Elbit Systems has announced that its Hermes 45 Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) will be making its first appearance at the Paris Airshow 2019.

Hermes 45 offers a unique combination of extended range and duration with point launch and recovery, to and from land and maritime platforms thus enhancing Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities at the brigade and division levels and also for naval squadron units.

Hermes 45 features flight range of 200km or an extended Beyond Line of Sight range (via Satellite Communication) and an internal payload bay that supports multi-payload operation, including EO/IR, Marine-Radar, Terrain Dominance, Electronic Warfare (EW) and communications. The Hermes 45 is operated by a two-person crew, launched from a short onboard platform rail, and is recovered by an automated spot landing system.

Elad Aharonson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR Division, commented: “The Hermes 45 is an important addition to our wide portfolio of UAS ranging from MALE to multi-rotor. The exceptional level of operational experience together with continuous innovation, enable us to enhance our customers capabilities in every domain of engagement.”

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Olea Sensor Networks, a developer of IoT (Internet of Things) intelligent sensors and analytic software, has announced the release of the OleaVision360, a patent-pending guidance system for use on UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),drones and other autonomous applications.

Today’s drones use onboard computer systems with the assistance of GPS to navigate a path of GPS waypoints to reach their destination. However, most drones are blind to their surroundings due to lack of situational awareness in outdoor applications. Similarly, to date, drones have been unable to maneuver in buildings where GPS is denied.

The OleaVision360 can continuously scan the drone’s surroundings and the terrain below using only one ultra-lightweight sensor housed in a 100 mm (4-inch square) device. OleaVision360 provides outstanding situational awareness with a hemispherical field of view (front, back, sides, below and/or above) without the use of rotors or beam-forming technologies. This single obstacle avoidance sensor allows the drone to fly around obstacles in front or behind it with one-centimeter accuracy and a detection range of 20 meters (65 feet). Equipped with OleaVision360, a drone can accurately sense the terrain below it, offering true terrain following precision landing assistance without compromising effectiveness. Thanks to Olea’s proprietary Life Presence Detection technology, OleaVision360 can discriminate between animated versus inanimate objects.

When used for guidance systems, OleaVision360 technology provides a substantial advancement in capability for autonomous applications in flight, robotic, industrial and automotive applications.

The OleaVision360 solution is especially significant for remote inspections in the mining, construction, engineering, agriculture and environmental industries when needing to view from a specific distance or height in order to avoid compromising the existing equipment and sensors already integrated in drones. Additionally, OleaVision360 is robust enough to function in harsh or challenging environments including dust, rain, snow and in total darkness without the assistance of any lighting.

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Drone safety company ParaZero Technologies has announced that, together with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), it has completed the testing and compliance process for ParaZero’s SafeAir Mavic drone parachute system in accordance with ASTM F3322-18.

ASTM F3322-18 Standard Specification for UAS Parachutes was designed to enable civil aviation authorities (CAAs), like the FAA, to determine whether a parachute system is airworthy for flight over human beings. Among other requirements, the standard defines over 45 aerial deployment tests in various failure scenarios, verified by a third party.

ParaZero’s ASTM compliant SafeAir Mavic is designed specifically for DJI’s Mavic 2 series. The SafeAir System is a smart parachute system that monitors UAS flight in real time, identifies critical failures, and autonomously triggers a parachute. The system contains a flight termination system, a black box to enable post-deployment analysis, and a warning buzzer to alert people below of the falling drone.

The completion of the compliance process for the SafeAir Mavic will open the doors for UAS operators that are interested in the possibility of safe and legal UAS operations over people using the DJI Mavic 2. The FAA recently granted a waiver for flight over people to an operator using ParaZero’s ASTM compliant SafeAir Phantom.

The third-party validation provided by NPUASTS played a crucial role in the ParaZero testing. The ParaZero project is in line with the work the NPUASTS is doing to promote the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). The ability to safely operate UAS over people and in urban environments through waivers and approval is important for the growth of the UAS industry.

“Third-party validation of the SafeAir Safety System for the Mavic is a necessary step for the industry to help advance operations of small UAS in various environments,” said Nicholas Flom, the Executive Director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. “With the partnership from ParaZero, we are one step closer to realizing routine flight operations over persons on the ground.”

