High over Alaska last summer, the Pentagon experimented with new, secret prototypes: Micro-drones that can be launched from the flare dispensers of moving F-16s and F/A-18 fighter jets. Canisters containing the tiny aircraft descended from the jets on parachutes before breaking open, allowing wings on each drone to swing out and catch the wind. Inch-wide propellers on the back provided propulsion as they found one another and created a swarm. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
Israel Wants to Increase Heron TP Endurance
The Israeli air force (IAF) and Israel Aerospace Industries are working to “significantly” increase the endurance of the Heron TP unmanned air vehicle from its current 36 hours. Continue reading
Drone Activity in Iran
By Dan Gettinger, Center for the Study of the Drone
The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman have, for several years, been a nexus for Iranian military drone activity. At no time was this more evident than on January 29, the day Iran claimed that it had flown a drone over an American aircraft carrier. In our review of drone activity in the region, we have found that there are reasons to both doubt the legitimacy of the January 29 video and to believe that Iranian drone activity is more expansive than previously thought. Continue reading
DARPA Selects Aurora’s LightningStrike 24-prop Hybrid VTOL X-Plane
Aurora Flight Sciences announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the company the prime contract for Phase 2 of the Agency’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program.
Northrop Grumman Awarded Fire Scout Task Order
Northrop Grumman Corp., Aerospace Systems, San Diego, California, is being awarded $7,280,560 for cost-plus-fixed-fee task order 1269 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0026) in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aircraft systems. Continue reading
UK and France to Unveil $2 Billion Drone Project
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande will unveil a 1.5 billion-pound ($2.1 billion) cooperative drone project when the two leaders meet in Amiens today. Continue reading
US Air Force Adds New RPA Bases at Home & Abroad
The US Air Force will add two new locations for remotely piloted aircraft operations within the continental United States, and look to build new overseas locations as it builds its RPA force. General Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said ACC will add the two locations “as rapidly as possible,” though he could not provide a specific timeline.
German Euro Hawk to Fly Again
The Northrop Grumman-built Euro Hawk unmanned air vehicle will fly again after the German air force decided to resume testing of the aircraft and its Airbus Defence & Space signals intelligence (SIGINT) payload. Continue reading