Testing
The U.S. Navy plans to launch AeroVironment's Switchblade small, expendable unmanned aircraft from a submerged submarine during the RIMPAC 2012 naval exercise in the Pacific. A contract has been awarded to Raytheon, which has developed the submerged launch vehicle (SLV) that allows the UAS to be deployed
Propulsion
The US Army and AAI have established a specialist team to determine the root cause of an engine issue that has affected the service's RQ-7B Shadow 200, resulting in several platforms failing during operations over Afghanistan. Speaking to Jane's in late November, the army's
Military
The US Marine Corps flew two unmanned K-MAX helicopter test flights out to one of the forward operating bases in Afghanistan without a load on December 15 and 16. Lockheed Martin’s Jeffrey Brown teold Aviation Week. “These flights were test flights in preparation for sustained operations.” Built as a
Testing
Sweden's CybAero AB, in collaboration with the Norwegian Coast Guard and Coastal Agency, has conducted a series of flights with its unmanned helicopter, the APID 60, in winds up to gale force. The flights took place over the Arctic Ocean, near the Norwegian village of Vardø, on behalf
Testing
Aurora Flight Sciences was awarded a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) to provide a specialized Skate Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS), designed for autonomous operations in urban environments. The "Urban Beat Cop" (UBC) programme will demonstrate the ability
Testing
This video demonstrates the automated tablet flight capabilities of the SwiftSight Unmanned Aircraft System. This system, developed by Dynetics, represents ease of use and construction for law enforcement officers, military personnel, emergency responders and hobbyists alike. Source: YouTube
Testing
A young team of airspace scientists of Imam Khomeini International University succeeded in building an unmanned aircraft, equipped with radar and professional ground-based surveillance station with the ability of sending live videos and aerial photographs. The aircraft is able to fly 2 kilometers above ground level, has a range of
Commercial
Farmers in Idaho, in conjunction with the Unversity of Idaho, are testing unmanned aircraft as a means to improve efficiency. Robert Blair sees this sudden change in technology and innovation as a new frontier, even for farming, and hopes to create a new trend in agricultural technology. Source: America'
Testing
The US Air Force is buying a single General Atomics Predator C Avenger jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft. Lt. Gen. Thomas Owen, commander of the service's Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, approved the procurement. The value of the sole-source contract was censored. The partially stealthy
Military
GKN Aerospace (Isle of Wight, UK) reported that it supplied many of the composite parts and structures for the second X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration aircraft. The US Navy and Northrop Grumman completed first flight of the second UCAS-D air vehicle. As part of a multi-year contract, GKN
Testing
Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business, Jan Jarratt, has announced plans to trial unmanned aircraft to catch illegal fishing vessels in waters off Queensland. Ms Jarratt said that the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation has commissioned Brisbane-based Insitu Pacific Pty Ltd to conduct a series
Testing
Brock Technologies has announced that its Havoc Unmanned Aircraft System undertook its first flight on 24 October 2011. Brock Technologies claim that the UAS will ‘bridge the gap between affordability and capability’. The Havoc was developed under a series of Air Force SBIR contracts. The twin boom, pusher 2-stroke engine