Sponsored by The British Robotics Seed Fund
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25 Jul 19. Upgrade of the FLYEYE UAS Fleet. NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has signed a contract with WB Group for upgraded versions of the in-service FLYEYE unmanned aerial system (UAS) fleet. These upgrades include user-friendly solutions to increase the interoperability of the Polish Army by standardising the configuration and replacing the existing equipment with the up-to-date substitutes. FLYEYE is currently used by the Polish armed forces and other services for intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (ISTAR) of the battlefield, sensitive areas, national borders, natural disasters or large public events and successfully performs combat missions in symmetric conflicts. It is a modular system characterised by the ease of assembly and disassembly. Launch readiness can be achieved in less than ten minutes. The hand-launched variant can also be operated in tight spaces and confined areas. The enhanced version is characterised by the increased system performance and longer flight endurance, up to 150 mi- nutes. Other new features include a GCS with antenna, the GS4 daylight and IR observation payload and reduced weight for longer time on station. Additional features are the tactical and maritime antennas, the FT-LoC2 GPS-based long range emergency location and recovery device, MIL connectors in the entire system, new backpacks and transportation cases. With the first upgraded sets already delivered to the Polish armed forces for operation, FLYEYE has successfully passed the inspection by NSPA, both in terms of equipment and documentation. Designed to meet the needs of customers, each FLYEYE system is supplemented with two repair kits. In addition, the programme includes delivery of the I-Level repair sets. WB Group will also provide alignment trainings and support for the UAS operators and maintenance on an on-going basis. Final delivery is due by the end of 2020. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
24 Jul 19. Dstl developing unmanned aircraft for the RAF. The UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is developing unmanned aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of a joint-venture with the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). Dstl is developing Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA), under the name ‘Project Mosquito’, to deploy with advanced fighter jets like the Lockheed Martin F-35, Eurofighter Typhoon and the future Tempest air system.
Dstl project lead for LANCA, Peter Stockel, told Air Force Technology: “The game-changing aspect of this has to be the aim to deliver useful combat air capability much more quickly and at a significantly lower cost.”
Dstl says the aircraft will provide “protection, survivability and information for the manned aircraft” or in future as a combat fleet of unmanned aircraft.
Phase one of the development will take a year. Dstl will then manufacture two designs to test as early as 2022.
Contracts were given to the Blue Bear Systems Research, Boeing Defence UK, and Callen-Lenz – in partnership with Bombardier and Northrop Grumman – to develop the first designs. The shortlist was chosen after nine defence contractors including BAE systems expressed interest.
LANCA began in 2015 as research into innovative combat aircraft and ways the RAF can save money in costs and development of systems.
Speaking last week Defence Minister Stuart Andrew, said: “At the launch of the Combat Air Strategy last year, the MoD revealed the concept future fighter jet Tempest. The vision of the jet featured advanced flexible power and propulsion systems, a virtual cockpit, swarming weapons and laser-directed energy weapons.
“Operated either manned or unmanned, it would be rapidly upgradeable and cyber resilient. Following on from last year’s announcement, a new project to develop a novel unmanned combat aircraft has been announced by the RAF and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)”
The US Air Force is also developing autonomous aircraft under the ‘Skyborg’ programme. The US system will revolve around the F-35 and Kratos’ Valkyrie UCAV.
Project Mosquito ties into the UK Armed Forces’ push for more connective systems, as the Royal Navy are also set to develop unmanned surface and submersible vessels. The NavyX accelerator has ear-marked millions for spending on naval technology. The RAF showed a possible model of what LANCA could look like at the Royal International Air Tattoo last weekend. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
24 Jul 19. US Air Force requests ideas for drone technologies at Pitch Day event. The US Air Force (USAF) has invited companies to submit ideas for drone technologies at a Pitch Day contest to be conducted at Northeastern University’s research drone-testing facility. The competition will take place on 24 July at the Kostas Research Institute and is part of a series of USAF competitions to be held this year.
Through these contests, the service will look for solutions for national security challenges in areas such as space, hypersonics, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems.
Kostas Research Institute CEO Peter Boynton said: “Because the airforce is now doing so much work collaborating with our researchers at KRI, I think the opportunity to host this Pitch Day became evident. It just made sense to use this facility with our new and really unique research facilities here, and because this is a place where they’re already working.”
During the morning session of the programme, 13 companies will be provided with the opportunity to present their ideas before a panel of judges comprised of USAF personnel.
