an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
At the request of Federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) §99.7–“Special Security Instructions”–to address concerns about drone operations over national security sensitive facilities by establishing temporary Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) specific flight restrictions. Continue reading
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has introduced the Elbit Hermes 450 unmanned aerial system (UAS), becoming the second Southeast Asian country after Singapore to operate this drone. Elbit Systems says that the H450 has now performed “40,000 successful combat missions,” but like other Israeli companies, it does not specify customers. Continue reading
CNC Technologies, an aviation technology and wireless communications company serving the law enforcement, military and government markets, announced its selection by the Michigan State Police to deploy a state-of-the-art mobile video network to support the department’s airborne law enforcement operations. Continue reading
On July 10-11, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) plans to make the first-ever trans-Atlantic flight of a Medium-altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). GA-ASI’s company-owned MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA is scheduled to fly from the company’s Flight Test and Training Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA, to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK. Continue reading
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has received a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aircraft systems beyond the line of sight. It’s the first such waiver granted to a university by the FAA. Continue reading
Dedrone announced that its team of Echodyne Corporation, Squarehead Technologies and Battelle, won first place at ThunderDrone’s “Game of Drones” outdoor demonstration at Nellis Air Force Base and AFWERX enclave, June 18-20. Continue reading
Following its failed attempt to seal a deal with China for unmanned aerial systems, compounded by long-term funding problems, the largest military and security drone producer in Sweden has filed for bankruptcy.
As drones become increasingly autonomous, researchers and engineers are finding new ways to let unmanned aerial vehicles manage menial tasks that are usually relegated to crews of workers and valuable time being lost in the process. For researchers at the University of Leeds and University College London, the focus is on slowly but surely kickstarting drone-infused smart-cities with UAVs that could repair roads efficiently, saving time, cost, and the efforts of manual labour. Continue reading