A large, classified unmanned aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman is now flying—and it demonstrates a major advance in combining stealth and aerodynamic efficiency. Defence and intelligence officials say the secret unmanned aircraft system (UAS), designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, is scheduled to enter production for the U.S. Air Force and could be operational by 2015.
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
US Navy Launches UAS from Submerged Submarine
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) with funding from SwampWorks at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Department of Defense Rapid Reaction Technology Office (DoD/RRTO) demonstrated the launch of an all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS) from a submerged submarine.
Parrot Drones ‘Vulnerable to Flying Hack Attack’
A security researcher has created a flying contraption that he says can hijack control of other UAS made by one of the industry’s leading manufacturers, Parrot. Samy Kamkar said he was able to achieve the feat because the company’s products do not support a way of encrypting or authenticating the wi-fi data they use.
Jeff Bezos Promises Half-hour Shipping by UAS with Amazon Prime Air
Jeff Bezos is nothing if not a showman. Amazon’s CEO loves a good reveal, and took the opportunity afforded by a 60 Minutes segment to show off his company’s latest creation: drones that can deliver packages up to five pounds, to your house in less than half an hour. They’re technically octocopters, as part of a programme called “Amazon Prime Air.” Continue reading
Cloud Seeding in Sierra Could Get Boost from UAS
Efforts to coax a little extra punch out of the Sierra’s winter storms could soon involve the use of UAS, with the unmanned aircraft potentially offering significant benefits when it comes to boosting the region’s water supply and putting more snow on its ski slopes. Continue reading
New Wave Energy wants to put power plants in the sky
UK-based New Wave Energy plans to build the first high altitude aerial power plant, using networks of unmanned aircraft that can harvest energy from multiple sources and transmit it wirelessly to receiving stations on the ground.
First Flight of the P.1HH HammerHead UAS – Video
The UAS programme developed by Piaggio Aero and Selex ES successfully completes its remotely-piloted maiden flight of the P.1HH DEMO demonstrator for the Italian air Force based in Trapani “Birgi” on 14 November 2013. Continue reading
Battlefield Airborne Communications Node Completes 5,000 Combat Missions
The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the U.S. Air Force, has completed 5,000 combat missions connecting warfighters in the air and on the ground. Continue reading