VTOL
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter successfully completed its 52nd flight, despite communication dropouts due to challenging Martian terrain. Contact with the helicopter was re-established on June 28, following a temporary blackout due to a hill blocking the signal between it and the Perseverance rover. Flight 53, scheduled for the
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Triton flying test bed (FTB) recently completed a demonstration of persistent long-range targeting during this year’s Northern Edge 2023 military training exercise. Conducted around the Gulf of Alaska, this demonstration highlighted Triton’s potential to enhance joint, distributed maritime operations, and further support sea-
Weapons Systems / Lasers
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has successfully tested a new drone capable of carrying and dropping a 7-kilogram bomb. The new multirotor bomber drone is designed and developed in a project known as “Arbaeen,” according to Tasnim. The multicopter was designed, developed, and produced by experts
Inspections
The U.S. Air Force is experimenting with a mix of drones, artificial intelligence and cloud collaboration to find ways to slash the time it takes to inspect aircraft for wear and tear. In trials backed by aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Near Earth Autonomy, a developer of drone operating systems,
Business
DroneShield Ltd has been awarded a follow-on 2-year R&D contract with a total value of $9.9 million by a Five Eyes Department of Defence (DoD). Approximately $4.5 million is due in the September and December 2023 quarters. Five Eyes refers to the defence/intelligence
Business
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been employed in narcotics and other illegal activities across Colombia. Guerrilla groups and other nefarious actors are reported to be making drones to support their operations. The Colombian Ministry of Defense has denounced the use of drones by these organizations that violate Colombia´s national
Business
The Congolese government is taking decisive action in its fight against the M23 rebels by acquiring nine Chinese CH-4 attack drones. This move marks a significant step towards enhancing the capabilities of the Congolese military in tackling the ongoing insurgency. In February 2023, the DRC government announced that it
Research
The Planning Office of the German Armed Forces has awarded Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Quantum-Systems GmbH and Spleenlab GmbH with a research endeavour to demonstrate and analyze the AI building blocks required for swarms of tactical UAS in a real-world scenario. The project, titled KITU 2 (Künstliche
BVLOS
Iridium Communications Inc. has announced the results of an Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) flight trial highlighting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities in the National Airspace System (NAS), with a published a whitepaper titled "Monitored BVLOS: A New Model for UAS Integration in the National Airspace System."
Business
Insitu Inc., Bingen, Washington, is awarded a $31,955,872 firm-fixed-price modification (P00004) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001922D0038). This modification adds scope to procure hardware in support of the RQ-21A Blackjack and ScanEagle unmanned air systems platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps,
Commercial
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) contracted Schiebel to support operations with its CAMCOPTER S-100 for emission monitoring and maritime surveillance purposes in northern France on behalf of the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, Fishery and Aquaculture (DGAMPA). Stationed at CROSS Gris-Nez, the CAMCOPTER S-100 currently supports
Regulations
Norway’s Supreme Court has overturned the Hålogaland Court of Appeal and Nord-Troms and Senja District Court's acquittal of the British-Russian businessman Andrey Yakunin, the son of former head of state-owned Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, with the judgment that the flight ban against Russian citizens