AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the United States Navy has successfully demonstrated the use of its submarine-launched Blackwing UAV to link with a swarm of unmanned undersea vehicles and communicate with the submarine combat control system during the Annual Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) on August 16.
Category Archives: Military UAS
UK Wants Swarms of Drones for Defence Missions
The UK Ministry of Defence is to invest up to £3 million in this ‘Many drones make light work’ competition. The aim is to find technology solutions that show and evaluate the benefits of using drones for defence.
AeroVironment Teams to Offer WASP to Australian Armed Forces
AeroVironment, Inc. has announced that it is teaming with Australia-based XTEK, Sentient Vision and General Dynamics (GD) Mediaware to deliver AeroVironment’s Family of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to the Australian market. The team will offer the AeroVironment Wasp AE Micro Air Vehicle, designated as the RQ-12A by the U.S. Department of Defense, to the Australian Armed Forces.
General Atomics Challenges Bundeswehr Decision
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is challenging in the courts Germany’s recent decision to lease Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) instead of procuring its own MQ-9 Reaper, it was disclosed on 30 August.
GA-ASI Gets $12M USAF MQ-9 Maintenance Contract
General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems, Inc., has been awarded a $12,326,321 order (0025) off of basic ordering agreement FA8620-15-G-4040 for the MQ-9 Block 1 Extended Range/ Electrical Safety Improvement Program depot activation Logistics Support Analysis. Continue reading
US Opens Drone Piloting to All Enlisted Airmen
Enlisted airmen from all career fields may now apply to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Air Force said Monday in a move that potentially opens the opportunity to pilot the unarmed intelligence-gathering drone to tens of thousands of more airmen.
Bell’s V-247 Armed Tilt-rotor Drone For Marines
A sleek little model sits on the desk of Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, Marine deputy commandant for aviation. What is that, we asked? The next tilt-rotor Bell Helicopter Textron hopes the Marine Corps will buy. But it’s not the V-280 Valor, the new manned tilt-rotor Bell plans to fly next year. It’s an unmanned tilt-rotor designed to give the Marines a drone that can do everything the Air Force’s armed MQ-9 Reaper does – and more. Especially taking off and landing from ships or from land where there’s no runway.
First RQ-21A Blackjack international sale
The U.S. Department of Navy recently signed an agreement with the Canadian Department of National Defense for the first RQ-21A Blackjack Unmanned Air System (UAS) international sale.