Video
The Martin XB-51 was a colossal bomber aircraft built in the late 1940s that exceeded all expectations and was probably the finest bomber that never went to battle. The XB-51's lifespan was too brief to be awarded an official nickname. Still, its unusually prolonged shape granted
Testing
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. further advanced its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) ecosystem by flying three unique missions with artificially intelligent (AI) pilots on an operationally relevant Open Mission System (OMS) software stack. A company-owned Avenger Unmanned Aircraft System was paired with “digital twin” aircraft to autonomously conduct Live,
Weapons Systems / Lasers
Iran unveils for the first time its new AD-08 Majid short-range mobile air defense (SHORAD) missile system mounted on an Iveco Daily 4×4 light truck during a military exercise. The AD-08 Majid is a short-range and low-altitude air defense missile system fully developed by
Leveraging Vantis, the state’s first-of-its-kind UAS network, uAvionix, a drone company, received approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights in North Dakota. uAvionix demonstrated to the FAA that it established adequate risk mitigations to satisfy required
Regulations
The US EPA has just published OTM-051 - UAS application of Method 21 for Surface Emissions Monitoring, effectively approving the utilizing the SnifferDRONE method providing a more comprehensive, more effective, and safer means for identifying methane (CH4) leaks over landfills and terrestrial bodies. The new method also provides a means
Business
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $16,220,882 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract provides for engineering investigations, fleet operations, issues surrounding supportability/reliability, cyber security activities and capabilities, software design and system integration, qualification testing, logistical support as well as training services in
Data Links & Communications
The Federal Communications Commission has just proposed new rules that would improve wireless communications on unmanned aircraft systems by allowing access to the 5 GHz band. Building off a 2020 report advocating for UAS access to the 5030-5091 MHz licensed spectrum, FCC officials look to bolster the capabilities of
Military
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) recently demonstrated multiple unmanned systems in a first-of-its-kind mission to move supplies to ships at sea without the use of manned aircraft during an event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Inigoes, Maryland. The demo, held in
A drone pilot who nearly caused a serious accident at a memorial flight in Buxton, England, has pleaded guilty to endangering an aircraft. The incident happened at the Buxton Carnival in July 2022, during a fly-past by the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Hurricane. At the time,
Data Links & Communications
Airbus and VDL Group have signed a partnership agreement for the development and manufacturing of a laser communication terminal for aircraft, known as UltraAir. Based on the development led by Airbus and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the two companies will now prepare a demonstration of a
Military
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a $75,074,676 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for contractor logistics support for Gray Eagle Block 0. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Poway, California, with an estimated completion date of June
UAM/UTM
EHang Holdings Ltd. is working hard to make futuristic flying cars a reality. But it’s flying into some capital headwinds in that process, potentially leading some investors to refrain from betting too big on the company. Last Friday, EHang — a maker of autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) that can carry