The Colombian military began using U.S.-supplied ScanEagle UAS for counterterrorism and counter-narcotics operations in 2006, according to a classified State Department cable released last week by WikiLeaks.
Category Archives: Military UAS
US Navy Wants to Lease UAS for Training Events
The US Navy’s Fleet and Industrial Supply Centre, Norfolk, Philadelphia Office wants to lease two UAS to “replicate a likely threat in visual, aural, and most importantly IR and RCS signatures at a series of training events”. The first event will take place in June 2011 on San Clemente Island, CA.
Global Hawk In Use Over Libya
US Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news briefing that once the bombing and missile campaign ends in Libya, unmanned Global Hawk aircraft will conduct a bomb damage assessment. The USAF also confirms that a Global Hawk flew in support of no-fly-zone operations before March 21.
Thales UK Watchkeeper Ahead of Schedule
Photo: Thales
Project trials for Thales UK Watchkeeper tactical UAS will now begin in June, with the systems expected to be in service with British Army by February 2012. Thales UK’s Nick Miller told UAS VISION “Our building programme is ahead of schedule. The first 10 air vehicles and several ground control stations are already built.”
US Army Awards AAI $13M Contract for TCDL on 2 Shadows
AAI Corporation has won a $12.6 million contract from the US Army Contracting command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, to install Tactical Common Data Link equipment on two Shadow UAS.
Israel Flies UAS Over Lebanon
Lebanese officials have complained that two Israeli UAS have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over the southern part of the country in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.
BAE Systems and Dassault Join Forces for MALE UAS
BAE's Mantis - Basis for New Joint UAS
BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the design, development, production and support of a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system for the UK and French defence ministries.
US Navy Timeline for $874M Worth of ISR Services
The US Navy has outlined a new timeline for buying services provided by a fleet of unmanned aircraft systems worth up to $874 million. The close-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) contract would replace the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle with a ship-based, small UAS that would keep track of vessels within a 50nm (90km) radius of the launch ship.