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02 May 19. Deep Trekker unveils Revolution ROV. Deep Trekker’s Revolution remotely operated vehicle can operate at depths of up to 305m. Deep Trekker Inc is showcasing its new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called the Revolution at the 2019 Xponential exhibition, which is being held in Chicago from 30 April to 2 May. The Revolution is a tethered vehicle that can reach depths of up to 305m. The unit has a dry weight of 26kg and an endurance of up to 8 hours, with a maximum speed of 3.5kt. It can operate in 2-3kt currents. The vehicle’s manipulator arm is rated for loads of up to 31.7kg, while the ROV tether can pull up to 136kg to the surface. The angle of the gripper can be changed and can also incorporate an imaging sonar. Lighting is provided by 9,000 lumens LED modules and the video camera offers a 280° field-of-view. The ROV is powered by swappable lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in 90 minutes.
“One of the advantages of the ROV is the patented pitch system, which means you can manoeuvre the vehicle in any direction which is great for confined areas,” Cody Warner, sales manager at Deep Trekker, told Jane’s. “When you also add the integrated vectored thrusters this really gives you a higher level of mobility.
“The advantage is that I can change the direction that my attachments are facing,” Warner added. “If I am looking to retrieve an object then I can take a different angle on it, which is really important for guys in search and recovery or if I am dealing with explosive ordnance disposal.”
“Being underwater and trying to get a precise angle on an object is very important,” he explained. “Also for using sonar, being able to use that and take a different direction with it is very important.”
The company stated that the ROV is designed to detect explosive devices, locate contraband hidden beneath the water, assist divers, investigate mine-like objects, and safely conduct underwater inspections in harsh environments and conditions. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
02 May 19. Norway’s Andøya Test Center selected Schiebel’s market-leading CAMCOPTER® S-100 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Air System (UAS) for extensive search and rescue trials as part of the Arctic 2030 project. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 was selected for its exemplary international reputation and its successful record of accomplishments in the maritime domain with customers all around the world. In a typical configuration, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 operates six hours continuously and is able to simultaneously carry multiple payloads, offering significant payload flexibility to the user. Therefore, the S-100’s missions deliver aerial views that reach considerably farther than manned helicopters.
The S-100 also offers a number of key advantages for naval operations in the Arctic. As a VTOL platform, the CAMCOPTER® does not require any additional start or recovery equipment and its minimal footprint is perfect for offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) with small deck sizes. The S-100 also distinguishes itself through its ability to perform in the harshest weather conditions, flying at temperatures down to -40°C. This has been successfully proven in a series of intensive trials, such as the Canadian icebreaker operations. In this particular case, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 was deployed 60 nautical miles north of Fogo Island, providing a wide-view image of the ice structure as well as identifying the boundaries between flat and rough ice.
The goal of the Andøy Municipality project is a demonstration of VTOL UAS use in the Arctic region in an effort to increase maritime safety. For this purpose, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 will be equipped with an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch payload, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and a Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR) by Radionor. Such a combination of payloads is intended to strengthen emergency preparedness in the region and provide search and rescue mission support.
Tests are scheduled to commence in the fall of 2019 with the UAS being deployed from Norwegian Coast Guard vessels in Andfjorden, Northern Norway. More operations are planned in Spitsbergen in the spring of 2020.
“This is clearly an important milestone in the project,” said Gunnar Jan Olsen, General Manager of the Andøya Test Center. “We have already gained some experience with the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAS during an impressive demonstration in 2017. We believe that these current, more extensive S-100 trials will demonstrate that maritime safety in the Arctic can effectively be increased with the help of VTOL UAS.”
02 May 19. Australian company creates world’s largest titanium UAV. Titomic, a Melbourne-based advanced manufacturing company, has delivered the biggest ever titanium unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV measures over 1.8 metres in diameter and was manufactured in Titomic’s R&D bureau in Melbourne, which houses the world’s biggest and fastest metal 3D printer, the TKF 9000.
The printer, which measures 9 x 3 x 1.5 metres, incorporates Titomic’s patented additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology, Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF).
Using titanium provides the UAV with a strong, lightweight, rugged design with ballistics protection, which Titomic said will “provide durability for reliable in-field use by military and law enforcement and is well-suited for deployment in live combat situations”.
