30 Apr 14. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) successfully demonstrated its capability across several different maritime scenarios to Dutch Authorities in Den Helder, The Netherlands, on 29 April 2014.
Consolidating its unmatched maritime position, the S-100 demonstrated its ability to support maritime commanders and decision makers in the North Sea, west of Den Helder. The North Sea is already one of the busiest maritime areas in the world and the Coast Guard expects this to increase over the coming years. The demonstrations were executed from a Dutch Navy vessel, using the L3 Wescam MX- 10 electro-optic sensor as a payload. The demonstration programme was based around a sequence of scenarios commencing with the CAMCOPTER® S-100 introduction to the audience. In one of those scenarios a fire onboard a ship loaded with dangerous substances resulted in the crew abandoning the vessel, two crew members are missing and no further information is available. Before the rescue mission begins it is deemed essential by the decision makers that they have “eyes” on the target to assess risks and determine the possible location of the missing crew members. The S-100 is deployed to provide this information as well as giving other useful information to help combat the fire. The CAMCOPTER® demonstrates how it can gather this time critical information quickly and efficiently. The fight against drug smuggling formed the theme of another scenario. The S-100 is deployed to discretely follow a suspect vessel. Suddenly a rigid-hulled inflatable boat, (RHIB) appears, moving alongside the vessel. The unmanned helicopter observes and records the transfer of drugs and supplies time critical information to the allied ships to intercept and detain the RHIB. During all scenarios the CAMCOPTER® S-100 ably demonstrated its flexibility, versatility and persistence, all of which are the key to successful operation in maritime environment.
21 Apr 14. Uclass Competitors Waiting for Pentagon RFP. Boeing and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) are working on flyable demonstrators in support of their Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (Uclass) bids, according to industry officials. Boeing is not commenting on its Uclass work, but GA-ASI’s candidate for the slow-gelling U.S. Navy requirement is a larger version of its jet-powered Avenger—which, under another previously undisclosed program, is in low-rate production for the U.S. Air Force. Both are expected to be flying by 2015. One of the other Uclass contenders, Lockheed Martin, says it has no plans to build a demonstrator. The other, Northrop Grumman, is not disclosing details of its Uclass concepts. (Source: glstrade.com/AvWeek)
26 Apr 14. Security officials at Cairo International Airport have seized
several miniature UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) robots used for spying purposes from passengers of two separate flights. The Egyptian security forces have discovered three small UAV robots from two flights from Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, the Kuwait-based Al-Rai Al-A’am newspaper reported. The small UAVs were seized from Egyptian officials. They are remote-controlled and equipped with cameras. The security forces discovered the UAVs after they checked the luggage of passengers under x-ray. The Egyptian official declined to give further details in this regard, including the names or government posts of the passengers. A miniature UAV or Small UAV (SUAV) is an unmanned aerial vehicle small enough to be man-portable. Miniature UAVs range from micro air vehicles (MAVs) that can be carried by an infantryman, to man-portable UAVs that can be carried and launched like an infantry anti-aircraft missile. (Source: UAS VISION/FNA)
29 Apr 14. Research and Markets announced the addition of the “Global Military Robots Market 2014-2018: BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Israel Aerospace Industries & SAAB AB Dominate the Market” report to their offering. The Global Militar