News
Expanding its pioneering Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, Campbell Police Department (CPD) is the first in California, using optical and radar sensors, to incorporate radar in a Part 91.113(b) waiver request to conduct single-person operations, which requires only one operator for flight operations. Adding radar also allows
Propulsion
* X-Bow Systems Inc., a non-traditional supplier of advanced manufactured solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, has announced the successful third flight of its Bolt Rocket. The XB-32 motor, part of X-Bow’s Bolt rocket family, is the largest Advanced Manufactured Solid Propellant (AMSP) motor ever flown, utilizing the company&
Data Links & Communications
* Silvus Technologies, Inc., a global supplier of advanced wireless networking communication systems, has announced its next-generation MANET radio OEM module: the StreamCaster LITE 5200 (SL5200). Designed for leading-edge unmanned systems, the SL5200 unifies C2, sensor, and telemetry data with communications relay capabilities in an ultra-low SWaP (52g), easy-to-integrate MANET radio
News
* Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has received a $6 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to install the company’s ALIAS/MATRIX flight autonomy system onto the U.S. Army’s experimental fly-by-wire UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. Designated MX, the upgraded aircraft will enable the U.
News
* Prodrone, a Japanese industrial drone producer, plans to supply Ukraine with its drones for humanitarian demining. Tokyo has previously assisted Kyiv in mine clearance efforts. Japan delivered four ALIS systems to search mines and 50 metal detectors. Additionally, Ukrainian experts have undergone demining training in Japan. Prodrone intends to supply
Events
The Skywolf family of unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) munitions developed by Turkish defense startup Astech is set to strengthen Turkey’s defense capabilities by joining the nation’s growing roster of UCAV munitions, a key export category in the Turkish defense industry. Astech will unveil the Skywolf Ground Attack
Military
The British Army’s most farsighted eye in the sky has taken flight in the skies of Estonia. The Watchkeeper Uncrewed Air System (UAS), flown by 47th Regiment Royal Artillery, has had a recent upgrade of the sensors it uses when flying intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.
News
Leaked intelligence documents have revealed that Israel possesses a highly classified long-range unmanned surveillance drone capable of covert operations across the Middle East. The documents, which surfaced on Telegram on October 15 and 16, detail Israeli preparations for potential military strikes against Iran and point to the existence of a
News
The drone war, one of the defining features of the more than two and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine, evolves at a blinding pace. Hundreds of airborne drones zip across the skies above the front lines each day, ticking off tasks ranging from reconnaissance to targeting, as
News
Researchers have developed a new drone technique to locate and protect curlew chicks from being killed by machinery or predators. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Wales have been working with farmers and using drones to find the nests of the elusive wader from the air. The drone work
News
* AeroVironment has introduced the P550 advanced autonomous Group 2 eVTOL uncrewed aircraft system designed to set a new standard for battlefield adaptability and operational readiness. Leveraging a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and AI-driven autonomy, P550 is engineered to empower maneuver forces to quickly respond to evolving mission demands with
AI
On 16 October 2024, in the first flight tests of their kind, Thales demonstrated the potential of deploying swarms of drones with different levels of autonomy. Autonomous functionality optimised by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and intelligent agents reduces the cognitive load on operators yet ensures that they remain in control at