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UAV
AeroVironment receives funding for perch-and-stare micro-UAV
10:46 August 20, 2008 PDT
AeroVironment has been awarded $4.6 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new generation small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) with "perch-and-stare" surveillance capabilities. The micro-air vehicle will be based on the company's smallest existing UAS platform - Wasp. Read More
Short-Wave Infrared capability for the ScanEagle UAV
By Mike Hanlon
00:18 August 7, 2008 PDT
August 8, 2008 The ScanEagle is a low-cost, long-endurance autonomous unmanned aircraft that has been one of the most significant new battlefield technologies to emerge during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, performing more than 100,000 combat hours in both theatres and delivering invaluable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) on a daily basis. The only trouble is that conventional electro-optical and long-wave infrared cameras are severely limited in fog or rain. Now they’ve managed to miniaturize a short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera to fit inside the diminutive ScanEagle, enabling clear vision in any circumstance. Read More
Reaper UAV deployed in Iraq
By Kyle Sherer
10:12 August 6, 2008 PDT
The MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer UAV with long loitering capability, has completed its first operational mission in Iraq. The craft has been used in Afghanistan since 2007, clocking 3,800 hours and attacking 16 targets with 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles. Read More
The plasma-powered flying saucer
By Kyle Sherer
03:00 July 9, 2008 PDT
University of Florida mechanical and aerospace engineering associate professor Subrata Roy has submitted a patent for a circular, spinning craft that can hover and take off vertically. The wingless electromagnetic air vehicle, or WEAV, is just six inches across, but has the potential to be scaled up to a much larger size. The WEAV is covered with electrodes that ionise the surrounding air into plasma, which functions as the conducting fluid. Passing a current through the plasma creates lift and momentum. Read More
GULL 36 Seaplane UAV begins English Channel flights
By Kyle Sherer
18:03 June 11, 2008 PDT
UK based marine aircraft developer Warrior (Aero-Marine) has commenced flying its GULL 36 amphibious UAV over the English Channel. Demonstrating the company's wave-piercing stepless hull, the 4-meter wide craft is designed to cleave through choppy water, handle large waves and overcome strong winds and high tow. Read More
AeroVironment to continue Nano Air Vehicle development
21:42 May 28, 2008 PDT
May 29, 2008 Unmanned aerial vehicles represent one emerging technology that has delivered as promised over the last decade, achieving critical relevance in battlefields situations where they can perform both reconnaissance and combat roles without putting humans in the the line of fire. In addition to the rapid growth and development that has occurred in relation to larger, weapons capable craft, smaller systems have also proved their worth, and the latest announcement from AeroVironment (AV) is further evidence that this sector will continue to flourish. The company which has already established unmanned micro air vehicle (MAV) programs - including the Raven and Wasp III - has now received funding to continue development of an even smaller scale platform dubbed the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV). Read More
Hummingbird achieves 18 hour flight milestone
By Emily Clark
00:04 May 23, 2008 PDT
Gizmag first reported on Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird Unmanned Rotorcraft back in 2005 and again in 2007 when the craft made its first flight. Now the craft has come very close to achieving the original 20 hour flight times envisioned (and unofficially broken a world record for unmanned aerial vehicles along the way) by remaining in the air for 18.7 hours. Read More
Odysseus: Aurora's radical, unlimited endurance, solar powered aircraft
21:04 May 1, 2008 PDT
May 2, 2008 Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed the design of the aircraft it hopes will achieve the ambitious goals set out in DARPA's ambitious Vulture program: sustained uninterrupted flight for over five years at altitudes of 60,000-90,000 feet. Known as Odysseus, the solar-powered concept aircraft is as radical as the mission it is designed to accomplish, combining three self-sufficient “constituent aircraft” in a unique Z wing configuration that spans almost 500 feet (150 meters). The modular design provides several advantages - the shape of the aircraft can be adjusted to maximize the solar collection properties during the day and spread flat for aerodynamic efficiency at night-time, and because each of the constituent vehicles is capable of autonomously docking at altitude, the design also facilitates the replacement of one section of the plane whilst it is still aloft. Read More