The service will announce the companies with the best ideas and immediately award funding to them to proceed with the first phase of the projects.
Boynton added: “When a company wins their pitch, the airforce brings them into an adjacent conference room and they swipe a credit card and give them their funding right in that moment.”
Granting funding on the spot is intended to encourage rapid development and testing of prototypes for new technologies, he added.
The second part of the event will see the winning companies demonstrate their technologies at the facility’s anechoic chamber and Faraday cage.
The final segment involves a networking event with national security organisations, the aeronautics division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and other agencies.
In March, the USAF awarded contracts to 51 companies at its inaugural Pitch Day event in New York City. The service has switched to commercial investment pitch competition-style model to avoid lengthy contractual processes. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
23 Jul 19. Drone Aviation Delivers on $1m WASP Lite Contract for US Army. Drone Aviation Holding Corp. has announced that it has completed a U.S. Army safety and performance review and delivered multiple WASP Lite aerostat systems to the customer under the $1.1m award announced in May 2019.
The first-of-its-kind, the WASP Lite systems successfully completed extensive customer operational flight safety and performance testing in Jacksonville and were then shipped to the U.S. Army for transportation to currently deployed ground forces.
In contrast to expensive large aerostat systems, WASP Lite is a new generation of easily transportable and operationally mobile aerostats, the results of significant collaborative product development, testing and operational evaluations conducted with the U.S. Army. WASP Lite is multi-mission capable featuring a plug and play payload configuration enabling troops in the field to quickly add ISR and communications equipment to match their mission and can be carried by two soldiers, dropped from a helicopter or transported in the back of a small pickup truck.
The May 2019 award was the first received by the Company for the WASP Lite and included multiple units, sustainment and soldier training.
“Acceptance testing and delivery of our first production run of WASP Lite systems to the Army is an exciting milestone and we are especially proud that these new systems will be providing critically-needed battlefield communications capabilities for the brave men and women deployed on the ground overseas,” said Jay Nussbaum, Chairman and CEO of Drone Aviation. “I am pleased that we were able to leverage our recent investments in manufacturing capacity and inventory to deliver these products in record time.”
The WASP Lite system is an ultra-tactical persistent aerial asset designed to be easily portable in a series of ruggedized cases and is quickly deployable to fill vital capability gaps on the battlefield. It utilizes the proven capabilities of the Company’s larger WASP tactical aerostat system incorporated into a highly mobile, minimized footprint design.
WASP Lite is a compact, non-trailer based, persistent aerostat system that can be setup and deployed virtually anywhere – on the ground, on a building rooftop or on the back of a vehicle – and operated while stationary or while moving up to 40 mph. It can be deployed up to 1,000 ft. and supports a wide range of in-field swappable payloads including multiple simultaneous communications waveforms, ISR and signal intelligence (SIGINT) enabling operators to choose the best configuration to match their mission. (Source: UAS VISION)
20 Jul 19. Congress is ready to deal the US Navy more Blackjack drones. The US Navy wants more Blackjack drones, and the House of Representatives wants to make sure that they get the best version feasible. Focusing on the RQ-21 Blackjack, Boeing looks to contests a sizable share of the attributable drone space, a category of vehicle that is only becoming more relevant as the century progresses. With the July 2019 publication of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, it seems the main obstacle for the Blackjack is hitting requirements exactly, without going over.
The contract for up to 63 “RQ-21A attrition air vehicles” was awarded to Insitu June 28, worth a total of $390 m. The margin comes with a tidy profit for the Boeing subsidiary, and it uses the descriptor “attrition air vehicle” for the drone, which is a fascinating way to frame flying machines that, on their own, cost over $2 m to make. It’s a fraction of the cost of a crewed and peopled aircraft, and matches the new reality where drones are occasionally jammed or destroyed while operating in war or war-adjacent missions.
The Navy has for years been increasing its inventory of Blackjack drones. The drones have seen far more use than expected when operating over Syria and Iraq, and the Marine Corps is looking at both night vision and VTOL capability for the system.
Before the drone advances too far on any specific path, Congress wants to make sure it’s using the right engine for the job.
“The capability differences between the v2 and v3 engine are significant and delay in the v3 engine remains a limiting factor for more expansive deployment of the RQ–21 Blackjack,” notes the report from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. “The Committee is additionally concerned about divergent requirements for capability for the RQ–21 which may be detracting from development of the next generation engine.”
