Military
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) established the 601st Unmanned Aerial System Squadron on March 4, 2021, operating the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle UAS from its base at Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. It is the RMN’s first unit dedicated to unmanned aerial systems. The launching ceremony was officiated by Navy chief
Testing
The second prototype of Turkey’s state-of-the-art unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Akıncı has successfully passed another test, the manufacturer announced. “Each successfully completed test brings #AKINCI one step closer to the mission. Free and independent in our sky,” the company noted. Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Selçuk Bayraktar
Military
AeroVironment, Inc. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Arcturus UAV, now operating under the AeroVironment brand, was awarded a competitive task order valued at approximately $7 million from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The competitive task order is for a one-year period of performance, which started February 3, 2021.
Military
The Australian government announced that it has agreed with Boeing Australia to co-develop a further three Loyal Wingman aircraft to advance the air-teaming vehicle, payloads and associated support and training capabilities. The agreement will increase the aircraft’s production capability to six aircraft for Royal Australian Air Force and is
Military
AeroVironment, Inc. announced that it secured a $5,922,461 firm-fixed-price U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract award on December 22, 2020 to provide Puma 3 AE tactical UAS, training and support to a European allied nation. Delivery is anticipated by April 2021. "Puma 3
Military
On Jan. 28, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) and the U.S. Army conducted the first production Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) flights of a Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System using Scalable Command & Control (SC2) software developed by GA-ASI and installed on an Army-owned laptop
Military
At the Digital Defence Talks session organised online by the Düsseldorf-based group, Fabian Ochsner, CEO of Rheinmetall Air Defence, introduced a new product, currently at concept demonstrator stage, that will be refined in the near future, taking into consideration potential customers requirements, before making it a real product. Speaking from
Testing
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. announced that its company-owned Avenger ER achieved a company milestone as it received an FAA-issued Experimental Certificate (EC) enabling the “Extended Range” Avenger to perform expanded operations in the U.S. National Airspace System. “Since 2005, GA-ASI has worked closely with the FAA to affirm
Military
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $32,853,210 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Autonomous Swarm/Strike – Loitering Munitions. This contract provides for work on the Coyote Block 3 (CB3) Autonomous Strike—a rapid capability effort to achieve operational launch capability from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and an unmanned
Military
Azerbaijani forces used a sophisticated method to destroy Russian-made S-300 air defence systems during the Nagorno-Karabakh war last year, combining Soviet-era single-engine planes with Israeli-made "suicide" drones. Azerbaijan’s battle strategy was based on the use of advanced drone technology in the disputed mountainous territory, tactics that won
Military
Singapore-based aerospace company Kelley Aerospace has officially launched its supersonic unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) concept, and has reportedly secured over 100 orders from undisclosed customers. The arrow is said to be the "world's first supersonic UAV that pushes the boundary with state-of-the-art swarm and autonomous aerial
Military
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) for collaboration in which the companies will offer the Republic of Korea (ROK) military forces with unmanned Loitering Munitions systems. As part of the MOU, KAI and IAI are aiming to expand their long