Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Flying drone photographs Zaca Fire

'An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a camera flew over the massive Zaca Fire on Thursday, providing a tool to peer through smoke and pinpoint hot spots while delivering real-time data, officials said. The UAV based at Edwards Air...

Navy plans to deploy unmanned aircraft on frigates; orders study

"The Canadian navy could soon be looking for a few good drones. National Defence plans to conduct a study next year on how the country's frigates can safely launch and recover unmanned aerial vehicles - UAVs - at sea,...

Predator soars to record numbers of sorties

"When terrorists tried shooting mortar rounds at Balad Air Base in July, they didn't count on the tireless, unblinking eye of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle overhead, transmitting their every move to Airmen on the ground here. Airmen...

Army Eyes Helicopter Drone for Iraq

"The Army is considering sending a revolutionary new kind of unmanned aerial vehicle to Iraq that can hover at 20,000 feet over the battlefield for more than eight hours, transmitting infrared and optical imagery to commanders on the ground....

MQ-1 Predator On Duty

"When terrorists tried shooting mortar rounds at Balad Air Base in July, they didn't count on the tireless, unblinking eye of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle overhead, transmitting their every move to Airmen on the ground here. Airmen...

RQ-4B Global Hawk: Mother of all UAVs?

"This UAV can file its own flight plans and fly in commercial avaiation space. US Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs recently flew their thousandth sortie. In the last six years, RQ4s have flown more than 15,000 hours, 70...

UAVs come of age

"Low entry costs have led to rapid growth in numbers of unmanned air vehicles in development or available to buy – for military and civil use. Here is our guide to 100 leading programmes on the market. The four...

Industry has big hopes for Fire Scout UAV

"The “flexibility” of the Northrop Grumman-built Fire Scout unmanned helicopter could see its mission sets expanded in the future from surface warfare, antisubmarine warfare and mine warfare to include special operations, humanitarian relief and other missions, an industry official...

Warrior prepares to fly new Gull 36 unmanned seaplane

"Warrior (Aero-Marine) says it is negotiating a purchase order from the UK Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation & Assessment (ASTRAEA) consortium for a Gull 36 amphibian unmanned air vehicle. The aircraft will be used to support demonstrations of...

Police agencies push for drone sky patrols

"Police and public safety agencies across the country are beginning to plot a future in which they can freely launch aerial drones that beam down footage of the scenes below. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted more than 100...

Russian drones: the leaders are coming back

"Russian companies are resuming R&Ds on drones (unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)), the sphere where Russia used to be a leader. Many countries are doing their utmost to advance in the UAV technologies, which are predicted to bring billions of...

Army hoping to keep UAVs from Air Force

"A fight between the U.S. Air Force and Army over unmanned aircraft, many managed by the Army in Huntsville, could endanger soldiers in combat, members of Congress and aerospace experts say. Air Force officials have been pressuring Congress for...

Predator crashes while landing at Balad

"An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed at the end of a runway at Balad Air Base, Iraq, while landing at about 11 p.m. Monday. No injuries or building damage resulted. The crash does not appear to be from...

Defense Forces to use Israeli robot spy planes

"TWO Israeli-made robot spy planes are to be used by the Defence Forces for surveillance missions after the country won a tender competition to supply the hi-tech aircraft. In a move that could prove politically controversial, Ireland has selected...