France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) procurement agency has qualified the integration of Schiebel’s S-100 Camcopter rotary-wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) on board the French Navy’s Mistral-class amphibious assault (LHD) ship Dixmude . Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
AeroVironment Gets $55M US Army Contract for Radio Frequency Modifications to Raven
AeroVironment, Inc. announced the U.S. Army awarded the company a firm-fixed-price contract on June 6, 2019 to begin radio frequency modifications on its currently deployed Raven. The initial base delivery order is $862,488, with potential contract options valued up to $55 million. Continue reading
US Marines Narrow List of Capabilities for Large UAS
The US Marine Corps has narrowed the list of requirements for its proposed large unmanned aerial system (UAS) and is teaming with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on an unusual program to accelerate development of the technologies the UAS would need. Continue reading
US Navy Accepts First Hydrogen Powered UAS

Members of the NPS Acceptance Team pose with the HYCOPTER UAS during its acceptance flight on 25 October, 2019. (From L to R) Faculty Associate Gary Parker (SE), Assistant Professor Tony Pollman (SE), Academic Laboratory Engineer Rushen Dal (SE), NPS Students Lt. Col. Joseph Novak (ME) and LT Justin Laddusaw (ME)
The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California took delivery of the Navy’s first ever hydrogen fuel cell powered rotary-wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) on 25 October 2019. Continue reading
Iran Downs Unidentified Drone Near Gulf Coast
Iran shot down an unidentified drone that “infiltrated” near Bandar-e Mahshahr port on the Gulf coast on Friday, Iranian media reported, after the downing of a US drone nearly triggered air strikes earlier this year. Continue reading
European MALE RPAS in Convergence Phase
Airbus and its partners aim to finalise the scope and price of the European Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) in the coming weeks, ahead of a planned first prototype flight in early 2023. Continue reading
China Negotiates Autonomous Gunships for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
China is exporting drones that it advertises as having lethal autonomy to the Middle East, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday. It’s the first time that a senior Defense official has acknowledged that China is selling drones capable of taking life with little or no human oversight.
Airbus Reveals Classified LOUT Stealth Testbed
During the 2019 edition of its Trade Media Briefing on November 5, 2019, Airbus Defense and Space unveiled the existence of its “Low Observable UAV Testbed”, or LOUT. Continue reading