UAS operators can now purchase the ASTM compliant SafeAir Mavic on ParaZero’s website. UAS operators will also receive compliance documentation with the purchase of the SafeAir Mavic system, including NPUASTS’ third-party testing report. This documentation and report will provide validation which operators can utilize to submit with an operations over people waiver application.

“Following the precedent setting waiver announced earlier this week, we are excited to launch our second ASTM compliant SafeAir System,” said Avi Lozowick, Vice President of Policy and Strategy at ParaZero. “We are lucky to have partners like NPUASTS for this process; their aviation experience is second to none.”

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UMS SKELDAR, a provider of Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms, has announced that it has teamed up with UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)-approved specialist UAV and drone training organisation Remote Unmanned Systems Training Academy (RUSTA) to complete a range of theory and live-flying exercises leading to PFCO (Permission for Commercial Operations), providing commercial drone pilots with the skills and qualification to operate safely and legally in UK airspace.

The intensive training programme covered air law, crew resource management, human factors, meteorology and power systems together with operational and live mission simulation training pre-flight, training flights and test flights.

The five-day training course was delivered by Sion Roberts, Founder and Managing Director of RUSTA, with a 22-year career in the RAF and three years as an instructor in the USAF. The seven-strong UMS SKELDAR crew was headed by Flight Operations Manager John Cousins (ex RAF) and Chief Instructor Stephen Hemingfield (ex RN and RAF), who report to Joschka Höfling, Site Manager Switzerland and Product Manager for the R-350, all based at UMS SKELDAR’s Swiss operations centre at Möhlin, near Basel.

“RUSTA’s Remote Pilot Certificate SUAS (RPCS) course is UK CAA approved, with the permission allowing operators to fly in the prescribed weight category. The training and assessment has been designed for UAV operators that wish to obtain a PFCO from the CAA and importantly provides independent examination and verification of our professional flight operators. This course, initially specified for up to 20kg, offers the teams future-proofing for continuous operations and paves the way for certification in higher weight categories,” explained Joschka Höfling.

UMS SKELDAR will roll out training programmes to cover the SKELDAR V-200 flight operations crews based at the Swedish operations centre in Linköping. The qualification is a regulatory requirement in order to obtain permission to operate and offer UAV services commercially in UK airspace.

Axel Cavalli-Bjorkman, CEO of UMS SKELDAR, added: “Our flight operations crews are exceptionally well trained, with experience of the armed forces of NATO nations including the UK, Sweden and Switzerland, in addition to pilots with a commercial track-record of manned and unmanned aircraft operations. This training programme is recognised by the CAA and is widely acknowledged as the benchmark for European commercial UAV flight management. We look forward to further development of training solutions as we expand our global operations base across commercial and military markets.”

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced that its MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial system (UAS) has now flown more than 100 test flights as development continues towards its first delivery to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) programme.

Since making its first flight in November 2016, GA-ASI has kept the new RPA busy performing a variety of flights, from long endurance testing (logging 48.2 consecutive hours in flight in May 2017) to becoming the first Medium-altitude, Long-range RPA to perform a trans-Atlantic flight in July 2018. A second company-owned SkyGuardian was completed in September 2018 to support the aggressive development workload.

“There’s no rest for these aircraft,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “They’re built to remain aloft for long periods of time performing the important missions our customers require. SkyGuardian is customizable with nine hardpoints and payloads to meet customer requirements. Just another reason why we’re getting so much interest from international customers.”

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is acquiring SkyGuardian as part of its Protector RG Mk1 programme and is scheduled for first delivery in the early 2020s. The Government of Belgium has approved Belgian Defense to negotiate the acquisition of SkyGuardian to meet the nation’s RPA requirements. The aircraft is also being considered by the Australian Defence Force, who chose GA-ASI to supply an RPA system for Project Air 7003.

GA-ASI designed the new RPA as the next generation of multi-mission Predator B fleet. GA-ASI named its baseline MQ-9B aircraft SkyGuardian, and the maritime surveillance variant SeaGuardian, which is available with a multimode 360 degree Maritime Patrol Radar and a host of other maritime capabilities.

MQ-9B development is the result of a five-year, company funded program to deliver an unmanned aircraft to meet the stringent airworthiness type-certification requirements of NATO and various civil authorities. As part of the certification effort, MQ-9B is being provisioned with a GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system. The DAA system consists of a Due Regard Radar and processor, coupled with an advanced Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The new RPA is also built for all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance, and a de-icing system.

