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25 Oct 24. Czech & Ukraine Firms Develop New Jet Engine for Drones. Czech company PBS Group, in collaboration with Ukrainian firm Ivchenko Progress, has developed the AL-PBS-350, a powerful jet engine designed specifically for unmanned aerial vehicles.
In cooperation with the Ukrainian company Ivchenko Progress, PBS jointly developed a new type of powerful jet engine AI-PBS-350 for unmanned aerial vehicles, which are essential for modern military operations. The supply of engines significantly improves the Ukrainian military’s ability to operate with modern unmanned systems. Supporting Ukraine is one of the priorities for PBS GROUP, the company said in an official statement.
PBS and Ukraine’s Ivchenko-Progress signed agreement to develop the AI-PBS-350 engine to power UAVs and cruise missiles in June 2023.
The AI-PBS-350 jet engine has the following declared characteristics: it delivers a maximum thrust of 3,400 N (765.76 lbf) and weighs 51 kg. The engine has an outer diameter of 298 mm and a length of 706 mm, with an electrical power output of 5.0 kW.
Looking ahead, PBS Group plans to increase jet engine production capacity by 2025, with production expected to grow by nearly 300% between 2023 and 2024. Expansion is planned for both Czech facilities and international branches in the U.S. and India.
Recently, PBS Group defended against a major cyberattack with assistance from Czech intelligence services. These attacks are believed to be part of an effort to destabilize the company’s cooperation with Ukraine. Despite the cyber and media attacks, PBS Group remains committed to supporting Ukraine. These efforts are crucial, and we are fully capable of defending ourselves while continuing our mission, PBS Group Executive Director Pavel Čechal.
PBS Group, led by its owner William Didden, recently completed a U.S. security clearance process, which included compliance checks on trade sanctions and technical abilities, due to its involvement with Lockheed Martin. Following the clearance, the company secured a U.S. government contract and is now working on technologies, such as 3D printing, for Lockheed Martin. (Source: UAS VISION/Defense Mirror)
25 Oct 24. Russia Ready to Start Production of SKAT 350M Advanced UAV. The unmanned aerial system (UAS) SKAT 350M, developed by Izhevsk Aviation Plant LLC (IAZ)—a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group—has been officially entered into the register of products manufactured in the Russian Federation.
This major step, achieved under Government Resolution No. 719 of July 17, 2015, allows the SKAT 350M to participate in public tenders and execute government orders, marking progress for Russia’s domestic drone industry.
The expert report confirming the system’s compliance with the requirements to be recognized as a product manufactured in Russia was issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Udmurt Republic.
The SKAT 350M is designed for a variety of missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially electronic warfare support. It is believed to be equipped with advanced avionics, sophisticated communication systems, and offers payload versatility to meet various operational requirements. The drone likely has an extended operational range, allowing it to cover vast distances for intelligence-gathering missions.
The inclusion of the SKAT 350M in the official register has several strategic implications. For the Russian military, it is an opportunity to integrate a high-performance domestic drone, enhancing situational awareness and operational effectiveness on the ground. For the Izhevsk Aviation Plant and the Kalashnikov Group, it paves the way for increased revenues through government contracts and greater investment in research and development. This approach also supports Russia’s objective of strengthening its technological independence by reducing reliance on foreign technologies and promoting domestic innovation in critical defense sectors.
The Izhevsk Aviation Plant has a long history in aircraft manufacturing and has recently focused on developing unmanned systems. As an integral part of the Kalashnikov Group—the largest Russian producer of automatic weapons and precision munitions—the plant benefits from extensive expertise and substantial resources in defense technology development.
The adoption of drones such as the SKAT 350M reflects a global trend toward the use of unmanned systems in military applications. Drones offer several advantages, including reducing risks to human pilots in hostile environments, increased economic efficiency over their operational life cycle compared to manned aircraft, and great versatility due to the ability to equip different sensors and payloads suited to various missions.
Government Resolution No. 719, issued on July 17, 2015, establishes the criteria for classifying products as manufactured in the Russian Federation. Compliance with this resolution is essential for manufacturers wishing to participate in government procurement processes. The inclusion of the SKAT 350M under this resolution attests to its adherence to national production standards.
