Business
AeroVironment, Inc. announced yesterday that it received a $6,874,175 firm-fixed-price order from the US Air Force under an existing contract with the US Army. The order comprises new digital Raven small unmanned aircraft systems and initial spares packages. The systems and spares packages are scheduled for
Accidents
An American surveillance UAS apparently has crashed in the Somali port town of Kismayo, about 500 kilometers south of Mogadishu,which is controlled by the militant group al-Shabab.Witnesses in Kismayo said that the unmanned aircraft crashed on Sunday near the airport of the southern Somali city. An al-
Military
A US Air Force Block 10 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, built by Northrop Grumman, completed its last mission in late May. The last Block 10 to fly as an Air Force aircraft was the one with the most flight hours, more than 7,650 with more than 7,000 of
Testing
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently selected Aurora Flight Sciences for the Manufacturing Technologies for Remotely Piloted Vehicles (MaTeR) programme. Over the next eighty-four months, Aurora will develop and improve manufacturing processes for all aspects of Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft, which include both the airborne and ground components.
Military
This television report from last summer visits the Karrar ("Assailant") factory and shows the high-speed unmanned aircraft in flight. We are then treated to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad haranguing the assembled dignitaries: "This jet, before it heralds death for enemies, is the messenger of salvation and dignity
Military
The United States has agreed “in principle” to deploy Predators on Turkish soil, the Turkish prime minister said last Friday. Turkey has offered to buy or lease the aircraft, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Previous reports have all indicated that the US would decline this request. Source: New York
Military
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation is being awarded a $17,098,027 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Rapid Deployment Capability Weaponization Program in support of the Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle MQ-8B Fire Scout System. This contract includes the installation, engineering, manufacturing, and data development
Propulsion
The US military is sending so many surveillance aerostats to Afghanistan that industry is scrambling to supply helium and “cannot keep up with the increased demand” for the containers that hold the gas. That’s according to documents from the Defense Logistics Agency, the Pentagon office responsible for keeping vital
Military
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan will take delivery of 60 license-built tactical unmanned aircraft by the end of 2011. As Rashad Suleymanov of the Azeri Press Agency (APA) recently reported the Israeli-designed small unmanned aircraft of are currently being manufactured and assembled by the Baku-
Military
Grand Forks Air Force Base is taking control of more Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, according to manufacturer Northrop Grumman. The latest batch serve as, essentially, flying “cell towers” that allow troops on the ground to chat with bombers in the sky, according to spokesman Jim Stratford today. He was at
Military
Saab has signed a frame agreement and received a first order from EADS company Cassidian to supply safety-critical avionics equipment for the new advanced UAS system Talarion. The order includes design and development of the Aircraft Vehicle Management Computer (AVMC), Communications Computer (CC) and Mission & Payload Management Computer
Testing
Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed plans for future modifications of its 120 hour-endurance Orion. If cleared to advance beyond the funded demonstration, the Orion will be modified with a retractable main landing gear to reduce drag and a de-icing system for all-weather operations, said Tim Bennett, the