Military
Poland will buy 24 armed drones from Turkey, the Polish defence minister said on May 22nd., becoming the first NATO member to buy Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Bayraktar TB2 drones, the first of which are due to be delivered next year, will be armed with anti-tank projectiles. Poland
News
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) on May 21st. issued its first ‘light UAS operator certificate’ (LUC) to Manna Aero, the Irish drone delivery operator. Manna Aero was the first company to apply for a LUC, following their recent trials of drone delivery services in rural Ireland. Their successful application follows
Propulsion
A&M EDM, precision engineers in the West Midlands of the UK have announced the successful commissioning of their proprietary commercial UAS (unmanned aerial system) propulsion system by a non-European client. The customer required a propulsion system with an integrated starter generator system able to perform on-board cold starts
Military
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) introduced new drone, radar, and missile systems in a ceremony on May 21. They were unveiled in a ceremony attended by IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami and other senior commanders. They included a wide-body and heavy Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) named “Gaza” that
Military
A locally developed UAV crashed on May 21st. into the ocean off southeastern Taiwan during a military mission. There were no reports of injuries. The Rui Yuan (銳鳶, Sharp Hawk) long-range surveillance drone, used by the Naval Maritime Tactical Reconnaissance Group, took off from a training field in Taitung County’
C-UAS
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has selected Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to test state-of-the-art technology to detect, track, and identify (DTI) drones that are encroaching on restricted airspace. Drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), can pose a threat to transportation security when flown too close to certain
Propulsion
South Korean aerospace manufacturer and defense company, LIG Nex1 has announced that it has been selected by the Korean government to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered cargo drone that can carry a load of up to 200 kg and fly automatically and remotely. The company was chosen for a national
Commercial
Drone Delivery Canada Corp. has announced that, with the assistance of its sales agent Air Canada , it has been selected by the University of British Columbia to deploy DDC’s patented drone delivery solution at the Stellat’en First Nation, for UBC’s “Remote Communities Drone Transport Initiative” program. The
Accidents
A DJI Phantom 4 RTK unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was being operated in an automated flight mode when one of the four propellers detached whilst in-flight. The aircraft rapidly descended and struck the ground. The incident occurred on 2 Dec 2020. No one was injured. The UAS, a DJI Phantom
News
China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) – a subsidiary of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) – has signed a deal with the provincial government of Sichuan to develop an industrial park in the region, dedicated to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A statement by the Sichuan government said the
News
Turkey has used its coast guard and specially operated drones to track and catch drug smugglers off the coast of Syria. According to the statement by Turkish Minister of the Interior Suleyman Soylu, Turkey was able to interdict 1.5 tons of cannabis off of the Syrian coast. He praised
Weapons Systems
The IDF said Saturday it spotted a squad of Hamas terrorists about to launch an explosives-laden drone at Israel, but instead had the drone crash onto the two terrorists, killing them. “The IDF thwarted an attempt by Hamas terror operatives in Gaza City to launch a drone armed with explosives