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Oct 10 24. Anduril Unveils Bolt & Bolt-M. 10. Today, Anduril is unveiling the Bolt family of man-packable, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Autonomous Air Vehicles (AAVs) that delivers simple and flexible capability for a variety of missions. Bolt, the base configuration, is designed for man-packable ISR and search and rescue. Bolt-M, the munition variant of Bolt, is designed to arm any ground force with lethal precision firepower, leveraging onboard software to automate the flight behaviors required to accurately track and strike a target, while providing human operators with four simple decisions: where to look, what to follow, how to engage, and when to strike.
Modern conflicts have demonstrated how lightweight, man-portable tactical loitering munitions can provide asymmetric advantage to dismounted forces by leveraging readily-available commercial drone technology to reduce costs and increase production capacity. While effective, first-person view (FPV) drones require highly-skilled pilots to successfully find and strike targets, placing a significant cognitive burden on operators and creating a need for highly-specialized training. Modern ground forces need large numbers of low-cost, lightweight, man portable, and reliable loitering munitions that are capable of delivering outsized performance without requiring specialized operators.
That is precisely what Bolt-M delivers. Designed for ease of operation and rapid deployment in a man-portable package, Bolt-M offers autonomous waypoint navigation and target-agnostic object tracking, customizable standoff distances and engagement modalities, and more than 40 minutes of endurance and 20 kilometers of range to extend the reach of dismounted forces. And, with up to three pounds of munition payload capacity, Bolt-M delivers devastating effects against static or moving ground-based targets, including light vehicles, dismounted personnel, trenches, and more. (Source: ASD Network)
10 Oct 24. Anduril debuts new ‘Bolt’ quadcopter for sensing, strike missions.
“We’re not just kind of rolling this out of the lab for the first time,” said Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose. “This has been something that customers have seen and evaluated and tested and used.”
Defense tech startup Anduril Industries today continued its streak of new product launches, unveiling a vertical takeoff and landing quadcopter dubbed “Bolt” that’s already on order with the Marine Corps.
Weighing roughly 12 to 15 pounds depending on configuration, the small, portable drone can be launched by hand and fly roughly 20 kilometers, with an endurance of over 40 minutes, according to Anduril. The base Bolt configuration can conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions or search and rescue, while the armed Bolt-M can deliver an explosive payload of up to three pounds.
“We’re not just kind of rolling this out of the lab for the first time,” Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose told reporters Wednesday ahead of the announcement. “This has been something that customers have seen and evaluated and tested and used.”
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The Bolt is specifically on contract for the Marine Corps’s Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program, being one of a “handful” of systems under evaluation by the service, Brose said. He added that the Bolt will be tested over the next six months to inform a potential acquisition and fielding in fiscal year 2025.
Regardless of the outcome for OPF-L, Anduril believes that “[t]here are multiple global military organizations and programs where Bolt-M is aligned to existing requirements, and we expect the number of relevant programs and opportunities to increase significantly in the coming years,” the company told Breaking Defense. “In round numbers,” Anduril says that “typical Bolt configurations are in the low tens of thousands of dollars,” though that largely depends on payloads and configurations.
Additionally, pointing to the proliferation of relatively cheap, commercially-derived first-person drones in modern conflicts, Anduril argues that Bolt helps fill the US’s need for similar weapons with the help of the company’s Lattice software. The Bolt quadcopter can fly autonomously and be operated manually in GPS-denied environments, Anduril says, with features like customizable engagements.
When in data collection mode, the platform can share information across Anduril’s other platforms and those belonging to third-party vendors to enhance awareness of the battlespace, according to the company. And if an operator using the Bolt-M configuration decides to strike, the weapon can guide itself to the target even if it loses connection with the operator. The Bolt-M can also fly back if an operator decides against attacking a target.
“What we are doing with Lattice is deliver[ing] as much autonomy across that entire kill chain to put that human being on the loop so that they can make better decisions faster,” Brose said. “It’s the processing and fusing of sensor data that’s coming off of those sensors or those vehicles, whether Anduril will build them or others do. It’s the actual orchestration of those systems.”
10 Oct 24. Airbus Helicopters and its partners have conducted a full scale demonstration of a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system developed as part of a project funded by the European Union and code-named MUSHER. The demonstration took place in France and Italy from 30 September to 9 October and involved multiple manned helicopters and unmanned systems connected to a single MUM-T network.
