The Pentagon has a big command-and-control problem. Not insubordination among the troops. It’s that unmanned systems for land, air and sea—for which the military spent $6 billion-plus last year—can’t “talk” to one another.
Bluesky Launches UAS Aerial Survey Service in UK
UK aerial survey company Bluesky has launched a fast response aerial survey service using state of the art unmanned aircraft.
ScanEagle Exceeds 600,000 Combat Flight Hours
Insitu announced that its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system has exceeded 600,000 combat flight hours, maintaining a 99 percent mission-readiness rate. Continue reading
Singapore Armed Forces Replaces Searcher with Heron-1
The Singapore Armed Forces is replacing the existing Searcher UAS which have been in use since 1994, with the new and improved Heron-1.
Airbag Fault Grounds Skylark
Israel’s ground forces have temporarily grounded their Elbit Systems Skylark 1 (“Sky Rider”) unmanned aircraft after a series of mid-air inflations involving the type’s airbag landing system.
European Commission UAS Panel Final Report to be Presented at RPAS 2012
On the first day of UVS International’s RPAS 2012 Conference in Paris on June 5 – 7, Matthew Baldwin, European Commission, DG Mobility & transport (MOVE), Europe will present the Final Report from the European Commission on the UAS Panel. Continue reading
AeroVironment Gets $5M US Army Order for Switchblade Systems and Services
AeroVironment, Inc. announced that it has received a contract modification effective March 20, 2012 from the U.S. Army Close Combat Weapons Systems (CCWS), Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS).
Texas Company Adapts to New FAA Rules
Gene Robinson runs his company, RP Flight Systems, out of Wimberley. They’ve given emergency manage crews across the nation an eye in the sky, assisting in everything from fires to missing person searches. Continue reading