The report concludes its assessment of the RQ-21 by requiring a timeline for the “development, integration and deployment of the v3 engine,” noting limiting factors and suggesting mitigation. Once the more-capable engine is built into the machine, then Congress is fine with the Navy exploring other options for how to use the Blackjack.
Until that new engine works, though, perhaps it’s best to not gamble on the drone. After all, when it comes to Blackjack, the House always wins. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
19 Jul 19. US Army Grant to Develop Hydrogen-Powered UAV. Jacob Leachman, associate professor in Washington State University’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has received a $1.8m grant from the U.S. Army to demonstrate a liquid hydrogen-powered UAV and refuelling system. The $7.2m total grant includes researchers from Mississippi State University, Insitu Inc., and Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation. Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, will provide their ScanEagle3® UAV, equipped with a fuel cell-powered electric engine. MSU will measure performance characteristics of the drone.
UAVs running on liquid hydrogen can fly longer and farther than UAVs running on batteries and require significantly less maintenance than gasoline-powered UAVs. They also produce water vapor as the only emission. Crucially for the Army, they are also quiet.
“Our goal is to make hydrogen refueling of military vehicles more convenient and reliable than conventional hydrocarbon fuels,” said Leachman, who heads the HYdrogen Properties for Energy Research (HYPER) laboratory at WSU.
Unlike hydrocarbon fuels currently utilized by the military, hydrogen can be produced anywhere with access to water and electricity. To convert hydrogen into a liquid, it must be cooled to a very low temperature. Liquid hydrogen occupies a lot less space compared to its gaseous state, so a lot more of it can be packed onto a UAV, providing a much longer range of flight. This liquid hydrogen system will operate at less than 30 psi pressure so the storage tank is made lighter, essentially increasing the quantity of stored hydrogen. The HYPER lab specializes in working with hydrogen at low temperatures. To create this lightweight tank, Leachman is working with Protium Innovations, a Pullman-based startup founded by former WSU graduate students. Protium is planning to use light-weight polymers instead of metal for the tanks, which will save weight, reduce time to fill the tank, and increase flight time relative to gaseous storage or traditional battery solutions.
“Every pound you can reduce in the tank’s weight means an extra pound of fuel the UAV can carry to stay in the air longer,” said Ian Richardson, co-founder of Protium.
Richardson’s team will have the liners for the tank 3D-printed to ensure optimal insulation.
“WSU is one of the few places in the country where we can test polymers at very low temperatures,” Richardson said.
More than a dozen WSU undergraduate students are working with Leachman and Richardson on the project this summer.
Part of the project will involve building a hydrogen liquefier – roughly the size of a small shipping container – that can be housed on a ship, military base, or remote fire station from where the UAVs could take off for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Advances in cryogenic refrigeration technology and electrolysis have recently made it possible to create a compact hydrogen refueling system, according to Leachman.
“We want to make the system small enough to be conveniently transportable by aircraft and to be useful in a military theater of operations,” he said.
Apart from their military uses, liquid hydrogen refueling systems have numerous commercial applications in agriculture, transportation and the material handling industry, said Richardson.
The liquid hydrogen-powered UAV will begin test flights this winter. The grant provides funds to build an outdoor facility for testing liquid hydrogen fuel transfers. The facility will be constructed on the WSU-Pullman campus. (Source: UAS VISION)
22 Jul 19. Iran Army Unveils Mohajer 6. The Ground forces of Iranian Army unveiled brand new drone capable of detecting, intercepting and targeting the threats on missions inside or outside airspace, Commander of specialized drone manufacturing unit of the Army said last week.
The totally indigenously made Mohajer 6 was made in cooperation with the Army, the Ministry of Defense, Quds Aviation Industries, said Brigadier General Shahram Hassannejad. He added that Mohajer 6 is capable of carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance missions with a high precision. Among other features of the drone are the ability of carrying precision-guided projectiles, the ability of conducting operations in various weather conditions, and the ability to be use in different geographical locations, he said. It also enjoys a 3D photogrammetry system, the commander added. (Source: UAS VISION/Islamic Republic News Agency)
22 Jul 19. Turkey’s Bayraktar Achieves 27-Hour Flight in Kuwait. Turkey’s indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2) has achieved another significant success and set a new record in Turkish aviation by flying uninterruptedly for 27 hours and 3 minutes in tough geographical and climatic conditions such as high temperatures and sand storms, raising its previous 24-hour and 34-minute endurance record.