“Operating helicopters and unmanned aerial systems in concert provides valuable additional mission capabilities such as increased situational awareness with UAS sharing video in real time for improved decision-making, all while preserving critical assets and resources,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The success of the MUSHER demonstration is a major step forward for our ambition at Airbus which is to field MUM-T capabilities by bringing European industrial know-how together for the benefit of military and civil customers,” he added.
The experiment was led by Airbus, which deployed the H130 FlightLab as a manned platform and the VSR700 unmanned aerial system (UAS) on a DGA test range. Meanwhile, Leonardo performed the demonstration with a helicopter and an optionally piloted vehicle. Thales, coordinator of the MUSHER project, provided a supervision station and a mission debriefing station. Space Applications Services was in charge of the mission preparation station. Indra led simulation activities in preparation for the demonstration, while ONERA provided studies on crew workload.
The MUSHER demonstration consisted of various scenarios involving the different aircraft flying simultaneously in France and in Italy. The missions were based on concepts of operations defined by the ministries of defense of France, Italy and Spain. One scenario, for example, showcased UAS and manned helicopters for an anti-piracy mission. The UAS was initially conducting a surveillance mission. Once it spotted suspicious activity on a boat, the manned helicopter joined the scene and took full control of the UAS in preparation for an intervention.
The in-flight testing aimed at demonstrating levels of interoperability (LOI) 2 to 4, from direct receipt of UAS data by the manned helicopters and the ground station, to the control and monitoring of the UAS from the helicopters. The demonstration also served to prove that manned helicopters and UAS from different companies and different countries, operating in distant areas, could be integrated within a single MUM-T system.
MUSHER is a project launched in the frame of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) launched by the European Commission in December 2021. The project aims at developing a generic European MUM-T system that can operate robustly in multiple environments (civil, military or mixed), whilst reducing the crew’s workload and delivering maximum capacity in operation.
10 Oct 24. Steadicopter Unveils Golden Eagle RUAS Carrying Spike Missiles. Steadicopter has announced the unveiling of the Golden Eagle HS (Heavy Strike) Rotary Unmanned Aerial System for heavy strike capabilities in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. This collaboration expands the Golden Eagle family capabilities, adding a new attack capability dimension, expanding the system’s operational versatility and reinforcing its proven performance.
The Golden Eagle HS integrates Rafael’s powerful Spike missiles for precision heavy strike missions in tactical operations and close air support missions including border protection, perimeter security, urban warfare, in open area battlefields, ensuring battlespace dominance and maintaining significant deterrence.
The Golden Eagle HS provides rapid and pinpoint accuracy strike capabilities at stand-off range against evolving high-value threats even in dynamic and congested environments. By leveraging maneuverability and mission efficiency, ground forces can operate from safe, stand-off positions day and night, against both stationary and moving targets. When mounted on a tactical RUAV, the powerful spike missile allows for more versatile, longer range, ground attack angles, maximizing firepower output while reducing the risk to infantry, marine corps, special forces, and other tactical ground units.
Equipped with advanced Spike missiles, known for their precision guidance and/or fire-and-forget capabilities and high-explosive warheads, the Golden Eagle HS offers enhanced lethality in a small, low signatures platform while covering vast operational areas of interest, expanding the power, versatility and strategic utilization of assault units. The Golden Eagle HS platforms can be operated in tandem formations, with each RUAV carrying its own missile, ensuring mission continuity even if some units are compromised. This approach enhances operational effectiveness by distributing targets and maintaining strike capability against multiple objectives. With a total takeoff weight of 50 kilograms the Golden Eagle HS can be equipped with Rafael Spike missiles, SR missile for a range of 2.5 kilometers and the LR2 for a range of 5.5 kilometers, enabling real-time mission versatility and immediate sensor-to-shooter capability at significantly large operational radiuses.
The system’s advanced sensor suite, featuring a high-definition day/night EO/IR payload and target tracker, optionally integrated with SightX’s AI advanced technology, ensures seamless target acquisition, tracking, and classification, even in adverse weather conditions and complex terrain. Thus, the system enables an individualized ID per object, ensuring continuous tracking with temporary obstructions or loss of sight within the field of view, and autonomously distinguishing between various targets, whether moving or stationary, human or vehicle-based. This real-time situational awareness empowers ground forces with actionable intelligence, enabling informed decision-making and rapid response capabilities.
