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&
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
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
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
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
Military
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,
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
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
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
Commercial
The Shadowhawk is a remote controlled mini-helicopter that can record footage as easily as it can shoot a stun baton. Vanguard Defense, who spent three years developing this buzzing robot, packed a lot into the copter’s seven-foot, 50-lb frame. The Shadowhawk comes in five different varieties
Military
EMT has announced that the 10,000th flight sortie of its Mini-UAS ALADIN took place June 28, 2011, and the 7,000th flight sortie of its TUAS (Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System) LUNA was on June 27, 2011. ALADIN can be launched by hand and enables flexible operations in demanding