“We’re excited to be working with the global defence industry to combine Australian resources, manufacturing and innovation, which will increase our sovereign capability to provide further modern technology for Australia and its Defence Force,” Titomic managing director Jeff Lang said.
TKF is co-developed and licensed from the CSIRO, and is a “patented metal AM process utilising supersonic deposition of metal powders to digitally manufacture metal parts and complex surface coatings of super alloys and dissimilar metals such as nickel, copper, scandium and alloys such as stainless steel, inconel, and tungsten carbide”.
“With the unique ability to fuse dissimilar metals and materials, Titomic has unlocked opportunity to create unique materials and engineer parts and surface coatings that are unobtainable via other manufacturing methods,” a release from the Melbourne-based company said.
“With ability to incorporate multiple metal alloys and materials into single, heterogenous parts, TKF enables the production of parts which exploit the mechanical benefits of multiple high-performance alloys concurrently.” (Source: Defence Connect)
02 May 19. Hood Tech Mechanical develops VTOL flying launch and recovery system. Hood Tech Mechanical has developed a flying launch and recovery system (FLARES) that uses a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to launch and recover fixed-wing UAVs weighing roughly 13–40 kg. Cory Roeseler, company engineer, told Jane’s on 1 May that FLARES uses a wing root gripper, similar to how a falcon or an eagle catches a fish, for example, to attach to the fixed-wing UAV. FLARES then rises off the ground, an operator waits for the fixed-wing UAV to activate its autopilot and have its engine achieve full revolutions per minute (RPM), before an operator commands FLARES to release the fixed-wing UAV and allowing it to take flight. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
02 May 19. Silent Falcon solar-powered UAV targets further Pentagon work. Silent Falcon is targeting further Pentagon work for its namesake solar electric Group 2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having already secured a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract. John Brown, company chairman, told Jane’s on 1 May that DARPA’s Stand-off Ubiquitous Power/Energy Replenishment-Power Beaming Demo (SUPER PBD) programme will put specialised photo voltaic material on the tail of the Super Falcon and shoot the material with a laser. This photo voltaic material, he said, will convert the laser to electrical energy and will recharge the batteries during flight. Brown said at the 2019 AUVSI Xponential conference that photo voltaic material, while commonly referred to as solar panels, is different as it is tuned to a specific frequency –laser.
02 May 19. Elytron Aeronautica offers family of tandem wing UAVs. Key Points:
- Elytron Aeronautica is offering a family of tandem wing unmanned aircraft suitable for a variety of uses
- The standard Talisman model can carry a payload three-times the aircraft’s base weight
Elytron Aeronautica of Italy is offering to potential customers its family of tandem wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can weigh from 25 to 1,000 kg maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). Elytron had its Talisman base model UAV on display on 1 May at the 2019 AUVSI Xponential conference in Chicago. The Talisman weighs up to 50 kg and can be completely customised based on a customer’s requirements. The fuselage features an easily configurable and accessible cargo bay, allowing ample space for fuel, sensors, avionics systems, and datalinks, according to a company statement. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
02 May 19. Silent Falcon solar-powered UAV targets further Pentagon work. Silent Falcon is targeting further Pentagon work for its namesake solar electric Group 2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having already secured a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract.
John Brown, company chairman, told Jane’s on 1 May that DARPA’s Stand-off Ubiquitous Power/Energy Replenishment-Power Beaming Demo (SUPER PBD) programme will put specialised photo voltaic material on the tail of the Super Falcon and shoot the material with a laser. This photo voltaic material, he said, will convert the laser to electrical energy and will recharge the batteries during flight. Brown said at the 2019 AUVSI Xponential conference that photo voltaic material, while commonly referred to as solar panels, is different as it is tuned to a specific frequency –laser. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Apr 19. Algerian military announces armed UAV strike. Algeria’s new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have carried out an airstrike, the Ministry of National Defence (MDN) said in a statement on 30 April.
It said the target was identified by an El Djazair 54 UAV on 28 and 29 April, after which it was successfully engaged “with great precision” by two El Djazair 55s.
Algerian television showed footage of the UAVs apparently carrying out a strike against a target in a valley in a mountainous area using unguided mortar bombs adapted to be carried on under-wing bomb racks. This was the first time the MDN has announced a UAV strike, although it did not explicitly say this was the first time the El Djazairs has carried out an airstrike. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Apr 19. DARPA sets out goals for Manta Ray UUV development. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched a programme designed to develop a new class of long duration, large payload unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that could be acquired and supported at a significantly reduced cost compared to current UUV types.