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Black Swift Technologies (BST) has announced that it has been awarded a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contract to develop an air-deployed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to perform lower boundary layer observations in difficult atmospheric conditions that are commonly encountered in convective storms, e.g. hurricanes and tropical cyclones.

BST is proposing a vehicle, called the S0 Air-Deployed UAS, that can be tube-launched from an aircraft, such as NOAA’s Lockheed P3 Orion. The design of the S0 UAS system is intended to mimic the operations of radio dropsondes already used by NOAA in these environments, reducing the workload of the operators and keeping with the current overall concept of operations. BST’s goal is to provide a cost-effective, air-launched UAS designed to augment pressure, temperature, humidity and sea surface temperature measurements, with 3D wind data. The S0 UAS is designed to provide intelligent and autonomous extended sampling (1+ hour of targeted observations) where the aircraft can make its own navigation decisions based on the atmospheric sensor data.

Key to the effectiveness of this strategy is BST’s ability to use AVAPS (Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System) for long-range backhaul of the science data, guaranteeing transmission at the current operational ranges for the dropsondes. Use of the AVAPS system means that no communications need be sent to the UAS after release without the addition of a separate command and control link. The vehicles are intended to be deployed close to the sea-surface and eyewall of the storm to capture essential data. BST designed custom avionics enabling the UAS to fly autonomously in a turbulent environment while integrating critical components including those necessary for 3D wind sensing along with interfaces to the RD-41 sonde and radio. As the vehicle will not be recoverable, it is essential that the data is relayed in its entirety during the flight.

“With the destructive force demonstrated by hurricanes in 2018 (Florence and Michael in particular), hurricane forecasting remains a priority for scientists researching and striving to predict the paths and intensities of these storms,” states Jack Elston, Ph.D., CEO of Black Swift Technologies. “Our solution leverages technology and communication protocols NOAA has demonstrated effective, while our simplified design keeps the cost of the aircraft to a minimum, ensuring that multiple vehicles can be deployed for each storm, dramatically increasing the amount and accuracy of the data captured.”

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CIRCOR Aerospace & Defense, a leading developer of specialty fluid and motion control solutions for demanding aerospace and defense applications, has partnered with Unmanned Systems Technology (“UST”) to demonstrate their expertise in this field. The ‘Silver’ profile highlights how their products are suited to fixed-wing and rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other robotic platforms in a wide range of commercial and military markets.

CIRCOR’s industrial-grade fractional HP motors are designed to provide reliable and efficient performance for a wide variety of commercial and industrial drone and robotics applications.

Special modifications can be made to the standard design, altering aspects such as RFI/EMI filters, pinions, mounting flanges and brakes to suit precise requirements. Custom speeds and voltage ranges are available upon request.

CIRCOR military-grade fractional HP motors are designed to meet the needs of demanding military UAV and robotics applications, and feature excellent power-to-weight ratios as well as high reliability and efficiency. Many models have been engineered to meet relevant portions of the MIL-M-8608 and MIL-E-5272 standards, including environmental ruggedness and explosion-proofing.

These permanent magnet motors can be customised with flexible design options for flanges, pinions, filters, brakes and more. Custom speeds and voltage ranges are available upon request.

CIRCOR brushless fractional HP motors feature low noise, longer lifespan and improved efficiency. They are ideal for a wide range of commercial, industrial and military applications in both aerial drones and ground robotics platforms. Windings can be tailored to specific voltage, speed and torque requirements.

The TruLaunch series of high-pressure pneumatic launchers for UAVs feature unlimited launch capacity with multiple launches per charge. The lightweight, durable carbon fibre construction makes the launchers easy to transport and assemble.

With no electronics and no external power requirements, the TruLaunch systems can be deployed under a wide range of conditions, getting UAVs airborne quickly and efficiently. Launch velocities and other parameters can be easily fine-tuned to support particular UAS specifications.

TruLaunch 1 and 2 are pneumatic rail launchers compatible with multiple UAS configurations, while TruLaunch T is a tube launcher that can accommodate multiple canisters or projectiles, and can be deployed on both fixed and mobile platforms.

