Tag: uav

FAA Reveals Wing’s Drone Delivery Network Plans

Aviation Week reported that plans to “expand Wing’s drone delivery network throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area have been revealed in a draft environmental assessment released by the FAA for public comment.” The plans would “expand Wing’s operating bases, or ‘nests,’ from three to as many as 25 across the metroplex.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

USAF Completes First Uncrewed Test Flight Utilizing AI

Bloomberg Government reported that the US Air Force “has completed its first flight with an uncrewed combat aircraft using artificial intelligence, according to the Department of Defense.” The XQ-58A Valkyrie combat aircraft by Kratos Defense and Security Solutions “led a three-hour simulated combat mission at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio on July 25.” The AI-led flight “was a product of an Air Force Research Laboratory effort, the Skyborg Vanguard program, which uses an autonomous aircraft teaming architecture and integrates multiple technology components.” Skyborg is “building a system that is portable and modular – fitting into multiple aircraft platforms.”
Full Story (Bloomberg Government)

FAA Audio Details Police Helicopter Chase of UAV

The Daily Mail (UK) reported that The Drive acquired air traffic control audio from the Federal Aviation Administration this week revealing details about a sophisticated mystery UAV that evaded Tucson Police and US Customs and Border Protection helicopters in February. The recordings “show that pilots and air traffic controllers were baffled by the drone, which they described as ‘super sophisticated’ and possibly satellite-controlled, and hovered over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.” The UAV “was not visible with night-vision goggles and eventually exceeded the maximum flight ceiling of the helicopters.”
Full Story (Daily Mail)

Satellites to Grant Autonomy to UAVs

Space News reported that satellite communications are key to allowing UAVs to fly autonomously beyond visual line of sight. QuadSAT CEO Joakim Espeland said, “This has to come from space because you need something that has coverage everywhere, no matter what.” US startup Rammaxx “recently tested a proof of concept where a small group of drones successfully lifted a small-scale rocket to a certain height before detaching from it, enabling the launch vehicle to continue its journey.” Rammaxx is currently looking to secure $1 million in funding to test a larger-scale proof of concept.
Full Story (Space News)

Iris Automation Partners with Sagetech Avionics for UAV Collision Avoidance

Aviation Today reports that Iris Automation “has just announced a partnership with Sagetech Avionics that will offer uncrewed aircraft a comprehensive air risk mitigation solution.” Sagetech Avionics’ MXS ADS-B transponder will be integrated with Iris Automation’s Casia detect-and-avoid system “via Sagetech’s ACAS X sensor fusion and collision avoidance module. This integration results in a complete air risk mitigation solution for detection and avoidance.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

US Military Sends 700 Switchblade UAVs to Ukraine

CNET News reported that the United States “has sent 600 more AeroVironment Switchblade drones to help the Ukrainian military counter Russia’s invasion, the US Defense Department revealed Thursday.” The UAVs are “included in the Pentagon’s new $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, a package that brings the country’s total contributions to $2.6 billion in security assistance. The US also has sent an undisclosed number of AeroVironment Puma drones, which can circle for hours above a battlefield and help soldiers direct Switchblades toward their targets.”
Full Story (CNET News)