An MQ-9 Reaper’s engine design led the drone to crash about 20 minutes after takeoff while deployed overseas in September 2018, a recently released Air Force accident investigation concluded. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
HAV Reveals Production Aircraft
The production Airlander 10 is revealed as Hybrid Air Vehicles approaches the start of production, with negotiations continuing with commercial customers. Continue reading
Aeronautics’ CEO to Step Down Amidst Criminal Investigation
Amos Matan announced in a letter he will be replaced by Moshe Elazer, currently the naval systems director at Israeli defense contractor Rafael, one of the Aeronautics’ owners.
China Expands UAV Testing and Production Capabilities
China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics has inaugurated a new production facility in the eastern province of Zhejiang
The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) – the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development arm of defence prime China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) – has expanded its domestic production capabilities with a newly commissioned automated manufacturing facility in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, in eastern China. Continue reading
General Atomics Owner Joins Forbes 400
Neal Blue is a brand new member of The Forbes 400. Blue, 84 (estimated net worth $4.1 billion), who as chairman and 80% owner of San Diego-based defense contractor General Atomics (his brother Linden, 83, owns the other 20%, worth another billion) first introduced the Predator drone into the skies 25 years ago to surveil Serbian forces during the Clinton administration. Continue reading
Indonesia Launches Domestically-Built Armed UAV
State-owned Indonesian aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) unveiled a domestically developed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on December 30. Designed to meet the requirements of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), the UAV bears a strong resemblance to the Chinese CASC CH-4, which is in operation with the TNI-AU in small numbers. The vehicle has yet to be named but is referred to as the Pesawat Udara Nir Awak jenis Medium Altitude Long Endurance (PUNA MALE, unmanned MALE aircraft). Continue reading
Pakistan Navy Inducts LUNA NG UAV
On 04 January 2020, the Pakistan Navy’s (PN) Director General of Public Relations announced that the PN officially inducted LUNA NG unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Continue reading
US Navy Buys Three MQ-4 Tritons
MQ-4C Tritons at a Northrop Grumman test facility in Palmdale, California
The US Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $251.6 million contract modification to build three low-rate initial production MQ-4 Triton reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft is massive for unmanned aerial vehicles – wingspan of 130.9 feet and length of 47.6 feet, according to a Naval Air Systems Command fact sheet. Continue reading