C-UAS
The US Air Force is in the market for upgrades to its counter-drone technologies, according to an Oct. 16 request for information posted on a federal contracting website. The service is in the early stages of deploying lasers, microwaves, and other weapons more advanced than a shotgun to deal with
News
Transport Canada has issued the second Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights in uncontrolled airspace utilizing infrastructure masking and Iris Automation’s onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution to MVT Geo-solutions. Under this SFOC, MVT, the UAS Center of Excellence (CED Alma), and Iris Automation
Testing
Liteye Systems, Inc., Numerica and AEgis Technologies Group have announced the joint development of a high-fidelity C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Modelling, Simulation and Training system, the Liteye C-UAS Simulator. The Team identified an industry need to enhance the traditional hands-on individual and classroom training currently being provided to operators and
News
Volansi, Inc. announced that it has begun a commercial healthcare drone delivery project in North Carolina. In collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, Volansi is piloting the delivery of cold chain medicines from Merck’s Wilson, N.C. manufacturing site to Vidant Healthplex-Wilson, a
Research
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions – findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft. “Birds routinely fly in high winds close to buildings and terrain - often in gusts as fast as
Electronic Systems
uAvionix Corporation announced it has filed a Technical Standard Order (TSO) application with the FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) for its flagship Mode S ADS-B OUT transponder for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The ping200X follows a line of groundbreaking, low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) avionics developed and certified by
News
The Fifth Generation Aerial Target will take its first flight later this month at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, following nearly flawless completion of ground-based testing in September. After a multi-month delay due to travel restrictions, 5GAT finished a battery of ground test events at Michael Army Airfield on September 18.
Business
Honeywell has acquired assets from privately held Ballard Unmanned Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southborough, Massachusetts-based Ballard Power Systems Inc.. Ballard Unmanned Systems designs and produces industry-leading, stored-hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems that power unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly those used for energy inspection, cargo delivery, and
C-UAS
Echodyne, the radar platform company, announced the release of EchoGuard CR and RadarHub to enable greater drone/aircraft detection in dense locations and simplify multi-radar deployment. These products represent a big step forward for the Counter-UAS space, broadening the capabilities of security systems in challenging environments. EchoGuard CR provides high
Commercial
Specialised drones are being tested in a programme to boost koala numbers on Australia’s east coast, dropping seeds of gum trees as part of a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scheme to regenerate bushland torched in the country’s historic bushfires. Gum tree leaves are koala’s main food source,
VTOL
Schiebel Pacific is scaling its business in preparation for Land129 and Sea129. The company is hiring remote pilots and maintenance technicians and upgrading its facility. The expansion comes after Schiebel Pacific and Raytheon Australia teamed up for the LAND129 Phase 3 Tactical Unmanned Air System (TUAS) project for the Australian
Weapons Systems
China has developed a new low-cost “suicide drone” that is despatched in a swarm to attack a target, according to mainland media reports. It was commissioned as part of the government’s military-civilian fusion strategy, a People’s Liberation Army insider who requested anonymity told the South China Morning Post.