A new, apparently very fast drone type made its first public appearance at a rehearsal for a national celebration in Beijing on Sept. 21, 2019. The long, narrow unmanned aerial vehicle, reportedly designated DR-8, or Wuzhen 8, appears to be configured for supersonic flight. It likely is a reconnaissance craft. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
Unmanned Refuelling Aircraft Passes First Test Flight

The MQ-25 unmanned carrier-based test aircraft comes in for landing after its first flight, Sept. 19, 2019, at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Ill.
The US Navy and Boeing successfully completed the first test flight of the MQ-25, the first operational carrier-based unmanned refueling aircraft, Sept. 19 from MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. Continue reading
Payload Tests for XQ-58A Set for Early 2020

The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle completed its inaugural flight March 5, 2019 at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions expects to be on a contract before the end of September 2019 to integrate communications and autonomy payloads into its XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned air vehicle (UAV). Continue reading
India’s Rustom 2 Crashes on Test Flight
The Indian Defence Research Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Rustom-II crashed at Jodi Chikkana Halli in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Tuesday morning. The aircraft’s test flight was underway at Challakere Aeronautical Test Range, an outdoor testing and evaluating facility of the DRDO, when the incident took place. Continue reading
USMC Sets New Milestone with GA-ASI MQ-9A
Over the last year, the U.S. Marine Corps’ (USMC) Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) blazed a trail of firsts and was awarded the 2018 Marine Corps Aviation Association Unmanned Aircraft Squadron of the Year. A major component of the squadron’s accomplishments included use of the MQ-9A Reaper Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which to date has flown over 4,800 flight hours of direct support reconnaissance over a 12 month period. Continue reading
GA-ASI and UK MoD Sign Test and Evaluation Contract for Protector
GA-ASI has signed a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to complete the test and evaluation activities required to certify the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) system to fly in civil airspace. The DCS contract also funds additional Protector programme elements, including X-band SATCOM system verification, training material development and logistics planning. Continue reading
AeroVironment Unveils VAPOR Electric Helicopter UAS
AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the availability of its VAPOR all-electric Helicopter UAS at Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI), the world’s largest land, sea and air defense and security exhibition. Developed at AeroVironment Innovation Center-Midwest, VAPOR incorporates more than a decade of aerospace engineering, technical research and development to bring to market high-performance helicopter UAS at attractive price points for defense, commercial and industrial customers. Continue reading
Footage Shows Capabilities of Houthi Drones
The Military Industries Division of the Armed Forces of Yemen(Houthi) revealed the capabilities and characteristics of two drones, Sammad 3, and Sammad 1. Scenes of Qasif K2 drones flying in the skies for the first time since being used in the front line, in addition to the flight of a surveillance drone, were presented to during the press conference. Continue reading




