Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
IG Faults FAA Oversight of Commercial Drone Exemptions
The FAA did not verify that recipients of 5,500 commercial exemptions understood the terms, says Department of Transportation inspector general.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FLIR Acquires Maker of 'Black Hornet' Mini Surveillance Drone
The sensor manufacturer plans to improve the range, performance and cost of the pocket-sized surveillance system the British military uses.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Darpa, Northrop Grumman Advance 'Tern' Naval Drone
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recently instructed Northrop Grumman to build a second test vehicle.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
General Atomics Completes First Flight of 'Certifiable' Predator B
The manufacturer plans to begin delivering the MQ-9 Reaper variant to the UK Royal Air Force in late 2018.
Maintenance and Modifications
AEA Highlights Need for UAS Maintenance, Inspections
Study finds that equipment problems accounted for 65 percent of accidents and incidents.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
AIN Blog: The Story Behind Part 107, the Small UAS Rule
There were multiple attempts to draft the small UAS regulation dating to around 2003.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
European Parliament Clears Way For Drone Ops Rules In 2017
The Parliament's transport committee agreed on amendments that would introduce European Union-wide requirements for drones.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Chip-maker Expands Intel-powered Drone Technology
Intel's UAV group is working on a variety of drone technology projects, from aircraft inspection to massive drone formation aerial light shows.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Drone World Expo Highlights Commercial UAV Operations
The second annual Drone World Expo opened in San Jose, Calif., November 15 and ends on November 16.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
AeroVironment Launches Quantix Commercial Drone System
The Quantix drone system combines hardware, software and analytics in a single platform.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
'Angel One' Predator C Avenger Made Available for Aid Missions
General Atomics said the jet-powered Predator C can drop humanitarian aid rations from its internal payload bay.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
General Atomics Predator C Avenger ER Makes First Flight
The extended-wing variant of the jet-powered Avenger increases endurance to 20 hours, the manufacturer says.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Insitu Drone Headed for Smithsonian Museum
N202SE is the first unmanned aircraft to perform an FAA-approved commercial beyond visual line of sight flight in the National Airspace System.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Services Outline Future Plans for Unmanned Aircraft
The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force each have plans to acquire new unmanned aircraft systems in the future.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Wyvern Inks Exact Drone Op Audit Deals
Company will provide its drone safety audits for Cinematic Aerospace and Acend insurance clients.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Torqued: Drone Rules Could Stifle Student Interest
Aviation employers should be concerned.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Corporate Aviation Ponders the Drone Tidal Wave
Flight departments are sources of expertise that will be needed to help companies launch drone operations.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Aurora Demonstrates Automation Aboard Caravan
The Alias system is designed to reduce cockpit workload by conducting the functions of a second pilot.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Company Wins Contract from U.S. Customer for Tethered Drone
Drone Aviation Corp. said a Department of Defense customer has ordered its WATT multi-rotor tethered drone.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
French Drone Service Provider Acquires Trimble Business
Trimble is divesting its Gatewing engineering and manufacturing business in Belgium to focus on aerial data collection software over platforms.
Aircraft
L-3 Wescam Unveils Latest Turret
The turret is intended for use on small manned and unmanned platforms.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Lockheed Martin Deploys 'Vector Hawk' from Undersea Drone
The Marlin MK2 autonomous underwater vehicle launced the collapsible fixed-wing Vector Hawk during a U.S. Navy technology exercise.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S., Other Nations Sign Declaration on Armed Drone Exports
Major drone producers Israel, Russia, China and India are not among 45 signatories to the joint declaration on the export of weaponized UAVs.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Euro-MALE Unmanned System Study Is Finally Launched
Four nations are sharing the cost of a two-year exercise, that may eventually lead to an operational system in 2025
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Textron Systems Touts Hybrid 'Aerosonde HQ' Small Drone
The Aerosonde HQ adds four rotors to what is an otherwise catapult-launched small unmanned aircraft system.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Navy Orders First Three Production MQ-4C Tritons
The service plans to deploy the RQ-4B Global Hawk maritime derivative unmanned aircraft system in late 2017.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
UPS Tests Medicine Delivery by Drone Off Atlantic Coast
The delivery giant and CyPhy Works flew an asthma inhaler from Beverly, Mass., to a children's camp on an island using a hexacopter.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Bell Unveils 'Vigilant' Unmanned Tiltrotor for U.S. Marine Corps
The new drone design leverages work Bell has done on the V-280 tiltrotor it is developing for the U.S. Army's joint multi-role demonstration.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Experts: Unmanned Aircraft Must Operate in Contested Airspace
The capability to operate in contested environments, autonomy and networking will be key future capabilities, experts say.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. East, West Converge as Drone Advisory Committee Meets
The committee of senior-level executives that will advise the FAA in further introducing drones held its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C.
