Two flights in February with a Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System (SYERS)-2 intelligence gathering sensor strapped to a Block 30 Global Hawk were the first demonstrations by Northrop Grumman of its Universal Payload Adapter – a move toward creating one fleet of the unmanned aircraft to carry any sensor the US Air Force needs.
Category Archives: Military UAS
Fifty UAVs Guard Russian Nuclear Missile Assets
Around 50 unmanned aerial vehicles are protecting the assets of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (SMF), responsible for the country’s nuclear arsenal, according to the Russian defense ministry.
Predator B Extended Range First Flight with Long Wings
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has announced the successful first flight of Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Extended Range (ER) Long Wing, retrofitted with improved long-endurance wings with greater internal fuel capacity and additional hard points for carrying external stores. The flight occurred on February 18 at GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Test Facility in Palmdale, Calif., on a test aircraft.
Sunset of the Predator
The US Air Force intends—once again—to divest itself of the MQ-1 Predator and transition to an all-MQ-9 Reaper fleet of medium-altitude remotely piloted aircraft, according to Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and requirements. Continue reading
Afghan Army to Fly First Unmanned Aircraft in March
The Afghan military is expected to field its first specialised surveillance drones as soon as March, a U.S. commander in Kabul said recently, as the nation slowly expands its own air force.
MQ-9 Crashes at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Group, part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, crashed Feb. 20 at about 9 p.m. Kabul time, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
UK Zephyr Order Confirmed
The UK Ministry of Defence has placed a highly anticipated order for two Airbus Defence & Space Zephyr 8 high-altitude pseudo-satellites. Announced during Singapore air show on 18 February, the contract will cover the acquisition of two solar-powered, long-endurance surveillance unmanned air vehicles, the first of which is already under construction. Continue reading
US Army Selects 3-D Printed UAS Concept for Future Experiment
Each year, the U.S. Army conducts a series of technology demonstrations known as the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments, or AEWE. The event is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s live, force-on-force experiment. AEWE places technologies under development by industry and Army researchers into the hands of Soldiers for early and credible feedback from the end-user. Continue reading