At the 2017 Paris Air Show, Textron Systems Unmanned Systems introduced its NIGHTWARDEN Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS), which has a maximum speed of up to 90 knots, an endurance of up to 15 hours and a payload capacity of up to 130 pounds.
With more than 400 hours of flight time under its belt for potential customers, including delegations from the Mideast, the Asia-Pacific region, and from Europe, the NIGHTWARDEN TUAS has undergone thorough internal testing and demonstration efforts.
The NIGHTWARDEN TUAS builds upon the lineage of TUAS that Textron Systems has developed, and according to the company, the NIGHTWARDEN is the “new next-generation platform, representing the production-ready model of the developmental Shadow® M2.”
Business Solutions
Business Solutions
Company to oversee first phase of construction of automated vehicle proving ground
After being awarded a $24 million contract, Angelo Iafrate Construction, which is a Michigan-based company that has experience in heavy civil and transportation construction, will oversee phase one of the construction of a connected and automated vehicle proving ground at Willow Run for the American Center for Mobility.
The first phase of construction, which is expected to be complete and open for testing in December of this year, will include the building of a two-and-a-half-mile highway loop with on- and off-ramps and a 700’ curved tunnel.
A garage for customers will also be constructed, and an operations center will be built out.
Delair-Tech’s UAS selected as drones of choice for French government agencies purchasing fixed wing UAS
A week after it was announced that Delair-Tech and RTE set a new distance record by flying a civilian UAS 30 miles beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in France, it has been announced that Delair-Tech’s DT18 and DT26X UAS have been selected as the drones of choice for French government agencies purchasing fixed wing UAS.
The Union of Public Procurement Groups (UGAP), “which acts as the purchasing conduit for government agencies across the country,” made the decision, and as a result, UGAP will add Delair-Tech’s UAS to its purchasing catalog, which is used by public agencies such as the army, police forces and firefighters.
Jaguar Land Rover invests $25 million in Lyft for autonomous vehicle testing
Through its mobility services subsidiary InMotion, Jaguar Land Rover has invested $25 million in Lyft, which will result in InMotion developing and testing mobility services, including autonomous vehicles, with the ride-hailing service.
As a part of the investment, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will also be provided to some Lyft drivers.
“Personal mobility and smart transportation is evolving,” says Sebastian Peck, InMotion managing director, via CNBC. “This new collaborative venture will provide a real-world platform helping us develop our connected and autonomous services.”
Boeing and Huntington Ingalls Industries will work together to develop UUVs for U.S. Navy’s Extra Large UUV program
Boeing and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) have announced a partnership to work on the design and production of UUVs, which will be used in support of the U.S. Navy’s Extra Large UUV program.
Design and production facilities in Huntington Beach, California, Newport News, Virginia, and Panama City, Florida, will be leveraged through the partnership. Access to all of Boeing's and HII's expertise and capabilities will also be offered.
SoftBank acquires robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics
Softbank, which is a Japanese multinational telecommunications and Internet corporation, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Boston Dynamics, a robotics pioneer, from Alphabet Inc.
According to SoftBank, the transaction “aligns with SoftBank's investments in paradigm-shifting technologies and its vision of catalyzing the next wave of smart robotics.”
“We at Boston Dynamics are excited to be part of SoftBank's bold vision and its position creating the next technology revolution, and we share SoftBank's belief that advances in technology should be for the benefit of humanity,” says Marc Raibert, CEO and founder of Boston Dynamics.
Insitu’s Integrator UAS to replace ScanEagle systems being used by Netherlands Ministry of Defence
After awarding the Short Range Tactical UAV (SRTUAV) contract to Insitu, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (NMOD) will replace the ScanEagle systems currently being used by the NMOD defence forces with three of Insitu’s Integrator UAS.
Designed to be a “modular, flexible and multi-mission capable solution for land and maritime operations,” the Integrator is a multi-mission, long-endurance UAS that can conduct a variety of missions, including target acquisition, force protection, and battle damage assessment.
AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2019
This premier event unites the largest global community of drone, intelligent robotics and unmanned systems leaders to shape the future of the industry. Featuring the largest and most comprehensive trade show, this event is the spot to learn from daily keynotes with tech visionaries and 200+ world-class sessions as well as connect with 8,500+ industry pros and business experts from 20+ industries.
www.xponential.org
AUVSI Unmanned Systems – Defense. Protection. Security.
Unmanned Systems—Defense. Protection. Security. is the most comprehensive government-focused event within the unmanned systems industry—bringing together defense leaders, government decision makers and technology experts responsible for unmanned systems, intelligent robotics and components.
www.thedefenseshow.org
