Military
ADA Technologies, Inc. has received a $750,000 contract from the U.S. Air Force for research on an innovative nano-material-enabled power system for use in small to micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Specifically, ADA will create a high performance, cost effective and easy-to-manufacture lithium-ion battery that meets the power generation
Military
US Naval Special Warfare Command this month will commission a new active-duty group that will concentrate the component’s UAS, underwater systems and robotic programmes and personnel under a single entity. The establishment of Naval Special Warfare Group 10 reflects the increasing importance of UAS in the elite forces. “I
Military
Israel Aerospace Industries has offered to sell Azerbaijan its Heron 1 and Searcher 2 unmanned aircraft systems as part of "comprehensive solutions" to answer the nation's defence needs. Made during a recent visit to Azerbaijan by an IAI delegation, the offer was prompted by the potential
Military
The US Department of Defence has released details on major defence acquisition programme cost, schedule, and performance changes since the September 2010 reporting period. Global Hawk is 23% and the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals programmes is 16%, over budget. This information is based on the Selected Acquisition Reports
Military
Two US soldiers were killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. Air Force Predator last week, in what appears to be the first "friendly fire" incident involving an unmanned aircraft. They were part of a Marine unit moving in to reinforce fellow Marines under heavy
Military
Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout achieved a single-day endurance flight record of 18 hours in U.S. Navy anti-piracy operations. The vertical takeoff and landing tactical UAV, which provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data, was launched from the USS Halyburton, part of the Navy's 5th Fleet, Northrop
Control Stations
At the Navy League’s annual Sea Air Space convention outside Washington, Northrop and the Navy unveiled new details about the X-47B and their schedule to get it flying off a carrier. Rule number one: it’s not “remotely piloted.” Put the phrase “remotely piloted” out of your mind, says
Military
Vuzix Corporation announced that it has been awarded a $1 million research contract under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) Programme. The funding will go towards research and development of a next generation holographic optical display system for use by Joint Terminal
Business
The average cost for one of Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk has risen more than 25 percent because the U.S. Air Force cut the order by about 14 percent in its 2012 budget request. After reviewing the $11.1 billion Global Hawk programme last year, the Air Force said
Military
Gray Eagle operators of QRC-1-R1 Camp Taji, Iraq recently demonstrated firing six Hellfire missiles into the abandoned hulks of light military tactical vehicles positioned at Shadow Range in western Iraq. A Shadow from the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division out of Al-Asad was flying nearby and laser
Research
India’s Defence Research and Development Organization told the Times of India recently that the aim of the secretive AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme is to develop a UCAV for the Indian Air Force in seven to eight years. "With Rs 50 crore ($11 M) as seed money,
Military
AeroVironment, Inc. announced that it received a firm-fixed-price contract order valued at $14,773,816 under an existing contract with the U.S. Army. The order comprises digital Raven small UAS retrofit kits. Work is scheduled to be completed by December 2011. The Raven unmanned aircraft is a 4.2-pound,