Unmanned Systems

China’s first jet-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Lijian or “Sharp Sword,” was recently spotted undergoing taxiing tests in China.

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) completed its first ever carrier-based catapult launch from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia May 14, 2013. “Today we saw a small, but significant pixel in the future picture of our Navy as we begin integration of [...]

Some European countries may consider an Israeli made unmanned air system (UAS) as a platform for a “Black program” to create a European medium-altitude/long-endurance (MALE) armed UAS, i-hls reports. This is the assessment of European sources familiar with the advanced Israeli made UAS. According to Aviation Week, frustrated by apparent [...]

As domestic economies change into a global market, dependent on the ocean for energy, food and transportation, the open seas becoming contested areas, and pirates, outlaws and terrorists using isolated littorals as safe haven, prowling waterways and the open sea along international merchant routes, no wonder that governments are looking [...]

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory flew their fuel cell powered Ion Tiger UAV for 48 hours and 1 minute on April 16-18 by using liquid hydrogen fuel in a new, NRL-developed, cryogenic fuel storage tank and delivery system. This flight shatters their previous record of 26 hours and [...]

Last week Iran unveiled its latest drone dubbed “Hamaseh”. This unmanned aerial vehicle follows a classic twin-boom tail design, pioneered by IAI’s Scout and Tadiran Mastiff in the 1980s. On the My 9, 2013 unveiling ceremony the drone was shown carrying two 107mm rockets and what seems to be an [...]

The U.S. Navy’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator performed its first arrested landing at Patuxent River, Naval Air Station in Maryland, on May 4. The landing using arresting gear was a key step in maturing the system for its upcoming carrier-based tests later this month. The X-47B is [...]

Is this Syria’s “doomsday ” weapon? Intelligence sources say that the Syrian air force has adapted old Russian made MIG-21 fighter aircraft to fly unmanned and carry chemical warfare materials. This information is now being investigated by a number of intelligence organizations i-hls reports. A Syrian MiG-21, that landed in [...]

Israel aerospace industries (IAI) Heron and Searcher UAVs of the Indian Navy’s air squadron No. 342 deployed on maritime surveillance missions along with Do-228 and helicopters, during Gemin-2 exercise

The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron unmanned air system (UAS), General Atomics Reaper and Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 are among three platforms eyed for a Canadian tender to supply an advanced system for operation in the Arctic.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Israeli companies were behind 41 percent of all UAVs exported in 2001-11. Those Israeli exports went to 24 countries, including the United States. i-hls reports. That volume’s expected to expand as production costs are relatively low. Israeli industry officials boast that it’s [...]

The US Air Force is looking at equipping its General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft with British-developed Brimstone missiles, to reduce collateral damage. The Reapers flown by the US Air Force are currently employed with AGM-114R Hellfire ‘Romeo’ missiles and laser guided bombs. i-hls reports ALthough the AGM-114R has been [...]

A team of researchers from the Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are developing an insect sized robot that made its first flight last summer. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, RoboBee inspired by the biology of a fly and conceived through manufacturing breakthrough and miniaturization.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has successfully demonstrated the command of the Predator C Avenger stealth drone from a new, Advanced Cockpit Ground Control Station’s (GCS’).

Lockheed Martin unveiled today the concept design of the company’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) air vehicle, that integrates technologies from F-35C, RQ-170 and other systems to provide persistent ISR and light strike capabilities.

Boeing’s next generation multi-role strike fighter could be built in manned or unmanned versions. The F/A-XX is addressing a US Navy requirement for a future fighter that will be designed for anti-access/area denied (A2AD) operational environment

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) intends to issue four firm-fixed-price contracts for Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) Air Vehicle.

The U.S. Marine Corps will keep the two K-MAX unmanned helicopters in Afghanistan ‘indefinitely’, at least, until the withdrawal or US troops from the country next year.

The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract valued at more than $71 million to produce six additional next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopters. The Navy plans to purchase a total of 30 aircraft under a rapid development effort. Northrop Grumman is currently under contract to produce 14 Fire [...]

A team from Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) is developing a human-size robot that is built with four limbs, like a Chimpanzee but moves on tracks, like a tank. The new robot is one of seven finalists to compete the DARPA Robotic Challenge.

Sharing of Ground Moving Target (GMTI) data between a Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned aircraft E-8C Joint STARS aircraft is paving the way for increased precision in target acquisition, improved target tracking and the ability to extend the surveillance coverage area without dependence on ground segments.

BAE Systems has been awarded a $43 million cooperative agreement extension to lead the Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance for an additional five years. Defense-Update reports. As a result, the company will have a significant role working with the MAST Alliance’s team [...]

DARPA wants to introduce a new class of MALE UAS that will be able to deploy from destroyer and frigate size vessels, such as the Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-2),extending the Naval ISR and strike capabilities to deploy faster and farther, anywhere in the world

Atlante, an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the European defense group Cassidian has made its first flight at Rozas airfield, near Lugo, Spain last week. designed to address the tactical UAS mission profile is also capable of carrying out civil and homeland security applications.

The US Army awarded iRobot and QinetiQ North America two procurement orders for small robotic vehicles, representing the new class of small/miniature robotic systems designed for counter-IED and surveillance missions.

Boeing’s liquid hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system (UAS) completed its second flight Feb. 25. On its second flight the modified drone achieved more than twice the flight duration and altitude, compared to the first flight which lasted only 28 minutes.

Iran’s authorities announced today that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have intercepted and downed an ‘alien’ drone during the first day of the ‘Great Prophet 8′ exercise taking place in Southern Iran this week.

