Business
InstantEye Robotics announced that it has received an order from PMA-263, the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office, for an additional 800 InstantEye Mk-2 GEN3-A0 sUAS systems. The systems delivered under this contract will support deployed Marine infantry squads, providing organic surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Military
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) will launch a new variant of the Wing Loong-series of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – the Wing Loong ID (or I-D). Reported by China’s state-owned news agency Xinhua on January 25, AVIC subsidiary the Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute
Military
Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, recently celebrated a successful trial deployment of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Snowball Edge in Queensland, Australia. AWS Snowball is a service that accelerates transferring large amounts of data into and out of AWS using physical storage appliances, bypassing the internet. AWS Snowball
Military
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. successfully demonstrated its latest Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC) using a Satellite Communications (SATCOM) data link for its MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The demonstration also included the first SATCOM taxi of the MQ-9B. This capability will eliminate the need for a
Military
Bell Helicopter is continuing through the preliminary design review stage of its V-247 Vigilant unmanned tiltrotor, as it waits for its intended US Marine Corps customer to deliver precise requirements for the programme. Launched in 2016, the V-247 is a self-funded development, which Bell is producing to address an emerging
VTOL
UMS SKELDAR has been selected alongside partner Saab to be a part of OCEAN2020, the most important project related to the European Defence Agency initiative. Issued by the European Union under the ‘Preparatory Action on Defence Research’ programme, the competitive selection was conducted by the European Defence Agency. OCEAN2020 is
Electronic Sub-Systems
Northrop Grumman will prepare to modify the MQ-4C Triton unmanned air system with an emerging technology that can be used to help the maritime surveillance aircraft sense and avoid other objects in flight. The US Naval Air Systems Command intends to award a contract to sole-source Northrop to execute a
Business
Aircraft company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) is collaborating with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are capable of flying at a maximum height of 40,000 feet. “TAI has lengthy experience in building high-altitude UAVs. So we will collaborate with them in the project,” said
Weapons Systems / Lasers
The Russian military says it used 152mm Krasnopol laser-guided artillery shells to kill the individuals responsible for mass drone attacks on its Khmeimim air base and Tartus naval base in Syria and to destroy the workshop where militants assembled and stored the unmanned aircraft. The reports came after Russian President
Military
The U.S. Navy is planning to hire drone-maker General Atomics to fly its own unarmed MQ-9 Reapers in support of U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. The service says the contractor-operated drones would provide a “surge” of intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance capabilities as the U.S. military expands its activities
Business
The French procurement agency, the DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) has just awarded a contract for technology development in the field of rotary-wing drones to the Naval Group and Airbus Helicopters consortium. The contract covers de-risking studies ahead of construction of a future tactical helicopter drone demonstrator aboard warships.
Military
OCEAN2020, a European Defence Fund initiative, will boost technological research in the naval domain also by the integration of unmanned platforms in surveillance and interdiction missions. The OCEAN2020 team, which will be led by Leonardo, comprises 42 partners from 15 European countries. These include the Ministries of Defence of Italy,