On 31 March 2021, the official launch of the German Aerospace Centre (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) National Experimental Test Centre for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and a Europe-wide network for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research and testing took place. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
ABB Launches World’s Fastest Drone-based Gas Leak Detection System
Pipelines often cross inaccessible terrain to supply industrial and domestic gas. Operators of these networks must ensure the safety, integrity and reliability of their pipelines but accurate detection of odorless and invisible gas leaks can be challenging and expensive. ABB’s latest addition to its ABB Ability Mobile Gas Leak Detection System, HoverGuard, provides the solution by finding leaks faster and more reliably than ever before. Continue reading
XQ-58A Valkyrie Payload Release Test Successful
The US Air Force Research Laboratory successfully completed the XQ-58A Valkyrie’s sixth flight test and first release from its internal weapons bay, March 26, 2021 at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Continue reading
Dubai’s Transport Authority Inspects 300 Heavy Vehicles by Drone
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) carried out over 300 inspections of heavy vehicles using drones last year. Continue reading
GA-ASI Gets $13M US Navy Reaper Equipment Contract
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, is awarded a $13,068,808 modification (P00001) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N0001920C0031). Continue reading
Insitu Advances its Fuel Cell Technology

Insitu engineers worked with researchers from Washington State University and Protium to conduct successful testing of a hydrogen supply tank in July of 2020. The event marked one of the company’s many recent efforts to advance fuel cell technology for unmanned platforms.
Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, has announced new details about its latest efforts to advance hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Continue reading
Velodyne Lidar Announces Multi-Year Agreement with AGM Systems Russia
Velodyne Lidar, Inc. has announced a multi-year agreement with AGM Systems LLC, which provides state-of-the-art hardware and software technology for the collection, processing and analysis of air and mobile mapping data. AGM Systems will utilize Velodyne’s Ultra Puck lidar sensor in their new AGM-MS3 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mapping solution. Continue reading
Agritech Startup XAG Seeks Domestic Listing After $46 Million Fundraising
XAG Co. Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer of agricultural drones and robots, is planning an initial public offering on its home market shortly after securing 300 million yuan ($46 million) of funding. Continue reading