“It is a privilege to lead Steadicopter’s exceptional team in the achievement of another significant milestone. The introduction of the Golden Eagle HS, in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. -a global leader in missile technology -represents a modern, tactical solution that meets today’s critical operational demands with unmatched precision and standoff strike capability, without causing collateral damage, while keeping the troops out of harm’s way. This partnership blends Steadicopter’s cutting-edge RUAV technologies with Rafael’s decades of defense expertise, resulting in a solution that is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Itai Toren, CEO of Steadicopter.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Steadicopter in advancing the future of combat, where modern warfare demands innovative and advanced solutions,” A senior Rafael official noted: “This collaboration provides a cutting-edge, standoff warfighting RUAV that may very much reshape modern battlefield and will enable existing and new Spike missile users to utilize them in a new tactical, versatile, and lethal way. (Source: UAS VISION)
08 Oct 24. Naval Group launches robotic boat featuring lessons from Ukraine. Naval Group subsidiary Sirehna has launched an unmanned surface vessel that incorporates lessons learned from Ukraine’s deployment of robotic boats against Russian targets in the Black Sea, according to company officials.
The craft, measuring just under 10 meters in length, is named the Seaquest S and has an endurance of 24 hours. Sirehna plans to offer the vessel optimized for surveillance, electronic-warfare, strike and anti-submarine missions, executives said here during a press trip ahead of the Euronaval naval confab in Paris next month.
Speaking about some lessons Naval Group has taken from Ukraine’s widespread use of naval drones, Pierre-Antoine Fliche, head of drones and autonomous systems product lines, highlighted the speed at which these types of systems need to be upgraded.
“One of the things we’ve learned is the cycle of development in Ukraine, where they go from one version to another every six months, and it’s not only because they are super fast but also because the adversary puts up defenses,” Fliche told Defense News. “That is one of the reasons we purposely built the SeaQuest as a highly modular platform and that we want to develop machine tactics with end-users because we know they will evolve on a six- to nine-month cycle.”
USV technologies have grown increasingly sophisticated, and Ukrainian forces have used a multitude of different systems, most recently arming them with multiple-launch rocket systems, to strike a greater number of small surface, air and coastal targets.
In May, the Ukrainian intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the country has relied on them to a greater extent recently due to their consistent effectiveness.
“This equipment works — that’s the important thing, it gives results … a third of the destroyed combat potential of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is the most decent indicator,” Budanov said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to Naval Group, SeaQuest is currently the only small USV designed to be able to embark onboard frigates and warships.
While the naval drone, which is undergoing sea trials in France, does not yet possess swarming capabilities, Fliche said those could be added later.
Ukrainian officials have predicted that as these types of robotic maritime platforms undergo improvements, they are poised to dominate conventional combat vessels in the future, at least in closed or semi-closed water bodies. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
09 Oct 24. Cuashub.com said today that Russia is adding new drone models to complement Shaheds. Russian forces have been increasingly deploying “unspecified” drone models in their attacks against Ukraine, alongside the more commonly used Shahed drones. According to Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Acting Head of Communications for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the identification of these drones can only be confirmed after specialists examine wreckage on the ground.
Speaking with Ukrainian media, Ihnat commented on the air battle on the night of October 4-5, when 10 drones disappeared from radar, raising suspicion that they may have been of different, unspecified types. While Shahed drones have been widely used since 2022, they are often neutralised by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
The addition of new drone models could complicate Ukraine’s air defence efforts, as these drones are only identifiable once they crash or are examined after being lost from radar.
Russia has increasingly turned to these cheaper, domestically-produced drones in recent months, following a reported shift from importing Shahed drones from Iran to producing them locally. This change follows a report by the UK Ministry of Defence in August 2023 confirming Russia’s domestic production of Shahed-type drones.
In addition to Shaheds, Russia has also begun using drones made of plywood and plastic foam to act as decoys, aiding in identifying Ukrainian air defence systems. These drones, some equipped with cameras and Ukrainian SIM cards to send footage back to Russia, are designed to locate mobile defence groups and machine guns. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Cherniak highlighted their increasing use to expose air defence locations and film damage caused by Russian strikes.