The entry of the SKAT 350M into the Russian register of domestically manufactured products is an important step. It demonstrates Russia’s commitment to improving its military capabilities through indigenous technologies. Of course, this drone will very likely be sent to Ukraine, where massive use will allow us to determine its quality and real impact on the battlefield; it also remains to be seen whether Russia will be able to produce this drone in substantial numbers. (Source: UAS VISION/Army Recognition)
24 Oct 24. Chinese company unveils ‘large’ cargo UAV. The China-based Air White Whale aviation startup has rolled out its W5000 cargo-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). (Air White Whale/Janes)
A Chinese aviation startup has announced the roll-out of a new cargo-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which the company describes as the largest transport UAV in the country.
The W5000 is a product of Air White Whale, a company based in Changzhou, eastern China. The aircraft was unveiled on 22 October at the company’s Changzhou production factory. According to Air White Whale, the W5000 is a twin-turboprop aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 10.8 tonnes, a payload capacity of five tonnes, and an inner cargo space of more than 65 m3.
The UAV is about 22.9 m long and has a wingspan of 22.7 m, the company said. Specifications previously published by the company show the UAV is being developed to achieve a range of 2,600 km and a cruising speed of 526 kt and operate at a maximum service ceiling of 6,000 m.
The company said it has applied for an airworthiness certification for the W5000 from China’s Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The first model is expected to be delivered to its user in 2026, the company told state-owned media.
According to Chinese media reports, Air White Whale announced that the W5000 received CNY120 million (USD16 million) during a Series-A funding round in June 2024. It will use the funding to conduct ground-based testing and building assembly capacity while further developing the W5000 prototype, the company added.
The company has previously said the W5000 project was launched in 2021. Images released on Chinese social media in 2023 show the company using a scaled-down model of the W5000 for initial flight-testing.
(Source: Janes)
24 Oct. 24. Russia has Developed Drone Dropping System for PFM-1 Land Mine. Russian forces in Ukraine have started using drones that have received the PFM-1 anti-personnel mine dropping system.
A photo of such a Russian drone was shown by radio technology specialist Serhiy Flesh. The DJI Mavic 3 drone was equipped with the anti-personnel mine drop system, which is now capable of dropping at least 4 PFM-1 mines.
The cassette contains pairs of PFM-1 mines, which are arranged in pairs when they are fired. They will not explode for about 5 minutes after being fired because of the retarder. Then, in the fired state, they need to be pressed with a weight of 5 kg or more to detonate.
Mines can be dropped on the paths of light vehicles. When detonated, they will puncture the wheels of the vehicle.
The Lepestok mine is available in two versions: PFM-1 and PFM-1S. The first version of the mine does not have a self-deactivation device, the second is equipped with a device that ensures the mine’s self-deactivation by detonation after 1-40 hours from the moment of installation.
The mine’s construction is predominantly plastic, with the only metal part being a small aluminum fuse between the two wings.The mine can only be placed in the ground by remote mining equipment. It is only 61 mm long and only 20 mm wide at the widest part.
A person can be injured by a mine explosion by damaging the lower part of the leg. The explosion occurs when a person steps on the mine. The total weight of the mine is 75 g, of which 37 g is the explosive itself.
(Source: UAS VISION/MILITARNYI)
23 Oct 24. Northern Plains UAS Test Site Implementing Project ULTRA Flights for Defense Readiness.
Since it was formed, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) has been a critical partner in Project ULTRA, a multi-entity collaboration that is bolstering the Department of Defense’s (DoD) capabilities within the National Airspace System (NAS).
Just months after the public announcement, the NPUASTS has surpassed significant milestones toward accomplishing the announced goals of Project Unmanned Logistics, Traffic, Research and Autonomy (ULTRA), and is planning and implementing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flights to support it.
One major development in Project ULTRA is the use of UAS, or drones, for military cargo transport, with demonstration flights continuing from the May announcement through 2025. Flights carrying payloads of at least 55 pounds will travel more than 60 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base to Cavalier Space Force Station and back.
“We have already led the world in developing drone and counter drone technologies here in North Dakota,” said Senator John Hoeven. “Project ULTRA is the next step, working with private enterprise and leveraging the expertise of our available resources and infrastructure, such as the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, to further our armed services’ missions and readiness.”
The experience and leadership that NPUASTS has in UAS was also a primary reason that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced a formal agreement for the Test Site to use federal radar data to advance beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS operations into the NAS. The NPUASTS is the first participant in the FAA Radar Data Pathfinder program.
