Sponsored by The British Robotics Seed Fund
http: www.britbots.com/fund
————————————————————————
27 Sep 23. BAE Systems and Malloy Aeronautics have demonstrated the capabilities of the T-600 heavy lift uncrewed air system (UAS) during a large NATO exercise in Portugal to integrate the very latest maritime technologies across allied forces.
The T-600 is an electric-powered demonstrator aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, can carry a payload of 200kg and can travel at up to 140km/h. It also has a range of up to 80km depending on payload. It is around the size of a small car and is designed to be easily disassembled for transportation. During the multinational exercise, the demonstrator successfully released an inert Sting Ray training variant anti-submarine torpedo during a flight mission at sea for the first time.
The exercise known as REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Uncrewed Systems) involved 15 NATO partners, along with Ireland and Sweden. It provides a safe and controlled area to test concepts, requirements, new and advancing technologies in respect of Maritime Uncrewed Systems.
The T-600 demonstrator is designed to develop, validate and display technologies which may be applied to the T-650, a completely new design of an all-electric heavy lift UAS which will offer rapid reconfiguration capabilities applicable to military, commercial and humanitarian uses. The T-650 will provide significant capabilities in the areas of automated logistics and resupply, casualty evacuation and anti-submarine warfare whilst reducing the environmental impact of our armed forces.
Neil Appleton, Head of Electric Products, BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “In just two years since we launched our collaboration with Malloy, we’ve developed a heavy lift UAS and, working with the UK Royal Navy and Portuguese Navy, have taken part in the latest NATO REPMUS exercise. The demonstration showcased the capability of our T-600 technology demonstrator, carrying an inert Sting Ray torpedo in front of the world’s premier naval forces. It’s a fantastic achievement in our collaboration with Malloy and a sign of our joint ambitions to bring new capabilities to our customers.”
Dave Quick, Head of Underwater Weapons, BAE Systems’ Maritime Services, said: “Our development of Sting Ray Mod 2 is focussed on weapon effectiveness and increasing the ways in which the torpedo can be deployed. We’re extending the breadth of supported platforms and maturing new torpedo deployment mechanisms, including drones, to explore the operational benefits to anti-submarine warfare and anti-torpedo defence.”
Oriol Badia, CEO of Malloy Aeronautics, said: “At Malloy Aeronautics, we are committed to turning concept ideas into real capabilities fast. Our smaller T-150 UAS have been tested and operated for years by the UK MoD and US DoD, but the T-600 has gone from concept to operational demonstrator in record time for a vehicle in this payload class.
“The collaborative success seen at REPMUS adds to the list of promising capabilities being tested with this platform (last-mile resupply and CASEVAC), and proves that modular, multi-mission UAS can reduce the logistics burden and increase operational tempo at a fraction of the cost.”
The T-650 programme sits within FalconWorks, a new centre for advanced and agile research and development within BAE Systems’ Air sector, designed to deliver a range of cutting-edge combat air capabilities to the UK and its allies. The demonstration at REPMUS is the result of the engineering expertise of the BAE Systems Air and Maritime Services Sectors collaborating to find new and novel ways to combine emerging technologies, alongside Malloy Aeronautics, L3 Harris and General Dynamics UK, who were all partners in the demonstration.
27 Sep 23. Iran Parades Lines of Drones on Army Day. Iran’s armed forces paraded multiple drones, missiles and other military hardware on September 21st, as the country marked the national Army Day that falls on the anniversary of its 1980s war with Iraq.
During the televised ceremony in Tehran, 16 different types of drones were paraded before President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran’s most senior men in uniform.
According to state media, the unmanned aircraft came from varying generations of Mohajer, Ababil, Amin, Arash, Kaman and Shahed drones. Without specifying, state TV also said one of those drones had the longest range in the world.
Shahed and Arash drones are among the many that Western officials accuse Tehran shipping to Russia, where they are used against Ukraine. Tehran dismisses the charge. While claiming that no such deliveries have been made during the ongoing conflict, Iran does not deny its increasingly close military alliance with Russia either.
In August, the Islamic Republic unveiled its latest domestically produced drone, dubbed Mohajer 10, which it says can fly for 24 hours. (Source: UAS VISION/Al-Monitor)
26 Sep 23. Griffon, Textron advance in Army’s Future Tactical UAS competition. The U.S. Army picked two companies out of a group of four to move on in the Army’s competition to procure a Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, or FTUAS.
Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems were awarded a second agreement to provide prototypes to the Army following the first development phase which began in February, the service confirmed to Defense News.
At the start of the first phase, the Army had originally also included Northrop Grumman, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Aerovironment. It chose to eliminate Aerovironment, the supplier of an interim FTUAS product, in May.