Ukrainian officials have also identified the use of Gerbera drones, which are produced in three versions: electronic reconnaissance, kamikaze or decoy drones. These low-cost UAVs are reportedly of poor production quality, with some crashing due to technical failures.
The growing use of different drone models highlights Russia’s strategy to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences, with cheaper drones helping to tip the scales in the battle of cost asymmetry.
Ihnat also called on civilians to report any suspicious objects resembling drones, urging them to avoid taking direct action and instead contact law enforcement or military authorities.
https://cuashub.com/en/content/russia-adding-new-drone-models-to-complement-shaheds/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
08 Oct 24. Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle Program Kicks Off As Part of the Rafale F5 Standard. On this day, Sébastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, announced the development launch of the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that will complement the future Rafale F5 standard after 2030.
The announcement was made at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS) at the Saint-Dizier air base, in the presence of General Jérôme Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (AAE), and Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
“This stealth combat drone will contribute to the technological and operational superiority of the French Air Force by 2033. It is significant that it is being initiated today, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Strategic Air Forces and the 90th anniversary of the Air and Space Force: in aeronautics — a highly complex field — the future has deep roots, and innovation is built on experience. Dassault Aviation and its partners are proud to serve the French Armed Forces and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA). Their renewed confidence honours and obliges us,” declared Éric Trappier.
This UAV will be complementary to the Rafale and suited to collaborative combat. It will incorporate stealth technologies, autonomous control (with man-in-the-loop), internal payload capacity, and more. It will be highly versatile and designed to evolve in line with future threats.
It will benefit from the achievements of the nEUROn program, Europe’s first stealth UCAV demonstrator.
The Rafale F5 combined with the UCAV and their evolutions, like the Mirage IV in its times, will ensure France’s independence and capability superiority in the coming decades. (Source: ASD Network)
09 Oct 24. Dedrone’s Network Delivers the Premier Resource for Drone Public Safety Analytics. With the increasing number of drones in our skies, monitoring their behavior and recording flight violations has become crucial for safeguarding public safety. This is especially important as the role of drones in our economy expands and laws regarding their flight are evolving. For example, the FAA is currently adjusting protocols for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, with a new rule expected to be announced toward the end of this year. This decision could significantly increase the number of drones in operation and accelerate their integration into first responder systems, delivery services, and law enforcement protocols.
At Dedrone, we are proud to announce the launch of our Drone Violations Database, now providing the public with a view into our extensive Drone Detection Network – the first of its kind, and the only network with the expanse to protect more than 50% of the US population. This powerful resource offers compelling, up-to-date drone violation insights, allowing the public to track drone activity across the United States and uncover striking trends about drone usage. By leveraging Dedrone’s nationwide network, important patterns emerge, ensuring law enforcement, security officials and the general public have better insights into the skies above. Whether you are a drone enthusiast or a professional in the field, our Violations Database can be a crucial source for up-to-date data and trends in drone operations.
Malicious Drone Incidents Increase Every Year
In 2023, Dedrone detected 1,067,112 drone flight violations. By the end of September 2024, Dedrone had already detected over 900,000 violations, putting the US on pace to see a significant increase in violations this year. Dedrone’s “Monthly Drone Violations” charts demonstrate that incursions are up each month of 2024 when compared to the corresponding month the previous year. In May 2024 alone, there were 23,833 more violations than May 2023. The growing number of flights highlights the expanding role of drones in various industries but is accompanied by a concerning rise in violations.
As the number of drone incidents increases, so should the public safety concern. For example, Dedrone’s network identified 678,095 FAA standard 400 feet violations in 2023, which accounts for 63% of all flight violations last year. The 400-foot flight restriction is an important guideline that aids in preventing collisions with crewed aircraft.
Dedrone Leads the Industry in Drone Detection
With the ability to protect the skies of over 50 of the US’s largest cities, Dedrone dominates the industry with the most expansive drone detection network in the US and acts as the only private database capable of processing detections in real-time. Additionally, Dedrone leverages its extensive DedroneDNA drone protocols library to identify nearly 600 individual drone models from over 150 manufacturers and even DIY drones. Dedrone’s active drone detection and identification capability as well as BVLOS enablement is converging toward Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) capabilities with full awareness of our skies. This information gives our customers the ability to fly drones more safely and also enables State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) agencies to protect over 50% of the US population from drone threats including airports, prisons, power plants, stadiums, and more.
