France has ordered a third batch of Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, with delivery in 2019 of three UAVs and two ground stations in the advanced block 5 version, a spokesman for the procurement office said Friday.
Category Archives: Military UAS
US Air Force Proposes $3-billion RPAS Expansion Plan
First Airstrikes for Iraqi CH-4B UAV – Video
Two months ago, first official flight of an Iraqi CH-4B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was performed during the visit of Defence Minister, Mr. Khaled al-Obeidi at al-Kut Air Base. On December 6th, a CH-4B from 100th Squadron was engaged for the first time in an airstrike in Ramadi destroying an artillery piece hidden in a factory. Continue reading
MQ-8C Fire Scout Concludes Operational Assessment
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) completed a successful land-based operational assessment (OA) with the unmanned, autonomous helicopter MQ-8C Fire Scout, at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Nov. 20. The OA demonstrated the endurance and sensor integration capabilities on the new MQ-8C airframe.
Korea Steps Up Drone Development
With countries around the globe racing to roll out better performing unmanned aerial vehicles, South Korea is striving to strengthen its entry into the market.
Heron 1 Chalks Up 25,000 Flight Hours in Afghanistan
Following this year’s 410th flight on 16 November 2015, the Heron Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which is jointly operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and Airbus Defence and Space, successfully landed in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, bringing the total number of flight hours it has completed in the country up to 25,000. The occasion was celebrated at Camp Mazar-e-Sharif together with the Luftwaffe.
US Air Force Hires Civilian Pilots for Combat Patrols
The US Air Force has hired civilian defence contractors to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones to help track suspected militants and other targets in global hot spots, a previously undisclosed expansion in the privatization of once-exclusively military functions. Continue reading
Spain Wants to Arm its MQ-9 Fleet
Spain has confirmed that it will eventually try to weaponise its future fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicles, although the immediate priority is to bring the surveillance-only variant into operation. Continue reading