The second agreement period, beginning Sept. 26, will cover the Army’s continued evaluation of the companies’ weapon system designs leading to a Critical Design Review, establishing a final design and initial product baseline.
In the first phase, the Army evaluated submissions against requirements including performance, cost, schedule, risk and whether it had a compliant Modular Open Systems Approach, or MOSA. The phase ended with a preliminary design review.
The Army has long been working to select a FTUAS, meant to replace its Shadow UAS fleet. In 2022, after a roughly four-year competition, the service awarded AeroVironment an $8 m contract to provide its Jump 20 system as an interim FTUAS capability for a single brigade. AeroVironment purchased Jump 20′s developer Arcturus in 2021. An undisclosed number of Jump 20s have been provided through U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.
The service wants its FTUAS to be a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, so it can runway independent. Additionally, the Army wants the system to offer improved maneuverability and the capability to be controlled on the move. Other planned attributes include a reduced transportation and logistics footprint and a quieter system than is offered today to avoid enemy detection.
After completing the CDR, the remaining companies will participate in flight demonstrations and MOSA third-party verification as part of a third phase of competition, the Army said.
Then in later phases, those companies will deliver production representative FTUAS and support equipment for developmental testing and operational demonstrations involving soldiers directly. The systems will go through environmental, electromagnetic environmental effects, transportation and flight testing as well as MOSA and Technical Manual verification, according to the service.
The system the Army ultimately chooses is scheduled to enter full-rate production in the second quarter of FY26, according to plans laid out by the service earlier this year. (Source: Defense News)
25 Sep 23. Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has delivered its first aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base approximately six months ahead of the expected 2024 delivery date. On-base operations with Joby aircraft will be used to demonstrate a range of logistics missions, including cargo and passenger transportation, and will be operated by both Joby and U.S. Air Force personnel. In partnership with the U.S. Air Force, NASA will also use the aircraft for research focused on how these aircraft could fit into the national airspace, benefiting the entire air taxi industry.
Joby’s aircraft, which has already begun flying at Edwards AFB, is the first electric air taxi to be stationed on a U.S. military base and is believed to be the first delivery of an electric air taxi in the U.S., as part of Joby’s $131m AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force. Joby’s current and previously completed work with the Department of Defense represents a total potential contract value of $163m, the largest in the industry.
The Agility Prime contract includes the provisioning of up to nine aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies, reinforcing the U.S. government’s continued leadership in developing and adopting eVTOL technology, and ushering in a new era of electric aviation. A second aircraft is planned to be delivered to Edwards in early 2024.
The aircraft, which was the first built on Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, CA, will be stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for at least the next year, with charging and ground support equipment provided on-base by Joby in a facility purpose-built by the Air Force for joint flight test operations. The U.S. Air Force and Joby will conduct joint flight testing and operations to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities in realistic mission settings. On-base operations will also include the training of Air Force pilots and aircraft maintenance crews, which will provide the DOD with valuable insight into the performance of eVTOL aircraft and will give Joby on-the-ground operational and training experience as the company prepares for the launch of commercial passenger service in 2025.
“We’re proud to join the ranks of revolutionary aircraft that first demonstrated their capabilities at Edwards Air Force Base, including the first American jet fighter, the first supersonic aircraft, and many others that have pushed the boundaries of aviation technology,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
“The longstanding support of the DOD and NASA has been critical to the rapid development of electric aviation and eVTOL aircraft, and demonstrates how successful public-private partnerships can bring new technology to life at speed. Their work will have profound implications for continued American leadership in both commercial and defense aerospace technology,” he added.
Joby’s partnership with the DOD dates back to its 2016 engagement with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which granted the company early funding as well as access to test ranges and expertise that have aided its aircraft development program.
“Agility Prime’s stated objective in 2020 was to work towards an operational capability for transformative vertical lift in the DoD by 2023. The arrival of Joby’s aircraft at Edwards AFB is an important step towards achieving this objective,” said Col Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force.
“The delivery of this first eVTOL aircraft is the start of a new chapter in Edwards’ rich aerospace history,” notes Maj Phillip Woodhull, director, Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force. “This partners private industry with the 412th Test Wing’s world-renowned test management execution. We are excited to agilely test, experiment with, and evaluate this new technology for potential future national defense applications.”
In partnership with the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX program, NASA will also be supporting this testing at Edwards Air Force Base with NASA’s pilots, researchers, and equipment as part of their commitment to advancing the Advanced Air Mobility industry as a whole, for the benefit of all. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is located on Edwards Air Force Base, and has a long history of supporting important technological milestones in aviation and space – supersonic and hypersonic flight, digital fly-by-wire control systems, and the space shuttles.