To find out more about CIRCOR and their motion control and pneumatic launching solutions for unmanned systems, please visit their profile page:
https://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/company/circor-aerospace-defense/

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Leonardo has announced the introduction of its largest-ever Remotely-Piloted Air System (RPAS), the Falco Xplorer. Building on the success of the company’s Falco family of tactical-class RPAS, the new drone features a payload capacity of 350kg, more than 24 hours flight time and a satellite communications capability for beyond-radio-line-of-sight operations, all within a 1.3 ton maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Everything is designed in-house by Leonardo, from the aircraft itself to the sensor suite, mission system and ground control station and the Falco Xplorer will be offered as both an integrated platform and as a fully-managed information-superiority service. In the latter model, Leonardo will operate the aircraft and its sensors and manage logistics to provide actionable information directly to the customer.

“Leonardo invests continuously in new capabilities to ensure we position the right products in the right markets”, said Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo, who presented the Falco Xplorer at its unveiling at the Paris Air Show. “The Falco Xplorer is designed to be extremely competitive in its category, building on the experience we’ve gained working with Falco family customers over a number of years and our Company’s strengths in the unmanned domain. By understanding and being able to meet our customers’ needs, we expect to increase our share of the unmanned systems market.”

The Falco Xplorer has been designed from the ground-up to access the widest possible market. It is undergoing certification for flight in non-segregated airspace, meaning Leonardo will be able to pitch it to civil customers such as coast guards and emergency responders as well as the military market. Because the Falco Xplorer system is entirely designed and manufactured in Europe, it is not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions and its technical characteristics place it within the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) class II category. Together, these make the Falco Xplorer readily exportable around the world.

Following the unveiling, the new RPAS is expected to embark on its maiden flight from Trapani Airport in Italy. A series of trials will then take place throughout the year, capped off by a flight campaign with the platform’s fully-integrated sensor suite on-board. The RPAS could then be delivered to its launch customer as early as 2020. The drone will be certified according to NATO STANAG4671, meaning that it will be readily approved to fly for NATO countries.

Leonardo believes that an unmanned capability goes beyond the aircraft, so the baseline ‘Block 10’ equipment fit for the new RPAS takes advantage of Leonardo’s in-house electronics portfolio to offer a comprehensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability over land and sea.

The platform will come equipped with a Gabbiano T-80 surveillance radar, LEOSS electro-optical turret, SAGE electronic intelligence (ELINT) system and an automatic identification system (AIS) for maritime use. The sensors will be integrated through Leonardo’s powerful mission management system, which draws on the company’s experience in both the manned and unmanned domains and includes protection from cyber-attacks as standard under the Company’s ‘secure by design’ philosophy. Leonardo can also flexibly modify the sensor suite in-line with customer requirements, including integrating third-party sensors.

The platform’s Ground Control Station (GCS) allows operators to control the aircraft and its sensors and incorporates data exploitation tools, enabling the dissemination of useful information to wider C5I systems. It also provides mission data analysis, mission planning, training and simulation capabilities.

The new platform joins Leonardo’s Falco family of tactical RPAS. The original Falco was chosen by five nations, while its successor, the Falco EVO, has been chosen for the United Nations MONUSCO humanitarian mission and has been deployed for the European Union’s Frontex surveillance research programme. Today more than 50 Falco family RPAS are currently engaged on operations around the world, some being operated by customers directly and some being owned and operated by Leonardo on behalf of customers as a managed service.

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Elistair has announced that its Safe-T tethered drone station was used by Madrid police forces during the UEFA Champions League Final for traffic monitoring, crowd control, and global surveillance. The station was used in conjunction with UMILES Group‘s multirotor U06 Plus UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

During the 64th season of Europe’s premier club football tournament, Madrid welcomed 200,000 fans on its streets and more than 67,000 in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. In response to the heightened terrorist threat level in Spain, authorities conducted the largest security operation ever for any sporting event in the Spanish capital. The response included 4700 police officers, civil protection teams, firefighters and paramedics on standby and for the first time, a drone piloted by UMILES Global Solutions teams, and tethered to Elistair’s Safe-T station. Police Director Francisco Pardo said this was probably the largest deployment ever made to ensure public safety, and that aerial control of the surroundings and coordination in real time via a drone was a unique capability.

Deployed close to the stadium, the UMILES drone was tethered to Elistair’s Safe-T station to provide extended flight time. Continuously supplied with power, the drone maintained its position at a 50 meter elevation for 8 consecutive hours. Watching over the stadium surroundings and 3000-space car park, it provided authorities with real-time images of the crowd and vehicle movements, considerably aiding the decision-making process and coordination of security teams.

