A man has used an unmanned four-engined helicopter in an attempt to fly drugs and a mobile phone into a maximum-security prison in Melbourne, police allege. It is believed to be the first time an unmanned small aircraft has been used in an attempt to smuggle drugs into an Australian jail. Continue reading
Stun Gun Toting UAS Demonstrated at SXSW
Chaotic Moon, demonstrated its Project C.U.P.I.D. – Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone – at SXSW this weekend. It is a six-rotor remotely-controlled aircraft that carries an 80,000 volt stun gun with which it can bring down a crime suspect. Continue reading
European Civil RPAS Market Continues to Grow
The European civil RPAS market is continuing to grow, as is witnessed by the fact that there are now over 1400 certificated RPAS operators in Europe. In this context, the European Commission has commissioned a study of third party liability and insurance requirements for RPAS with the purpose of contributing to the development of insurance regulation, and to support the development of appropriate and competitive insurance offerings. Continue reading
Dassault Aviation nEUROn UCAV Test Flights
The Dassault nEUROn is an experimental Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) being developed with international cooperation, led by the French company Dassault Aviation. Continue reading
US Air Force Calls to Migrate SYERS-2 Sensor from U-2 to RQ-4
There are “no technical reasons” preventing the Air Force from migrating its prized Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System multispectral imagery sensor from the manned U-2 spy plane to the remotely piloted RQ-4 platform, according to the intelligence-gathering system’s prime contractor UTC Aerospace Systems. Continue reading
X-47B Programme Wins Aviation Week Laureate Award
The U.S. Navy’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), built by Northrop Grumman Corporation, has won an Aviation Week Laureate Award for “extraordinary achievements” in Aeronautics and Propulsion. Continue reading
Ukraine Border Guard Service UAS Video Shows Russian Soldiers in Crimea Armyansk
Ukraine’s Border Guard Service has published a video it says was filmed from one of its surveillance planes showing Russian troops digging in outside the town of Armyansk in Crimea. Continue reading
China to Combat Pollution Using Smog-Busting UAS
A new flexible-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) will be used in the first round of anti-fogging tests in airports and ports, a National People’s Congress deputy said. The UAS made by a Hubei-based life-saving equipment company under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, can carry up to 700 kilograms of anti-fogging catalysts to clear up fog within a range of 5 kilometers, said company chairman Ma Yongsheng. Continue reading