The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office has a requirement for a Surrogate UAS in order to support the Joint UAS Center of Excellence as it seeks to meet all the USJFCOM requirements for its joint training related responsibilities.
Abu Dhabi’s May UAS Rodeo to Encourage Aerospace Engineering Students
As part of Abu Dhabi’s drive to become centre of excellence for the aerospace industry, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) along with the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis, Northrop Grumman and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments are organising a UAS ‘Rodeo’ competition to design and operate UAS.
Another UAS Down in Afghanistan – Says Tehran
The web-site of Press TV, Iran’s television network, ran this story last week: Ruhollah Samon, a Paktia provincial government spokesman in eastern Afghanistan, confirmed that the US surveillance UAS had crashed in the Zurmat district. According to the report, wreckage of the drone has not been found and the Afghan police have sent investigation teams to the area to search for it.
FAA Reauthorization Bill Passes Through the US House of Representatives
Last Friday, the US House of Representatives passed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 by a vote of 223 to 196. The bill includes important passages about integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System (civil airspace).
FAA Reauthorization Bill – Comment
Doug Davis is currently Director, Global UAS Strategic Initiatives at New Mexico State University, after spending almost 25 years with the FAA. He is widely known and respected for his pioneering work in developing the vision for how UAS will operate in the National Airspace System. We asked Doug for his appraisal of the current legislative and budgetary situations facing the FAA and the progress that it is being made. Doug told us:
Global Observer Inflight Mishap on Ninth Test Flight
AeroVironment, Inc. announced that the Global Observer undergoing flight test envelope expansion at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California experienced a mishap at 2:30 am Pacific Daylight Time last Friday, approximately 18 hours into its ninth test flight. There are no reports of injury or damage to other property.
Inside the Quadrotor Thunderdome
Filmed at Zurich’s Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control inside the Flying Machine Arena, two Quadrotors demonstrate their extreme manoeuvrability by playing ball with a human, then with each other…
Bristol University Researches Autonomous in-Flight Refuelling
The University of Bristol will open a relative motion robotics centre of excellence to research and develop an autonomous engagement solution for in-flight refuelling. Cobham Mission Equipment has commissioned the centre, as part of the ASTRAEA Autonomy and Decision Making project. The South West RDA is providing significant support to this aspect of the programme.