The US Defence Budget for 2012 requests 1,395 new UAS, down from the 1,545 that Congress approved for 2010.
Category Archives: Military UAS
Sea Avenger Completes Wind Tunnel Tests
General Atomics has announced that it has successfully completed a key wind tunnel test on a model of its Sea Avenger UAS. The test validated the low-speed characteristics of a new wing, resulting in higher endurance and lower approach speeds. The new wing is also designed to increase aircraft dash speeds, decreasing the time to respond to potential threats.
US Air Force Plans 10 New UAS Squadrons
The US Air Force plans to establish three new active duty MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAS squadrons this year, along with six new Air National Guard units, and one Air Force Reserve squadron, said Col. James Gear, head of the service’s UAS task force speaking at a recent industry conference in Washington, D.C.
UND Signs Lease on Grand Forks Air Base
Air Force Col. Don Shaffer, UND President Robert Kelley
The University of North Dakota and representatives from the Grand Forks Air Force Base signed a historic lease agreement on Saturday, Feb. 12, providing the University’s UAS programme a new home on base for research, training and education. A signing ceremony took place inside the base facility, part of which — about 5,000 square feet — will house UND’s Center for UAS Research, Education & Training.
Tough Requirements for MQ-X
The MQ-X, the unmanned system that will replace the US Air Force’s General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, must be survivable, weather tolerant, modular, upgradable with plug-and-play intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) options and have flexible communications, according to Col. James Gear, director of the USAF’s UAS task force.
US Navy Wants Common Ground Control Stations for BAMS & Global Hawk
U.S. Navy UAS experts are asking engineers at the Northrop Grumman Corp. Aerospace Systems segment in Bethpage, N.Y., to develop common UAS ground control stations to fly the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk and the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) high-altitude, high-endurance surveillance UAS. BAMS and Global Hawk are based on the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 airframe.
Predator Crashes in Yemen – Al-Qaeda Steals Wreckage
An MQ-1 Predator crashed in south Yemen on Tuesday. It came down in Jahayn village near Loder, in Yemen’s Abyan province where Al-Qaeda has a strong presence. It was found by local residents who called in police, who then collected the wreckage. But as they headed to a police station about 30 kilometers (18 miles) away, Al-Qaeda gunmen in cars intercepted the police and hijacked the wreckage.
Elbit – Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 Fly on Joint Flight Missions
Elbit Systems announced that it has successfully performed a series of joint flight missions of its Hermes® 450 and Hermes® 900 Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The two different UAS were controlled and operated from the same universal ground control station (UGCS), transmitting the gathered imagery, ELINT and COMINT to their station operators, while using different communications systems. To view video, click here.