“NASA’s participation in the Joby and AFWERX project will provide our researchers with hands-on experience with a representative eVTOL vehicle, concentrated on how these types of aircraft could fit into the national airspace for everyday use, that will inform NASA’s effort in supporting the entire eVTOL industry,” said NASA research pilot Wayne Ringelberg. “The research will include a focus on handling qualities evaluation tools, autonomy, and airspace integration, which is all needed research to push the industry forward.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Air Force and Marines have made multiple visits to Joby’s manufacturing and flight test facilities in Marina, CA. Four U.S. Air Force pilots completed full remotely-piloted transition flights of the Joby aircraft in April, and two groups of Marines visited in May to conduct mission analysis regarding potential logistics and medical applications of the aircraft.
With a range of up to 100 miles plus energy reserves and a top speed of 200 mph, the Joby aircraft is capable of transporting a pilot and four passengers quickly and quietly with zero operating emissions.
The delivery will be celebrated at an event held this morning at 10:00am PT at Edwards Air Force Base. The event can be watched live via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qVLQsz_YJc. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
22 Sep 23. Taiwan moves closer to acquiring 160 Turkish-made Jackal drones. Taiwanese company GEOSAT Aerospace and Technology has inked an agreement with British firm Flyby Technology that paves the way for the purchase, technology transfer and production of 160 Turkish-made Jackal drones.
The memorandum of understanding, signed during the Taipei Aerospace Defense Technology Exhibition this month, involves the transfer of technology to the Asia-Pacific region and other geographic areas, according to a GEOSAT news release.
“Based on this, we will further develop and produce a new generation product, 160 JACKAL drones,” the company’s statement said. “UK-based Flyby Technology has agreed to provide payload solutions, testing and production planning for the new 160 JACKALs product and other Flyby authorized products.”
Murat Islioglu, general manager of Turkish business Fly BVLOS Technology, told Defense News the Jackal drone was originally made for civilian use.
“Following our agreement with our U.K. partner Flyby Technology, Jackal is equipped with Thales LMM [Lightweight Multirole Missiles] and has performed the first test-firing with great success. This was a clear demonstration of the multipurpose capability of Jackal,” Islioglu said.
Research and development for the Jackal began in early 2022, Islioglu added, and was designed and manufactured by Turkish engineers. In April 2022, the company signed an agreement with Flyby Technologies to export five drones for $1.25 m. The drone carried out tests with the LMM weapon in October 2022.
“Just a few months after the export agreement with the British company, we signed an agreement with Taiwan UAV Technology Center to exchange know-how and open an office in Taiwan. This agreement paved the way for future collaborations,” the manager said.
He added that Flyby Technologies has purchased the intellectual property rights for the Jackal in July 2023. “Flyby Technology has full rights to manufacture Jackal in the U.K. and export it. However, we made some reservations regarding the export of Jackal in the agreement,” he noted, a possible reference to customers the Turkish government may not want to receive the drone. “But we still provide technical assistance for our partner.”
The details of production, assembly location and timeline will be confirmed in a separate agreement, Islioglu said.
The Jackal is a remotely piloted air system able to land and take off vertically. It has a payload of maximum 15 kilograms (33 pounds) and has an operating range of 130 kilometers (81 miles). The drone can reach a cruise speed of about 108 kph (67 mph) and can reach a top speed of 160 kph (99 mph). It can operate as high as 4,000 meters, and the pilot can control it via satellite communications technology.
Power for the two pairs of rotors and electric fans currently comes from batteries, but production versions are to use a turbogenerator. The maximum takeoff weight is 105 kilograms, which is to increase to 155 kilograms or more with the new propulsion system.
The Jackal has the potential to conduct airstrikes, provide air support, attack helicopters in flight, target tanks, perform logistics missions, and deny the use of runways and roads. Because it is a plug-and-play system, users can integrate other equipment and technologies into the drone. (Source: Defense News)
25 Sep 23. Skydio Launches X10 AI Powered Autonomy Drone for First Responders and Military. Skydio has launched Skydio X10, a drone designed for first responders, infrastructure operators, and the US and allied militaries around the world. It has the sensors to capture every detail of the data that matters and the AI-powered autonomy to put those sensors wherever they are needed.
It packs more capability and versatility in a smaller and easier-to-use package than has ever existed.
This drone is the culmination of everything we’ve learned over the past ten years delivering over 40,000 intelligent flying machines and serving over 1,500 enterprise and government organizations. It’s the first drone that we’ve designed from the ground up with full insight into the needs of our most demanding professional users in some of the most high-stakes scenarios. For the first time, world-class hardware – sensors, modularity, connectivity – is coming together with the autonomy Skydio is known for – taking a huge leap forward thanks to 10x increases in onboard compute power and navigation camera resolution – in an airframe that can go from a backpack to airborne in less than 40 seconds.
