Video
Ekranoplans are a sort of mix of an aircraft and a hovercraft using ground effect to fly or skim a few meters above the ground (normally the water). It is sometimes assumed that the Soviets just copied Western aircraft design (such as with the Tupolev Tu-4 - a B-29 copy)
Military
Italy has seized Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya in violation of a U.N. embargo, Italian authorities said. Components making up the two drones were concealed in six containers sent on two container ships from China to the Port of Gioia Tauro in
Business
The UK Ministry of Defence has issued BAE Systems a four-year Sting Ray Mid Life Upgrade (SRMLU) Assessment Phase (AP) contract, valued at £60.1 million ($76 million), to fund development of the new Sting Ray Mod 2 lightweight torpedo design. In a Monday tender notice, London said the contract
Military
The Ukrainian military has begun using a new model of a heavy FPV attack drone capable of carrying a 5-kilogram warhead. Heavy FPV drones with a 6-motor design were spotted in service with the 3rd Assault Brigade, or rather, its Terra attack drone unit. The addition of two extra motors
Propulsion
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, was out in the field with a new addition to its SKIRON Expeditionary small UAS product line. Designated SKIRON-XLE, the long-endurance variant is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and purpose-designed for long range reconnaissance. While flight testing is ongoing, SKIRON-XLE is expected to
Business
DZYNE Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of autonomous technologies including Group I-V UAS platforms, has announced the strategic acquisition of High Point Aerotechnologies, a global player in the design and manufacture of innovative air defense technologies focused on counter-uncrewed autonomous systems. The transaction marks a significant milestone as DZYNE continues
Business
The United States Coast Guard awarded a contract on June 26, 2024, to Shield AI Inc. of San Diego for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capability that can be deployed from Coast Guard cutters. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm fixed-price contract runs through 2029 and is structured as five one-year ordering periods.
AI
An unnamed Ukrainian tech startup has reportedly developed a new artificial intelligence (AI)- enabled drone that can recognize and engage targets based on visual triggers, like a specific uniform. The drones can work as a swarm and can communicate with one another. The startup claims this enables the drones
Transport
Wing and Apian have partnered with Blackrock Health and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin along with leading healthcare technology company, Medtronic to launch an innovative drone delivery trial demonstrating the benefits drones could offer in healthcare logistics. Over the next few months, Wing and Apian will deploy drone
C-UAS
At the Puckapunyal Military Area, where tanks and explosions are commonplace, last month a new type of weapon system was put through its paces for senior officers looking to expand Defence’s counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) arsenal. ADF’s first directed-energy weapon, called the Fractl Portable High Energy Laser, is
Testing
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army recently completed an end-to-end flight test of a hypersonic missile from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, HI. The test provided data on the end-to-end performance of the Conventional Prompt Strike and Long Range Hypersonic Weapon All Up Round. The test marks
Propulsion
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has announced that its Space & Missile Defense Systems Business Unit, a part of Kratos’ Defense & Rocket Support Systems (DRSS) Division, supported the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), in the successful launch and flight of the Kratos