01 Sep 14. Israel shoots down Syrian UAV amid escalating tensions in Golan Heights. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that entered Israeli-controlled airspace over the Golan Heights on 31 August. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a statement: “The IDF intercepted a UAV that breached Israeli airspace from Syria near Quneitra. The UAV was targeted by a ‘Patriot’ missile. “The IDF will not tolerate a breach of the State of Israel’s sovereignty.” Unnamed Israeli Army sources were quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying that the UAV is likely to have been launched by the Syrian Army and might have accidently crossed into Israeli airspace. Responding to the intercept, the Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said the Israeli air defence personnel have once again proven their high alertness and professionalism. “Israel will not allow any breach of our sovereignty or attempt to harm our civilians and soldiers in the North, whether deliberate or accidental. “Recent weeks have proven that our patience for attempts to harm us is short, and if someone attempts to test us, we will know how to respond aggressively.” Over the last week, several Syrian mortar fires have struck the Golan Heights, killing an IDF officer, while a civilian was also injured by mortar shrapnel, reported the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The IDF is believed to have retaliated for some of the mortar fire. Meanwhile, heavy fighting is underway between the Syrian Government forces and rebels in the Syrian side of the Golan Heights after the rebels took control of the Quneitra crossing last week. The Syrian militant groups, including the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, also kidnapped a contingent of 44 Fijian peacekeepers on 28 August. Efforts are underway for the release of the peacekeepers, whose whereabouts currently remain unknown. The UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) said in a statement: “At this time, no additional information on their status or location has been established. “The United Nations continues to actively seek their immediate and unconditional release.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
30 Sep 14. A team of research students and staff from Warsaw University of Technology have successfully demonstrated the first phase of flight test and integration of unmanned aircraft platforms with an autonomous mission control system. The demonstration marks a significant milestone in a partnership between the university and Lockheed Martin that began earlier this year. “This is an excellent opportunity for our students to collaborate with a global leader in aerospace engineering to develop complex control software,” said Professor Janusz Narkiewicz, the leader and scientific manager of the project from Warsaw University of Technology. “The project also integrates this control software onto multiple unmanned aircraft as part of a full flight test program.” The purpose of this project, which is principally staffed by university research students, is to optimize the performance of unmanned aerial vehicles when flying in fleets manned aircraft, in order to make the best use of available assets for any given mission. The program adds to Lockheed Martin’s strong links with Polish industry and commitment to supporting the development of engineering excellence by partnering with academic and research institutions. (Source: Yahoo!/PRNewswire)
28 Aug 14. Another First for Airbus Zephyr 7. Successful SatCom-controlled High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite test flight in winter weather conditions. Airbus Defence and Space has announced that the Zephyr 7 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has just completed its most demanding mission to date and thus set a new benchmark in persistent, year-round operations for this class of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The test consisted of over 11 days of non-stop flight, in winter weather conditions with a new primary payload, including flight controlled through satellite communications