The National Police had instant access to the drone images through a fibre connection and directly communicated with UMILES pilots to monitor the camera and control the main highways and streets leading to the stadium, as well as the crowd movements and the entrances of the Wanda Metropolitano.

José Calcedo, UMILES Group Commercial Director, said: “National Police needed eyes in the sky to control the Stadium surroundings during the 8 hours deployment. The tethering system was the key to achieving this mission and maintaining our drone in the air for so long in the safest conditions, all the more since we had to fly day and night, with buildings very close, a lot of people walking around and helicopters flying in the same area. It is the first time a drone company has been allowed to fly in such conditions. This would not have been made possible without the Safe-T tether.”

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The U.S. Army has announced that its Howler counter unmanned aerial system (UAS) capability has achieved Initial Operational Capability, putting critical protection against drones in the hands of soldiers.

Howler, a name coined by the U.S. Army, combines the capabilities of Raytheon’s Ku band radio frequency system multi-mission simultaneous radar and Coyote unmanned aircraft system. The KuRFS advanced electronically scanned array acquires and tracks all size UAS threats. Coyote works with KuRFS using its advanced seeker and warhead to identify and eliminate UAS threats.

“We developed and fielded this system in just 17 months,” said Bryan Rosselli, vice president of Mission Systems and Sensors. “Detecting the drone threat is the first critical step in the counter-UAS kill chain. The combination of precise tracking and engagement of these two proven systems gives the U.S. Army a vital capability to defeat this constantly evolving threat.”

In addition to providing advanced situational awareness, precise discrimination and mobility to successfully counter UAS threats, Howler gives the Army singular flexibility to adapt to the quickly changing, multidimensional threat environment.

“Test after test proves that our Coyote is an integral solution for defeating the growing number of enemy drones in the skies above the battlefield,” said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “Protecting soldiers on the ground is a top priority, and this new system truly delivers.”

Raytheon’s portfolio of sensors, and kinetic and non-kinetic effectors networked into a command and control system covers the full counter-UAS kill chain.

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Elbit Systems has announced that it has begun operating its maritime UAS (unmanned aerial system) patrol service available to countries in the European Union (EU) under a contract between the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Portuguese company CEiiA. Iceland is the first EU country to use this particular long-range UAS patrol service. The Icelandic maritime authorities has based the Hermes 900 UAV Maritime Patrol operation at Egilsstaðir airport in the east of the island. From here, the patrol has the ability to cover more than half of the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol is a persistent long-range unmanned maritime surveillance system tailored for littoral and blue water operations, featuring maritime radar, an Electro Optic payload, Satellite Communication, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and an Emergency Position-indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) receiver. Thus configured, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol enables persistent monitoring of vast swathes of sea and long coastlines and effective identification of suspicious activities and potential hazards. The particular Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol in use is adapted to withstand the strong winds and icy conditions common to the North Atlantic Ocean.

Elad Aharonson, General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR Division, commented: “We are pleased to have been able to commence operation only a few months after the contract was awarded to CEiiA. Providing maritime UAS services to European Union authorities is a vote of confidence in the Hermes 900. Extensively deployed, the Hermes 900 family of UAS is continuously extending its capabilities, introducing the capability to operate in civilian airspace and integrating self-protection suites and stronger payloads.”

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Airbus and the Hauts-de-France region have signed a framework partnership agreement to assess the economic development potential of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) deliveries on a regional scale. This agreement was signed in the presence of Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region, Antoine Bouvier, Head of Strategy at Airbus, Alain Storck, President of the Hauts-de-France regional innovation and development agency, Jana Rosenmann, Head of Unmanned Aerial Systems at Airbus, David Taieb, President of the e-valley project, and Nicolas Askamp, CEO of Survey Copter.

The Hauts-de-France region, through Hauts-de-France Innovation Development (HDFID), and Airbus Defence and Space, via its specialised subsidiary Survey Copter – already well known for its models of commercial drones certified for military use – are jointly conducting a feasibility study of this use within the framework of European regulations.

The Hauts-de-France region aims to become Europe’s logistics hub. In this context, the regional authorities are particularly supporting the creation of the ‘e-valley’ park, a logistics park dedicated to new e-commerce services, on the site of the former Cambrai airbase. For this activity, air delivery is an innovative development focus.

This operational study, involving stakeholders from the region’s economic and academic ecosystem of logistics and retail activities, will be undertaken for six months to identify the needs of local economic operators as well as the technical concepts and solutions required to meet them, while taking stock of current and expected future regulations.

