Propulsion
At the Intersolar Europe trade show, IABG - a European technology enterprise - and ACENTISS, the aircraft engineering company of the IABG group, have concluded an exclusive cooperation agreement with PC-Aero GmbH, the German electric aircraft developer and producer. The partners plan to jointly develop, produce and market electric-powered Unmanned
Military
The British Army will be ready to start using its first Watchkeeper tactical unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan this December, following the completion of operational field trials that will commence in October. Major Matt Moore, from the army's headquarters directorate, Royal Artillery, said one operational "task line"
Payloads
Raytheon Company has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce the first airborne tactical hyperspectral sensor system. The Airborne Cueing and Exploitation System Hyperspectral, also known as ACES HY, is an infrared sensor system developed to identify targets based on their spectral characteristics. In September 2010,
Payloads
Northrop Grumman Corporation and SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica Company, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at jointly pursuing the international directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) market. Capitalizing on their unique experience and capability in the development and production of laser-based DIRCM systems, the document further
Business
AeroVironment, Inc. has reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ending April 30, 2011. “With record fourth quarter revenue of $106.1 million, fiscal 2011 revenue grew 17% to $292.5 million, exceeding our guidance, and diluted earnings per share increased 24% to $1.17," said
Research
An $11.4 million collaborative research project led by the University of North Dakota on unmanned aircraft called the Limited Deployment of Cooperative Aircraft Project could assist North Dakota in becoming a future national test site for unmanned aircraft, UND officials said. The project proposal, drafted by research and unmanned
Testing
AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company, and GE Aviation announced that the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System has completed a flight demonstration using the GE Flight Management System (FMS), a four-dimensional trajectory FMS certified for use in manned commercial aircraft. The
Reports & Publications
US unmanned aircraft have Bangalore-based Serial Innovations to thank for helping them send live video feeds smoothly. This technology start-up has developed products that helps stabilise video feeds coming from UAS. Serial Innovations founder and CEO Arvind Lakshmikumar said they developed these systems for Europe's biggest
Business
Joseph Ackerman, President of Elbit Systems, talked to Flightglobal about the company's aspirations and the focus of its display this year at the Paris Air Show: "We are introducing the company's unique multi-layered wide area aerial persistent surveillance (WAAPS) solution, demonstrating a capability that
Military
Aeronautics Ltd. has delivered the first Orbiter 3 Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (STUAS) to a first undisclosed customer. "The Orbiter 3 STUAS brings to the unmanned systems market capabilities that did not exist previously" said Ran Carmeli, Head of the Aerial Division at Aeronautics. "A field
Training
Simlat Ltd. has announced delivery of a customized Heron UAS payload operator training system to the Australian Air Force. The simulator is designed to provide focused training for the payload operator, and supports diverse training goals, from basic operation to mission rehearsal and intensive currency training. Simlat's customized
Testing
French armaments agency (DGA) has contracted for several VTUAS demonstrations. Among them is a Thales-led effort to work with Boeing’s Unmanned Littlebird (a modified AH-6i) to explore various challenging elements of VTUAS operations on land and at sea. The Unmanned Littlebird is currently undergoing a series of