UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
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.
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.
AAI Corporation has won a $12.6 million contract from the US Army Contracting command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, to install Tactical Common Data Link equipment on two Shadow UAS.
Russia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying Israeli unmanned aircraft systems (and to acquire technology and components for joint UAS production. But at present these UAS are no more than expensive flying TV-cameras, the targeting information they produce is mostly useless, since there are no precise GLONASS (GPS)-targeted weapon systems to use it.
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center have issued an RFI on behalf of the U.S. Army to obtain information to serve as a market survey to aid in research associated with the development of a SDDL designed to provide a secure data link for control and sensor data for small unmanned aerial systems and munitions over the operating temperatures ranges from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to +140 degrees Fahrenheit and withstand storage from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to +140 degrees Fahrenheit. High humidity shall not degrade operations. Interested parties should submit white papers not to exceed 20 pages. To view the full RFI from FedBizOpps click here.
AdaCore, provider of tools and expertise for mission-critical, safety-critical, and security-critical software development, announced yesterday that EADS CASA is using the GNAT Pro High-Integrity Edition to implement the data exchange and air-to-ground data links systems for the nEUROn Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator.
AAI Shadow
Three naval entities collaborated to adapt a small radio receiver intended for space applications into a full-featured radio frequency system for a Marine Corps UAS. The Software Reprogrammable Payload (SRP), a joint effort between the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Laboratory and Marine Corps aviation, is currently targeted for the AAI Shadow.