The next-generation UUV, known as the Manta Ray, is intended to provide operational commanders with expanded capacities without disrupting current operations by remaining independent of manned vessels and ports once deployed. DARPA will host a proposers day on 13 May.
In a special notice issued in mid-April, DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office stated that Manta Ray was designed to overcome the limitations of current UUV designs, which tend to allow either large payload capacity or long endurance missions. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Apr 19. The USMC wants vertical take-off capability for its RQ-21 Blackjack drone. The Corps’ tiny InstantEye quadcopters fielded to the rifle squads take off with ease from a Marine’s hand and require no additional equipment for launch. Now the Corps wants the same capability for its much larger group three drone known as the RQ-21 Blackjack. According to the Corps’ 2019 aviation plan, the Marines are in pursuit of a vertical take-off and landing, or VTOL, kit for the Blackjack. The new kits will give the Blackjack a lighter footprint and make the system more expeditionary. The Blackjack system is currently fielded with a cumbersome launcher and recovery hook, which can be used to launch the aircraft from the ground or even the deck of a ship.
“Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) for the RQ-21 would significantly decrease the logistical footprint of the system by eliminating the launcher and recovery system, to include the support equipment for those items,” Capt. Christopher Harrison, a Marine spokesman, told Marine Corps Times in an email.
“Retrofitting the Blackjack with VTOL provides a rapid expeditionary capability and ultimately greater lethality in support of the MAGTF [Marine air-ground task force].”
But it’s not the only upgrade coming for the Blackjack. The Corps is also interested in adding a signals intelligence and electronic warfare payload to the group three drone.
That will afford more Marine units at lower echelons of the tactical level organic electronic warfare capability.
The RQ-21 Blackjack replaced the the RQ-7B Shadow, which flew it’s last flight in July 2018.
According to the Corps’ most recent aviation plan, the RQ-21 Blackjack has already racked up 8,700 flight hours. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
30 Apr 19. US NRL develops Flying Sea Glider flying emplacement UUV. The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a Flying Sea Glider underwater glider that delivers itself by flying above the water, extending the range of unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs).
Stearns Heinzen, NRL research engineer, told Jane’s on 30 April that UUVs that deliver themselves in the air, known as flying emplacement, have potential military value. UUVs, he said, typically operate solely underwater, meaning they have to be physically delivered to a location because they travel slowly.
Heinzen said by flying emplacement, the NRL is able to quickly get its UUV to a location in a time-critical manner without having to deploy a ship to support it. Unmanned aircraft typically fly two orders of magnitude faster than sea-gliding UUV. The Flying Sea Glider, he said, is able to get to a destination on its own from ship or shore and send data back within a couple hours.
Airborne propulsion is battery-electric with a folding propeller. Underwater propulsion is accomplished via a large-volume buoyancy engine and hydrodynamic gliding. The Flying Sea Glider performs porpoise-type missions in which it dives down, takes data on the way down, and then transmits the data from the surface.
Heinzen said the craft can also take data on the way up. The design depth for this Flying Sea Glider variant, he said, is 200 m. The Flying Sea Glider protects sensitive aircraft components by having both dry and wet spaces. One volume, he said, can incorporate dry sensors that go through bulkhead connectors and out to sensors in the water. Because many UUV sensors are designed to be wet, Heinzen said these go in the wet space.
The Flying Sea Glider propels itself underwater via buoyancy drive. It flies conventionally in the air using a propeller, but once it enters the water, it uses a buoyancy engine to go negatively buoyant and dive downward. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
01 May 19. Supersonic UAVs Under Development in Canada. Unmanned aerial vehicles flying at supersonic speed will be launched this summer at CFB Suffield, says Atlantis Research Laboratories’ Avro Division in Medicine Hat. The Avro Mark X, with the appearance of a sleek jet, is 22 feet long, weighs a thousand pounds and can carry a load of 500 kilograms.
There are obvious military applications for the vehicle including flying into a dangerous military zone, but also for search and rescue missions, a rapid response to a crisis zone to deliver emergency provisions, and for the coast guard, said Vladimir Mravcak, CEO Atlantis Research Labs, which operates the Avro Aircraft division in Brier Park, Medicine Hat.