A statement released yesterday by Baykar Makina, manufacturer of the leading unmanned air system Bayraktar TB2, said the record came during national armed drone participation in a demo flight in Kuwait.
The Bayraktar TB2 is one of the world’s best-armed UAVs, considering its capabilities and performance in Turkey’s counterterror operations. The drone was first delivered for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2014 and upgraded with armament for the first time in 2015. It is currently used by the Gendarmerie General Command, the General Directorate of Security Forces and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in their operations.
Traveled around Kuwait four times
The drone took off from the runway in Kuwait on Tuesday, July 16 at 5:05 p.m. for its historic flight at an altitude of 17,000 feet in the presence of military delegations. Despite harsh weather conditions such as sand storms, high temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius and turbulence, the historic flight was completed with a successful landing on Wednesday, July 17 at 8:08 p.m. In 2014, the Bayraktar TB2 became the national aircraft with the longest endurance in Turkish aviation history, flying for 24 hours and 34 minutes straight.
Despite the 40 knots blowing wind and turbulence during the takeoff and landing of test and demo performance, the flights were successfully carried out. The national armed UAV covered a 4,000-kilometer range during the historic flight. In this way, the Bayraktar TB2 traveled around Kuwait four times: 961 kilometers of land and sea borders during the record flight.
110,000 flight hours completed
Turkish security forces have been deploying 86 armed Bayraktar TB2 in their military operations at home and abroad since 2014. The Turkish military deployed the Bayraktar TB2 in Operations Hendek (Trench), Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch, helping experts achieve operational goals before the planned period and reducing casualties. Baykar Makina’s armed drone performed more than 90 percent of all the aerial operations, flying over 5,300 hours.
The Bayraktar TB2 is now playing an important role in the ongoing Operation Claw, launched on May 27 against the PKK terror group in northern Iraq, as well as in critical tasks in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean as part of Navy Command. Bayraktar TB2s have so far left behind 110,000 flight hours.
With its advanced electronics, software, aerodynamics, design, submain systems, as well as flight automation and performance, the Bayraktar TB2 stands out as one of the most advanced UAV systems in its class.
Performing active reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence flights, the Bayraktar TB2 has the ability to transmit images to operation centers without delay and engage targets.
Invited by the State of Kuwait for a demo flight, the Bayraktar TB2 is competing with the best countries in the world in this field. The national armed UAV, the first advanced aircraft to be exported in the history of the republic, is closely followed by the world aviation and defense industry. Under agreements, Bayraktar TB2s were exported to Ukraine, which has a 100-year history in aviation and produces the world’s largest aircraft, and then to Qatar. Negotiations continue with other countries interested in the national armed UAV.
In January, Bayraktar signed an agreement with Ukrainian company Ukrspetsproject for the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar TB2s for the Ukrainian army. Bayraktar also signed a deal with Qatar to sell six drones for Qatari forces in March 2018.
The Bayraktar TB2, which has a fully autonomous taxi, takeoff, normal cruising and landing capability with three redundant avionics systems and sensor fusion architecture, can carry 4 MAM-L and MAM-C missiles produced by leading defense contractor Roketsan on its wings.
Featuring precise targeting with the built-in laser marker, the national armed UAV offers a fast “see-and-shoot” all-in-one solution to prevent possible damage to areas close to the target. With these features, Turkey stands out as one of the six countries producing its own armed UAV and ammunition in the world.
The national armed UAV, which has a 93 percent local content ratio, provides reconnaissance, continuous aerial surveillance, target detection and destruction.
In the meantime, Baykar Makina is currently developing a two-engine armed drone called Akıncı, which is dubbed “the flying fish” given its shape and will start test flights soon. The Akıncı armed drone will be equipped with a domestically developed sightline and satellite communication system, electronic support pod, multipurpose air radar, synthetic aperture radar and meteorological radar. The platform will operate with various ammunition configurations.
The Akıncı system can reach an altitude of 40,000 feet and has the capability of flying for 24 hours straight. It has a capacity of useful load of up to 350 kilograms. With these features, Akıncı can perform some of the duties of fighter jets.
