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Federal aviation regulators by September expect to develop a foundation for a detailed plan to integrate drones into U.S. airspace, and then enact it in December, congressional investigators said in a new report. Continue reading
Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) present new opportunities for helicopter operators and some industry representatives in Europe suggest operators supplement their fleets with these aircraft, which can fill roles that rotorcraft cannot.
AeroVironment, Inc. announced it has received a contract from the United States Army totalling $3.4 million for RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to supply the Spanish Ministry of Defence via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
Britain’s Paul Bonhomme was crowned the winner of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship stop at the famous Ascot Racecourse on Sunday, flying brilliantly under pressure in the world’s fastest motorsport series. The victory was Bonhomme’s third this season and second straight win at Ascot to the delight of more than 40,000 spectators. Continue reading
NRL is merging two separate research areas — unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) — to significantly improve tactical availability of UUVs in time critical situations. Common across the services, autonomous vehicles are being seen as an effective projection of force, both above and below the water’s surface. Unlike an air-deployed Sonobuoy, ongoing research into novel bio-inspired UUV finned propulsion has potential benefits for autonomous motion beyond the insertion point. This combination of an airplane mode for UUV insertion is the thrust of the Flimmer program. Continue reading
Engineers at Boeing are building laser systems to protect troops. The US Army’s High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) directs powerful light beams that stop UAVs, mortars and artillery in midair. Continue reading
Aero Kinetics announces its partnership with GridMeNow to incorporate their mobile, real-time tracking solutions into Aero Kinetics’ newest multi-rotor vertical takeoff and land (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). This combined effort is a significant step forward for the industry where dispatching now has the ease and efficiency necessary for reliable commercial use. Continue reading