Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Unmanned aircraft take on new uses

'Over about 10 years, unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, have been employed by the military to perform dangerous duties. But other uses -- including homeland security and scientific experiments -- are being explored, along with ways to integrate the...

Unmanned planes to monitor traffic

'Drivers tempted to ignore a no-entry sign or cross a continuous white line in order to overtake another vehicle when the police don't seem to be around may need to be more cautious in the future. This is because...

MSU lab developing new UAV concept

'The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State is developing an ultra-light, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle designed to improve U.S. surveillance and communication capabilities for battlefield and border-patrol operations, the university says. Ground tests and initial manned flight-testing of...

New stealth fighters relevant despite rise of UAVs

'New warplanes like the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will continue to play a crucial role in combat despite the emergence of unmanned drones, US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin said Tuesday. The F-35 will undergo its first flight test...

Global Hawk UAV returns home after 3-year deployment

During its overseas deployment, UAV-3 logged more than 4,800 flight hours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force—Horn of Africa. On hand at the homecoming event, were Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, commander, Air Force...

US Army tests Unmanned Stryker Convoy

Engineers conducting show-and-tell with a 20-ton robot on the last day of two weeks of trials on Fort Gordon were cautiously optimistic. Karl Murphy, a software engineer from Robotic Research, said there was a new principle of “Murphy’s Law”...

FanTail UAV 5000 prototype flight set for March

'Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) is expecting to fly a prototype of its FanTail 5000 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time in March. A mock-up of the UAV made its first show...

UAV Crashes at Balata Refugee Camp Seige

'This is a second real time report from the siege at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus on the West Bank (aka Occupied Palestine) where the IDF has located two major leaders of Al Aqsa in the last hours......

Unmanned aircraft generating considerable buzz

'The Pentagon’s push to build up its inventory of unmanned aircraft is fanning a robust emerging market for the defense industry, and Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter say they plan to be in thick of the action. In a...

Will unmanned aerial vehicles run out of air?

'Unmanned aerial vehicles are vital to the Defense Department’s net-centric operations, according to the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, but the bandwidth essential to supporting them is disappearing. John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, said DOD’s plans for greater use are...

Global Hawk drones fly home from Iraq

'A prototype unmanned surveillance aircraft on duty for four years in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is returning to a California air base next week. The Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle tail number 3 has flown 4,245 hours...

US Army exec rewards finder of spy plane

'US military officials gave P50,000 to a Sulu farmer in exchange for the return of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed in Indanan town on Feb. 10. Jolo councilor Temojen Tulawie said the money was handed to the...

UAVs to take to German skies as military intelligence unit trains for Iraq

'A military intelligence unit will try Sunday to make the first U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle flight over this training area. Company C, 101st Military Intelligence Battalion is at the Vilseck Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) attempting to fly...

Sagem Wins UAV Study Contract from EDA

'The European Defense Agency (EDA) on Feb. 16 awarded a 750,000 euro ($891,000) contract to a consortium led by Sagem to conduct a study on sense-and-avoid technologies that would allow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to fly in civil airspace,...

Crashed US spy drone held by Sulu villagers for ransom?

'MUSLIM villagers are holding for ransom a crashed unmanned US drone used in military exercises against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippine island of Jolo. The remote-controlled spy plane crashed February 10, in the mountain enclave...

Home Made UAV Video

Check out this great video of a home made UAV with four rotars and an onboard camera. Very cool....

Northrop Grumman Increases Endurance of MQ-5B Hunter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) concluded a series of flights Jan. 5 that demonstrated the weapons-capable MQ-5B Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV) ability to fly more than 21 hours, which is almost a ten-hour increase over the original RQ-5A Hunter...

IAI to Exhibit Ground-breaking Military Systems at Aerospace Expo

'Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) plans to bring its showcase aircraft to the Asian Aerospace Expo in Singapore next Tuesday, according to company officials. The company made its final preparations this week for the show, one of the most important...

MSU research lab developing new style UAV for broad uses

'The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State is developing an ultra-light, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle designed to improve U.S. surveillance and communication capabilities for battlefield and border-patrol operations, the university says. Ground tests and initial manned flight-testing of...

Predator UAV Attack Did Get Al Qaeda Brass

'DNA analysis of the bodies recovered from the attack on an al Qaeda meeting in Pakistan last month, have confirmed that the main target, al Qaeda number two leader Ayman al Zawahiri, was not there. In the immediate aftermath...

Prototype Global Hawk flies home after 4,000 combat hours

'A high-flying prototype “Airman” is heading home after being deployed more than four years and flying 4,245 hours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa. Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3 began...

EDO to upgrade Predator weapon release

'General Atomics has awarded a design and development contract for a new weapons carriage-and-release system for the MQ-9 Predator drone. The MQ-9 is the "hunter-killer" version of the Predator and has become a lethal part of the arsenal used...

DARPA Wants Space, UAV, Urban War Ideas

'Concepts for innovative new military technologies spanning space, unmanned vehicles, force protection, and urban warfare are due at the Pentagon next week. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is planning to make a series of small awards -- ranging...

Rivals eye navy deal

'Royal Australian Navy interest in a patrol boat-launched and recovered short-range unmanned air vehicle to support maritime and fisheries patrol duties has spurred interest from manufacturers including Aerosonde/Lockheed Martin, Aerovironment and Schiebel. The service is actively studying options to...

