04 Mar 15. The U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) had another remarkable year in 2014, with a significant decrease in cost per flight hour coupled with a sharp increase in flight hours. The Global Hawk program has brought the system’s cost per flight hour down to the point of being half the cost of the manned alternative. The aircraft also saw close to a 40 percent increase in flight hours from 2013 to 2014. Global Hawk also maintained a perfect safety record in FY14 after carrying the designation as the safest platform in the Air Force active inventory in 2013. “As we move into 2015 and beyond, global security requires flexible systems and strategic agility. Global Hawk has proven again and again that it can bring unparalleled endurance, innovation and value to any mission,” said Mick Jaggers, director, Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman. “We are proud that, together with our Air Force partners, we are operating a very safe system that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance [ISR] information effectively and efficiently when and where it is needed.” Global Hawk variants have flown more than 140,000 flight hours in support of diverse missions. Carrying a variety of ISR sensor payloads, Global Hawk supports antiterrorism, antipiracy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, airborne communications relay, information sharing, and the full range of operational combat missions.
04 Mar 15. Unmanned Systems Canada Releases Canadian Civil UAS 2014 Report. Unmanned Systems Canada has just released its report Canadian Civil UAS 2014. The report, developed with funding from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), provides insight into the growth and potential of the UAS sector in Canada.
“It was a pleasure to undertake this work for NRC”, said Stewart Baillie, one of the report’s authors. “We found dramatic growth in this sector since 2008, and the potential for Canada to command a global leadership position in the UAS marketplace.”
Included in the report are:
* An evaluation of the market readiness of various UAS applications
* A compilation of Canadian Universities that have UAS involvement
* A listing of over 300 Canadian companies that are involved in the UAS Sector
* The results of a “stakeholder consultation” with 10 established UAS companies
* A summary of UAS regulation in Canada, the US and elsewhere (with an update for recent developments)
* An evaluation of the Civil UAS market and a discussion of other recent evaluations
* A list of “Key Messages”
The National Research Council of Canada`s contribution to this study report was delivered through its Industrial Research Assistance Program and the Civilian Unmanned Aircraft Systems research Program. (Source: UAS VISION)
04 Mar 15. Turkey’s Karayel Passes Flight Test with Payload.
Officials with privately-owned Turkish firm Vestel Savunma said its Karayel UAV has passed a critical flight test, flying with an electro-optical camera and a total payload of 51 kilograms, and is ready to enter the Turkish military’s inventory. Vestel has been developing the tactical done since 2005, investing $30m in the programme. The Karayel is an unmanned air vehicle system designed for aerial observation. The Karayel began test flights in 2009. Remote sensing systems on board are able to detect a target and mark for laser-guided munitions. All phases of the flight, take-off, landing and flight profile are performed autonomously. Its payload bay is configurable for military and civilian applications. Under a 2011 contract Vestel will procure six aircraft to the Turkish military together with four sets of payload and perform the entire integration work. Vestel officials said the drone performs better than its original configuration required. The Karayel was designed to perform at a maximum 18,000 feet, a flight duration of 10 hours and carry up to 35 kilograms of payload. After deliveries