General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. announced that its family of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), which includes the Predator, Reaper, Gray Eagle, Avenger, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian lines, has surpassed eight million flight hours. GA-ASI aircraft have completed 566,000 total missions in nearly 40 countries around the world. Adding to
Military
Russia’s convoluted attempt to produce Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones domestically spotlights systemic flaws and mismanagement in its defense industry. According to leaked data published by the Russian opposition group “Protocol”, the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan aims to manufacture Shahed-136 drones under an exorbitant deal with sanctions-hit Iran.
Drone Light Shows
On the occasion of Bastille Day, the record for the largest drone show ever performed in Europe was broken in the skies of Disneyland Paris by Dronisos, the European provider of drone entertainment. 1,495 drones gracefully danced in the sky just above Sleeping Beauty Castle, coordinated with stunning light
Commercial
Australian drone manufacturer and solutions provider Carbonix and Drone Data Management Platform provider Aerial Vantage, have completed their first commercial flights in Michigan. With missions taking place every fortnight, the ongoing campaign aims to extract insight through advanced drone capabilities and advanced AI data processing. The initial missions are a
Accidents
Drones fell from the sky and plunged into the Yarra River during a light display ahead of Friday night’s Matildas soccer match at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. More than several hundred drones fell out of formation and flashing as they dropped into the water in Docklands. The drone malfunction
Business
As part of the development of the first EASA-certified UAS, German actuator manufacturer Volz Servos GmbH & Co. KG is to supply the certifiable actuators that will equip Thales’s UAS100 long-range drone. Volz and Thales signed the contract that will also call on Volz subsidiary Aircraft Electronic Engineering GmbH
First Responders
NASA researchers recently tested a mobile air traffic management kit for remote ground pilots across forests throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. During the testing, U.S. Forest Service pilots remotely operated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, to drop ping pong ball-sized plastic spheres that ignited on
Military
The Norwegian Ministry of Defense has announced the supply of 1000 Black Hornet nanodrones to Ukraine, which are highly valuable for conducting reconnaissance operations in urban combat scenarios. Ukraine is very satisfied with previous Norwegian deliveries of this type of reconnaissance drones, which have been developed in cooperation between the
Commercial
Verity AG, a global autonomous indoor drone company, announced the successful completion of an additional $11M investment in its Series B funding round. The addition is an extension of a $32 million Series B announced back in March, bringing the round’s full raise up to $43 million. With this
UAM/UTM
PRIMUS AERO is investing in the future of transportation with the purchase of a fleet of PAL-V Liberty vehicles, enhancing their operational excellence and minimizing the downtime of clients’ aircraft. As Stephan Krainer, CEO and Founder of PRIMUS AERO, explains: "The PAL-V is a time-saving machine for us. Our
Video
The United States and Germany were the pioneers of aircraft during World War 2, including innovations with an incredible arsenal of weapon systems. As the war drew close to the end, the Luftwaffe launched the first jet-powered bomber, the Arado Ar 234, in a last effort to turn the tide
Business
Darkhive Inc., a San Antonio-based drone developer, has won a $5 million contract to develop autonomous software for the U.S. Air Force. The startup was awarded a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s innovation hub to integrate and test next generation