November is “Crossover Tech Month” Month on the Dawn of Drones podcast! This week, we kick it off with our month sponsor, Kongsberg Geospatial and its Director of Business Development, Adam Robinson.
Kongsberg Geospatial specializes in precision software for mapping, geospatial visualization, and situational awareness, prioritizing high-performance, real-time components for critical infrastructure. Renowned for TerraLens®, their trusted geospatial platform, they also offer development and integration services, focusing on defense applications, particularly in UX and HMI components for C2 systems. Their expertise spans air-traffic control, ISR, air defense, Beyond Line-of-Sight navigation systems for UAS, and Remote Towers for air traffic control.
ISR
ISR
Aurora Flight Sciences Announces New Fixed-Wing eVTOL Small UAS
Aurora Flight Sciences Announces New Fixed-Wing eVTOL Small UAS
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, has released its latest small UAS product, the Skiron Expeditionary sUAS, or SKIRON-X. This Group 2 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) combines the simple operation of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) configuration with the longer range and endurance of a fixed-wing design. SKIRON-X is a flexible solution for effective deployment across a wide variety of environments.
Weekend Roundup: December 4, 2020
This week (and last) in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Mississippi State University (MSU) engineers in the university’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory are leading research efforts that could make UAS operational by the U.S. government, as well as civilian aviation, in icy conditions. The U.S. Department of Defense is hoping that the icing system development and technology team being led by MSU will result in lightweight anti-icing systems, which would lead to certification for UAS to operate in forecasted icing conditions. (Mississippi State University)
FLIR Systems acquires small UAS manufacturer Altavian
FLIR Systems has acquired Altavian Inc., a Gainesville, Florida-based privately-held manufacturer of small UAS (sUAS) for defense and public safety customers.
Altavian UAS users are provided with decision support and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, thanks to Altavian's airframes integrating multiple sensors, including FLIR thermal technology.
Founded in 2011, Altavian designs and manufacturers Group 1 UAS platforms for long or short range operations. Altavian designs both quadcopter and fixed-wing UAS, so its expertise includes aeronautics, avionics, and software. The company’s solutions are engineered around an open system architecture aligned to the needs of government and defense customers.
Elistair's new Orion 2 UAS provides round-the-clock surveillance for up to 24 hours at a time
Tethered drone solutions provider Elistair has announced the development of its new Orion 2 tethered UAS for military, government, and industry users.
Described as a “true persistent surveillance platform,” the Orion 2 hexacopter delivers round-the-clock surveillance for up to 24 hours at a time.
“Small, unmanned multi-rotor systems are great if you want a hover-and-stare capability, but they’re also notoriously short on battery life,” says Timothée Penet, CTO and co-founder of Elistair.
Northrop Grumman's Firebird demonstrates multi-mission capabilities during recent exercise
Northrop Grumman has announced that it recently completed a series of mission focused engagements, including integration and testing of Overwatch Imaging’s TK-9 Earthwatch sensor on its Firebird system.
A provider of automated airborne imaging systems for piloted and unmanned aircraft, Overwatch Imaging's TK-9 Earthwatch sensor is equipped with a flexible onboard AI-enabled automatic image processing engine that allows the system to quickly adapt to new roles in new environments such as natural disaster emergency management, border security patrol, or large-scale infrastructure inspection.
Report calls for using HALE drones for 'deterrence by detection' military strategy
According to a new study by Washington's Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), the fleet of high-flying, long-endurance unmanned aircraft operated by the United States and its allies could be a vital hedge against efforts by Russia and China to expand their borders and influence.
The report, "Deterrence by Detection: A Key Role for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Great Power Detection," says Russia and China can conduct rapid strikes on neighboring countries on their peripheries, often before the United States or its allies could react.
USMC conducts first operational flight of MQ-9A Reaper UAS in the Middle East
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and sensor operators from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) conducted their first operational flight of GA-ASI's MQ-9A Reaper UAS in the Middle East on March 20.
The VMU-1 “Watchdog” crews took control of a Company Owned/Company Operated (COCO) MQ-9A supporting forward deployed Marines, while the GA-ASI team provided oversight.
This achievement by the USMC comes shortly after 7,000 hours of COCO flight operations since Sept. 2018 was surpassed.
“This achievement represents a unique milestone and example of the Marine Corps’ legacy of innovation,” says David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI.
AeroVironment to provide Raven small UAS and training to allied nation
AeroVironment has announced that on March 3, it received a $2,424,595 firm-fixed-price contract to provide an allied nation with its Raven small UAS and training.
Delivery is anticipated by August of this year.
“With its rugged design, small footprint and high resolution sensor capabilities, the combat-proven Raven offers allied forces the actionable intelligence they need at a moment’s notice in the most extreme environments,” says Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales and business development for AeroVironment.
Elbit Systems awarded contracts to upgrade capabilities of its Hermes 900 UAS
Elbit Systems Ltd. has been awarded two contracts valued at a total of approximately $20 million to upgrade the capabilities of its Hermes 900 UAS.
