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
FAA Grants Second Round of '333' Exemptions to Fly Drones
The FAA on December 10 granted four companies permission to operate drones under a special provision of the 2012 FAA reauthorization act.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Airline Pilots Recommend Go-Slow Approach on Drones
The Air Line Pilots Association contends that pressure to introduce drones into the U.S. national airspace system should not override safety.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Textron Launches Unmanned Aerosonde at Virginia Test Site
Textron started operating the Aerosonde UAS through an FAA certificate of authorization awarded to the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
NTSB Supports FAA's Position in Pirker Drone Case
The NTSB reversed a ruling that the FAA was wrong to fine Raphael Pirker for allegedly recklessly flying a drone.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Iran Claims First Flight of Reverse Engineered RQ-170 Drone
Iran claims to have flown an unmanned aircraft copied from the RQ-170 Sentinel that crashed in that country in December 2011.
Aircraft
Darpa Seeks Ideas for Unmanned-aircraft Host Ship
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks information on "distributed airborne capabilities" involving small unmanned aircraft.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Australia Will Use Heron as Training Bridge to MQ-4C Triton
The Royal Australian Air Force will continue using the IAI Heron to train until it receives the MQ-4C Triton.
Aircraft
Sagem Touts Patroller UAV for French Army Contest
The program is expected to be worth €200 to €250 million (up to $310 million), for the acquisition of 8-10 systems, with three UAVs per system.
Aircraft
U.S. Air Force Rebuts Pentagon's Audit of Reaper Buy
The report from the Pentagon's inspector general relies on outdated information, contends the Air Force.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Aircraft Exemption Requests Now Exceed 50
The number of applicants seeking to operate unmanned aircraft by exemption is increasing.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Navy Shifts MQ-4C Tritons to East Coast, Adds Functionality
The service is adding mission systems for the new maritime surveillance aircraft.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Europe Outlines Action Plan For UAV Policymaking
The EC’s Matthew Baldwin has a broad aviation/transport remit, but now deems Unmanned Aerial Systems as important as any other area, and in need of c
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Navy Advances UClass Software as RFP Delayed
The Navy is still seeking sources for an "organic, sea-based unmanned aerial system."
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
General Atomics Readies for 'Detect and Avoid' Demo
Trials on the NASA Ikhana Predator B are slated to begin in November.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Puma UAS Succeeds in Landing on Coast Guard Icebreaker
An AeroVironment Puma AE launched from the flight deck of the Coast Guard cutter Healy, under way in the Arctic Ocean.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Boeing's 'Phantom Swift' Advances in Darpa Program
During the project's second phase, Darpa plans to select two proposals to advance to detailed design, fabrication and assembly.
Aircraft
Interest Grows in Aurora’s Optionally Piloted Centaur
The U.S. company is now promoting the aircraft in Europe for low-cost airborne sensing.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Predator XP Makes Maiden Flight
The XP is fitted with GA-ASI’s Lynx multi-mode radar, high-definition electro-optical video and automatic identification system.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Latest Generation 'Gorgon Stare' Operates in Afghanistan
The latest version of the system provides a four-fold increase in area coverage with a two-fold improvement in resolution compared to its predecessor.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
France Keeps Harfang UAS Despite Reaper Buy
Harfang UAS will fly with the French Air Force at least through 2017.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
UAV Flights Begin at Fourth National Test Site
Granted authorization last week by the FAA, Texas A&M flies its first UAV mission along the Gulf Coast.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
MQ-8B Fire Scout Flies with New Surveillance Radar
The multi-mode radar will increase situational awareness and threat warning in a high-traffic littoral environment, according to the company.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Swiss Select Hermes 900 as New UAS
The Hermes 900 will replace the modified IAI Ranger UAVs, which are reaching the end of their life cycle.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Marines Deploy Blackjack UAS to Afghanistan
The initial operational test and evaluation period is expected to be complete this year.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Pirker Case Casts Shadow over Unmanned Systems Conference
UAS industry industry growing increasingly impatient with the FAA’s regulatory and policy containment of unmanned aircraft systems.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
No Clear Plan for Triton 'Due Regard' Radar, Navy Says
Due-regard rader will make the Triton capable of detecting aircraft not equipped with a transponder or not using it to avoid detection.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Cost Overrun Brings Scrutiny to MQ-8 Fire Scout
Unit cost increases triggered “critical” breaches of the Nunn-McCurdy amendment, requiring that Congress be notified.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Navy Releases Draft RFP for UClass Vehicle
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Atomics received the draft proposal document.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Navy Advances Triton Without 'Sense-and-Avoid' Settled
The U.S. Navy is taking a “layered approach” to meeting the see-and-avoid requirement until it finds a technology solution.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Elbit To Supply Hermes 900 UAS to Brazil's Air Force
The service will operate the aircraft in tandem with smaller Hermes 450s it already uses.
