The head of the French DGA defence procurement agency has defended the selection of the Sagem Patroller for the French army’s tactical unmanned air vehicle requirement, insisting the competition was fair and did not dismiss the rival Thales Watchkeeper from the outset. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
Unmanned CBARS Tanker Air Segment Draft RFP
US Naval Air Systems Command is set to release a new draft Request for Proposal for its unmanned aerial refuelling tanker to industry later this year. Continue reading
US Navy Halts Funding for X-47B
As it reconsiders its unmanned aviation strategy, the Navy has decided to cease funding the X-47B bat-winged drone that made aviation history in recent years. The first-ever autonomous unmanned aircraft to be launched from and recovered on a carrier deck, the X-47B, is likely to run out of funding by the end of fiscal year 2016. The Navy has not requested money for the program in its fiscal year 2017 budget. Continue reading
Elbit Systems Launches Skylark 3
Elbit Systems has developed the Skylark 3, a new autonomous mini-Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), best suited for brigades and divisions in “beyond the next hill” reconnaissance, counterinsurgency and force protection missions, as well as for use in a range of civil applications, such as border and coastal security and anti-terror operations. The new system has already been selected by an undisclosed customer.
UK to Order Two Zephyrs from Airbus
The British government is close to ordering two solar-powered high-altitude Zephyr UAVs from European aerospace giant Airbus. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in a statement that the deal was worth £10.6 million ($15.2 million, 14 million euros), in the first ever order for Airbus Zephyr unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
India Looks for Unmanned Combat Aircraft from US
The Indian armed forces have suffered from time and technology challenges over the last 30 years, but apparently to make up for the lost time, the government has now approved the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) requirements for unmanned combat aircraft, technically called Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). Continue reading
Reapers Still Overheat in Hot Climates
Industry and the US Air Force are still working to fix the MQ-9 Reaper’s overheating problems, encountered during operations in hot climates, according to the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation’s annual report, released Feb. 1. Continue reading
MQ-1 Predator Down in Turkey
An American MQ-1 Predator has crashed in wasteland 15 kilometers away from the city centre of Doğankent in Turkey.