“We feel that we are going to make Alberta a leader in space,” said Mravcak. “Medicine Hat is ideally situated and the seeds planted over the last few decades have established southern Alberta as a leader in the high-speed unmanned vehicles industry.”
The Avro Mark X can be completely manned from the ground. With onboard camera systems, GPS, Fly-by-wire – a system that replaces conventional manual flight controls – infrared technology and biological sensors, it could be used to locate wildlife, fly at a low altitude over water and ground to identify resources and could fly patrols on the northern border sending camera footage back to base.
Mravcak says it could be five times as quick reaching its destination than current conventional means of aircraft flown by pilots. It reduces the cost as a result and the potential for loss of life in a mission is no longer a consideration.
Mravcak does anticipate the need for highly skilled pilots to operate the Avro Mark X remotely. There would also be the possibility for a pilot in an aircraft, such as a CF18, being in control of two Avro Mark X – one just beyond each CF 18 wing. The pilot would then determine at which point to have the Avro Mark X enter a potential danger zone first.
While still in the early stages of testing, Mravcak plans to launch three at CFB Suffield later this summer. If that test is successful Mravcak expects to see Avro technology operational in three to five years.
Atlantis’s Avro program has been developing unmanned aerial vehicle systems since 2012.
Last month Atlantis Research Laboratories announced a multi-million dollar, five-year aerospace development program in collaboration with the University of Calgary. Funds are matched by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
At the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary, five people with PhDs and 30 students with masters degrees are working on Avro’s research and development under the direction of Craig Johansen and Mravcak.
“We have the talent, we have the framework and provincial and federal clearance to conduct the required experiment flights,” said Mravcak.
Atlantis and the University of Calgary successfully conducted the launch of the new Avro technology at CFB Suffield last August. Avro technology is currently under development at its Medicine Hat facility.
Two additional staff have been hired in the past week and there will be more hired in the days to come, said Mravcak.
“Medicine Hat really has a special segment that 50 years from now will be well known,” said Mravcak.
There is no connection between the Avro Division of Atlantis Research and the former Avro Canada that developed the CF-105 Arrow in the 1950s, before being abruptly stopped in 1959 by then-prime minister John Diefenbaker. However, federal permission was required for part of the name to be used.
For Mravcak, Avro Canada was a huge inspiration. He calls the Avro Mark X a continuation of Avro Canada’s achievements to once again set a standard in aerospace.
In August 2017 Atlantis Research Laboratories merged with Form-Tech machining in Medicine Hat. (Source: UAS VISION/Medicine Hat News)
30 Apr 19. Atlas Dynamics Unveils Two Next-Gen Autonomous Solutions to Power UAVs at AUVSI. Newly Headquartered in the U.S., the company builds UAV technology to support the military, national security interests, and first responders.
Atlas Dynamics, a next-gen aerospace company providing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions, newly headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, will launch its new autonomous and multi-UAV capabilities at AUVSI Xponential 2019 taking place in Chicago, April 30 – May 2 at booth 3824. The company aims to start deploying its autonomous capabilities to U.S. military, security and first responder operations.
“Our technology allows the user to operate several UAVs in tandem on the same mission as well as in multiple locations. This technology not only allows for near-limitless surveillance, but the cost-effective system also enables the user at the command and control station to seamlessly collect data whenever and wherever he needs it,” Atlas’ Co-founder and CEO Ivan Tolchinsky, said.
The main display is the AtlasNEST, an advanced docking station for autonomous takeoff, landing and battery swapping. The primary use of the technology is perimeter security and first response for sensitive facilities, providing their command and control with accurate real-time data without risking human operators, enabling them to make decisions in real time. The AtlasNEST provides a wide array of deployment capabilities for constant readiness and preplanned missions. It is designed for the company’s proprietary AtlasPRO UAV—a versatile, high-end platform with endurance of 50 minutes, a communication range of 10km with HD streaming and the ability to survive extreme conditions.
The company will also be launching the AtlasMESH Multi-UAV Communication System. The new system has three unique features—control of multiple UAVs from one ground control station for continual mission operation beyond battery-life limitations through the “UAV Hot Swap,” video stream from one UAV to numerous ground control stations or smartphones, and using an AtlasPro UAV as a physical relay. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
30 Apr 19. AeroVironment Announces Launch of New England Innovation Center, the Company’s First Engineering Operation Outside of California.
