Echodyne’s drone-sized radar system has received a vote of confidence – and a $118,721 award – from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The award, made through the department’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program, is designed to help the U.S. Border Patrol enhance its ability to monitor
Commercial
Sweden's controversial drone ban could soon be reversed as the country's government seeks to change the introduction of a new rule that was heavily criticized by media companies and trade associations. In October, Sweden’s Supreme Administrative Court (Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen) ruled that drones with a mounted
Business
The British and French governments have signed an agreement to begin a new interim phase of the bilateral Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. A 12-month study phase will now begin, which will ultimately lead to a full-scale demonstrator development programme starting at the end of 2017. This
The US Air Force bid farewell to the final F-4 Phantom II during a ceremony Wednesday at Holloman AFB, N.M. More than 500 people gathered at Holloman to watch the flight of the final F-4, AF 349, piloted by Lt. Col. Ronald King, the Det. 1, 82nd
Regulations
Over the last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made great strides toward integrating unmanned aircraft – popularly called “drones” – into the nation’s airspace. The first big step took place last December 21, when a new, web-based drone registration system went online. During the last year, the system
Business
QinetiQ announced that it has acquired Meggitt Defence Systems Limited and Meggitt Holdings Canada Inc. (together “Meggitt Target Systems”) from Meggitt for £57.5 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis. Meggitt Target Systems is a leading international provider of unmanned aerial, naval and land-based target systems and
Business
There are thousands of drone companies out there, but Intel has chosen to acquire MAVinci, a start-up from one of the European Space Agency’s business incubators in Germany that has developed an easy-to-use system for land surveillance. “They focus on precision payloads for construction and inspections,
Military and other operators prefer using kerosene, rather than gasoline, across ground and air platforms, but lightweight, reliable heavy-fuel engines for unmanned aircraft systems have proved challenging to develop. LiquidPiston, a startup developing a novel power-plant that is smaller and lighter than piston diesel engines and more efficient
Commercial
Primoco UAV SE, which this year started mass production of the One 100 with a maximum take-off weight of 100 kg, is coming out with a new model: One 150. The main difference from the One 100 is a completely new 50 HP engine, which allows the aircraft to
Commercial
The Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has released Considerations and Recommendations for Implementing an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program. In Alameda County, California, an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program has supported law enforcement in successfully monitoring crime scenes and capturing suspects on the run. While
Commercial
On December 24th-25th, AirMap will be tracking Santa's first-ever Christmas Eve drone deliveries at a dedicated website. This holiday season, Santa is launching his new delivery drone, powered by AirMap's airspace data and services platform. He's packed the SleighMaster3000 with presents, and
Business
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is acquiring more unmanned air vehicles with advanced payloads to satisfy the growing demand for their services. As an immediate step, the existing inventory of Elbit Systems Hermes 900 UAVs will be multiplied by six, the IAF announced on 19 December. “This platform is a