DARPA advances plans for five year non-stop flying machine
19:07 April 21, 2008 PDT
April 22, 2008 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin as the contractors for the first phase of its Vulture program - a project which aims to design and develop a new breed of solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can remain airborne without interruption for an incredible five years. Read More
Next-generation Sky Warrior unmanned aircraft takes flight
19:48 April 17, 2008 PDT
April 18, 2008 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GAASI) has announced the successful flight of the first Sky Warrior® Block 1 aircraft for the U.S. Army’s Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program. Derived from the Predator UAV which has been deployed in Iraq, but with double the weapons capacity, the Sky Warrior is a multi-mission aircraft designed to perform long-endurance, surveillance, communications relay and tactical strike missions. It offers increased range, greater payload flexibility (including the ability to carry four Hellfire missiles) and can remain airborne for 30 hours at a time at altitudes above 25,000 feet. Read More
Global Hawk UAV achieves record 33-hour flight
23:27 March 27, 2008 PDT
March 28, 2008 Northrop Grumman Corporation's RQ-4 Global Hawk has successfully completed a flight lasting 33.1 hours at altitudes up to 60,000. While the milestone does not match the 54 hour flight achieved by QinetiQ’s Zephyr in 2007, it is a record for a full-scale, operational unmanned aircraft - and there was still fuel left in the tank. Read More
ScanEagle UAV gets Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
By Mike Hanlon
20:21 March 18, 2008 PDT
March 18, 2008 The ScanEagle UAV has proven a revelation in Iraq and Afghanistan, offering another key informational input on the battlefield to help soldiers under fire make better decisions. The bad news for enemies of the United States is that the miniature UAV can now carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) which can pick out man made objects not readily visible to IR or EO cameras. Read More
Green light for Northrop Grumman Airborne Laser Mine Detection System
23:13 March 11, 2008 PDT
March 12, 2008 A Northrop Grumman system designed to protect ships by using lasers to detect mines in the ocean has been given the go-ahead by the U.S. Navy for low-rate initial production. The US$25 million will see three Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) produced with expectations that 25 units will be manufactured over the next five years. Read More
Boeing demonstrates biological detection UAV
16:35 March 10, 2008 PDT
March 11, 2008 Increasingly sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are already playing a key role in reconnaissance and combat missions around the globe by offering a versatile platform which removes the human operator from the line-of-fire. Now the effectiveness of these systems has been demonstrated in one of the most sinister scenarios of modern warfare - biological threat. Boeing, in conjunction with the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has successfully shown that a modified version of its ScanEagle UAV can intercept, detect and fly through simulated biological plumes or clouds to collect airborne agents in a series of land and sea tests conducted between November 2007 to the end of January 2008. Read More
AeroVironment's hybrid fuel cell UAV sets flight record
17:25 March 6, 2008 PST
March 7, 2008 AeroVironment (AV) has achieved a new long-duration flight record with its hand-launched Puma small unmanned air vehicle (SUAV). The fuel cell hybrid-powered Puma flew for over nine-hours eclipsing the previous record of seven hours set by the same craft in July 2007. Read More
Imitating nature in flight: University of Michigan research explores flap-wing micro UAVs
By Kyle Sherer
17:51 February 19, 2008 PST
February 20, 2008 The University of Michigan is designing a new generation of flapping-wing UAVs with wingspans smaller than a deck of cards, based on the efficient and adaptive movements of birds, bats and insects. Read More
BATMAV System with AeroVironment's Wasp III Micro Air Vehicle achieves full rate production
21:31 January 8, 2008 PST
