As the Royal Navy moves towards retiring its only unmanned air vehicle from service in 2017, industry has presented a number of upgrades to UK-operated systems to try and tempt the service into continuing operations with such technology. Using the RN’s Unmanned Warrior exercise that began on 10
Military
A bevy of new vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft conceived to take the military beyond the speed, range and altitude limits of helicopters are scheduled to fly over the next two years. None looks more like science fiction becoming science fact than a sort of flying candy crane
The US Marine Corps (USMC) has issued a request for information (RfI) for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS). The RfI, posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website on 12 October, calls for industry to identify potential sources for VTOL SUAS platforms to be
Accidents
Drones will be deliberately smashed into passenger jets as part of a radical testing programme triggered by fears of a catastrophe in British skies. Ministers ordered the tests after a series of near misses, some near major airports. They have committed more than £250,000 to pay for a private
This document clarifies the applicability of the statutory requirements regarding aircraft registration to UAS, including those operating as model aircraft. In addition, the DOT announces the formation of a UAS registration task force to explore and develop recommendations to streamline the registration process for UAS to ease the burden associated
Europe Air Sports (EAS) and the Fédération Aéronautique International (FAI) have issued the following Response to EASA Prototype Rules for Unmanned Aircraft: Background Model flying is an activity which is as old as manned aviation itself. Many of the aviation pioneers developed their designs on the basis of tests conducted
Commercial
The FAA has just issued a notice which amends procedures contained within Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Order 7110.65W, Air Traffic Control, and introduces Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) lost link procedures. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are unique as they are operated through commands sent via line of sight, relayed by
As Turkey pushes toward becoming a major player in the UAV industry, seeing more of their drones on satellite imagery beyond test airfields should come as no surprise. DigitalGlobe space snapshots from October 2015 captured one of the country’s latest drones, the Bayraktar TB2, complete with its ground control
Commercial
What is being hailed as the world's first commercial regular drone delivery service is beginning drop-offs in Rwanda. The operation uses fixed-wing drones that automatically fly to destinations in the central African nation. They release small packages attached to parachutes without needing to land at the
Military
The new Israeli UAV will be capable of carrying supplies and special reconnaissance equipment, hover for long periods of time, and operate at a range of 10 kilometers.The IDF is developing a new drone, the first of its kind to be developed by the Israeli military in-house. The
Testing
The skies above Facebook's Silicon Valley headquarters may soon be buzzing with the sound of quadcopter drones. That's because the company plans to fly at least one small, wireless-beaming drone at an altitude of 400 feet around its headquarters in the coming months. Recently filed
C-UAS
The Russian government is backing a military research project to develop a powerful microwave-based weapon designed to take out unmanned enemy drones from up to half a mile away. The country’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) created the microwave gun specifically to disrupt the electronics of enemy missiles.