Global Hawk UAV Achieves Military Airworthiness Certification

Northrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4A Global Hawk reconnaissance system is the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to achieve a military airworthiness certification. This certification, along with the Certificate of Authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, recognizes Global Hawk's ability to routinely...

UAV Returned in Iraq

'Civic officials in the Sadr City district of Baghdad returned an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to Multinational Division Baghdad today, officials said. Maj. Gen. Jawad, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, received the aircraft from city...

U.S. USES SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IN KUWAIT

'The U.S. Air Force has deployed a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle to ensure security for convoys and bases. The system has been used in missions by the 379th Security Forces Squadron to supply U.S. troops in Iraq. Central Command...

German KZO UAV Goes to War

'Germany is the latest country to send it's UAVs off to war. Ten KZO UAVs are being sent to Afghanistan with the next contingent of German troops. KZO development began, in 1989, as a joint venture between French and...

DARPA wants space, UAV, urban war ideas

'Concepts for innovative new military technologies spanning space, unmanned vehicles, force protection, and urban warfare are due at the Pentagon next week. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is planning to make a series of small awards -- ranging...

U.S. wants missing UAV returned

'A U.S. military official on Thursday said an unmanned aerial vehicle flown by American troops to help Filipino soldiers fight militants has gone missing and appealed to the public for its return. The drone disappeared in November and U.S....

India tests advanced UAV

'India on Wednesday tested an advanced version of the home-grown pilot-less plane Lakshya from a defence base in Orissa, officials said here. The unmanned aerial vehicle was test flown at 11.48am from the integrated test range at Chandipur in...

North Dakota officials want role in unmanned vehicle future

'North Dakota officials want the state to be a player in the commercial development of unmanned vehicles. Gov. John Hoeven was among the participants at a workshop Tuesday in Grand Forks to discuss an unmanned aerial vehicle mission at...

UAV Returned in Iraq; Afghan IED Suspect Captured

Civic officials in the Sadr City district of Baghdad returned an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to Multinational Division Baghdad today, officials said. Maj. Gen. Jawad, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, received the aircraft from city...

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Promise and potential

'If it's a dull dirty or dangerous task, unmanned aerial systems can replace piloted aircraft, said an industry expert Tuesday in a UAS workshop held in the Alerus Center. Local and state leaders invited Laurence Newcome, director of unmanned...

Budget Boosts Special Ops, UAVs

'The Bush administration has sent Congress a $439.3 billion defense budget for fiscal year 2007 that makes large investments in defense language programs, special operations forces and unmanned air vehicles, which the White House believes are key to waging...

Israel chooses American UAV over 'Lakshya'

'Israel is backtracking on its commitment made to India over “reciprocal procurement” of defence-related items, wavering over the purchase of Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA), 'Lakshya', and Advanced Light Helicopter , 'Dhruv'. “The Indian UAV (Lakshya) was one of the...

FAA temporarily reduces size of border UAV TFR

'The FAA has temporarily reduced the size of the temporary flight restriction (TFR) along the U.S.-Mexico border. That TFR is in place to protect civilian aircraft from being run over by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) patrolling the border. AOPA...

India tests upgraded UAV

'India has successfully test-flown an upgraded version of its Lakshya unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV. Scientists from the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization, who developed the Lakshya, launched it Feb. 6 at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur...

Pentagon eyes new long-range strike weapon in terror war

'The Pentagon is speeding up the development of new weapons designed to knock out targets anywhere in the world in short order. The Defense Department said on Friday it wants to develop a new “land-based, penetrating strike capability” for...

Army Guard UAV unit opens at Pax

'A Maryland Army National Guard detachment operating the Shadow 200 tactical unmanned aerial vehicle will officially open for business here Feb. 5, with a 2 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new armory located next to Gate 3. The event...

V22 Spawns a Smaller UAV

'A UAV based on the tilt rotor V22 has made its first flight. Called the Eagle Eye, this UAV is designed for use from ships. The first customer is the U.S. Coast Guard, which is buying 69 of them,...

Air Force takes delivery of Global Hawks

'The first of two production Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles was delivered to the Air Force Jan. 10 and immediately started flying missions in support of the global war on terrorism. The UAVs, which are managed by Aeronautical Systems...

Officers try out eye in the sky

'The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Friday unveiled what could become its latest weapon for fighting crime -- a high-tech model plane equipped with a video camera -- and said a SWAT team will begin testing the new...

V22 Spawns a Smaller UAV

'A UAV based on the tilt rotor V22 has made its first flight. Called the Eagle Eye, this UAV is designed for use from ships. The first customer is the U.S. Coast Guard, which is buying 69 of them,...

Northrop Grumman gets $23M contract for 60 BQM-74E Aerial Targets

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp is being awarded a $23,375,521 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0040) to exercise an option for the procurement of 60 BQM-74E Aerial Targets, 60 Radar Altimeters, 15 Low Radar Cross Section Nose Cones,...

Air Force Orders Global Hawk Ground Gear

'The Air Force has awarded Raytheon a follow-on contract for ground-support equipment for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial surveillance system. Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk has performing yeoman service for the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing battlefield intelligence...

Philippines intends to acquire unmanned planes for maritime reconnaissance

'Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo authorized the joint procurement or lease of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by different civilian and armed agencies to ensure national security, officials said on Tuesday. The procurement initiative was included into the government's program to...