May 31, 2006

Honeywell to Develop and Build the Class I UAVS

'Honeywell has been selected to develop and build the Class I Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAVS) for the U.S. Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) program. The contract is valued at approximately $61 million. Honeywell was selected by Boeing and...
Posted by Darren

Iranian drone plane buzzes U.S. aircraft carrier in Persian Gulf

'A pilotless Iranian reconnaissance plane circled for 25 minutes over a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf before returning safely to its base, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday. "Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald...
Posted by Darren

Mexican border General Atomics Predator B UAV crash blamed on operator error

'Operator error caused the 25 April crash of the US Customs and Border Patrol’s first General Atomics Predator B unmanned air vehicle, according to preliminary information from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A failure to follow procedure...
Posted by Darren

Pathfinder explores national route to UAV approval

'Cranfield Aerospace has launched a project to certificate a small unmanned air vehicle by working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to extend its manned aircraft design organisation approval to unmanned aircraft. “We are trying to be the first...
Posted by Darren

UAV X-planes help Boeing with blended wing concept

'Suspended from a yellow frame, the manta-like shape shakes almost imperceptibly as the second X-48B demonstrator undergoes final testing before being shipped to Edwards AFB in California. The ground vibration testing is being conducted by Cranfield Aerospace, which has...
Posted by Darren

May 30, 2006

Pathfinder explores national route to UAV approval

'Cranfield Aerospace has launched a project to certificate a small unmanned air vehicle by working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to extend its manned aircraft design organisation approval to unmanned aircraft. “We are trying to be the first...
Posted by Darren

UAV Planes' tiny brains could save lives in war

'The Israeli military is experimenting with a futuristic Frisbee-size unmanned aerial vehicle called the Mosquito. It is designed to fly into buildings through doors and windows and hover in mid-air, taking pictures with its miniature video camera, then fly...
Posted by Darren

Skylark UAV Breaks World Record in High Altitude Flight

'Elbit Systems Ltd. announced the successful test flight of the Skylark Mini UAV at 15,000 feet altitude. The high altitude flight demonstration was part of a larger evaluation conducted by a potential customer. The Skylark was launched from a...
Posted by Darren

May 29, 2006

MachineTalker's Role in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Highlighted

MachineTalker(R), Inc. (OTCBB:MTKN), developer of smart wireless security networks, today reports that the company's role in flights aboard a NASA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has received recognition from regional media. The Company's outlook for commercialization of defense applications as...
Posted by Darren

I-View 250 UAV to be used in Australia

'The Australian Army will start fielding a fleet of new reconnaissance unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in 2008, after choosing from a short list of three contenders late last year. To the surprise of many, when the Defence Materiel Organisation...
Posted by Darren

May 27, 2006

Official Predator UAV Crash Report

On April 25, 2006, at approximately 0341 mountain standard time, an unregistered Predator B aircraft, collided with the terrain approximately 30 statute miles northwest of Nogales, Arizona. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was registered to the U.S. Customs and...
Posted by Darren

May 26, 2006

Elbit Systems' Skylark UAV breaks world record in high altitude flight

'Launched from a 14,000 feet mountaintop, Skylark autonomously climbed to an altitude exceeding 15,000 feet and landed at a designated Point of Recovery on the mountain Over the past few months, Skylark demonstrated record-breaking performance inextreme temperatures ranging from...
Posted by Darren

May 25, 2006

Spydrones to be trialled in Australia

'THE Australian Defence Force will begin trialling unmanned spyplanes over the nation's northern coastal waters in coming months. The hardware, fitted with eavesdropping communications technology and surveillance radar, can probe as far as North Korea; and it is hoped...
Posted by Darren

Australian UAV trail for North West Shelf region given go-ahead for September

'A Defence trial, using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and an Armidale Class patrol boat, will be conducted across Australia's North West Shelf region in September 2006, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Senator Sandy Macdonald announced today....
Posted by Darren

'UAV Development Will Drive Most Advanced Aerospace Technologies' Says Latest visiongain Report

'In 2000, the world market for UAVs represented only approximately $2.4 billion, but in the next decade, that figure is expected to top $15 billion, according to a new visiongain report. The study, entitled 'The World UAV Market 2006',...
Posted by Darren

More UAVs To China?

