Events
Russian unmanned systems manufacturer Zala Aero Group used the MAKS 2011 airshow in Moscow to unveil a new UAS, which it says has already been purchased by a Russian security agency. Under development for the past 14 months, the ZALA 421-16E tactical UAS is a 2.8m flying wing in
Electronic Sub-Systems
The US government has confirmed that it is deploying a new Northrop Grumman radar on unmanned aircraft systems to detect illegal immigrants and drug smugglers on the southwest border. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operators have operated the vehicle and dismount exploitation radar (VADER) on the agency's General
Non-Military & Commercial UAS
The Poker Flat Research Range (run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks) which operates unmanned systems , has an agreement with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, (also in Fairbanks and which provides local government functions to Alaskan Natives villages), to assist the villages to develop the most accurate, complete, and cost-effective cadastral
Non-Military & Commercial UAS
The New York Police Department may soon be operating unmanned aircraft “as a law enforcement tool” in New York City, giving that agency the capability to monitor activities in city parks, on streets, and in other public areas from the air. In January, Gay City News made a Freedom of
Testing
Canada is deploying unmanned surveillance aircraft to the High Arctic for the first time, as part of the largest military exercise ever in the Far North. Catapult-launched Boeing ScanEagle similar to those used by the Canadian army for surveillance in Afghanistan are to assist in a major air disaster scenario
Non-Military & Commercial UAS
A former RAF pilot based in Northumberland is now using unmanned aircraft technology to safeguard, enhance and protect landscapes and wildlife in North East England. Nigel King joined the RAF in 1978 after studying electronic engineering at Newcastle Polytechnic, later Northumbria University where his wife Dr Helen King is a
Events
Highlight at The Black Hat Security Conference and DEFCON this year is an unmanned aircraft called the Wireless Aerial Surveillance Platform, or WASP. [Not to be confused with the WASP missile -Ed.] It’s an ex-U.S. Army target drone measuring over 6-feet in length and wingspan that has been
Non-Military & Commercial UAS
The News Corp’s The Daily has a drone that it’s sent out a few times. Taking footage for news-gathering purposes seems like a commercial use of a drone. I followed up with the FAA asking if News Corp was one of the companies with an experimental certificate. The
Military UAS
The Shadowhawk is a remote controlled mini-helicopter that can record footage as easily as it can shoot a stun baton. Vanguard Defense, who spent three years developing this buzzing robot, packed a lot into the copter’s seven-foot, 50-lb frame. The Shadowhawk comes in five different varieties and can be
Events
Insitu revealed its 1.6 kilo (3.5 lb) Inceptor VTOL UAS at the Airborne Law Enforcement Association 2011 Convention in New Orleans. The miniature helicopter has an endurance of 30 minutes and features the option to fit plug and play payloads including daylight and IR cameras in the nose.
Testing
Aerovisión Spain has supplied an unmanned aircraft used in trials of monitoring the Spanish coast, within the remit of the WIMAAS (Wide Maritime Area Surveillance) project, financed by the European Union. This is the first time that an aeroplane of a non-military nature has taken part in controlling European coasts.
Testing
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and BP Exploration Alaska demonstrated the use of a three-pound unmanned aircraft, the Aeryon Scout, as a way of gathering 3-D aerial data to aid in oil spill clean up efforts. Through the use of this technology, oil spill responders can complete Shoreline