AeroVironment Inc. has announced a new strategic relationship with General Dynamics Land Systems (GD) to produce “highly integrated and effective” tactical UAS and tactical missile systems (TMS) for armored ground combat vehicles.
“By integrating the leading small tactical UAS and loitering missile systems with the leading armored combat vehicles, our team will deliver a new level of battlefield lethality, survivability and combat effectiveness to protect and enable the warfighter,” explains Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s UAS business.
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UAS
FLIR Systems' FLIR Black Hornet Vehicle Reconnaissance System features Black Hornet 3 nano UAS
FLIR Systems has announced the launch of its FLIR Black Hornet Vehicle Reconnaissance System (VRS), which features the Black Hornet 3 nano UAS designed for global military, government agency, and first responder vehicle-mounted operations.
Based on an adaption of the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS), which is the world’s smallest combat-proven nano UAS according to FLIR, the Black Hornet VRS provides the warfighter with the ability to maintain situational awareness, threat detection, and surveillance for battle damage assessment, pre-deployment and route and point reconnaissance, and targeting information. All of this can be done without warfighters having to leave the vehicle.
Airbus integrates Mobilicom's SkyHopper PRO technology into its Innovation drone platform
Airbus has integrated Mobilicom’s SkyHopper PRO technology into its Innovation drone platform, which is used to expand Airbus’ vision, and showcase the company’s mission operation technologies in the commercial and homeland security UAS space.
According to Mobilicom, SkyHopper is a “holistic solution” for commercial and industrial UAS and robotics. The SkyHopper PRO is a “communication solution” for control, telemetry and video or payload sharing to and from the UAS platform to the ground control systems and users.
Airbus is using the SkyHopper PRO Datalink with its mission specific software and accessories.
Southern Company partners with Skyward to expand UAS program
In an effort to expand its UAS program, Southern Company has partnered with Skyward, a Verizon company that is advancing UAS fleet management technologies and research and development.
Along with its affiliates, Southern Company was one of the first energy companies to use UAS as part of its operations for a variety of tasks, including remote inspection, wire transport and damage recovery assessments.
“Southern Company is leading the energy industry in deploying state-of-the-art drone operations technology and innovating their processes,” says Mariah Scott, Skyward President.
“Skyward is proud to help Southern Company fly in more ways and in more places and looks forward to continuing R&D work.”
GA-ASI completes first flight of its second MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced that on Sept. 26, the second MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) (YBC02) aircraft completed its first flight.
The flight was conducted in Arizona at Laguna Army Airfield in Yuma Proving Grounds.
“We’re very pleased to have our second MQ-9B aircraft completed and flying,” says David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “MQ-9B development continues to move forward on schedule as we look forward to our first customer delivery in the early 2020s.”
With the second MQ-9B SkyGuardian, the GA-ASI program team has another aircraft to perform crucial development testing and demonstrations.
Boeing and Robotic Skies partner to develop and deliver enhanced services for commercial and civil UAS markets
Boeing and its subsidiaries Jeppesen and Aviall have teamed up with UAS support services provider Robotic Skies to develop and deliver “industry-leading supply chain management and optimization, analytics, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services” for both the commercial and civil UAS markets.
Together, Boeing and Robotic Skies will pursue ways to best utilize their substantial combined experience and platforms in manned aviation programs, so that they can extend them into the UAS market.
This includes providing services for commercially-focused regulatory compliance, ground support, training, MRO, parts distribution, field upgrades and vehicle retrofit capabilities.
FAA announces new LAANC service providers which include DJI, KittyHawk and Unifly
On Oct. 1, the FAA announced nine new partners to its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) initiative, which is described as an “innovative collaboration between the FAA and the drone industry that provides near real-time processing of airspace authorizations for Part 107 drone operators nationwide who fly in controlled airspace.”
After the success of the FAA’s prototype, the initiative was simultaneously opened to other air traffic control facilities, as well as to new industry partners. A five-month onboarding process began back in April, resulting in nine new LAANC partners. Those partners are: Aeronyde, Airbus, AiRXOS, Altitude Angel, Converge, DJI, KittyHawk, UASidekick and Unifly.
WQAD-TV's UAS prove to be advantageous for newsgathering efforts
WQAD-TV, which is based in Moline, Illinois, is using UAS as part of its newsgathering efforts.
The television station has 12 aircraft—one for every photographer and one to spare. The fleet is made up of “Big NED” (News Eight Drone), nine “Little NEDs,” and a Phantom UAS.
The station has found no shortage of uses for its UAS, including reaching locations that were previously unattainable, or difficult to access.
“Whenever I was shooting, I was looking for ways to get high — up on a parking garage or a wall or fence; anything,” explains Andy McKay, WQAD's chief photographer, via the Quad-City Times.
Botlink receives first FAA waiver for flight over people with a parachute system
Drone safety systems company ParaZero Israel Ltd has announced that Botlink, a North Dakota UAS operator, has received the first FAA waiver for flight over people with a parachute system.
Under the waiver, Botlink will use ParaZero’s SafeAir System on a DJI Phantom 4 to perform missions for local law enforcement. Additionally, the company will use the waiver to generate media content as part of the North Dakota Department of Transportation's efforts under the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP).
UAVOS completes series of test flights with its new Sitaria UAS
UAVOS Inc. has announced that it has completed a series of test flights with Sitaria, its new fixed-wing UAS.
The UAS is designed to carry out a variety of tasks, including patrol and observation missions, and aerial photography of terrain area with a radius of up to 120 kilometers. The UAS is also “purposely designed” to work with the LIDAR airborne laser scanning equipment as payload.
With a wide range of speeds—a stall speed of 65 kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour—Sitaria can conduct missions at minimum flight speeds close to 70 kilometers per hour.
