This category covers all flying unmanned vehicles, from loyal wingmen and Attritable Aircraft, Remote Carriers, Cargo Carrying Platforms, ISR Platforms, High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE), to Medium Altitude (MALE) and Tactical and Small Tactical UAS (STUAS), mini and nano UAS. This category also covers loitering weapons, features smarm technology, and Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T). You are invited to join our community on:
Turkish UMTAS Missile Dropped From a Bayraktar Tactical Drone
A Turkish drone has successfully completed firing tests of UMTAS anti-tank missile. On the recent test the Bayraktar TB2 drone carried two missiles at a total weight of 75 kg. One missile was dropped from an altitude of 16,000 ft. to hit a 2x2 meter laser-designated target self designated from the drone, from a distance of 8,000 meters.
High Flying Drones Recruited for Missile Defense
Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) are currently tested with Airborne Infrared (ABIR) sensors – performing persistent, forward pickets to spot hostile missile launches and track them through their flight trajectory. These missions will soon evolve as RPAs become operational, and augment existing radar and space-based sensors, providing midcourse tracking and target discrimination, to help targeting ground and ship-based missile defense interceptors. In the next phase MDA will equip even larger unmanned platforms with high-power laser systems, to perform boost-phase intercept. The agency plans to demonstrate such systems in 2021.
Northrop Grumman and Aerovironment are developing a new naval drone for DARPA
DARPA is expecting to complete risk reduction studies in September, and select one of two competing designs for medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial systems (MALE UAS), to demonstrate drone operations from small and medium naval vessels by 2017.
US Navy deploys a laser weapon to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea
The US Navy is operating high energy laser on the command ship leading the annual mine countermeasure exercise IMCMEX 2014. A revolutionary weapon system, the high power laser is designed to protect the vessel from attacks of Iranian fast boats.
Hybrid Quadrotor Debut at AUVSI 2014
A new 'hybrid Quadrotor' concept developed by Latitude Engineering has been applied to several fixed-wing UAV systems, converting them into vertical take-off and landing capable,...
U.S. Army to Evaluate Counter-Drone Gun System
Aware of the growing threat of bomb-laden mini drones that recently emerged in Iraq and Syria, the US Army is rushing to field countermeasures and kinetic effects designed specifically to defeat drones. DRS and Moog are cooperating with RADA to demonstrate such 'hard kill' system for testing in October.
Russian Forces in Syria Repelled Massive Drone Attack on Hmeimim and Tartus
Syrian militants began using drones in Syria; following repeated attacks against Russian ground forces operating in the country, Russian and Syrian forces repelled a massive drone attack on Saturday night, downing or capturing 13 improvised, armed drones. The rapid growth in the use of drones and number of simultaneous missions used on each strike indicate the level of maturity and know-how acquired by the perpetrators, although the identity of faction using those drones has yet to be disclosed.
Weaponized Mini-Drones Entering the Fight
Recent reports from Iraq and Syria indicate that Jihadis are increasing the use of drone attacks after exploring the use of drone weapons for several years. A recent attack employed a small surveillance drone, rigged with a bomb to become a booby trap. The attack killed two Kurdish fighters and badly wounded two French special forces.
Iranian analyst: Israeli drone could have exploited serious gap in Iran’s air defenses
The Israeli drone downed by the Iranian IRGC on August 23 may have exploited a serious gap in Iran's air defense system, an Iranian analyst told Azeri publication Trend.
S70 Okhotnik Flies MUM-T with Su-57
Sukhoi and the Russian Ministry of Defense have flown the S-70 Okhotnik unmanned aerial vehicle with Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft for the first time. The flight that laster 30 minutes as part of the ongoing test program. On this flight, Okhotnik flew with a full avionics configuration in an automated mode.
10Kw laser demonstrates directed energy weapons’ role in force protection
Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system is a high-power, solid-state laser system developed by Lockheed Martin as a near-term laser weapon system, designed to defeat...
Lifting the Veil of Israel’s Classified Laser Weapon Program
Israel’s Ministry of Defense revealed today a major achievement in a high energy laser program undergoing with the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D). Investments in laser technology made by the department have led to the ability to precisely focus laser beams on long-range targets, overcoming atmospheric disturbances.
Iran’s Shahed-129 Combat Drone to Enter Serial Production
The Islamic Republic of Iran has launched the mass-production of the indigenously developed Shahed 129 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was unveiled in September...
Russian Okhotnik-B Combat Drone (UCAV) Makes its First Flight
The Russian Su-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, has made its maiden flight on Saturday, August...