In the Project ULTRA collaboration, the NPUASTS is the primary execution arm of the initiative, leveraging the extensive flight testing and research capabilities, that will create better operational efficiency of our country’s armed forces. The project, with the support of Sen. Hoeven, brings together Grand Forks County, GrandSKY, NASA, AFRL, MITRE and other industry leaders in a multi-year effort to secure the nation’s defense.
A task order, issued by the DoD, allocates further resources to facilitate the cargo flights through civilian airspace. The NPUASTS coordinates waivers with the FAA, and provides flight planning and mission profiles.
“The flights are a proof of concept for UAS applications,” said Chris Hewlett, Director at GrandSKY. “Project ULTRA demonstrates the valuable nature of having the region’s unique UAS ecosystem in place.”
The NPUASTS has been leading other defense, commerce and safety initiatives within UAS this year, many of which feed into the key objectives of Project ULTRA, including:
- Assessing how traditional aviation surveillance systems can help expand UAS access, using the FAA Radar Data Pilot Program.
- Helping the State of North Dakota collaborate with Korea Research Association for Unmanned Vehicles (KRAUV), and promoting UAS research and development with a key ally and economic partner.
- Successfully conducting test flights of the Kratos Valkyrie UAS and its Trolley Launch System, using the Test Site’s FAA certificate of authorization (COA).
- Helping the Grand Forks Fire Department obtaining a Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (TBVLOS) waiver, allowing greater emergency response capabilities in extreme situations.
- Having Vantis, powered by the NPUASTS, be accepted by the FAA as the safety mitigation for recurring BVLOS operations, essentially allowing supported repeatable and scalable UAS operations.
Project ULTRA aims to enhance airspace situational awareness and traffic management within the NAS; develop reliable logistical and supply delivery to remote military locations; utilize BVLOS capabilities as service models for DoD installations; integrate Small UAS capabilities to improve quality of life for military personnel and families; and develop Counter UAS technologies to enhance physical security measures at military facilities.
“Through Project ULTRA, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site is helping raise the Department of Defense’s operational capabilities significantly,” said Trevor Woods, Executive Director of NPUASTS. “We are supporting our nation’s defense and pushing the boundaries of unmanned aircraft systems.” (Source: UAS VISION)
23 Oct 24. Saronic unveils latest, largest unmanned vessel, with eye on mass production. The company plans to make “hundreds” of the new drone starting next year, which CEO Dino Mavrookas wants to be available once Navy contracting “catches up.”
Defense tech startup Saronic announced today it is launching its newest autonomous surface vessel, dubbed Corsair, the company’s third and largest unmanned maritime asset aimed at satisfying the Pentagon’s desire for expendable drones produced en masse.
The new unmanned vessel is 24 feet long and, according to the company, can travel 1,000 nautical miles at a top speed of 35 knots with a payload capacity of 1,000 pounds. Saronic also produces 6-foot and 14-foot model vessels that, as company officials describe them, fit the US Navy’s future vision for a hybrid manned/unmanned fleet.
Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and chief executive officer at Saronic, told reporters ahead of the public announcement the company is already planning to manufacture “hundreds” of the new vessel to “meet the demand” the company is predicting, without naming any specific deals.
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“We’re building five prototypes, all of which are currently in development,” he said. “We have done live demonstrations already with end users, and we are moving and ramping into high-rate production and manufacturing as we speak. So, we will be building hundreds and hundreds of Corsairs next year with the ability to scale that into the thousands.”
The startup, which was formed in 2022, has largely focused its efforts on developing and manufacturing unmanned surface vessels implicitly aimed at the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, which seeks to mass produce affordable, unmanned drones that could be deployed in a fight against China.
As Mavrookas described it, Saronic’s advantage in the unmanned vessel market, which has become increasingly saturated in the defense industrial base in recent years, is vertical integration.
“The thing that matters to the Navy … is scale. The first thing that matters is, can you manufacture these at scale in very, very large quantities?” he said. “In order to scale autonomous platforms, you have to be vertically integrated from start to finish. You have to bring the hardware, the software and the manufacturing and production all together under one roof.”
Earlier this year, the Austin, Texas-based firm secured $175m in series B funding in a round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Other firms included 8VC, Caffeinated Capital, Elad Gil and NightDragon.
When pressed by reporters on if the company’s production was getting too far ahead of the Pentagon’s interest, Mavrookas argued investors would not be cutting checks if the demand signals weren’t clear.
