Pacific Air Forces officials said the first deployment of the RQ-4 Global Hawk to Misawa AB, Japan, is going well, with weather patterns not affecting sortie generation in any meaningful way thus far. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
UK Deploys Reapers to Afghanistan
The United Kingdom has deployed its five new General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft systems to Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 3 July.
KAI Gears up to Develop Weaponized Stealth UAS
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) makes FA-50 fighter jets, supersonic trainer T-50s, which the light attacker was based on, and the Surion utility helicopter at a facility as big as three soccer fields on the country’s southern coastal. Now it seeks to expand its portfolio to accommodate the defence needs of Korea’s armed forces, as well as those of its allies.
France Keeps Harfang Despite Reaper Purchase
Despite recently acquiring the GA-ASI Reaper from the U.S., the French Air Force has extended the service of its predecessor UAS, the Harfang, until at least the end of 2017. The Harfang UAS consists of IAI Heron 1 UAS that are equipped with a communications and control system designed by Airbus Defence & Space (previously EADS Cassidian) in France. Continue reading
Rafael Unveils Hovering Maoz for Infantry Use
Rafael has released details of a small, hovering tactical intelligence-gathering system that could be supplied to infantry soldiers. The plan is to equip many of the soldiers in an infantry unit with the micro hovering system that will serve as “eyes over the hill”. The “Maoz” is carried in a small canister stowed in the personal gear of an infantry soldier. After mission completion it can be returned to the canister for further use.
US Marine Corps Shifts Money from Shadow to Finance Blackjack Engine Upgrade
The US Marine Corps (USMC) has requested that the US Congress allow it to shift USD18.75 million from its RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to its RQ-21 Blackjack UAV programme in order to extend the latter’s range.
US Air Force UAS Team
In this USAir Force video, a Predator team discusses their various functions and how the team works together. Continue reading
French Harfang Completes Command Handover Tests
A French Air Force-led team has demonstrated the mid-flight handover of the command and control of a Mali-based Harfang to the aircraft’s base in Cognac, France, during an hour-long demonstration on 17 June.