After conducting an in-depth survey of relevant radar technologies, a leading global defense company has selected the extended version of RADA Electronic Industries Ltd.'s (RADA) Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar (ieMHR) to support its industrial UAS operations. The ieMHR supports UAS operations by creating safe flight zones when the UAS is applied for surveillance and security missions, which could include, for example, the surveillance of critical infrastructure such as energy production facilities. “We are proud to have been selected once again by a leading global defense company for highly advanced applications of our radar technology,” says Dov Sella, RADA’s CEO.

AUVSI’s Innovation Challenge, which will be part of Unmanned Systems — Defense. Protection. Security (USDPS) will allow companies to pitch their technology to the show’s audience and a high-level advisory panel.   It’s an opportunity for small, start-up and early-stage companies operating in the commercial, defense, and non-traditional unmanned systems or autonomous systems spheres to present their technology to government and industry representatives.   Advisory Panel members include Orin Hoffman, autonomy and robotics HQE, DIUx; Bob Sadowski, chief roboticist, U.S. Army; Frank Kelley, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems (DASN (UxS)); and other defense and government industry experts.  

The United States Air Force has chosen Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (Tyndall AFB) as the preferred location for hosting a new MQ-9 Reaper Wing with 24 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). The wing will feature an operations group with mission control elements, a launch and recovery capability, and a maintenance group. “We selected Tyndall Air Force Base because it was the best location to meet the unique requirements of the MQ-9 Reaper,” says Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson.

According to Fortune.com, TuSimple, which is a China-based startup that is developing driverless commercial trucks, has raised $55 million in a Series C funding round, which was led by Composite Capital, and included contributions from existing investors Sina and ZP Capital. TuSimple will use the funding for a variety of tasks, including scaling up its testing to two full truck fleets in China and the U.S. The funds will also be used to hire production engineers in Tucson, Arizona; the location where TuSimple established a test facility back in August. And, some funds will also be put towards the company’s research centers in San Diego, California and Beijing, China.