FalconWorks, the combat air research facility under BAE Systems, is marking achievements two months after its inception. This division has forged partnerships, most notably with sustainable aircraft technology developers Hybrid Air Vehicles and QinetiQ, and has engaged UAVTEK Limited to explore UAS technologies. FalconWorks’ recent milestone, the stratospheric flight of
NATO has flown its Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) along the Finnish-Russian border for the first time. NATO Air Command confirmed the mission, which had been visible via online flight tracker servicers that showed the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block
Regulations
The FAA has revised its national policy order that manages applicants’ requests to operate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and how safety risk management (SRM) assessments are performed. It also defines the roles of agency personnel responsible for UAS safety management and includes an outline for documenting the steps in the
The U.S. Air Force wants to retire the A-10 Warthog, an aircraft I have flown for years around the globe, by the end of the decade. While many may think all of us in the A-10 community want to hold onto our beloved mount for dear life,
Business
Hitachi Rail has refiled its merger notification with the European Commission, formally restarting the merger clearance process for the acquisition of Thales’s Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) in the European Union. Hitachi Rail’s planned acquisition of Thales’s Ground Transportation Systems (GTS) business was announced in August 2021. Since
Video
Blohm & Voss of Germany produced several notable seaplanes and flying boats in the lead-up to World War 2 (1939-1945) and one of these was the Bv 138 "Sea Dragon". However, before this aircraft was formally adopted, company engineers penciled out a fall-back design in
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) will be inducted into International Air & Space Hall of Fame during an event at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. The Museum is honoring GA-ASI for its celebrated history of developing and implementing unmanned aircraft
Ukrainian soldiers have received hundreds of drones, gifted to them by Australia, to capture surveillance video crucial for preparing missions to retake ground from Russian forces. The data comes from GoPro cameras strung from holes punched into disposable cardboard drones. This cheap method of scoping out targets is made possible
Propulsion
Rheinmetall Canada and Quaze have launched an innovative wireless charging solution for drones at DSEI 2023. The Drone Swarm Tactical OverWatch (DSTOW) module developed for Rheinmetall’s Mission Master UGV offers a unique solution enabling continuous, unattended and uninterrupted drone operations. Although recent drone technologies have made strides in ISR
Weapons Systems / Lasers
The European robotics and autonomous systems developer Milrem Robotics unveiled a new THeMIS Combat Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) equipped with loitering munitions that allow engaging targets farther behind enemy lines. The new system is equipped with Hunter 2-S tactical swarming drones by Halcon and features artificial intelligence that offers
Weapons Systems / Lasers
Raytheon UK is set to receive its first high-energy laser weapon system to be tested and integrated in the United Kingdom, marking a significant advancement in the understanding of how such systems can be fielded. Raytheon UK is the British unit of RTX’s Raytheon business. Designed to stop
Events
After more than a year of anticipation, Leonardo and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) unveiled a mature concept of the technology demonstrator, known as project 'Proteus' by the British Armed Forces, at DSEI London 2023. As part of phase 3a of the RWUAS CCD Phase 3 TDP,