The Facilities at Risk
Nefarious drones are increasingly appearing in restricted airspaces, including correctional facilities, airports, stadiums when Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR’s) are in place, and critical infrastructure. While not all flights that enter restricted airspace have ill intent, their presence needs to be monitored, and they have the potential to pose a serious security threat. For example, drones at correctional facilities can be misused for contraband delivery. A particularly concerning trend highlighted by our findings reveals that over 17% of drone activity near correctional facilities in the US involves Autel drones —a notable increase compared to just 3.7% across North America as a whole. This surge in the use of Autel drones around correctional facilities indicates that some pilots may deliberately opt for harder-to-detect options, pointing to malicious intent.
Drones are also an important consideration in a vastly different realm: entertainment. At professional games or concerts, large crowds could be a target for criminal drone operators; for example, a drone dropping harmless baby powder could still cause panic and consequent injuries. Furthermore, our data shows that illegal drone incursions are becoming more frequent each season. Drone violations and delays are not only inconvenient to viewers but put fans, staff, and players at risk and have been identified as a significant concern by major sports associations and security professionals.
Dedrone’s Role in Airspace Security
As the global leader in airspace security, Dedrone is committed to meeting the complex and evolving demands of the drone industry. Our AI-powered solutions are designed to evolve and learn, providing data-driven insights that empower users to secure their facilities from drone threats.
The launch of our Drone Violations Database is driven by our one-of-a-kind, nationwide drone detection network and is a significant step forward in our mission to enhance airspace security. We envision this resource becoming a go-to tool for the public, law enforcement and other stakeholders. By offering up-to-date access to critical drone data and insights, we aim to foster greater awareness and understanding of drone activities in our skies today through the world’s largest drone detection network, helping to prevent incidents before they occur and ensuring people remain safe.
07 Oct 24. Putin Opens Drone Training College in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a college for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specialists at the Rudnevo industrial park in Moscow, state news agency TASS reported.
The Rudnevo educational centre aims to train approximately 3,000 students annually and comes as Russia is increasingly relying on drone technologies in its war with Ukraine.
The new educational facility, designed to train experts in the production of unmanned aerial systems, aligns with Russia’s recent push to bolster its drone manufacturing capabilities, the Russian report says.
Putin was joined at the opening ceremony by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov.
The 9,100-square metre building houses 21 high-tech workshops and laboratories, reflecting a new concept for developing vocational education in the capital.
Students will have the opportunity to hone their skills in mechanical engineering, electronics, production automation, and UAV manufacturing.
The curriculum covers all stages of drone creation, from body construction to circuit board installation and programming. (Source: UAS VISION/Microsoft Start)
08 Oct 24. Forcys and DRASS to revolutionise underwater operations.
Forcys brings together leading technologies, offering a comprehensive naval and subsea capability to the world defence market
Forcys, a global leader in underwater defence technology, and DRASS, a renowned name in the manufacturing of diving systems and underwater vehicles, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at revolutionising underwater operations.
Forcys integrates and brings to the defence market world-changing solutions from leading technology partners Chelsea Technologies, EIVA, Sonardyne, Voyis, and Wavefront Systems. These companies are renowned for their innovative offerings in underwater and maritime operations, making them ideal partners for DRASS.
Luca Biasci, SDV & LUUV Program Manager at DRASS, emphasizes the significance of this collaboration: “DRASS has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation in the underwater domain. With this partnership, Forcys’ robust portfolio of advanced payload technologies will be integrated with our Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LUUVs), RONDA, expanding our suite of solutions to meet the evolving demands of the underwater sector.”
Under this agreement, Forcys’ advanced underwater vehicle systems and sensor payloads will complement DRASS’ capability to meet the evolving needs of navies.
Antonio J. Belfiore, who leads sales in the Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa (EMEIA) region for Forcys, recently visited DRASS headquarters in Livorno, where the final details of the agreement were ironed out.
