VTOL
Lockheed Martin just posted this new video about the K-Max deployment to Afghanistan. Within 75 days of being shipped out it was undertaking its first resupply mission. The company claims less than 2.5 maintenance man-hours are required per flight hour, and that the operating cost is less
Events
Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 multi-mission UAS will make its first real-size appearance at the upcoming Singapore Air Show, which takes place from February 14 to 19, 2012. The aircraft will be displayed at the Static Display Area together with the following payloads: * DCoMPASS - Digital Compact Multi-Purpose
Military
Iran claims that it is set to unveil a new domestically-built high performance unmanned aircraft. Mehdi Iraji, the aeronautics engineer in charge of the project, said on Sunday that the new remote-controlled aircraft, called A1, has a maximum flight ceiling of 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). It
Military
The Pentagon plans to expand its global network of unmanned aircraft and special-operations bases in a fundamental realignment meant to project US power even as it cuts back conventional forces. The plan, to be unveiled by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday and in budget documents next month, calls
Testing
Aurora Flight Sciences announced today that the Swiss Department of Defence has become the first customer for the Centaur Optionally-Piloted Aircraft. armasuisse, an official procurement agency of the Swiss Department of Defence with its own Flight Test Center, will use the Centaur as a flying test bed for new
Business
The Pentagon’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget includes about $1.2 billion to buy three additional advanced versions of Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Global Hawk, according to a U.S. government official. The Pentagon also proposes to continue an $11 billion Navy programme to buy 68 of the Block 30s
Military
Officials at the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in DeWitt are reacting to a recent Air Force study that showed that about one third of active duty RPA pilots reported symptoms of burnout, and are taking the necessary steps to address the issue, including the creation of a health
Military
Elbit Systemsannounced that its Skylark I-LE Unmanned Aircraft System has been granted a Military Aircraft Type Certificate from the French Ministry of Defence (DGA – Direction Générale de l'Armement). The Type Certificate permits the French Army to operate the Skylark I-LE in the French national airspace. Granting
Business
The nEUROn, European UCAV technology demonstrator, has been officially presented to the representatives of the six participating countries by Mr. Charles Edelstenne, Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation. Mr. Serge Dassault, Honorary Chairman of the company, as well as the representatives of the nEUROn industrial team - Saab (Sweden), Alenia Aermacchi
Military
MBDA will begin a new round of live flight tests of its Saber guided bomb – one solution for weaponising the Shadow - later this year, according to Doug Denneny, the company's Vice President of Business Development. MBDA has been running its own tests on the Saber's performance
Military
The US Air Force issued a Request for Information (RFI) and Market Research Survey to locate qualified business concerns for the procurement of the Air Force Safety Center's (AFSC) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) for the AFSC, Flight Safety Division (AFSC/SEF)
Business
Russian Helicopters has received 5 billion rubles ($160 m) from the Russian Federal Budget for the development of three types of unmanned aircraft systems. After charging that smaller domestic developers wasted public funds - and pointedly purchasing Israeli drones for military trials - the Defense Ministry has switched to a big holding