Military
Two unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) could be scaled back next year despite a deployment surge to Afghanistan under a new version of the Fiscal 2012 spending bill. Purchases of the Northrop Grumman MQ-8B, the vertical-takeoff unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) operated by the US Navy, would decline by 12 aircraft, saving
Military
Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter has sliced 11 Block 30 Global Hawks from the planned buy of 42, further reducing the total number of the aircraft in the project only months after the U.S. Air Force cut 11 from the Block 40 programme. The decision is outlined in a
Military
The CIA is expected to begin operating armed unmanned aircraft over Yemen, expanding the hunt for al-Qaeda operatives in a country where counter-terrorism efforts have been disrupted by political chaos, U.S. officials said. The plan to move CIA-operated Predator and other unmanned aircraft into the region reflects a decision
Business
The Pentagon is processing a record backlog of $327 billion in arms exports and is speeding up the clearance process to meet the rising demand for UAS, said Vice Admiral Bill Landay, head of the agency responsible for weapons exports. To meet a growing demand for U.S.-made unmanned
Military
AeroVironment, Inc.was awarded on June 6 a $13,113,191 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract to confirm Puma unmanned aircraft systems training and contractor logistics support. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., and Kandahar, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion
Military
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has published detailed, unclassified plans to purchase over the next ten years about 730 new medium-sized and large unmanned aircraft systems that are designed for reconnaissance and light attack missions. CBO estimates that completing those investments would cost about $37 billion through 2020. At
Military
BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have announced Telemos as the name of the programme that will deliver their joint response to meet the United Kingdom and French Governments requirement for a next generation Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System. In Greek mythology, Telemos was the prophetic son of
Military
Northrop Grumman has made improvements to its high-flying Global Hawk since a Pentagon weapons test found shortfalls with the unmanned aircraft, according to a company executive. A May report by the director of operational test and evaluation for the U.S. Defense Department found that the Global Hawk Block 30
Military
Israeli UAS manufacturer Innocon has signed a contract to supply 50 MicroFalcon systems to an Asian country. Michael Armon, Innocon’s chief executive, said that the contract was won because of the MicroFalcon’s capabilities in close-range, low-altitude surveillance missions. Micro Falcon is Innocon’s lightest UAS at 6kg. Designed
Military
The Air Force Research Laboratory has issued a formal request for information (RFI) on 31 May, inviting manufacturers to submit information on what the Air Force calls a 'Conventional Prompt Global Strike Capability.' Though the word 'hypersonic' appears nowhere in the RFI, 'prompt global strike&
Military
U.S. Marines and soldiers with Black Sea Rotational Force 11 travelled to Buzau, Romania recently to provide the Romanian army a familiarisation course to display the capabilities of the Raven-B, unmanned aircraft. This familiarisation course was presented over five days and was split between classroom lectures and practical application
Military
Rheinmetall is proposing the Heron TP (TP = turboprop) in response to the Bundeswehr’s requirement for a follow-on solution for the Heron 1 reconnaissance system, to start in 2013. An advanced version of the Heron 1, the Heron TP is ready to go into operation immediately. With a wingspan of