- New operation to expand advanced engineering and innovation capacity in key region to support AeroVironment’s growth strategy
- Led by Tom Vaneck, former vice president of InstantEye Robotics
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for both defense and commercial applications, today announced the creation of its New England Innovation Center (NEIC). The new office will lead development of advanced solutions complementing AeroVironment’s market-leading small UAS and furthering the company’s growth strategy.
“We are expanding our capabilities, our team and our footprint to achieve our growth objectives,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “The greater Boston region is a dynamic center of advanced development and talent in technologies key to the future of our customers’ operations, including robotics and artificial intelligence. Our latest Innovation Center will expand AeroVironment’s capabilities so that we may translate advances in key technologies into ever more valuable solutions that support our customers across the globe.”
“We welcome Tom Vaneck to our team with his extensive experience and knowledge of the unmanned systems industry and a track record of competitive success. We look forward to Tom’s leadership of our NEIC and his contributions to supporting our customers,” Mr. Nawabi added.
“I’m excited to be part of the team at AeroVironment, the leader in unmanned systems technologies for those on the front-line, and a company I have watched and admired for many years,” said Vaneck, vice president and managing director of AeroVironment’s NEIC. “Our New England Innovation Center will develop new robotic platforms to expand our family of systems, advance our autonomous capabilities and build on AeroVironment’s history of delivering innovative solutions that help customers proceed with certainty.”
Vaneck served as vice president of InstantEye Robotics, a division of Physical Sciences, Inc. Previously, he served as general manager of Aurora Flight Sciences’ Cambridge Research and Development Center. Vaneck earned a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Master of Arts in Mathematics and Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Penn State University. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 May 19. Kaman to re-activate K-MAX optionally piloted helos for technology tests. Kaman Aerospace has been contracted to return two US Marine Corps (USMC) CQ-24A K-MAX optionally piloted helicopters to a flightworthy status for further development testing, the company announced on 1 May. The two helicopters that were used by the USMC for cargo transportation in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2013 are to be recovered from Yuma in Arizona and transported to Bloomfield in Connecticut for re-activation to flight status.
“The Marine Corps recently finalised plans to return the two CQ-24A K-MAX helicopters to flight readiness and install the latest autonomous technology to support future unmanned efforts. Once the aircraft are operational, the USMC and Kaman will continue to collaborate to develop and integrate next-generation autonomous technology,” the company said, adding that the current unmanned system on the Marine CQ-24A aircraft will be replaced with new technology advancements. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
01 May 19. Laflamme Aéro develops tandem-rotor UAV. Laflamme Aéro has developed a tandem-rotor helicopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that the company hopes will be as cheap as the most affordable manned rotary-wing aircraft. David Laflamme, company chief technology officer (CTO), told Jane’s on 30 April the aircraft’s advantage is the removable belly that can provide different capabilities such as integrated tanks, payload cover, airdrop, clima-cargo, and a sling for carrying heavy equipment. There is also extra space in the front and rear covers. The LX300 can carry about 90 kg of payload. Laflamme said at the 2019 AUVSI Xponential conference being held in Chicago from 29 April to 2 May that the aircraft has autonomous take-off and flight, but needs to be landed manually. The company, he said, is working on developing an autonomous landing capability and expects to develop this once the LX300 starts landing on ships. Laflamme said the company is aiming for the LX300 to fly at a cost of USD200 per hour in its most basic configuration, depending on the communication system. Laflamme believes the aircraft can fill a gap where it can be small enough to deploy from ships but still be large enough to perform critical heavy missions in defence. The LX300 can also carry electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads. The airframe is 1.2m wide, 1.5m high, and 2.9m long. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Apr 19. Boeing’s MQ-25 refueling drone moved to air base for flight testing. Boeing’s prototype MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling drone is so huge it needed help from government agencies in Missouri and Illinois to move 40 miles. With assistance from law enforcement in both states, a truck carried the aircraft — which is the size of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter — from Boeing’s technical plant at St. Louis’s Lambert International Airport across the Mississippi River to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, a small regional airport next to Scott Air Force Base in rural Illinois.
The semi traveled on side roads and at 5-10 mph for much of the trip Sunday night, KDSK-TV reported. Temporary road closures were in Edwardsville, Marine and Lebanon as the jet moved through.
