An inexperienced pilot’s errors exacerbated by an overbearing supervisor caused a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 to crash into the sea in the Middle East last September, a new accident investigation board report has found. Continue reading
Quantum-Systems Inc. Gets Contracts Worth $61M from Australia
The Quantum Systems US subsidiary Quantum-Systems Inc., a supplier of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aerial intelligence solutions, announced it was awarded two contracts under DEF129-SUAS, formerly known as Land 129 Phase 4B, totaling $61M (AUD $90 millio). Continue reading
Czech Republic and Ukraine Launch Production of ‘Leleka-LR’ and ‘Bulava’ Drones
UAC, a Czech-Ukrainian company, has launched serial production of reconnaissance drones Leleka-LR and Bulava for Ukrainian soldiers in Kolín, Czech Republic. Continue reading
Lockheed Martin to Develop Artificial Intelligence Tools for DARPA
. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $4.6 million contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for dynamic, airborne missions as part of its Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements (AIR) program. Continue reading
Lebanese Man Arrested in Germany, Accused of Supplying Drone Parts to Hezbollah
German prosecutors announced on Monday the arrest of a Lebanese man suspected of being affiliated with the Hezbollah militant group. He is accused of sourcing drone components intended for export and use in attacks against Israel. Continue reading
Quantum Systems Deploys ‘Receptor AI’ in Ukraine
The Munich-based manufacturer of dual-use reconnaissance drones that use multi-sensor technology to collect data for government agencies and commercial users, Quantum Systems, confirms for the first time the deployment of a previously unreleased AI sensor upgrade of the type “Receptor AI” in Ukraine. Continue reading
Crash-Perching on Vertical Poles with a Hugging-Wing Robot
Perching with winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has often been solved by means of complex control or intricate appendages. Mohammad Askari, Michele Benciolini, Hoang-Vu Phan, William Stewart & Dario Floreano, researchers at the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, present a method that relies on passive wing morphing for crash-landing on trees and other types of vertical poles: Continue reading
US Army Seeks Counter UAS High-Energy Laser Solutions
The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office is seeking to develop a high-energy laser that can defeat groups 1 through 3 unmanned systems. Continue reading