The shared ambition is to foster the deployment of new economic models in the Hauts-de-France region, based on the innovative use of UAVs, particularly to support disruptive changes in the supply chain dedicated both to industrial activities and distribution.

By studying what the future will hold for UAVs in Hauts-de-France, the region hopes to give companies the means to innovate in their services, expand their logistics activities and create new jobs as a result.

After spending several years developing autonomous air transport, this agreement is an opportunity for Airbus to boost its state-of-the-art presence in the market for professional civil UAVs certified for industrial use and to let French authorities benefit from the experience gained with its many demonstrators, and in particular in in coordination with the French civil aviation authority DGAC. DGAC plays a key role in the simultaneous and controlled development of economic, regulatory and technological frameworks and has, together with France’s civil UAV council, boosted powerful market dynamics since 2015.

Airbus subsidiary Survey Copter, the service provider selected by HDFID to conduct the ‘Drones in Hauts-de-France Experimentation’, will be providing its national and international know-how as a leading player in the field of mini-UAV systems. Through this experience, Survey Copter has gained extensive knowledge of the design of these systems and has full command of the safety of operations relating to the use of these technologies.

By participating in this feasibility study, Survey Copter is looking to increase its experience with UAV solutions used in urban or semi-urban environments and thus pave the way for the emergence of new urban mobility solutions.

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IMSAR and antenna manufacturer Optisys have collaborated to create a low-Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) radar designed specifically for use on High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) manned and unmanned aircraft platforms. The high-altitude radar system is made possible by combining Optisys’s ability to miniaturize antenna arrays through 3D printing and IMSAR’s military-proven radar technology.

IMSAR’s high-altitude radar is based on its existing, low-SWaP NanoSAR C technology, which provides the foundation for its Commercial, Off-the-Shelf (COTS) NSP-3, NSP-5 and NSP-7 airborne radar systems. The high-altitude radar is capable of multiple modes of operation from over 60,000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) and is designed to operate continuously in stratospheric environments.

To allow IMSAR’s high-altitude radar to operate within the stringent SWaP requirements of HALE platforms, Optisys created a single array that combines multiple horns, waveguide combiners, mounting structures, and thermal features. The Optisys array reduces the parts required for the aperture by 94% and sufficiently reduces the space and weight required for the radar system to allow the radar to integrate into HALE platforms that were previously unable to carry radar sensors. The low-loss 3D aluminum array also allows for additional reductions in system power requirements to improve mission longevity.

Larry Moore, Vice President of Sales at IMSAR said, “Combining IMSAR’s low SWAP NanoSAR radar with the novel printed aluminum antenna array from Optisys has yielded an exquisite new class of radar designed for HALE aircraft. The use of this radar on HALE platforms allows for continued surveillance where multiple aircraft or satellites were needed previously. This provides unrivaled agility in imagery collection and time on station.”

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BAE Systems has announced that it has been awarded contracts by The Boeing Company to supply the Vehicle Management Control System and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) System for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

“BAE Systems leads the industry in high-integrity fly-by-wire and mission-critical IFF technologies,” said Corin Beck, director of Military Aircraft Systems at BAE Systems. “Our relationship with Boeing started more than four decades ago and has resulted in aircraft that have some of the most advanced avionics and reduced size transponders in the world.”

The Vehicle Management Control System will control all flight surfaces and perform overall vehicle management duties for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle. The IFF product ensures operation in contested environments by reliably identifying both coalition and enemy vehicles.

The MQ-25 is the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed refueling capability. The contract supports Boeing’s engineering and manufacturing development program to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the U.S. Navy for Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

“The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “The work we’re doing is also foundational for the future of Boeing – where we’re building autonomous systems from seabed to space.”

BAE Systems is an industry leader in the design, development, production, and support of highly reliable flight control systems for commercial and military aircraft. It was the first to introduce fly-by-wire in both military and civil applications. BAE Systems is also a global provider of IFF equipment and this program expands its footprint to approximately 150 platforms worldwide.

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Safran Electronics & Defense has announced that its Patroller tactical drone has started the final phase of industrial qualification at the Istres DGA flight test center in southern France.

