Unmanned Systems in 2014
Graham Warwick
Autonomous Cargo Demo
After a successful April demonstration, Aurora Flight Sciences advanced to the next phase of an Office of Naval Research program to develop an autonomy system enabling any cargo helicopter to respond to a resupply request, avoid hazards, select a safe landing site and land automatically.Credit: Office of Naval Research
FAA Test Sites Open
The first of six FAA-designated civil UAS test sites became operational in April, but by year-end were still struggling to agree on research priorities with the FAA and support themselves with external customers.Credit: Lockheed Martin
Neuron Flies in Formation
Dassault claimed a first—for Europe, at least—in April when it flew Europe’s Neuron unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator in formation with its manned Rafale fighter and Falcon 7X business jet.Credit: Dassault Aviation
Global Hawk Crosses Europe
A U.S. Air Force Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk flew through Northern European airspace in May, supporting exercise Unified Vision, as a precursor to NATO operating the UAS beginning 2017.Credit: U.S. Air Force
FAA Allows Some UAS
A chink in the FAA’s ban on civil UAS opened in June, and widened in December, when it approved limited, low-risk operation of small UAS for movie-making, aerial surveying, construction-site monitoring and flare-stack inspection.Credit: Aerial MOB
Taranis Shows its Stealth
BAE Systems revealed in July that the U.K.’s Taranis unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator had demonstrated its stealth capabilities in a second phase of flight tests at Woomera, Australia.Credit: BAE Systems
X-47B Shares Carrier Deck
With additional U.S. Navy funding to continue flight-testing into 2015, the X-47B unmanned combat aircraft demonstrated its ability to operate alongside manned aircraft on and around the aircraft carrier.Credit: U.S. Navy
Triton Flies, Crosses the U.S.
Development testing of the U.S. Navy’s Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton broad area maritime surveillance system moved to NAS Patuxent River on the East Coast after cross-country ferry flights.Credit: U.S. Navy
Google Wings It
In August Google took the wraps off Project Wing, to develop an unmanned delivery system, disclosing it had conducted real-world tests in the Australian Outback. Google and Facebook both bought high-altitude UAV makers to explore airborne Internet delivery, and France space agency CNES joined Google’s Project Loon to deliver Internet access via high-flying unmanned balloons.Credit: Google
Watchkeeper Debuts
After lengthy development and certification delays, the U.K.’s Thales Watchkeeper tactical UAS flew operationally for the first time in September, in Afghanistan to help protect withdrawing forces.Credit: U.K. Defense Ministry
MQ-8B And MH-60R On Board
Manned and unmanned naval helicopters deployed together at sea for the first time in November, when the U.S. Navy’s Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout and Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk sailed on the Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth.Credit: U.S. Navy
Airprox Alerts
By mid-November, pilots flying in U.S. airspace had reported more than 190 UAS sightings in 2014 to the FAA, which receives about 25 such reports a month. In December, the U.K. said a model helicopter or small UAS came within 20 ft. of an Airbus A320 approaching Heathrow Airport.Credit: via Wikipedia
From autonomous cargo delivery to the beginnings of legal commercial unmanned-aircraft operations in U.S. airspace and rising concerns about safety, here are some highlights from an eventful 2014 in the unmanned systems market.
