13 Oct 10. Russia will buy Israeli-made drones under a deal between state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Russian arms maker Oboronprom, the two companies said on Wednesday. An Israeli defence industry source said that under the agreement signed in Israel on Tuesday the drones would be assembled in Russia. Russia has been seeking a second purchase of Israeli-made spy drones roughly twice the size of an initial $50m sale announced in April 2009. (Source: Google)
13 Oct 10. Ricardo, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Ricardo plc, the leading independent provider of technology, product innovation and engineering solutions to the world’s automotive, defense, transport and new energy industries, announced today that its new Wolverine3 heavy fuel engine has completed its first in-flight tests at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nevada National Security Site. The Ricardo Wolverine3 is a 3.1-horsepower, two-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled engine with spark ignition, direct fuel injection and 500 watts of on-board power. It is designed to power lightweight, tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For its first flight, the Wolverine3 was integrated into a Nightwind 2 aircraft, built by Unmanned Aerial Systems, Inc. (UAS), of Las Vegas. The Nightwind is a blended wing aircraft with 100 percent composite construction and a 2-meter wingspan. (Source: Google)
08 Oct 10. ReconRobotics, Inc. announced the introduction of the Recon Scout® SearchStickTM pole, a novel device that enables military personnel to use any two-wheeled Recon Scout reconnaissance robot as they would a pole cam. Equipped with actuated jaws that are used to grasp the 1.2lb (524g) robot, the SearchStick pole is just 20.5 inches (52cm) long when fully retracted, but it can be extended to 72 inches (183cm). This allows an operator to easily see over a 12-foot (3.6m) wall or into a second story window, all while maintaining protective cover. Throughout such inspections the robot transmits live video to a handheld Operator Control Unit (OCU), providing operators with vital situational awareness that protects the lives of soldiers during high-risk operations. The SearchStick can also be used to quietly place a robot into an elevated or confined space, where it can then search the environment for adversaries, IEDs or other threats. Once the inspection has been completed, the operator can use the jaws on the SearchStick to retrieve the robot. Zistos Corporation, a world leader in pole camera technology, will manufacture the SearchStick for ReconRobotics.
“We have nearly 1,200 Recon Scout micro-robots deployed around the world, and this new product dramatically expands their utility and versatility,” says Alan Bignall, president and CEO of ReconRobotics. “No other robot in the world can be used as a pole camera, and no other pole camera can instantly deploy its optical system as a mobile micro-robot. When used together, our Recon Scout robot and SearchStick pole give soldiers and tactical operators a uniquely powerful reconnaissance system that can safely reveal hidden threats, limit collateral damage and resolve dangerous situations.”
The Recon Scout SearchStick and robot system is particularly useful for gaining visual access into walled compounds, rooftops, attics, ventilation systems, tunnels and crawl spaces. And because most Recon Scout robots are equipped with infrared optical systems, this visual reconnaissance can be conducted in complete darkness. Recon Scout robots may be specified in any of three transmitting frequencies, allowing police and military personnel to operate up to three robots in the same environment at the same time. This Know Before You GoTM capability allows tactical teams to quickly and safely clear large multi-level structures before personnel enter these environments. Several branches of the U.S. military and international friendly forces have deployed Recon Scout robots around the world to assist warfighters in rou