Category Archives: Military UAS

Israel Aerospace Industries Acquires 50% of BlueBird Aero Systems

Left to Right: Nimrod Sheffer, IAI CEO & President and Ronen Nadir, CEO of BlueBird Aero Systems

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) has signed an agreement to acquire 50% of the equity of BlueBird Aero Systems. Bluebird, a UAS developer and integrator in the small tactical arena, has been providing its solutions to Israeli forces and worldwide customers for close to two decades. Continue reading

USAF Awards $7.4 Billion Ceiling MQ-9 Reaper Contract

An MQ-9 Reaper sits on the flightline as the sun sets at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 20, 2019

In an effort to field MQ-9 Reapers faster and meet an increasing operational demand for the aircraft, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s MQ-9 Program Office awarded a $7.4 billion ceiling Agile Reaper Enterprise Solution (ARES) contract to General Atomics Sept. 17. Continue reading

Lockheed Martin Unveils Speed Racer UAS to Prove Digital Engineering

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division said on Sept. 16 that it is developing and will fly a new unmanned aircraft system (UAS) called Speed Racer to validate that an internal digital engineering process called StarDrive can produce sophisticated flight vehicles faster and cheaper across the full range of the company’s product portfolio. Continue reading

SeaGuardian Conducts Test Flights Over Sea Lanes

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) concluded a set of maritime test flights over the sea-lanes off the coast of Southern California on September 11th, using the MQ-9B SeaGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). Continue reading

Heron Lands at Ben Gurion Airport via Remote Control

The Heron, a UAV developed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), landed on September 16 at Ben Gurion International Airport, becoming the first UAV to land in an international airport alongside commercial flights occupying civilian air space. The UAV took off from Ein Shemer airfield, landed at Ben Gurion, and flew back to Ein Shemer. The entire takeoff, flight, and landing were operated from the Ein Shemer control station. Continue reading