The plane arrived before 6 a.m. Monday, KMOV-TV reported. The regional airport is in less crowded airspace, which “gives us some flexibility in how we can fly,” Dave Bujold, the Boeing program manager overseeing drone project, told The Drive.
Boeing plans to test fly the MQ-25 Stingray, known as known as T-1 or “Tail 1,” before the end of the year. But first it must pass ground taxiing tests and the Federal Aviation Administration must certify the aircraft and grant clear airspace for it to fly. Ground control stations are being installed at the airport.
The Boeing test aircraft later will undergo testing on the East Coast. The Navy will also hoist it onto an aircraft carrier for deck handling testing.
“By the time the Navy’s assets are jumping in the air, we will already have had thousands of test hours on the ground and hundreds in the air,” Bujold said.
The first Navy aircraft is scheduled to fly in fiscal year 2021.
Last August, Boeing was awarded a $805m contract to build four aircraft for the U.S. Navy. The drones, which won’t carry weapons, will be based on aircraft carriers to refuel other aircraft mid-flight, including the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler and Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters.
“The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability,” Bujold said.
Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions, which has been a Boeing contractor for 60 years, announced last week it has been awarded a contract by Boeing to supply data technology systems for the program. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/UPI)
29 Apr 19. US Army takes another stab at ‘rucksack portable’ unmanned aircraft. The Army is taking another stab at procuring rucksack-portable unmanned aircraft systems after trying a variety of different ways to establish the capability in the force over roughly the past decade. For instance, the service tried back in 2012 and 2013 to issue a capabilities production document for rucksack-portable UAS and even issued contracts to a group of companies in 2013 to supply small UAS on demand, but nothing’s really gained traction as the quintessential capability. The Army’s Raven and Puma UAS — both small, hand-launched aircraft — have continued to be in operation, but aren’t as portable as the service has wanted, particularly down at the platoon level.
The tiny Black Hornet UAS has been selected as a soldier-borne sensor, but the Army still wants to find short-, medium- and long-range UAS that can fit in a backpack, according Brig. Gen. Thomas Todd, the service’s program executive officer for aviation.
Todd’s program office has been tasked by the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, to pursue rucksack-portable UAS and this time the Army is prepared to move out quickly.
“We think we will be very agile and get a capability out there in relatively short order,” Todd told Defense News in a recent interview.
The service plans to award Other Transaction Authority contracts this fiscal year to companies to move out on providing enough systems for units to test and evaluate, Todd said. The plan is to get the UAS into users hands at the beginning of fiscal year 2020, he added.
OTAs allow the service to move more quickly with more flexibility than other contracting mechanisms. The Army, for example, recently awarded OTAs to two companies to provide unmanned aircraft prototypes for a Future Tactical UAS that platoons will evaluate before the service decides to buy.
The Army has taken a step forward, according to an April 29 statement from PEO Aviation, by setting up a partnership between the PEO’s project manager for UAS, the Defense Innovation Unit and the Maneuver Center of Excellence, that is tasked to “identify and prototype new capabilities with commercial companies that specialize in on-demand, eye-in-the-sky technologies.”
The team has established the Short Range Reconnaissance program, the statement reads, to deliver an “inexpensive, rucksack portable, vertical take-off and landing drone that provides the soldier on the ground with a rapidly deployable scouting capability to gain situational awareness.”
Six OTAs have been awarded to companies to provide “object detection in both daytime and nighttime environments,” according to the statement. Using quadcopters, the companies will, over the next several months, develop solutions for a next-generation small UAS, it adds.
For most of the companies, it will be the first time working with the Defense Department, according to the statement.
“The goal is to move with speed through the prototyping phase, with companies meeting key milestones, and then transition the best technology to production to be fielded within months, not years,” the statement says. (Source: Defense News)
29 Apr 19. TigerShark-XP Receives FAA Experimental Certification. Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation (NASC) received a Special Airworthiness Certification in the Experimental Category from the FAA for two of its NASC TigerShark-XP aircraft, the N1740X and N1750X. The TigerShark-XP is a variant of the US Navy RQ-23A Group III Unmanned Aircraft System. The RQ-23A saw service in both Iraq and Afghanistan with over 100,000 flight hours. The TigerShark-XP has been assigned to research and development projects such as aircraft anti-ice and de-ice projects, detect-and-avoid development, National Airspace integration, weather detection and avoidance, and numerous payload operations for NASA and Academic R&D programs. As experimental aircraft, they are also utilized as autopilot development platforms evaluating denied GPS environments and other command and control innovations.
