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Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designers at General Atomics in Poway, California, will provide the U.S. Air Force with four new MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper attack drones and four mobile ground-control stations under terms of a $123.3 million contract announced last week. Continue reading
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems was awarded a $123 million contract for four MQ-9 Reaper drones for the Netherlands. The not-to-exceed $123,293,911 contract (FA8620-19-F-2310) provides for four MQ-9 Block 5 unmanned air vehicles, four Mobile Ground Control Stations, spares, and support equipment. Work is expected to be complete by December. 31, 2020. Continue reading
Officials from NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management project selected Corpus Christi as one of two nationwide test sites. Continue reading
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has given further details on the capabilities of its Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program aims to adapt and respond to unexpected threats for existing unmanned aircraft that would extend mission capabilities and improve U.S. forces’ ability to conduct operations in denied or contested airspace. Continue reading
Student Seabrook Whyte and USRI research engineer Taylor Mitchell performing test flights at the FAA UAS IPP site
Oklahoma State University’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute (USRI) received its certificate of authorization from the FAA to permit flights of a fixed wing aircraft swarm within national airspace, making them the first in the country to receive this authorization. Continue reading
DroneShield and Saudi Arabia’s national telecommunications company Saudi Telecoms Company (STC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to the exploration of the potential for collaboration on counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) opportunities for government customers in the Middle East. Continue reading
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, today announced the UG2+ Prize Challenge, a competition that leverages a unique computer vision dataset of unmanned aerial vehicle, glider, and ground (UG2) data. This second edition of the challenge aims to advance the analysis of images collected by small UAVs by improving image restoration and algorithm performance. Continue reading
According to a 20 March press release from state-owned company UkrOboronProm the Armed Forces of Ukraine has received into service its first Bayraktar TB2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Starokonstantinov handed over 420 units of aircraft and military equipment to the Ukrainian military, including the first Bayraktar TB2 unmanned systems. Continue reading