X10 fits right into existing drone operating procedures, but it also opens up a future of more scalable operating paradigms: 24×7 operations with NightSense autonomous flight in zero-light environments, fully automated data capture with 3D Scan, flight control by web browser from anywhere in the world via onboard 5G and Remote Flight Deck, and 1-operator-to-many-drone controls. We built these capabilities because we envision a world where drones themselves become basic infrastructure, providing a perfect digital picture in real time of the things that matter most to those who need it.
X10 brings these possibilities to life today. For example:
- Using drones to respond to 911 calls – a concept known as Drone as First Responder or DFR – will have a transformative impact on public safety. X10 is the perfect tool to get started with DFR. The X10 can be launched on scene by officers on patrol, just as they do today, but then taken over and flown remotely, providing real-time aerial support to those on the ground, and enabling agencies that deploy it to start leveraging remote operations.
- Ukraine’s courageous defense against Russia’s invasion has illustrated how critical drones are, but it’s also demonstrated that on a modern battlefield GPS and radio link jamming are the norm. Small, smart, and survivable drones are the antidote. X10D (a model available exclusively for military operators and federal agencies) features a multi-band radio with dynamic frequency selection making it link jamming-resistant, and its visual navigation system means that it can fly fully autonomously without GPS.
- Critical infrastructure operators from State Departments of Transportation to Telecommunications companies to Energy Utilities have started using drones to inspect their assets. X10’s onboard AI and autonomy lowers the training barrier, enabling anyone in the organization to take full advantage of X10’s best-in-class sensors to detect everything from a 0.1mm crack in concrete to a failed solar cell via thermal inspection.
As drones have become increasingly important for critical industries, it’s also become increasingly clear that we can’t rely on systems beholden to the policies of foreign adversaries. Skydio started investing in US-based manufacturing capacity in 2016 at a time when many had written off the possibility of a US-drone company, let alone one manufacturing in the US. We’re proud to be building X10s at our 37,000-square-foot Hayward, CA facility, and we are confident that X10 answers the question of whether a US company can deliver. Organizations adopting X10 will be taking a significant step forward in capability, toward the future of the industry, while also taking a big step forward in security.
Today we’re also announcing Skydio Extend – a set of APIs, workflows, and integrations that make Skydio an open platform and deliver end-to-end solutions for customers with partners like Axon, ESRI, and Trimble. (Source: UAS VISION)
25 Sep 23. First Flight in Belgium for the Integrator Drone. Admired by King Philippe during the National Day, the Integrator drone proved its worth on Wednesday September 20 in Elsenborn, during its first demonstration in Belgium. Capable of exceeding 200 km/h, this remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft was exhibited under the gaze of Major General Jean-Pol Baugnée.
The reconnaissance unit, the Bataillon de Chasseurs à Cheval (ISTAR), recently set up its first Integrator platoon. After spending almost eight months training in the Netherlands, it is ready to demonstrate its capabilities on Belgian soil. Horses, once synonymous with speed and maneuverability, have today been replaced by ever more efficient flying machines.
Jewel of technology
To meet the challenges of tomorrow, it is imperative to equip yourself with the most modern tools. The X-300 Integrator UAV is a remotely piloted drone that can travel up to 74 km from its base. With a flight endurance of 20 flight hours and a top speed of 203 km/h, it is capable of carrying out large-scale reconnaissance missions in areas that are otherwise difficult to access.
“Drones are definitely the future,” says Emil, Air Vehicle Operator. “With this capability, we can react quickly and remotely, without putting the pilot in danger. We can support not only military actors, but also civilian actors, such as the police. We will also be able to act effectively in the event of a disaster, such as floods. »
Sensor operator, IMINT, Air vehicle operator, mechanics…
“We aim to go from one to two Integrator platoons. And we plan to move from Heverlee to Lombardsijde,” adds Emil. “As for the training to join the Integrator platoon, it is mainly provided in the Netherlands, in English, and lasts between 7 and 8 months.”
Each platoon consists of three Air Vehicle Operators, three IMINT (Image Analysts, the person who analyzes the data collected), two Sensor Operators (people in charge of the camera), a mission manager and of course a platoon leader. “If you are motivated and ready to move forward, we will welcome you with open arms,” concludes Emil with a smile.
New capability
With the Integrator, Belgian Defense is therefore acquiring a new capability, strengthening its system in the face of current threats. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: defense-aerospace.com/ Defense News)
————————————————————————-
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.
Automation and robotisation are beginning to drive significant productivity improvements in the global economy heralding a new industrial revolution. The fund allows investors to benefit from this exciting opportunity, whilst also delivering the extremely attractive tax reliefs offered by the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). For many private investors, the amount of specialist knowledge required to assess investments in robotics is not practical and hence investing through a fund structure makes good sense.
The fund appoints expert mentors to work with each investee company to further maximise the chance of success for investors. Further details are available on request.
www.britbots.com/fund
————————————————————————