Patroller has already made more than 220 flights, clearly demonstrating that it meets all assigned criteria: automated takeoff and landing, mission execution, the simultaneous operation of its sensors in real time, the capabilities of its electro-optical and radar payloads, low noise levels, endurance, ease of use and availability. During these qualification flights, as well as in previous tests, the Patroller tactical drone has proven its ability to meet the challenges of today’s missions, by guaranteeing the French Army’s technological superiority in theaters of operation, while ensuring low operating costs.

The airframe features a modular design, enabling it to carry a multi-sensor intelligence payload of up to 250 kilograms (electro-optical, radar, electronic warfare), tailored to each type of mission. Patroller can carry out missions not only for armies, but also air forces, navies and homeland security forces. The Patroller will shortly participate in maritime surveillance operations as part of the European Commission’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) program.

The Patroller’s ground station handles multiple functions: mission planning and management, reconnaissance, location-determination, automatic target tracking, real-time intelligence data fusion and distribution, and onboard simulation for training exercises, all in compliance with the latest NATO standards. The Patroller tactical drone is one of the first systems of this type to be officially certified according to the NATO standard for this class of drone, STANAG 4671.

Reflecting Safran Electronics & Defense’s expertise in the key “observe, decide, guide” functions, the Patroller is largely made in France and also represents a stimulating industrial challenge. Safran Electronics & Defense’s plants in Montluçon, Dijon, Fougères, Eragny and Poitiers are all fully mobilized to rise to the challenge of the Patroller program, by leveraging their operational excellence to deliver this system on time. The first Patroller package in the French Army’s tactical drone system (SDT) program, which consists of five drones and two ground stations, will be delivered to the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) at the end of 2019.

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Raytheon Company has announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with AirMap, a global airspace intelligence platform for drones, to collaborate on future projects to safely integrate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the national airspace system and unlock the positive economic and social benefits of expanded commercial drone operations.

“AirMap is ushering in a new era in drone aviation,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business. “Drones must safely operate in an already complex ecosystem, which is where our experience matters.”

The agreement combines the two companies’ expertise:

• Raytheon’s Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, or STARS, is used by air traffic controllers across the U.S. to provide safe and efficient aircraft spacing and sequencing guidance for more than 40,000 departing and arriving aircraft daily at both civilian and military airports.
• AirMap is the leading global provider of airspace intelligence for UAS operations, with over 250,000 registered users. In 2018, the majority of U.S. registered commercial drone pilots used AirMap to request over 45,000 automated authorizations to fly in controlled airspace.

“Raytheon technology has helped safely and effectively manage airspace in the most complex, dense controlled airspace in the world for decades,” said Ben Marcus, AirMap Co-founder and Chairman. “They are an ideal partner to join AirMap on the path toward enabling safe, efficient, and scalable drone operations in U.S. low-altitude airspace between 0 and 400 feet.”

The two companies are working toward an integrated demonstration that will showcase how AirMap’s unmanned aircraft traffic management platform can increase air traffic controllers’ awareness of potential conflict between drones and manned aircraft near airports to ensure overall safety of the airspace.

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Northwest UAV has announced that its NW-44 Heavy-Fuel Engine for unmanned aerial vehicles has reached a milestone of over 1500 combat flights. The Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) propulsion solution is designed for small UAVs in both the defense and commercial sectors.

A complete turn-key COTS engine system designed for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), the NW-44 Engine is a lightweight, heavy-fuel engine that supports aircraft in the category of 40- 80 lb (18-35 kg) Max Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW). This Aviation Grade, combat proven, reliable, extremely quiet propulsion system is currently supporting the US military’s Tier II UAV sector and the FAA’s 55 lb weight class UAS and has gained considerable industry interest.

“We’re proud of this milestone for the NW-44 Heavy-Fuel Engine,” President and Owner of NWUAV, Chris Harris says of the NW-44 Engine logging over 1500 flights. “But we aren’t surprised. The NW-44 offers something unique in the small unmanned aircraft systems market – consistency. Most systems are based on hobby engines which are inconsistent from engine to engine, a throw-away after its short life. One NW-44 engine can log a thousand or more flight hours and multiple overhauls. They’re designed to allow simple routine maintenance, and periodic overhauls much like a jet engine.”

Northwest UAV’s Chief Technical Officer Jeff Ratcliffe is convinced that the NW-44 engine’s unique design for overhaul isn’t the only reason it continues to be a popular propulsion choice.

