NATO member Poland said Tuesday it will acquire combat drones as part of a multi-billion-euro revamp of its armed forces amid heightened tensions with Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis. Continue reading
Australia to use Heron as Training Bridge to MQ-4C Triton
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will continue operating two Israel Aerospace Industries’ Heron unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) until the service receives MQ-4C Tritons from the U.S. The RAAF will use the medium-altitude, long-endurance Herons for training as well as for efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft into Australian airspace, the Department of Defense said.
US Air Force Wants Better Global Hawk Protection Against Cyber Attacks
U.S. Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) experts are asking Northrop Grumman Corp. to upgrade the abilities of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to resist computer hackers’ attempts to commandeer the unmanned aircraft while in flight.
Heavy Penalties for Rule Breaches in Australia
The Australian air safety regulator has warned operators of unmanned aerial vehicles to obey the rules or risk prosecution and heavy penalties after a series of potential breaches including a drone flight at night over a busy Sydney street. Continue reading
HorseFly Delivery Demonstration
AMP Electric Vehicles is working with students in the University of Cincinnati Department of Aerospace Engineering on a drone that would be mounted on the top of its electric-powered trucks to finish the last leg of many deliveries. Continue reading
New Fixed Wing UAS from ING
ING Robotic Aviation has announced the launch of the next version of its Serenity fixed wing robotic aircraft system equipped with a wide area rapid mapping capability. Continue reading
China Develops Anti-drone Laser
China has successfully tested a homemade laser defence system specially targeting small-scale UAS flying at low attitude. The machine is able to shoot down various small aircraft within a two-kilometer radius and can do so in five seconds after locating its target, said a statement released Sunday by the China Academy of Engineering Physics, one of the system’s co-developers. Continue reading
Researcher Studies Humpback Whale Health by UAS
An Australian researcher is using inexpensive drones to discover why the health of whales, off the coast of Australia, is deteriorating. Griffith University researcher Dr Jan-Olaf Meynecke told Mashable collecting bacteria, and at a later stage, DNA from viruses, will help to establish a baseline understanding of respiratory infections in the humpback whales. Continue reading