Testing
South Africa's Denel Dynamics plans to conduct the first flight of its prototype Seeker 400 in the first quarter of 2012, having announced the completion of manufacturing activities. Denel unveiled a mock-up of the Shadow 400 at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Show in Cape Town last
Testing
Israel Aerospace Industries has completed development work on its Mini Panther tilt-rotor UAS, and has started offering the design to potential customers. "We are now beginning to market the system," said Avi Bleser, marketing manager of the company's Malat division. While he refused to identify
Military
The Canadian Heron Unmanned Aircraft Detachment, known as Task Force Erebus, deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, as it was clear by 2008 that the flow of information supporting counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan needed to grow in both quantity and quality. “Task Force Erebus is unique in what it has
Training
Riverside Research, a not-for-profit, scientific-research institution, has teamed with Unmanned Applications Institute International (UAII) to provide technical curriculum and faculty instruction for several UAS education and maintenance programmes to various institutions in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Ohio. North Dakota State College of Science has already committed to
Events
The UAS activities in the Latin America are constantly growing. There are ongoing UAS developments (civil & military) in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. There are currently UAS operations (civil and/or military) ongoing in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. UAS are being
Military
Northrop Grumman just released this “music video” compilation of images of its various unmanned systems in action. Nothing new – just for fun…! Source: YouTube
Accidents
The three recent unmanned aircraft crashes brings the total of large UAS crashes for 2011 to thirteen, and the total for 2010 & 2011 to thirty-six, according the Drone Crash Database maintained by Drone Wars UK. Drone Wars UK aims to be a source of information on the growing
Propulsion
Unveiled at the Oshkosh Airventure event this summer, Pipistrel’s new, twin-fuselage, 75-foot wingspan plane is powered by only a 145-kilowatt brushless electric motor mounted, very non-traditionally, between two passenger pods. “The Taurus G4 NASA Racer is a technology demonstrator,” explained Tine Tomažič, leader of the
Propulsion
The US Navy has completed a successful test flight of an MH-60 Seahawk flown with a 50/50 blend of algae-based and petroleum-based jet fuels. It marks the first time a military aircraft has flown on a 100 percent algae-derived jet fuel. The bio-fuel, Solajet
Business
Northrop Grumman Corp. will cut 500 workers in its Aerospace Systems sector through a combination of voluntary and involuntary layoffs, it was announced last week. “This action is being taken because of defence budget uncertainties and pressures on current and projected business,” the company said in a statement. “We must
Accidents
An American unmanned surveillance aircraft crashed in south-western Pakistan on Thursday evening, near a paramilitary base close to the Afghan border. "It was an American surveillance unmanned aircraft. It crashed on this side of the border," a security official in the area told AFP. He said that
Military
US Navy acquisition officials are in discussions with Northrop about acquiring an unmanned helicopter based on the Bell 407 civil helicopter for special operations use. The possible sale is a rapid outgrowth of an effort Northrop and Bell began less than two years ago to demonstrate how the 407 could