“We are thrilled to partner with DRASS, a company that shares our commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Antonio J. Belfiore. “This partnership allows us to combine our expertise and provides customers with state-of-the-art systems that enhance operational capabilities and ensure safety and efficiency in underwater missions.”
Both companies are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the underwater domain, leveraging their combined expertise to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to defence markets worldwide.
Forcys
Forcys is a global maritime defence company. Backed by 50 years of expertise in the underwater domain and an in-house developed
06 Oct. 24. USA and Taiwan Look to Boost Drone Collaboration.
Drone companies from Taiwan and the United States are exploring ways to work together in a market dominated by China, bringing together Taiwanese enterprises and more than two dozen American companies and officials recently in Taipei.
Attacks by swarms of drones have become an almost daily occurrence in Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Kyiv and Moscow using unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to carry out strikes and defend themselves from attacks.
As the threat China poses to Taiwan grows, many see drones playing a crucial role in a potential conflict there as well. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has tasked his troops to be prepared for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.
And with Chinese companies dominating the market and critical resources used in making drones, analysts say it is important for Taiwan and the U.S. to find ways to create a China-free supply chain.
At a drone expo at National Taiwan University in Taipei this week, hundreds of Taiwanese producers met with several officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as the de facto U.S. embassy on the island.
Patrick Mason, the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for defense exports and cooperation, and Andrew Hong, deputy director of the cyber portfolio of the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, spoke at the expo. Mason spoke about
“The Pathway to U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industrial Cooperation” and Hong’s remarks centered on “Defense Innovation with Taiwan.”
For U.S. drone companies, the forum offered the potential to expand business ventures with Taiwan and grow the bilateral trade partnership, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan on Wednesday.
Demand for drone technology in Taiwan is large, especially given China’s drone production prowess. Chinese drone company DJI held 76% of the consumer market for household drones in 2021. These drones have also been deployed on the battlefield in places like Ukraine and Myanmar, a practice that the Chinese government and DJI have condemned.
Hsu Chih-hsiang, an assistant researcher at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, described drones as “combat force-multipliers,” and explained that, even in peacetime, China has already begun sending large drones into Taiwanese territory and even uses small civilian drones to hover in Taiwanese airspace in the Kinmen Islands.
In 2022, former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made the drone industry a development priority in Taiwan. Since then, Taiwan has established the “Drone National Team” program, subsidizing domestic production of these systems.
Taiwanese Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo revealed in mid-September that Taiwan would procure 3,422 units of six types of domestically produced military drones, including mini-drones, before 2028, and that Taiwan would also separately acquire two types of missile-type attack drones, totaling 976 units, before 2026, to enhance precision strikes and anti-armor capabilities.
Wang Shiow-wen, who is also an assistant researcher at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, said American support of Taiwanese drone modernization presents an opportunity for Taiwan to break through barriers in production capacity and ensure the security of the supply chain for drones.
Taiwan’s government has set a goal for domestic manufacturers to produce 15,000 drones per month by 2028. That is three times current production levels, according to Taiwan’s government-funded Central News Agency.
Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said the three most important considerations for the U.S. and Taiwan in the future of drone production without Chinese components are cost, mass production capacity, and the impact that this might have on American and Taiwanese budgets, technology transfer and scientific development.
China strongly opposes collaboration and engagement between Taiwan and the United States, and it was watching the gathering in Taipei closely.
Chinese state media criticized the visit to Taiwan by the delegation of American companies and defense officials, as well as efforts to create a “China-free” drone supply chain.
Liu Heping, a Chinese commentator, said that by attempting to make Taiwan the “democratic drone supply chain center,” the United States and Taiwan were preparing for a “vigorous arms race” with China. (Source: UAS VISION/VOA)
04 Oct 24. Royal Navy controls uncrewed vessels operating more than 10,000 miles away.
- Major military experiments are carried out under the AUKUS partnership between the UK, Australia and the United States.
- Uncrewed systems operating in Australia were controlled by personnel in Portugal 10,000 miles away.
- The aim of the experiments is to bring advanced uncrewed technology to the front line of military operations.
The Royal Navy and allied navies controlled uncrewed vessels operating more than 10,000 miles away in Australia during major experiments in Portugal.
Under the AUKUS defence partnership, the UK, Australia and the United States are working closely together to bring advanced military capabilities to the front-line at ‘an unprecedented pace’.
