Australia’s Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft, which has been in Afghanistan since 2010, has a reputation as one of the most reliable and effective platforms of its type operating in the Middle East, according to the Commanding Officer of the Heron Detachment, Wing Commander (WGCDR) John McMullan. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
Google Acquires Boston Dynamics
Google confirmed on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon. The company, based in Waltham, Mass., has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance and even — cheetahlike — run faster than the fastest humans. Continue reading
Philippines Wants Six UAS for Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Search & Rescue
The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) is inviting bidders who can supply the military with 6 sets of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to expand its surveillance and reconnaisance capabilities. Continue reading
China Deploys UAS to Monitor Wild Yaks
China is using UAS to monitor rare herds of wild yaks in a remote mountain region. Scientists use the unmanned aircraft to calculate the number of yaks in the mountain wilderness of Xinjiang province, and to collect data about their habitat, reports official news agency Xinhua.
In November, a UAS performed four flights, taking photos of the yaks, the areas where they live and also collecting meteorological information, the agency says. Continue reading
DJI Phantom + Sony RX 100 II Crashes into Icelandic Ocean
In the days before my trip to Iceland, I had the chance to play with the DJI Phantom, an affordable, out-of-the-box quadcopter for budding aerial videographers. Continue reading
UAS Views of Kiev Protests
This video was filmed on Saturday shows a great view of the massive gathering in Kiev’s Independence Square. Some 200,000 people have rallied in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to protest against President Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to sign a landmark EU deal. Continue reading
Heron Crashes in Coconut Grove in India
A Heron unmanned aircraft system (UAS) of the Indian Naval Air Station (INS) Parundu crashed into a coconut grove at Usilankattuvalasai in Ramanathapuram district, in Tamil Nadu, close to a residential area, while returning to base after completing its routine surveillance operation on Friday. Continue reading
US Army Vehicle-Mounted Laser Successfully Demonstrated Against UAS and Other Targets
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command for the first time used a vehicle mounted high energy laser to successfully engage more than 90 mortar rounds and several unmanned aircraft systems in flight. Continue reading