“The Navy has to go in this direction. The buying behavior is changing as we speak, and we’re scaling manufacturing and production with [independent research and development] to meet that demand. So, when the contracting catches up, we’re there to meet it,” he said. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
22 Oct 24. Quantum Systems updating Twister and Vector UAVs. Quantum Systems is extending the endurance of its Twister unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from 75 to 90 minutes, Casey Martin, the company’s head of business development, told Janes on 16 October.
Although Twister remains in the prototype stage, Quantum Systems is conducting demonstrations for potential customers with its existing craft. One such demonstration is to take place imminently in Canada, as the company demonstrates Twister for Canadian special operations forces.
A few changes have resulted from prototype testing, said Martin. The company intends to widen Twister’s fuselage slightly to accommodate more equipment and make the tailfin larger to assist with flight stability, particularly during landing.
The company hopes to release the low-rate initial production version of Twister in the second quarter of calendar year 2025, said Martin, starting with five to ten per month and ramping up to as many as 40 per month. Although the company bid Twister’s inclusion on the US Defense Innovation Unit’s recent Blue List update – the document defines which small UAVs US Department of Defense organisations can purchase off-the-shelf without burdensome additional testing – it was not selected.
Twister was unveiled in 2023. The small UAV has a 4.1 ft (1.2 m) wingspan and weighs 5.5 lb (2.5 kg), including a 350 g payload.
Meanwhile, the company is also working on Vector, which was unveiled in 2019 and has several customers, including Germany and the Netherlands.
One such customer is Ukraine, where at least 300 Vectors have been delivered. Quantum Systems is learning lessons from operations in Ukraine, which the company is rolling into upgrades, said Martin. The next Vector configuration is called R24. (Source: Janes)
17 Oct 24. US Army picking 2 cargo drones to pair with autonomous boats for Project Convergence 2025.
“We’re going to have to figure out how to resupply dispersed formations,” Brig. Gen. Shane Upton, the director for the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team, told Breaking Defense on Tuesday.
Cargo aerial drones and autonomous boats will team up at next year’s Project Convergence capstone exercise to help the service flesh out future operating concepts and drive investment decisions, according to a senior Army leader.
“We’re going to have to figure out how to resupply dispersed formations,” Brig. Gen. Shane Upton, the director for the Contested Logistics Cross Functional Team, told Breaking Defense on Tuesday.
“The Pacific, by nature, drives you to that. There’s no other option if you start putting a Multi Domain Task Force lethal firing asset on a remote island chain, I have to resupply them with ammo and we may not be able to fly a traditional C-17 or C-130 in there,” the one-star general added. “The enemy will be like: ‘You’re not using that port because I just shot it up and it’s gone.’”
To evaluate the ever-evolving drone market, the service issued a request for information from industry for their heavy-lift options. Upton said 24 companies came back with options that ranged from flying prototypes to more developmental ideas. Based on that feedback, the Army has now picked two drones to participate in its Project Convergence Capstone 5 event next year, though Upton remained mum on which companies will be flying since they still haven’t been notified.
He did, however, disclose that those heavy-lift drones can ferry roughly 1000 pounds up to 300-400 nautical miles.
The plan now, in part, is to use those two different drones along with autonomous boats, to look at logistics options inside the Pacific theater and other parts of the world.
“It’s looking at using them together. … None of the solutions that we’re going to develop for the Army are going to be just for the Pacific, they’ve got to work in Europe,” Upton said.
“We need to be reminded that the only two wars going on right now are one in CENTCOM or one in EUCOM, not in PACOM,” he later added. “We don’t get to choose at the end of this … we’ve got to have these solutions be usable in all those environments.”
The Army plans to use Project Convergence takeaways on the state of aerial cargo drone tech and weigh that against options like integrating an autonomy stack on CH-47 Chinooks, an option Upton said is “easier said than done.” Price points for both avenues will also be a focal point.
“Some of these autonomous aircraft we’re talking about are a lot cheaper per capita than a Chinook,” Upton said. “If we’re going to do logistics over the shore, you have got to be able to scale it.”
“The money they do give us is a lot of money, but you [have] got to be able to buy things and still scale to the requirement you need. We need smaller, movable boats. We need these drones to be able to move that cargo, and you’re not going to be able to spend $50 m, $60 m or $70 m per drone to do this,” he added. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
21 Oct 24. China Develops Osprey-Like VTOL Drone with 2-Ton Capacity. China has announced the development of a large tiltrotor drone capable of carrying up to 2 tons (4,400 pounds) of payload at a maximum speed of 340 miles (547 kilometers) per hour.