“The NW-44 is a very adaptable engine,” Ratcliffe explains. “It is built to support the 55 lb commercial market and Military Tier II UAV needs, which makes it the go-to engine for a wide variety of customers. Its adaptability is yet another reason it’s a very cost-effective solution. Rather than designing and building their own purpose-built engine, our customers can quickly, easily and affordably take advantage of the NW-44 Engine’s standard professional aviation features to fit their needs.”

For customers who fall outside of the Tier II weight range, NWUAV is developing and testing a series of engines that borrow the design elements of the NW-44 Engine and offer similar capabilities for larger vehicles. Borrowing design elements from the NW-44 greatly expedites the development process and is proving successful in testing.

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Mobilicom Ltd has announced that it has become the first supplier with certified high-power, long range, highly secured data link solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Japan. This comes as a result of receiving the Japanese high-power GDT (ground data terminal) and ADT (aerial data terminal) transmission certification for its SkyHopper data links. The high-power certification comes after SkyHopper received the low-power Japanese TELEC certification at the end of 2017.

SkyHopper’s high-power certification comes at an ideal time, with the 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner. As Japan prepares itself for the monumental event, SkyHopper provides a solution for drones planned to be used for security and other operations.

Mobilicom is a global provider of holistic end-to-end hardware & software solutions for commercial and industrial drones and robotics including communication, encryption & cybersecurity, integrated video processing, ruggedized controllers and viewers. SkyHopper brings the key components that turn a drone into a smart aerial platform, integrating the pieces that are valuable for the drone’s creation.

Mobilicom’s CEO, Oren Elkayam, said: “To know that we provide the only certified high-power, long range, highly secured drone communication solution in Japan today is as a testament to the quality of our systems. A high-power, long range data link has been in demand by the Japanese drone market for a long time, and we are proud to be able to fill this need.”

Jepico Corporation, a SkyHopper reseller in Japan, has been actively supporting the SkyHopper high power certification process and is currently in the process of obtaining an operators’ license.

TELEC is a certification entity registered with Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication. The certification proves that SkyHopper conforms to the strict technical and legal requirements of Japanese radio law, and thereby complies with industry standards. The TELEC certification validates that the SkyHopper family of products is of the highest quality, and that Mobilicom is committed to delivering these products to the Japanese market.

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Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has announced that its XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has completed another successful test/demonstration flight at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona. The XQ-58A demonstrator has been developed in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on the Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) Program.

During the latest 71-minute flight, the vehicle successfully completed its test objectives. The Valkyrie is a multi-mission, runway-independent UAS capable of long-range flights at high-subsonic speeds and a variety of applications.

The joint effort falls within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) portfolio, which has the objective to break the escalating cost trajectory of tactically relevant aircraft.

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, stated, “With this most recent milestone, the readiness of the XQ-58A is accelerating and increasing the near-term application opportunities for the system. I am extremely proud of our development, production, and test teams who continue to deliver successful results, in record time, on our comprehensive system level efforts—rare within the aerospace and defense industry. In addition, I appreciate the cooperative and team-based relationship Kratos has shared with AFRL in the development and demonstration of the Valkyrie.”

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and L3 Technologies have announced the development and successful flight test of a full-band Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) ISR capability for use on a Predator B Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).

L3’s SIGINT solutions were integrated into a wing-mounted GA-ASI pod and flight tested on the GA-ASI Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) MQ-9 Predator B RPAS. This new capability provides significant mission expansion for MQ-9 operations against modern threats in new operating domains.

Jointly funded by GA-ASI and L3, this new podded solution was developed in eight months and successfully flight tested on a GA-ASI MQ-9 operating from GA test facilities in Yuma, Arizona.

“The successful collaboration between L3 and GA-ASI provides a new dimension for ISR employment of MQ-9 aircraft and provides expanded options for warfighters in the ISR domain,” said Jeff Miller, L3’s Senior Vice President and President of its ISR Systems business segment. “L3 is excited to provide its family-of-systems (FOS) SIGINT payload into the unmanned air vehicle arena in cooperation with GA-ASI and looks forward to providing increased capabilities for GA-ASI’s current and future MQ-9 weapon systems customers.”

“We are excited to work with L3 Technologies to develop this capability for the MQ-9. Generating Electronic Order of Battle (EOB) is a key capability of strategic importance to the U.S. and its allies,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. “Integrating L3’s world-class SIGINT system further enhances the MQ-9’s utility in the ISR arena.”

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