Both the TigerShark-XP and its larger NASC stable mate, the NASC Teros, offer a “Plug and Play” capability and can be equipped with a variety of payloads including onboard weather radar, detect-and-avoid radar, 4G LTE data links, Iridium satellite, and an expanded Silvus MIMO radio network.
“Having the TigerShark-XP approved as FAA Special Aircraft Category-Experimental Certification (SAC-EC) allows for expanded research and flight crew training in the National Airspace System (NAS), “ said Richard Leverich, Senior Program Engineer, NASC. “This opens innumerable opportunities for further development leading to FAA type certification and even further integration into the NAS.”
Additionally, NASC recently announced the opening of a TigerShark-XP training center at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY. This training center focuses on TigerShark-XP flight and maintenance operations as well as Cloud Cap Piccolo Command Center (PCC) training. (Source: UAS VISION)
27 Apr 19. Italy to buy drones to keep company alive, but the Air Force doesn’t want them. The Italian government said it will purchase the troubled P.1HH drone from Italy-based Piaggio Aerospace as it seeks to keep the firm afloat, despite an apparent lack of interest in the platform from the Italian Air Force. The Ministry of Economic Development announced April 24 the acquisition of four drones, which are unmanned variants of the firm’s P180 business aircraft.
Confirming the purchase, the Defence Ministry said the purchase would serve the “operational needs” of the Italian armed forces and protect the “strategic value” of the company, while strengthening Italy’s credentials as a partner in the pan-European EuroMALE drone program.
The Ministry of Economic Development added that future purchases would follow, with an industrial source telling Defense News another four drones would be bought.
Piaggio Aerospace was placed in receivership late last year by then-owner Mubadala, an investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates, which also canceled its planned order of eight Piaggio P.1HH drones.
One reported reason for Mubadala’s decision was its impatience as Italy dragged its heels on promises to buy an enhanced version of the drone, preferred by the Italian Air Force and known at the P.2HH.
As Italy’s parliamentary defense commission dragged its heels on approving the P.2HH order last year, Mubadala pulled the plug on the firm, even as work on its order of P.1HH drones was nearing completion.
The decision put hundreds of jobs at Piaggio in jeopardy and left the firm with incomplete P.1HH drones.
In March, Italian Air Force chief Gen. Alberto Rosso told Italy’s parliament he was not interested in buying them, adding to speculation the drone program was dead. But he appears to have been overruled, as Italy’s government seeks to save jobs at the company.
The industrial source said the four drones set to be purchased by Italy for the Air Force, plus the further four to be bought in the future, would be those originally destined for the UAE.
One drone that had already been delivered to the UAE could now be returned for delivery to the Italian Air Force.
The source said €70m (U.S. $78m) will be spent by the Italian Defence Ministry to achieve flight certification for the drones, which is expected to take between 12 and 18 months. Maintenance work and construction of the P180 will also now continue.
The deal will allow a revived Piaggio to avoid layoffs and to find an “industrial partner,” the Ministry of Economic Development said.
That could be Italy’s Leonardo, although CEO Alessandro Profumo this month told Defense News he was only interested in Piaggio’s engine maintenance activity. (Source: Defense News)
26 Apr 19. Ohio UAS Center, Air Force Research Laboratory to Test Groundbreaking Aviation Technology. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Major General William Cooley, Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, announced today that the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center and AFRL will begin testing groundbreaking aviation technology at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
This month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that new technology developed in collaboration between AFRL and the State of Ohio – called SkyVision – safely, accurately, and effectively allows unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or “drones”) to detect and avoid other aircraft while in flight. Simply put, SkyVision can be described as an air traffic control system for drones.