'Months after a Japanese company was searched by police and customs agents on suspicions of selling UAV technology to China... now comes word that an Israeli company is also under suspicion. The owners, CEO and several employes of a...
Posted by Darren

Justifying Sharp Global Hawk Price Increase

'Although the cost of the 13 ton Global Hawk continue to rise, the U.S. Air Force can't get enough of them, fast enough. Total program cost, including a lot of research and development, is now pegged at $7.8 billion....
Posted by Darren

May 24, 2006

Army to acquire UAVs by mid-2007

'The first fleet of the indigenously built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle "Nishant" will be delivered to the Army by mid-2007. The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) conducted the UAV's 106th flight trial, which included a successful launch and recovery exercise. '...
Posted by Darren

May 23, 2006

UAV Sales Not Cleared for Take-off

'The Serious International Crimes Unit and the Imports and Duties Authority arrested the CEO and owners of a company suspected of selling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) without security clearance. UAV’s – also known as Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) --...
Posted by Darren

Israel MoD, Police Probe Illicit UAV Transfers to China

'E.M.I.T. Aviation, a small Israeli firm specializing in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is at the center of an inter-agency investigation into illicit attempts to transfer pilotless systems and technological know-how to China via a third party. Executives and owners...
Posted by Darren

May 22, 2006

Exporter arrested for alleged unauthorized UAV sales

'After several weeks of undercover investigation by the police Serious International Crimes Unit and the Imports and Duties Authority, police have detained for further questioning the CEO and owners of a major Israeli factory in the Sharon region for...
Posted by Darren

MachineTalker's Role in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Highlighted; Opportunities for Commercialization of Defense Applications Cited in Press Coverage

MachineTalker(R), Inc. (OTCBB:MTKN), developer of smart wireless security networks, today reports that the company's role in flights aboard a NASA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has received recognition from regional media. The Company's outlook for commercialization of defense applications as...
Posted by Darren

Global Hawk operations reach new high

'Battlefield awareness has reached new levels with Global Hawk production-model aircraft flying in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces theater. Reaching a breakthrough point in April, the Global Hawk team has maximized the aircraft’s sorties, collecting more than 96...
Posted by Darren

Grand Forks to lobby for UAVs

'As the competition for scarce unmanned aerial vehicle programs heats up, the Grand Forks Council on Military Relations has been reactivated to help secure flying drones for Grand Forks Air Force Base. Led by John Marshall, the leading man...
Posted by Darren

New Hohenfels airstrip caters to Shadow UAVs

'Unmanned aerial vehicles will soon have a new place to touch down here with the construction of a 300-yard UAV airstrip inside the training area. The strip, inside “the box” — a 10-by-20-kilometer area where most of the training...
Posted by Darren

ScanEagle UAV Demo's Coast-Watch Capabilities

'The ScanEagle UAV has successfully demonstrated new maritime capabilities for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) while supporting "Trial Vigilant Viper" off the Scotland coast. The trial's goal was to evaluate how a low-cost intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance...
Posted by Darren

Residents excited over UAV prospects

'A proposed UND project to turn the inactive Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard Complex here into a testing and certification center for flying drones has local residents anxiously waiting to find out if it will be restored to its old...
Posted by Darren

Global Hawk Completes Wet Runway Test - a UAV first?

'The Global Vigilance Combined Test Force's 452nd Flight Test Squadron achieved an important milestone by completing wet runway taxi testing on the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle May 3. This was the first ever wet runway testing performed on...
Posted by Darren

Canadian UAV proving useful against Taliban

'The Canadian army’s unmanned spy drone, the Sperwer, may sound like a domestic lawnmower but the noise is enough to pin down the Taliban in Afghanistan. "At night when things are quiet, this is a two-stroke motor so you...
Posted by Darren

Australia sees need for new small UAV fleet

'The Australian Department of Defence has forecast its combined services’ small unmanned air vehicle requirement at an expected fleet size of 88 systems worth about A$30.8 million ($24 million). Although the Australian army and special forces have already introduced...
Posted by Darren

Australian UAV trail for North West Shelf region given go-ahead for September

'A Defence trial, using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and an Armidale Class patrol boat, will be conducted across Australia's North West Shelf region in September 2006, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Senator Sandy Macdonald announced today....
Posted by Darren

Congress May Withhold Some UAV Funding

'In the wake of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crash last month, Congress has taken action on the program's future by tightening at least some of its purse strings. The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a homeland security...
Posted by Darren

Competition tests new air vehicle technology

'On Saturday at the Jordan River modelport, eight teams of mostly graduate students tested radio-controlled ornithopters - insect-like airplanes that, once refined, could be used, say, to detect deadly chemicals, get a bug's eye view of a battlefield, or...
Posted by Darren

May 20, 2006

Unmanned EADS plane could enter service in 2009

'European aerospace group EADS expects to be ready to put its new unmanned aircraft into service for surveillance and reconnaisance roles as early as 2009, EADS's military air systems chief said on Thursday. EADS is aiming for a regular...
Posted by Darren

May 18, 2006

Navy offers huge UAV program that should attract two San Diego firms

'The Navy gave a large audience of defense contractors Wednesday the details on what could be a multi-billion dollar contract for an unmanned air reconnaissance system that is expected to pit two San Diego-based firms against each other. At...
Posted by Darren