Lockheed Martin completed demonstrated the capability to control the Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) robotic vehicle beyond line of sight. The demonstration took place at Camp Grayling, Mich.where the SMSS was controlled via satellite link 200 miles away. The robotic vehicle conducted several battlefield surveillance operations while being controlled  via satellite from the U.S. [...]

Raytheon and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) are working together to equip GA-ASI’s Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) with Raytheon’s ADM-160A Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD), developing unmanned, autonomous launch platform for electronic warfare decoys employed in Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) missions. The team has completed ground verification test phase [...]

Boeing and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company (ADASI) have signed a teaming agreement pursuing opportunities for marketing unmanned systems in the Middle East. The teaming agreement expands on a previous agreement between ADASI and Insitu, a wholly owned Boeing subsidiary that makes the ScanEagle and Integrator. That collaboration allowed for support and [...]

Elbit Systems is launching a maritime configuration of its Hermes 900 medium altitude long endurance drone, aiming at the growing demand for UAS in maritime missions worldwide, and particularly in Asia. The company is unveiling the new configuration at the Aero India 2013 event in Bangalore this week. Maritime surveillance [...]

India is among the first countries for which the Advanced Hawkeye capability has been approved by the U.S. government. Such capability would significantly enhance the surveillance coverage, and security of India’s future catapult-equipped aircraft carriers which will be capable of launching such aircraft at sea.

With annual sales of over US$3.4 billion, and orders backlog exceeding nine billion US$, IAI is ranked among Israel’s top five industries. New opportunities and growing competition are driving IAI to expand its Indian operations over a wider spectrum, entering new fields where it wasn’t present before. Carrying the company into the next decade, IAI’s President and CEO Joseph Weiss defines several pillars for IAI’s activities, including missiles, unmanned systems, special mission aircraft and network centric warfare – all are considered to be IAI’s primary growth engines.

Telephonics Corporation will deliver nine AN/ZPY-4(V)1 multi-mode maritime surveillance radars to equip the US Navy’s MQ-8B with improved night/adverse weather surveillance capability.

The US Army announced has awarded Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract (ID/IQ) to five manufacturers of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) worth together up to $248 Million. The funding will cover deliveries of small UAS systems over the next five years. The funding will cover the Army’s own UAS, as well [...]

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to attract an international partner for the development of the troubled Kaveri jet engine program, through an international, open tender, after the joint program with French engine maker Snecma failed to deliver the expected results.

The Japanese government has embarked on a plan to acquire the Global Hawk a high-altitude, long-distance (HALE) unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft from the United States. South Korea is also interested in buying the drone, though higher than expected costs cooled Seoul’s enthusiasm about the system.

The US Army has been using the M160 remotely controlled flail robot built by the Croatian company DOK-ING in Afghanistan for route clearance missions.

In three years the US Navy could have a prototype of an autonomous anti-submarine warfare vessel that will be able to detect, track and shadow any type of submarine, including ultra-quiet diesel-electric subs, turning these undersea beast from predators into targets.

DARPA’s Legged Squad Support System (LS3) four-legged robot is preparing for the planned tests that will evaluate the performance of the four-legged robot as an integral member of a marine combat squad. Defense-Update reports. Toward this critical evaluation the LS3 is undergoing field evaluations at Ft. Picket, to assess the [...]

The Israel Ministry of Defense has placed a second order for a number Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The $90 million contract covers an unspecified number of drones delivered over three years, plus eight years support.

On 21 December, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of a possible sale of four Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Block 30(I) Global Hawk UAVs to the Republic of Korea (ROK) for an estimated sale price of $1.2 billion, almost a year after a proposed Global Hawk purchase was postponed by South Korea, due to concerns related to pricing and aircraft performance. Washington’s foot-dragging on the deal has been a major disappointment for South Korean leaders and military commanders.

Rheinmetall has successfully tested a new 50kW high-energy weapon technology demonstrator.The test was conducted at the end of November, at the company’s Ochsenboden Proving Ground (EZO) in Switzerland. The test comprised three types of targets representing hardened targets, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and ballistic threats. and successful A steel ball representing a mortar round target, travelling at approximately 50 m/sec was also intercepted.

US UAV company AeroVironment pursue VTUAV opportunities in US and NATO, teaming with the Swedish company CybAero to market medium-weight unmanned helicopters.

Dassault aviation carried out the first flight of the nEUROn, Europe’s unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) stealth technology demonstrator. The unmanned aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight from the Dassault Aviation flight test base in Istres, in collaboration with the flight test personnel of the French defense procurement agency (DGA).

Lockheed Martin today announced the acquisition of Chandler/May, Inc., a developer and producer of specialized unmanned aerial vehicle systems. The acquisition will expand Lockheed martin’s unmanned systems portfolio beyond the families of products developed by the Skunk Works.

The US Navy has test fired the Israeli Spike Electro-Optically Guided Missile from an unmanned boat last week, on Oct. 24th, as part of an operational demonstration of the weapon conducted as part of an international agreement between Israel Ministry of Defense and the US Combating Terrorist Tactics Support Office.

After decades of relying exclusively on laser and GPS for precision attack, the military and US special operations community is slowly opening to consider Electro-Optically (EO) guided weapons, gaining strike precision at extended range.

Sustaining combat operations in high intensity ‘linear’ warfare has always represented a huge challenge to military planners, pushing supplies to forward supply bases and forward units by sea, air and land. Engaged in asymmetric warfare, without a clear ‘forward line of troops’, where every truck, supply base or civilian tanker [...]

The Israeli robotics developer Roboteam is introducing a new miniature robot designed for intelligence gathering and counter IED operations. The ultra-light, 13-lb, highly maneuverable robot can be carried by an individual soldier, climbs stairs and 60⁰ obstacles, operates effectively indoors utilizing secure MANET data link