A leading Chinese aerospace firm has filed a patent for a faster and more stable way to launch military drones that it says could help bring them into line with systems used by armed forces elsewhere. Continue reading
Downed Bayraktar TB2 of Snake Island Battle Found in Romania
An unmanned aerial vehicle model Bayraktar TB2 with the insignia of the Ukrainian army was pulled out of the territorial waters between Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania, two miles from the coast. It happened in mid-May, and Romanian authorities believe the drone took part in the battle over Snake Island on May 7th and 8th. Continue reading
Draganfly Announces New Long Range LiDAR System
Draganfly Inc. has announced the launch of its new North American-made Long Range Light Detection and Ranging (“LiDAR”) system. Continue reading
Northrop Grumman Reveals Jackal ‘Sprint’ Loitering System Concept
A not-to-scale model of the Jackal concept (foreground) was unveiled at the 2022 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida, 16–19 May. In the background is the Switchblade 600L tactical weapon system, which is being used as a testbed bus for initial Jackal developments. (Northrop Grumman) Continue reading
Alpha’s Unmanned Helicopters Rely On UAV Navigation’s GNSS-Denied Navigation Capability
The majority of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to maintain a stable position and/or to navigate between waypoints. Added to this weakness, any small drone system that relies exclusively on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors to estimate aircraft attitude and which does not fuse data from other types of sensor may be vulnerable to GNSS jamming attacks. Continue reading
GA-ASI Honours USAF’s 89th ATKS as RPA Squadron of the Year
The U.S. Air Force’s 89th Attack Squadron (ATKS) was recognized as the MQ-9 Squadron of the Year at an event hosted by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) on May 20, 2022, in Rapid City, S.D. The award is given annually to the ATKS that distinguishes itself through its deployment of MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in meritorious service. Continue reading
Aeronautics Unveils Trojan – Unmanned Hover Plane
At Eurosatory 2022, Aeronautics Group has launched the Trojan – a one-of-a-kind system, which bridges the gap between the need to hover and the need to reach long ranges The new Unmanned Hover Plane (UHP) category is a game-changer, due to its ability to perform aerial missions with pinpoint precision. Continue reading
Non-Tilting Cyclorotor Drone Provides Unmatched Stability
Most drones need to tilt to move and correct against gusts of wind. Pitch Aero’s Astria, however, can keep itself preternaturally level and stable, thanks to a novel use of cyclorotors that opens up a range of use cases other drones can’t handle. Continue reading