The validation of this aviation technology led the FAA to grant AFRL a certificate of authorization to test defense-related drone technology without reliance on a visual observer or chase aircraft. Typically, drones can only fly within the uninterrupted line of sight of the person operating the UAS, but this special waiver allows AFRL and the Ohio UAS Center, which is part of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s DriveOhio Initiative, to use SkyVision to test drones beyond the visual line of sight within a 200 square-mile parcel of unrestricted airspace near the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
“As our country steps more and more into the unmanned age of flight, this technology is on the forefront of the aviation frontier, making Ohio a critical national asset for the research and development of UAS technology,” said Governor DeWine. “This also opens the door for commercial companies to work with Ohio, AFRL, and the FAA to test their own UAS-related technology using our SkyVision detection system. This is a major step in revolutionizing the transportation industry, with Ohio leading the way in aerospace, defense, and aviation innovation.”
“This is an important development in the progression of unmanned aircraft,” said Major General William Cooley, Commander of AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. “This waiver provides the latitude to test beyond-line-of-sight keeping AFRL on the leading edge of world-class research and accelerates the delivery of technology that makes a difference to the warfighter.”
“By enabling our lower-altitude airspace for advanced modes of transportation, we’ll be able to facilitate new opportunities around advanced autonomous aircraft research and development,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “This will bring investment to Ohio and solidifies Ohio’s position as a world-recognized leader in aviation technology.”
Ohio’s SkyVision detection system could potentially be used by the state to develop and test UAS technology to assist citizens in the event of a natural disaster or to significantly enhance the capability of search and rescue teams to find missing persons in time-critical situations. Commercial companies, such as those looking to use drones to survey damaged infrastructure or hoping to launch drone commerce operations, will also now have incentive to move to Ohio to test their own UAS technology.
VyrtX, a company based out of Dayton, is among the first companies that has committed to expand into Springfield to work with AFRL and the Ohio UAS Center. VyrtX is currently developing technology for the potential transport of organ donations between hospitals for transplant surgeries.
UAS test flights will take place at heights ranging from 1,000 feet above ground to 10,000 feet mean sea level. Air traffic control experts from the Ohio UAS Center will operate SkyVision during each flight. The SkyVision detection system is located within a mobile unit so that it can be flexibly placed in optimum positions for each flight.
“Today’s announcement comes after years of hard work and collaboration among an incredible group of partners,” said Jeff Hoagland, President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition. “AFRL and Ohio had a bold vision to bring UAS into the national airspace for true beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight. The work done here will shape the industry for years to come.”
The State of Ohio and AFRL both invested a combined $5m for the research and development of SkyVision. Supported by the Ohio Department of Transportation, DriveOhio works to ensure Ohio’s regulatory environment and public policies are conducive to the development of the infrastructure and technologies needed for smart mobility. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
26 Apr 19. Textron tests Shadow Block III capabilities. Textron Systems has commenced flight testing of the Shadow Block III UAS, the company announced on 23 April. The company is working with the US Army to qualify the new upgrades to the Shadow platform. The Block III capability upgrade will provide multiple enhancements including a new water-cooled engine, which will reduce noise signature and will add ten additional horsepower over its predecessor; upgraded video payload; and expanded operational capability in adverse weather, permitting better support to its manned counterparts. The upgrade will also provide enhanced communications relay through a joint tactical radio system, extending frequency bands in addition to SINGCARS as well as voice over IP. (Source: Shephard)
26 Apr 19. Kongsberg Geospatial releases IRIS UxS 2.0. Kongsberg Geospatial has released IRIS UxS 2.0, an upgraded version of its IRIS UxS fleet control station and airspace management system, the company announced on 23 April.
IRIS UxS 2.0 is powered by the new Kongsberg Geospatial TerraLens 9.1 engine, providing faster 3D map and terrain performance on large 4K displays. The system has an entirely new user interface, and a wide range of new features, including support for new sensors; an integrated live national airspace data feed; and integrated autopilots – allowing operators to control UAS directly from the IRIS system.
IRIS UxS provides UAS operators with enhanced airspace awareness, navigational tools, and deconfliction and air safety features for beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) operators, while providing airspace managers with an integrated airspace picture that consolidates data from a wide range of real-time data feeds and sensors.
The fleet control station technology enables multiple UAS to be monitored and controlled simultaneously by a single operator and provides real-time calculation of aircraft separation, airspace monitoring alerts and communication line-of-sight prediction to enable detect and avoid for safe BVLOS operations. IRIS UxS integrates a variety of real-time data feeds including ADS-B, local radar and National Airspace Feeds to calculate detect and avoid warnings. (Source: Shephard)
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