To that end, the three allies are undertaking a series of experiments – known as Maritime Big Play, with the first completed last month during NATO’s annual tech exercise in Southern Portugal, known as Repmus.
Personnel from the three AUKUS navies remotely controlled vessels in Australia from a command centre in Portugal, carrying out a range of missions.
Together they pushed the boundaries of modern naval warfare, testing a range of uncrewed and autonomous equipment in mock operational scenarios, including dropping payloads from a drone, with the ultimate aim of getting advanced uncrewed technology to those operating on the front line quickly.
The Royal Navy’s Director Develop, Rear Admiral James Parkin, who oversees the Royal Navy’s Autonomy, Lethality, and Innovation accelerator NavyX and leads the teams responsible for developing the technologies and systems of the future Fleet, said: “This year was by far the biggest Exercise Repmus – with the strongest ever Royal Navy contribution to this important event.
“The successes experienced, including proving the ability of all three AUKUS navies to command-and-control vessels on the other side of the world in a tactically realistic scenario, show how close we are to realising our ambition of a genuine team of crewed and uncrewed systems, capable of operating and prevailing everywhere on the planet, from the seabed to space.”
Maritime Big Play included surveillance and reconnaissance using uncrewed systems operating from land and at sea.
Uncrewed Air Systems dropped small bombs to demonstrate how the allies would carry out precision strikes, while they were also used to launch smaller drones as a sort of mothership.
Swarms of uncrewed vehicles worked together to detect, deter and fight off threats under the water, including mines.
The exercise also saw trials by the Royal Navy of the Golden Eagle Puma remotely-piloted aerial system. Nearly double in size compared to the standard Puma, the surveillance and reconnaissance drone has a 15ft wingspan and can stay in the air for up to five hours.
Other key moments saw uncrewed seaboat APAC 24 remotely driven from Royal Navy experimentation ship XV Patrick Blackett building on previous tests conducted in the ship’s home port in Portsmouth.
Later this year, AUKUS nations will bring together approximately 30 systems and deploy them for the first large-scale Maritime Big Play demonstration in the Indo-Pacific.
The exercise will include technologies from companies in each of the three nations, with the participation of over 50 industry, science and academic partners. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
04 Oct 24. Jordan’s drone directorate displays Quantum UAVs. The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) revealed it has a dedicated Unmanned Aircraft Directorate on 1 October when its chief, Major General Yousef Ahmed al-Hunaiti visited the establishment.
The JAF released photographs showing it is located at the compound in Amman that included General Command’s headquarters before they moved to a new site that was inaugurated in January.
In its coverage of the visit, Jordanian television reported that the directorate is responsible for identifying and delivering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that meet the JAF’s requirements, as well as training personnel to operate and maintain them.
The footage showed various types of UAVs being displayed for Maj Gen Hunaiti that included both the Vector and Scorpion models made by the German company Quantum-Systems.
Already in service with several militaries, the Vector uses three electrically powered propellers to take off vertically, which then tilt forward to turn it into a conventional fixed-wing surveillance UAV. The Scorpion uses the same fuselage, controller, datalink, and sensors as the Vector but has non-tilting rotors.
Maj Gen Hunaiti was also shown an AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma, another type that was not previously known to be in service with the JAF, as well as several smaller multicopters, including one that was shown being flown by an operator wearing first-person-view goggles. (Source: Janes)
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SEA;
Our patented Floating Body Armour is unique, versatile and sensibly protects both you and your life jacket, under the soft and hard armour. Designed to be low bulk, it`s massive 275 newtons of buoyancy is self-righting. We say it will “save your life twice”.
Our range of Boat Stopping Systems, provided a layered non-lethal stopping capability against all sizes of vessels, including unmanned threats. So you can stop and search, defeat pirates from boarding, prevent terrorists from getting near your vessel or close off quickly a waterway, port or maritime borders.
AIR;
BCB`s sister company UAVE have been manufacturing since 2013, the Dragon MK3, large, long range (1,000km) long endurance (12hours), versatile and mission-ready UAV. It is proven and operational from the polar regions to 45deg C heat in the Middle East and Asia. The larger of the 3 models, carries 25 kilos payload.
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