Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems have each received a $15 million fixed-price contract for a preliminary design review (PDR) assessment for the US Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance and Strike aircraft. Continue reading
Textron Unveils Battlehawk Loitering Munition
Textron Defense Systems unveiled a small UAS with an added special surprise—it’s also a flying hand grenade. Designed to be carried by an infantry squad, the BattleHawk is an approximately five-pound collapsible UAS with an onboard video camera, all packed in a spring-loaded launch tube.
US Navy Halts Work on Triton Sense-and-Avoid System
The US Navy has halted work on what had seemed the Pentagon’s most promising system to help UAS sense and avoid other aircraft. The system, built by ITT Exelis, is “behind schedule” and the Navy has “made a decision to pause on the capability right now,” Navy Captain Jim Hoke, programme manager for the Northrop Grumman Triton said. Continue reading
US Government to Publish Small UAS Rule by Year End
The U.S. government should release a draft regulation governing the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by the end of the year, federal officials told the Unmanned Systems Conference this week. Continue reading
Northrop Offers Sandshark Trainer on Lease Basis
Northrop Grumman is pitching a new method of UAS pilot training to the Air Force and U.S. Customs and Border Protection based on a business model likely to gain in popularity as the UAS revolution expands into civilian airspace: “fee for service.”
AeroVironment Gets $13.5m US Army Contract for RQ-11B Raven sUAS and Gimballed Payloads
AeroVironment, Inc. has announced that it has received a $13,487,240 order from the United States Army. The order – the final portion of a contract valued at $59.6 million – includes RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), miniature gimballed payloads and initial spares packages, and is funded from the Army’s fiscal 2012 procurement budget.
Miramar Air Show Flying Displays
This video of highlights from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show 2012 was just posted as a teaser for the next edition this coming October. Continue reading
Sensor Company Adapts Military Products to Civilian Usage
Headwall Photonics in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, specializes in spectral imaging. The sensors it makes can detect — very sharply and from great distance — light wavelength patterns that are imperceptible to the human eye.