Dubbed the Lanying R6000, the United Aircraft-manufactured drone rolled out of its production facility at the Wuhu United Aircraft Production Workshop in southeastern China for the first time on October 11th.
The maximum take-off weight of Lanying R6000 is 6 tons, the maximum commercial weight is 2 tons, it can carry up to 10 passengers, the maximum range is 4,000 kilometers, the fastest cruising speed is 550 kilometers per hour, and the maximum cruising altitude is 7,620 meters.
Because of the complex and innovative tilt-rotor configuration, the production difficulty of the Lanying R6000 is high and the assembly error tolerance is low. Therefore, United Aircraft arranged it to be assembled in Wuhu United Aircraft, the group’s production and manufacturing headquarters and the main strategic fulcrum in East China.
The reasons for choosing to assemble the Lanying R6000 in Wuhu are far more than that.
“The development of the aviation industry depends on a good industrial ecology, and Wuhu obviously has this condition.” The relevant person in charge of Wuhu United Aircraft said that the complete gathering of upstream and downstream enterprises in Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park can not only reduce R&D, procurement and production costs, but also promote technology iteration and increase technological innovation.
“After ten years of development, Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park has now gathered nearly 200 upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, covering the entire industrial chain including R&D, manufacturing, maintenance, operation, training, logistics, etc. The independent matching rate of key core components of the whole aircraft has reached 100%, basically realizing ‘a domestic general aviation aircraft can be produced without leaving the park’.”
A spokesman for the Wanzhi District Aviation Industrial Center introduced that Wuhu has therefore earned the reputation of “Look at Shanghai for big planes, and look at Wuhu for small planes.”
“Ten years of hard work will test the sword’s edge in one day.” The relevant person in charge of the Wuhu Aerospace (Low-altitude Economy) Special Team said that the city’s aerospace industry has emerged from its cocoon and the low-altitude economy is ready to take off. After ten years of development, Wuhu’s low-altitude economy industry has not only “produced” “fruits” such as the Lanying R6000, but is also moving towards the direction of “being able to manufacture, flying, widely used, and excellent business forms”. (Source: UAS VISION/Wuhu News Network; The Defense Post)
18 Oct 24. Denel launches new rotary wing UAV. As part of its product diversification strategy, Denel Aerospace has announced the launch of a new Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial System (RW-UAS), designed primarily for surveillance, with the ability to provide situational information as well as detailed object or terrain data.
Some years ago Denel approached local universities to take part in the research and development of new generation aircraft: an unmanned helicopter (Prowler) and manned aeroplane (Small African Regional Aircraft – SARA). The Prowler was developed in conjunction with Armscor.
The resulting RW-UAS is day and night operable and is equipped with optical sensors and an optional radar sensor. The standard observation sensors include a thermal imaging camera, high definition colour TV camera, auto tracker, laser rangefinder and designator. The optional radar sensor offers synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imagery as well as ground moving object indicator imagery.
Capable of automatic vertical take-off and landing, the RW-UAS can operate and navigate autonomously, with 10 hours of endurance with the standard payload. With an additional 80 kg payload, the system has a four hour endurance. Maximum take-off weight is 560 kg.
With a fully articulated five-blade main and tail rotor system, Denel notes the system has a low noise profile and can operate from a variety of landing zones, even from the back of a vehicle and vessels, making it competitive in this weight class.
The RW-UAS has an airframe length of 5.9 metres, with a rotor diameter of six metres, and a height of 1.7 metres. It is powered by a 4-cylinder, 4-stroke turbocharged petrol or diesel motor, capable of propelling it to a speed of 200 km/h.
Intended applications include law enforcement, public safety, border patrol, wildlife monitoring, area surveillance, powerline inspection, disaster management, search and rescue, communications relay, and geological surveying.
The aircraft’s flight modes include Autonomous mode, with autopilot control in accordance with a pre-planned flight plan, including auto take-off and landing. Trajectory mode makes use of autopilot, which executes route commands from the Ground Control Station (GCS). A sense and avoid capability is included, along with communications fail mode, which executes an autonomous flight to a predetermined landing point. There is also provision for engine rotor failure, which executes autorotation and an autonomous landing. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
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