Training
Student pilots participating in the Air Force's first MQ-9 Reaper Basic Course at Holloman Air Force Base received their wings during a ceremony at the base theatre on August 16. This marks the first time a student pilot in the Air Force Specialty Code 18X has completed
Within the context of its Global Access Initiative, UVS International has produced three documents, which will hopefully contribute to making it possible for the international Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) community to start using a common terminology.These 3 documents are: RPAS Glossary This is a list of the terms
Military
Under the name of Sant Arpia, the Mohajer 2, an Iranian UAS, is currently flying in Venezuela. Reportedly operating from the Cavim (CA Venezolana de Industria Militares) Maracay factory, where a new UAS facility has been unveiled by recent satellite imagery, the Mohajer 2 is a light unarmed unmanned aircraft
Testing
Boeing's video explains the process behind the Blended Wing Body aircraft, a remotely piloted experimental jet shaped like a manta ray. Bob Liebeck, Chief Scientist and Manager of the Blended Wing Project, explains how Boeing is working with NASA to explore fuel savings and other potential benefits of
Commercial
Although it's still the "dawn of drone ecology," as one innovator calls it, these unmanned aircraft are already skimming over Indonesia's jungle canopy to photograph orangutans, protecting rhinos in Nepal and studying invasive aquatic plants in Florida. Relatively cheap, portable and earth-hugging, they
Commercial
The Bellevue Fire Department's latest tool is a Draganflyer VTOL UAS, equipped with cameras that transmit photos and video to firefighters and rescue personnel, and it's expected to be useful managing incidents involving hazardous materials. The device was purchased from Draganfly Innovations Inc. with a $25,
Business
Cubic Defense Applications, a defense systems business of Cubic Corporation, received a $3.7 million contract from Northrop Grumman Corporation to produce a new multiband digital data link system for the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. The data link uses smaller and lighter components to do the mission-critical
The civil RPAS industry community consists of two principal stakeholder groups: RPAS manufacturers & RPAS operators. In this context, and in accordance with the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the term «operator» should be understood as persons, organizations or enterprises engaged in or offering to engage in
Accidents
According to the information being spread by Chinese Defense forums, a group of 17 Chinese expert would have recently arrived in Iran not only to inspect, but also to collect and bring back to China some key components of the U.S. RQ-170 captured by Iran in December 2011.
Commercial
Unmanned Aircraft Systems will be used August 21-23 to monitor Missouri River bank erosion on the Lower Brule Reservation, S.D. The flights, conducted for a second time by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Environmental Protection Office, will occur along a
Business
Poland is looking to replace its aging strike force, currently flying Russian built Sukhoi Su-22M with armed unmanned aircraft. According to Waldemar Skrzypczak Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defence for military procurement, a future procurement of some 30 armed unmanned aircraft equipping three squadrons is being considered. The arguments
Business
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is being awarded an $87,338,761 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee contract for MQ-9 Reaper FY10/11 Retrofit Kits and Installations for up to 80 aircraft. The location of the performance is Poway, California. Work is to be completed by Aug. 17,