone manufacturer, to conduct the UK’s first civil unmanned aerial system (UAS) international operation. Windracers has been given approval by the CAA and Luftfartstilsynet (Civil Aviation Authority Norway) to fly its dual-use heavy-lift drone,
Agriculture
Drones of various types are playing an increasingly prominent role in modern society. This trend has been enabled by a convergence of technical advances in terms of the sophistication and functionality of controls, sensors, data handling, power, flight efficiency, and payload capacity. Drones are now playing a particularly notorious and
Business
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Minco Technologies of Cookeville, Tennessee, a contract valued at up to $13.6 million to develop a next-generation unmanned aircraft engine designed to dramatically reduce fuel consumption and improve operational flexibility. The project aims to create a modular, fuel-flexible propulsion system that could
C-UAS
* L3Harris Technologies and Shield AI successfully demonstrated an artificial intelligence-enabled drone detection system during the Department of War’s recent Technology Readiness Experimentation event. L3Harris and Shield AI Demonstrate AI-Powered System to Defeat Unmanned ThreatsThis test event showed the system can more quickly detect hostile drones at longer ranges than
News
Danish authorities have reported the sighting of a Russian warship on the edge of Danish waters with its tracking system turned off, indicating it is likely trying to avoid detection, according to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet. Why It Matters Russian fighter planes last week violated Romanian and Estonian airspace, raising
C-UAS
Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) recently unveiledthe Apollo High Energy Laser Weapon (HELW), a state-of-the-art system capable of neutralizing swarms of drones with precision and efficiency, marking a significant advancement in military defense technology. Apollo’s Technological Edge The Apollo High Energy Laser Weapon represents a significant advancement
C-UAS
Poland’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed plans to introduce the WLKM 12.7 mm Gatling gun, a domestically developed weapon designed to strengthen the country’s short-range air defense and counter-drone capabilities. The deputy head of the Polish Ministry of National Defence, Cezary Tomczyk, said in a post on
Propulsion
Honeywell unveiled a new small-thrust-class engine, the HON1600, for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) market during the annual Air, Space & Cyber Conference organized by the Air & Space Forces Association in Washington, D.C.. The CCA engine, HON1600, meets all mission-critical performance parameters, including