The US Air Force is continuing to invest in upgrades to the Global Hawk unmanned aerial system, most recently giving Northrop Grumman a $30.3 million contract modification for retrofits that will help several of the aircraft take over some of the duties carried out by the U-2 spy plane.
Category Archives: Military UAS
US Marines Fly RQ-21A in ‘Class D’ airspace
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 launched into a new era with its RQ-21A Blackjack flight into Class D airspace, over Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., March 21. Continue reading
The Drone that Stalked Bin Laden
In 2009, after two weeks of being embedded as an independent journalist with a small team of U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, I ended up at Combat Outpost Monti, a 14-acre camp of tents, plywood huts, a few concrete bunkers and makeshift guard towers, and a helicopter landing area, all ringed by collapsible barriers. Continue reading
China Unveils First Armed Unmanned Helicopter
China’s growing defence industry has quickly made a name for itself, especially in drones. Government produced CH-3 and CH-4 combat drones are already used worldwide, including by the Iraqi and Nigerian governments. Now NORINCO, one of the country’s largest state-owned corporations, is getting into the the act with a drone of its own.
General Atomics Gets $54M US Air Force MQ-9 Upgrade Contract
General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $53,825,727 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, undefinitized contract action for the MQ-9 Hybrid Release 1 integration. Contractor will provide the integration and initial fielding of new capabilities into the MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft. Continue reading
India Finalizes $3BN Blueprint for UAV Fleets
Indian defence forces have finalised a blueprint to procure more than 5,000 UAVs over the next 10 years for about US $3 billion, and tenders will be restricted to domestic companies that can tie up with foreign firms, said a Ministry of Defence source.
Air Force, Army Need Separate Drones, Generals tell Congress
Missions for the Army and Air Force are unique enough that the services will likely need to fly their own separate unmanned platforms for the foreseeable future, according to service leaders. Continue reading
Iran’s IRGC Unveils Upgraded Shahed 129
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled an upgraded model of the home-made Shahed 129 drone. The new model is equipped with satellite communication system, the IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, Fars news agency reported March 14. Continue reading