Autonomy options for the Marines have taken a major step forward, as officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced today two successful helicopter flight demonstrations with unmanned flight capability at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., part of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) programme. Continue reading
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
RQ-4 Global Hawk Expands Satellite Communications Capability
The U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has completed a series of ground and air demonstrations at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., expanding the adaptability of the Global Hawk system to use an additional Satellite Communications (SATCOM) link to improve the transfer of mission data. Continue reading
New Lycoming Multi-Fuel Engine Soars Past 10,000 Flight Hours
AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, and Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corporation, announced today that Lycoming’s new EL-005 multi-fuel engine has surpassed 10,000 deployed flight hours with the Aerosonde Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in service of U.S. Department of Defense customers in Afghanistan. Continue reading
Researchers use UAS for Fish Population Surveys
Off the coast of Georgia, researchers and pilots from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently tested the ability of a small unmanned aircraft to conduct fish population surveys. Continue reading
Search & Rescue Teams UAS Exercises in New Zealand
Search and Rescue Teams from around the top of New Zealand’s South Island met in the Molesworth Station at the weekend for a LandSAR exercise. The teams were using unmanned aircraft systems as part of their live scenarios. Continue reading
UAS to Monitor Marshlands in New South Wales
The Australian Department of Environment and Heritage is investigating whether UAS will be cheaper and safer than putting staff on a helicopter to monitor the Macquarie Marshes wetlands. It’s starting a trial of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in the Marshes this week. Continue reading
Sheffield University 3D Prints UAS in Nine Parts
Engineers at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield have successfully printed a 1.5m-wide prototype unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for a research project looking at 3D printing of complex designs. Continue reading
US Army Issues RFI for Anti-UAS Laser Weapon System
Concerned about the emerging threat of unmanned aircraft, the US Army is canvassing American defence contractors for information on systems that can detect, classify and destroy UAS of varying sizes.According to the request for information (RFI), the army’s Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is open to both “kinetic and non-kinetic options” – the latter referring to lasers. Continue reading