May 14, 2006

Iran seeks UAV Technology

'Iran has sought Western technology to enhance its unmanned aerial vehicles. European officials said Iranian agents have been scouring Western Europe for dual-use technology to improve the platforms and payloads of UAVs. The officials said the Iranians, often through...
Posted by Darren

May 10, 2006

US Army Aviation Warfighting Center assumes UAS training mission

'The newly activated Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion (provisional) assumed responsibility for training operators and maintainers of the Army’s unmanned aerial systems last month at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The ceremony marked the transfer of the training mission from the...
Posted by Darren

May 09, 2006

UAV for Greece undergoes test Flight

'An unmanned aerial vehicle ordered by the Hellenic Army has completed a successful test flight. The Sperwer tactical UAV recently conducted a successful test flight by Sagem Defense Security, now part of the Safran Group. The test took place...
Posted by Darren

Miniature Robotic Aircraft Manufacturer Secures Financing from Battery Ventures

'Battery Ventures today announced they have led a $23 million Series C investment in The Insitu Group, Inc., designer and manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Other previous investors participated in this round,...
Posted by Darren

May 08, 2006

Flying robot attack “unstoppable”:

'It may sound like science fiction, but the prospect that suicide bombers and hijackers could be made redundant by flying robots is a real one, according to experts. The technology for remote-controlled light aircraft is now highly advanced, widely...
Posted by Darren

May 06, 2006

Kaman BURRO+ UAV impresses US Army

Kaman Aerospace Corporation reported that on April 28 its new-generation full-scale Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Aerial System (VT-UAS) showed unprecedented mission endurance, completing a 12-hour and 17-minute simulated mission without refueling. Kaman believes this is the first time a full-scale...
Posted by Darren

Special Report: UAVs

'The worth of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been known for decades, with Israel leading the way in both reconnaissance UAVs and combat UAVs (UCAVS). The increased tempo of US combat operations using UAVs, particularly their continued use in...
Posted by Darren

May 05, 2006

Aerial drones being used for civilian applications

'Aerial drones are most commonly associated in Arizona with the military and Border Patrol operations, but some of the unmanned vehicles produced in the state are also being put to civilian uses. Tucson drone-maker Advanced Ceramics Research produces a...
Posted by Darren

May 04, 2006

US Navy Midshipmen to Test Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Designs

'Eighteen Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy will travel to Nevada May 7-11 to compare and test Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designs with their West Point and Air Force Academy counterparts. The Midshipmen are students in the Aerospace Engineering...
Posted by Darren

Global Hawk Demonstrates Applicability as Surveillance Asset to Counter Drug Smuggling Operations

'Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Global Hawk unmanned aerial system has shown its utility as a persistent counter-drug surveillance asset in Congressionally Directed Demonstration flights over the southern U.S., along the Gulf of Mexico and into the Caribbean Sea. Global...
Posted by Darren

Global Microwave Systems makes first UAV High-Def video wireless link demonstration

'The Allied Defense Group, Inc. (Amex: ADG) announces its Global Microwave Systems (GMS) subsidiary has successfully completed the industry's first successful unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight demonstration of a High-Definition (HD) video wireless link. The demonstration was held on...
Posted by Darren

AOPA Responds To Arizona UAV Accident

'Calls On Gov't To Remove TFR While UAVs Are Grounded Stating that an accident Tuesday involving a US Customs and Border Patrol Predator B UAV reinforces their position that UAVs must meet manned aircraft safety standards, the Aircraft Owners...
Posted by Darren

May 03, 2006

Alenia and CIRA to develop UAV technologies

'Finmeccanica’s Alenia Aeronautica and Italian aerospace research centre CIRA have signed a three-year co-operation agreement to develop unmanned air vehicle control systems, mission management software and advanced materials and draw up joint technology development plans.' Read more at Alenia...
Posted by Darren

Terrorists and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

'he bad guys can use drones too. While billions have been spent on ballistic missile defense, little attention has been given to the more imminent threat posed by unmanned air vehicles in the hands of terrorists or rogue states....
Posted by Darren

Aladin UAVs to support Netherlands troops in Afghanistan

'The Dutch defence ministry has purchased five Aladin mini unmanned air vehicle systems from German manufacturer EMT to support its deployed personnel in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. The hand-launched UAV weighs roughly 3kg (6.6lb), has a 1.5m (4.9ft) wingspan, a...
Posted by Darren

Malaysian UAV

'A newly established joint venture company plans to demonstrate a new mini unmanned air vehicle to the Malaysian army in July. Three Malaysian companies – Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM), Ikramatic and Systems Consultancy Services (SCS) – are jointly...
Posted by Darren