Weapons Systems / Lasers
WB Electronics of Poland has disclosed development of a new generation of combat unmanned aerial system. Provisionally designated ‘Warmate 2’, the new, heavier variant builds on the legacy Warmate micro-class air vehicle, and is expected to be officially unveiled in late August/early September of this year. The original
Commercial
Tunisia has partnered the African Development Bank (AfDB) to launch a pilot project to use drones for data collection to enhance management of agricultural projects across the country. The project, which will be implemented over the next 10 months, will also receive technical management and assistance from South Korea, Tunisia&
Commercial
New Hampshire professional photographer Lee Germeroth describes how he used an aerial drone-mounted flash to achieve dramatic effects on a silhouetted subject. This idea had been rolling around in my head for years. I use flashes a lot in my photography. Whether that is a Speedlight on or off
Commercial
The French Air Force operated two of its MQ-9 Reapers simultaneously in support of France’s Bastille Day events, one over Paris and the second over Cognac, on July 14th. The “French Reapers,” Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), assisted French authorities
Business
CACI International Inc. has announced that the US Navy has awarded the company a $48.5 million single-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide integration, installation, sustainment, and engineering services to the Naval Air Systems Command Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks Rapid Development Capabilities Integrated
Business
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has launched a new drone insurance scheme with leading specialist and corporate insurer Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK). The new scheme offers comprehensive and competitively-priced coverage for companies operating drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), for commercial or business purposes. The Lloyd’
Commercial
DJI has new versions of the Mavic Pro on the way, and thanks to a mistakenly published advertisement, the company has now confirmed a few specs and features ahead of the drones’ official reveal. There appear to be two big changes coming to this generation of the Mavic: first, the
Engineers at Caltech have developed a new control algorithm that enables a single drone to herd an entire flock of birds away from the airspace of an airport. The algorithm is presented in a study in IEEE Transactions on Robotics. The project was inspired by the 2009 “Miracle on the
The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) awarded $6.3 million to four teams in support of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research and development (R&D). Funding was awarded under OFRN’s Sustaining Ohio’s Aeronautical Readiness and Innovation in the Next Generation (SOARING) initiative, OFRN’s third round of
In a joint effort with IBM, the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) unveiled the world’s largest neuromorphic supercomputer, Blue Raven, with the processing power of 64 million neurons. By 2019, AFRL expects to demonstrate an airborne target-recognition application developed using Blue Raven. The processors, which were developed by
Commercial
Lake Macquarie Council has begun using drones along isolated cliffs at Swansea Heads and Caves Beach to spray tracts of Bitou bush, an invasive South African weed. It is understood to be the first time drones have been used for weed spraying in the Hunter. Council’s manager planning and
Commercial
HE Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi City Municipality, has launched the trial phase of using drones in engineering inspection of the construction sites in Abu Dhabi. The step aims to capitalize on modern technology in various service operations and making further improvements. The initiative is a