UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
A new white paper entitled “Wireless Data-link for Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Requirements, Challenges and Design Ideas,” has just been published by Dr. Raj Jain,Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis and Fred Templin of Boeing. The full paper can be seen here: Wireless Data Links
ABSTRACT:
Kiowa Warrior Photo: Bell
The U.S. Army is beginning mission equipment upgrade modifications to its fleet of Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior scout aircraft to build a new, high-tech “F” model helicopter. The OH-58 is configured with Level 2 Manned-Unmanned teaming, or L2MUM – which means that the pilots in the cockpit can view feeds from nearby unmanned aircraft systems in real time.
Harris, a Pentagon contractor with experience in commercial broadcast video products, is currently developing an application for Apple’s iPad and other tablets that that will act as a remote display for images and video captured by UAS.
Photo: Thales
Project trials for Thales UK Watchkeeper tactical UAS will now begin in June, with the systems expected to be in service with British Army by February 2012. Thales UK’s Nick Miller told UAS VISION “Our building programme is ahead of schedule. The first 10 air vehicles and several ground control stations are already built.”
Several Japanese TV stations (NTV above) have been showing footage of a Global Hawk taking off and flying over the N°1 Reactor at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. We know that the Guam-based aircarft has been helping with surveillance missions – what would be really interesting is to see what Global Hawk saw….
NASA Glenn Research Center has issued an RFI for potential sources and partners for the design and development of a Command and Control communication (C2) system prototype for unmanned aircraft.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been flying Predator UAS over Mexico for two years, helping Mexican authorities track suspected drug traffickers. These flights, approved by Mexico but never announced by either country, predate occasional flights into Mexico by the U.S. Air Force’s Global Hawk that began last month.
IBC Advanced Alloys announced that it has entered into a Development and Technical Services accord with the US Navy’s Tactical Multi-Mission Unmanned Aerial Systems Programme and the US Military’s Army Research Laboratory (ARL) based in Aberdeen, Maryland to assess the use of lightweight beryllium aluminium alloys in the Beralcast series.