January 9, 2008 The United States Air Force BATMAV (Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle) program with AeroVironment's Wasp III Micro Air Vehicle has received approval for Full Rate Production. The Wasp is a portable, 16 inche (38 cm) long, rugged unmanned aerial platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance. Read More
QinetiQ awarded contract for Watchkeeper UAV evaluation
By Kyle Sherer
18:03 December 11, 2007 PST
December 12, 2007 QinetiQ has been awarded a five million pound contract by the UK Ministry of Defense to conduct a series of airborne tests and evaluations for the 800 million pound Watchkeeper UAV programme. The tests will be held over the next 18 months at ParcAberporth and the adjoining MOD Aberporth air range, and pre-flight activity environmental and electromagnetic compatibility testing will be held at QinetiQ operated facilities at MOD Boscombe Down. Read More
Autonomous aerial refueling of UAVs demonstrated
21:01 December 4, 2007 PST
December 5, 2007 Recent flight tests by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Boeing have demonstrated that unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are capable of autonomous rendezvous with a tanker aircraft for refueling. Given their limited in size and payload capacity compared to larger manned aircraft, the development promises to significantly increase the the flight-times and range of of UAVs. Read More
Micro-UAV distance record smashed
16:35 November 3, 2007 PDT
November 4, 2007 A hydrogen fuel-cell powered Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has set a new distance record for craft of its type while only using a quarter of its available fuel. The “Pterosoar” flew 78 miles (120 km) - beating the previous record of 50 miles set in Estonia last year – consuming only 16 of the 64 grams grams of Hydrogen stored on board in a pressurized hydrogen tank, giving the aircraft a potential flight range of 310 miles (500 km). Read More
Boeing tests hydrogen propulsion system for high-altitude UAV
22:39 October 29, 2007 PDT
October 30, 2007 The Boeing Company has achieved a milestone in the development of its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft by successfully testing a hydrogen propulsion system in simulated conditions of 65,000 feet. The test, conducted over more than three days using a Ford Motor Company-developed hydrogen engine (a gasoline version of which can be found in the Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrid) is a further step towards the realization of a UAV designed to remain airborne for more than seven days and carry multi-sensor payloads of up to 2,000 pounds. Read More
Solar-powered Zephyr smashes record for the longest unmanned flight
By Loz Blain
05:10 September 11, 2007 PDT
September 11, 2007 Using new solar array technology and a tailor-built autopilot system, QinetiQ’s Zephyr High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has nearly doubled the official world record time for the longest duration unmanned flight with a 54 hour flight achieved during trials at the US Military's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Read More
Unmanned Vehicle “Swarming”
By Mike Hanlon
23:32 August 31, 2007 PDT
September 1, 2007 The dynamics of the battlefield have changed many times over the centuries as new "killer" technologies have emerged, and another change is about to occur thanks to the evolving role of unmanned systems. As on-board sensor data processing technologies have improved dramatically, the vehicles can function as fully robotic systems, capable of making their own decisions. With these technologies, unmanned systems can act as part of a distributed, intelligent network on the battlefield, processing, sharing and communicating critical data. As a key component of joint, network-centric operations, intelligent vehicles can perform the data processing and communications normally handled by personnel in the field or at a centralized location. Read More
Reaper UAV to be deployed for combat
16:39 August 30, 2007 PDT
August 31, 2007 The US Airforce has announced the deployment of a new squadron of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Capable of carrying a payload of 3,750 pounds, the jet-fighter sized MQ-9 Reaper can fly at 300mph, reach 50,000 feet and stay airborne for 14 hours at a time. The "hunter-killer" UAV also incorporates Infrared, laser and radar targeting and is capable of deploying precision guided weapons. Read More
Northrop Grumman adds “Sense-and-Avoid” tech to Navy UAVs
19:39 August 9, 2007 PDT
August 10, 2007 Northrop Grumman has announced that it will equip its unmanned aircraft with technology that makes it safer to share airspace with piloted aircraft. Known as “Sense-and-Avoid”, these systems have been in development for more than five years. Read More
gadgetmind
- November 9, 2009 @ 09:47 UTC
