AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the availability of a new 360 Multi-Sector Antenna (MSA) for its Puma AE small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Specifically designed to support Puma AE maritime missions, the 360 MSA provides naval operators with immediate tactical situational awareness, while eliminating the need to redirect the vessel or reconfigure the direction of an antenna to maintain an effective communication link. Continue reading
Schiebel to Equip S-100 Camcopter with New Engine
Austrian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer Schiebel is developing a new JP-5-powered heavy fuel engine for its S-100 Camcopter after its initial choice of heavy fuel engine failed to meet endurance requirements set by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Continue reading
US Interior Department 2018 Unmanned Aircraft Report
The US Department of the Interior saved $14.8 million in 2018 as it expanded its fleet of unmanned aircraft systems to support operations across the U.S. The department released its UAS Program 2018 Use Report Monday that details the agency’s spending and aircraft use during the year. Continue reading
Using Drones to Improve Flood Forecasts
As the Yalobusha River rose around Greenwood, Mississippi, during a major rainstorm in late February, scientists from the Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University deployed a small unmanned plane that took high-resolution images of rising waters and beamed them back in real time to NOAA weather forecasters. Continue reading
Spain Buys Two MQ-9 Block 5 Reapers
General Atomics MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper
Spain plans to purchase two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Block 5 Reapers for $34 million via the US foreign military sales process. Continue reading
Using Infrared Drone Technology to Inspect Solar Panels
An East Coast industrial plant had for months experienced a significant drop off in energy production from its 36,000-square-foot solar field. The plant’s maintenance team had been unable to find any problems with the solar panels during routine thermal/infrared monitoring from the ground. Continue reading
Using Drones for Inspecting Power Plant Boilers in Japan
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) is putting into practical service unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to more easily and efficiently inspect the interiors of power plant boilers and other large indoor structures. Demonstration testing for manually operated drones was completed last year, and MHPS plans to begin offering the inspection service from April 2019. Continue reading
Spain Orders Final Two Reapers
Spain has contracted two more General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to add to the two already ordered in 2017. Continue reading






