The US Department of Defence has released details on major defence acquisition programme cost, schedule, and performance changes since the September 2010 reporting period. Global Hawk is 23% and the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals programmes is 16%, over budget.
Category Archives: Military UAS
US Soldiers Killed by “Friendly Fire” from UAS in Afghanistan
Two US soldiers were killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. Air Force Predator last week, in what appears to be the first “friendly fire” incident involving an unmanned aircraft.
Fire Scout 18 Hour Endurance Record
Northrop Grumman’s Fire Scout achieved a single-day endurance flight record of 18 hours in U.S. Navy anti-piracy operations.
US Navy Wants ‘Mouse-Click’ Controls for X-47B
At the Navy League’s annual Sea Air Space convention outside Washington, Northrop and the Navy unveiled new details about the X-47B and their schedule to get it flying off a carrier. Rule number one: it’s not “remotely piloted.”
Next Generation Goggles Give Soldiers Direct Interface with UAS
Vuzix Corporation announced that it has been awarded a $1 million research contract under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) Programme. The funding will go towards research and development of a next generation holographic optical display system for use by Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC).
Global Hawk Cost Rises 25% After Order Is Cut – US Air Force
The average cost for one of Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk has risen more than 25 percent because the U.S. Air Force cut the order by about 14 percent in its 2012 budget request.
Gray Eagle and Shadow Lethal Partners in Iraq
Gray Eagle with Hellfire missiles at Camp Taji, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Jason Sweeney)
Gray Eagle operators of QRC-1-R1 Camp Taji, Iraq recently demonstrated firing six Hellfire missiles into the abandoned hulks of light military tactical vehicles positioned at Shadow Range in western Iraq. A Shadow from the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division out of Al-Asad was flying nearby and laser designated the target.
India Develops Domestic UCAV Programme
India’s Defence Research and Development Organization told the Times of India recently that the aim of the secretive AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme is to develop a UCAV for the Indian Air Force in seven to eight years.