Military
The first Italian Predator has completed a 12-hour surveillance flight over Libya after taking off from an air base in Foggia, southern Italy. The Predator B took off from the Amendola air base in the Puglia region Wednesday and carried out its surveillance mission, crossing the Strait of Sicily in
Military
Northrop Grumman Corp. Aerospace Systems sector in San Diego is joining the U.S. Air Force Sand Dragon UAV programme to defeat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other roadside bombs. Northrop Grumman won a $26.2 million contract Friday for the Air Force Sand Dragon B programme to develop and
Military
The US Navy has confirmed plans to retire the special mission versions of the Lockheed P-3 by 2020, and replace them with an all-unmanned fleet. In written responses to the Senate Armed Services Committee late last month, incoming chief of naval operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said the navy's
Military
Russia's leading unmanned aircraft developer, Vega, will unveil its latest model at the MAKS-2011 air show. Company spokesman Alexei Nedelin said that the new aircraft, named Luch* after the design bureau that developed the bulk of the technology, can be armed with up to 170 kg of weapons
Military
A simple solution to a difficult problem resulted in dramatically enhancing the ability of the RQ-4B Global Hawk to deploy anywhere in the world. Because this particular aircraft requires a specialized tow bar to be moved on the ground, it is pre-programmed with a list of airfields possessing necessary ground
Military
The Global Hawk will finally replace the long-serving U-2 spy plane in 2015. "No U-2s in the Air Force in fiscal year '15," said Lt. Col. Rick Thomas, the Air Force's Global Hawk functional manager, at the National Press Club on August 10. Thomas said
Military
The line between operators of mini UAS in the Israeli Defence Forces has become further blurred, with the nation's air force having decided to increase the "in-house" use of such equipment. Until recently the line was clear: the Israeli ground forces operated mini UAS, while the
Events
Lutch (“Ray”), Russia's first unmanned aircraft designed to carry out air strikes, will be shown at the Moscow air show next week. Manufacturer Vega will show a full-scale mock-up of the Lutch medium-range UAS at the MAKS Aviasalon 2011. Lutch is designed for optical reconnaissance, radar, radio-relay and
Military
IAI Malat is unveiling the Ghost, a new vertical take-off and landing miniature unmanned aircraft currently undergoing test flights, and which is expected to be ready for marketing soon. The Ghost is 145 cm long (4.76 ft) and designed specifically to support special operations units and company level infantry
Military
The Israel Air Force has begun using unmanned aircraft to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance missions over Israeli gas fields in the Mediterranean out of fear that they will be targeted by Hezbollah. In early July, the cabinet approved the demarcation of Israel’s northern maritime border with Lebanon, which sets
Military
A detachment of MQ-8B Fire Scouts completed a second deployment for the system August 3, returning to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., after seven months on the frigate Halyburton, where the unmanned helicopters tracked pirates and provided surveillance over Libya. It was a conclusion to a busy deployment that included early
Military
Despite a spate of delays, second-guessing and cost overruns, the Global Hawk is once again on track to replace one of America's most noted aircraft: the U-2 spy plane, famed for its role in the cold war and more recently Afghanistan. The Air Force decided last month to