Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development organization of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., has announced it has won a contract for Phase 1 of the Vertical Take-Off and Landing Experimental Aircraft (VTOL X-Plane) programme by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Continue reading
RAAF Heron has Clocked up 20,000 Flying Hours in Afghanistan
Australia’s Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft, which has been in Afghanistan since 2010, has a reputation as one of the most reliable and effective platforms of its type operating in the Middle East, according to the Commanding Officer of the Heron Detachment, Wing Commander (WGCDR) John McMullan. Continue reading
Google Acquires Boston Dynamics
Google confirmed on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that has designed mobile research robots for the Pentagon. The company, based in Waltham, Mass., has gained an international reputation for machines that walk with an uncanny sense of balance and even — cheetahlike — run faster than the fastest humans. Continue reading
Philippines Wants Six UAS for Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Search & Rescue
The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) is inviting bidders who can supply the military with 6 sets of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to expand its surveillance and reconnaisance capabilities. Continue reading
China Deploys UAS to Monitor Wild Yaks
China is using UAS to monitor rare herds of wild yaks in a remote mountain region. Scientists use the unmanned aircraft to calculate the number of yaks in the mountain wilderness of Xinjiang province, and to collect data about their habitat, reports official news agency Xinhua.
In November, a UAS performed four flights, taking photos of the yaks, the areas where they live and also collecting meteorological information, the agency says. Continue reading
DJI Phantom + Sony RX 100 II Crashes into Icelandic Ocean
In the days before my trip to Iceland, I had the chance to play with the DJI Phantom, an affordable, out-of-the-box quadcopter for budding aerial videographers. Continue reading
UAS Views of Kiev Protests
This video was filmed on Saturday shows a great view of the massive gathering in Kiev’s Independence Square. Some 200,000 people have rallied in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to protest against President Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to sign a landmark EU deal. Continue reading
UVS International Announces 2014 Board of Directors
The association’s General Assembly for 2013 took place at the Royal Military Academy, in Brussels, Belgium on 11 December 2013 and consensually elected UVS International’s Board of Directors (BoD) for 2014. The BoD is now structured as follows: Continue reading