Military
The MQ-9 extended-range Reaper debuted in combat over Afghanistan, launching from Kandahar Airfield earlier this month, officials announced. For the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, efforts to increase those capabilities are in full swing after completing an extended range modification to nearly half of their fleet of
Military
When travelling by train in South Korea, you can’t go any further north than Baekmagoji Station. It’s then a 15-minute walk from the station to the demilitarized zone (or DMZ). After that, it’s all rice paddies and landmines, leading up to North Korea. Even though the two
Military
The German Defense Ministry is assuming the leadership role for development of a European drone, the so-called Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted aircraft system or MALE RPAS. In a statement, the ministry also announced that Spain will participate as an equal fourth partner in the project. According to the
Military
The British Army has moved to accelerate the training of pilots for its £1.2bn Watchkeeper by sending them to the tropical Ascension Island for the winter after problems were found flying the aircraft in British weather. Military chiefs say they are under pressure to prove the operational capability of
Military
The US Air Force has outlined steps it will take to improve the health and morale of its remotely piloted aircraft force, including new operating bases and doubling the total number of RPA flying squadrons. The steps, outlined in a news release follow a months-long review of the RPA force,
Military
France has ordered a third batch of Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, with delivery in 2019 of three UAVs and two ground stations in the advanced block 5 version, a spokesman for the procurement office said Friday. "The Direction Générale de l’Armement ordered Dec. 7 2015 the third batch
Military
The US Air Force wants to vastly expand its drone program over the next five years by doubling the number of pilots and deploying them to bases in California and elsewhere to give commanders better intelligence and more firepower. The $3-billion plan, which must be approved by Congress, was unveiled
Military
Two months ago, first official flight of an Iraqi CH-4B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was performed during the visit of Defence Minister, Mr. Khaled al-Obeidi at al-Kut Air Base. On December 6th, a CH-4B from 100th Squadron was engaged for the first time in an airstrike in Ramadi destroying an
VTOL
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) completed a successful land-based operational assessment (OA) with the unmanned, autonomous helicopter MQ-8C Fire Scout, at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Nov. 20. The OA demonstrated the endurance and sensor integration capabilities on the new MQ-8C airframe. The Fire
Business
With countries around the globe racing to roll out better performing unmanned aerial vehicles, South Korea is striving to strengthen its entry into the market. On the military front, the Daejeon-based Agency for Defense Development began delving into the technology in the late 1970s, seeking to introduce a miniature air
Military
Following this year’s 410th flight on 16 November 2015, the Heron Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which is jointly operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and Airbus Defence and Space, successfully landed in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, bringing the total number of flight hours it has completed in the
Military
The US Air Force has hired civilian defence contractors to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones to help track suspected militants and other targets in global hot spots, a previously undisclosed expansion in the privatization of once-exclusively military functions. For the first time, civilian pilots and crews now operate what the Air