An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) developed by engineers from the University of Southampton uses a powered tether to provide unlimited flight time for drones. The developers say it could offer a more cost-effective solution for aerial monitoring and surveillance than other options on the market. Continue reading
USAF to Provide More Pay, Bases for RPAS
The US Air Force is about to take two more major steps as part of its “get well” program for the remotely piloted aircraft enterprise—a big pay boost for RPA pilots and new operating bases for the aircraft. Continue reading
UK Royal Navy to Assess ScanEagle Replacement
The Royal Navy is looking towards the Unmanned Warrior exercise that will take place later this year to assess “all options” for the replacement of its Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle unmanned air vehicles, which will go out of service in late 2017. Continue reading
Woman Dies in Car Chase after Flying Drone over Prison
A woman has died and a man has been left critically injured in a car accident after being chased by police over suspicions they were trying to fly a drone into a prison.
Total Safety Partners with Era for UAS Inspections
Total Safety U.S. Inc., a provider of industrial inspection and integrated safety solutions, has announced the further expansion of its commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) solutions and an exclusive alliance and collaboration agreement with Era Group Inc., a helicopter transport operator. Continue reading
Sharper Shape Partners for Utility Monitoring in India
Palo Alto-based Sharper Shape, a provider of automated drone-based asset inspections, and Sterlite Power, India’s leading power transmission company, announced a strategic partnership to provide drone inspection services for utility assets in India. Continue reading
US Navy Deploys RQ-20B AeroVironment Puma AE
AeroVironment, Inc. announced the United States Navy has tested and deployed the RQ-20B Puma small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) aboard a Flight I Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG Class). Some of these exercises included the use of AeroVironment’s fully autonomous system to recover the aircraft aboard a ship. The US Navy issued a report on August 3 from the Arabian Gulf describing how Puma AE is also being utilized (see “US Ships Utilize Small Eye in the Sky”) on Navy Patrol Craft.
62 Passengers in Near Miss at UK Airport
A passenger plane landed at Newquay Airport with 62 people on board has narrowly missed colliding with a drone in the latest incident to spark concern about the gadgets.