The company engages in engineering operations in five main areas, including electronics, software, communication systems and design of air vehicles, with a team of young engineers. The domestically developed UAVs are manufactured at Baykar’s facility in Istanbul. (Source: UAS VISION/Daily Sabah)
23 Jul 19. The Maritime Safety Directorate of the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia issued the first mobilization request to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) for CAMCOPTER® S-100 maritime surveillance services.
Starting in the summer of 2019, the service provision for Croatia will assist in maritime Coast Guard functions such as search and rescue, monitoring and surveillance, ship and port security, vessel traffic, environmental protection and response, ship casualty assistance, as well as accident and disaster response. For these purposes, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) will be based on the island of Brač and will carry out regular patrolling flights, on-demand incident monitoring missions and specific inspection operations. The S-100 will execute these tasks equipped with an L3 Wescam Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch payload and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.
EMSA awarded the multi-year maritime surveillance contract for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to Schiebel in November 2018. In execution of this contract, Schiebel will provide simultaneous maritime surveillance services to several European Union (EU) member states and EU bodies.
“The CAMCOPTER® S-100 is the perfect Vertical Takeoff and Landing UAS to perform these Coast Guard functions,” notes Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group. “Backed by an impressive service record in the maritime domain, the S-100 has established itself as the best choice whenever sophisticated maritime surveillance is required.”
24 Jul 19. BAE Systems has successfully completed a series of trials on a ‘first of its kind’ autonomous boat that will allow navies to go beyond the limits of human endurance with unmanned vessels that can travel further, for longer and to more inhospitable environments.
The autonomous Pacific 950 Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) demonstrator has been used to develop and prove innovative technologies which have the potential to make naval missions faster, easier and safer, taking the relationship between human and machine to new territories.
Developed alongside industry experts from L3Harris and MSI Defence Systems, the P950 is equipped with automated navigational decision-making technologies, freeing up operators to focus on mission critical information from afar. To enhance the capability of existing warships, the technology has been designed to be retrofitted to existing RIBs, such as BAE Systems’ Pacific 24, which is currently in service with the Royal Navy across its surface fleet.
The vessel can operate for up to 10 days at ‘patrol speed’ or 300 nautical miles in pursuit mode, reaching speeds of up to 45 knots, whilst either being remote controlled or on a semi-autonomous mission. Trials conducted by BAE Systems have shown how the technology provides a unique ability to undertake complex, multi-phase missions and support advanced dynamic tasking, whilst providing enhanced situational awareness to support faster and more effective decision-making by naval operators.
It has potential applications across a range of missions, including anti-piracy operations, border control, persistent intelligence gathering, maritime security and force protection. The use of autonomous vessels in high-risk areas would allow operations to be conducted without endangering sailors.
Mike Woods, Chief Technologist for BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, said: “This technology represents a huge step forward in the interaction between human and machine, combining sophisticated autonomous technology with human capabilities to overcome many of the challenges faced in difficult conditions at sea. The boat keeps sailors out of harm’s way whilst allowing them to respond to the increasingly varied, often unpredictable scenarios they face every day, and aids faster decision making in complex and ambiguous situations.”
Precision delivery
The boat has pre-programmed intelligent behaviours to position itself appropriately in relation to a potential threat. Its weapons system, developed by MSI Defence Systems with BAE Systems, remains firmly under a human operator’s control, ensuring that whilst the vessel can operate and navigate autonomously, there will always be a highly-trained operator in the loop, making the final decision on engagement and targeting.
Proving the technology
First introduced on an experimental basis in 2015 and trialled as part of the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise in 2016, the work now completed, in collaboration with the UK Ministry of Defence, has evolved the technology on the P950 demonstrator to an advanced state of readiness. Further work will be conducted by BAE Systems in coming months to prove the technology can be integrated with existing naval ship combat management systems. The RIB will also undertake further trials, including participation in NATO Exercise REPMUS, to be held in Portugal later this year.
Mr Woods added: “For the past four years we have been working in collaboration to develop this ‘first of its kind’ technology. We are proud to have matured autonomous maritime technology significantly, positioning the UK as a forward thinker in this unique space and providing a crucial advantage where it counts.”
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The British Robotics Seed Fund is the first SEIS-qualifying investment fund specialising in UK-based robotics businesses. The focus of the fund is to deliver superior returns to investors by making targeted investments in a mixed basket of the most innovative and disruptive businesses that are exploiting the new generation of robotics technologies in defence and other sector applications.
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www.britbots.com/fund
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