UAS

French defense contractor Turgis Gaillard has begun initial ground tests of its Aarok medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft system.

Novel hydrogen storage; Solar Skydweller flies uncrewed; Avic’s large cargo UAV; and UK integrated electric ducted fan.

Exosonic is promoting its recently flown EX-3M Trident subscale uncrewed aircraft system as it seeks additional funding to develop a full-scale version.

Norway is to spend an extra 600 billion krone ($56 billion) on defense over the next 12 years, building up a stronger navy and ground-based air defenses.

Opposition groups in Myanmar have conducted strikes on the country’s capital Naypyidaw, using self-developed attack uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

A new Royal Air Force strategy lays out plans for the introduction of larger systems after having developed small, swarming platforms.

The U.S. Navy will buy Group 2 solar-electric uncrewed aerial systems from Kraus Hamdani Aerospace to be used by U.S. Marine Corps units.

The project involves Thales, TXT and the Universite Laval.

France will send newly developed loitering munitions to Ukraine for its war with Russia, Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu has announced.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has linked up with Aerotor to propose a large, VTOL uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) to perform a range of military roles.

As of the end of 2023, 690 registered GA companies operated 2,900 aircraft and averaged 114,000 flight hours per month, China reported on March 29.

High-speed testbeds make progress; validating a digital twin; non-CO2 emissions road map; power-beamed UAV; SAF via bacteria.

The $1.9 million Phase 1 contract under the Energy Web Aircraft program calls for Otto and Swift Engineering to build the uncrewed air vehicle.

After observing the battlefield effectiveness of UAS in Ukraine and Gaza, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry has shared plans to improve its uncrewed capabilities.

Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat final assembly facility will open in 2027 in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Lockheed Martin Ventures led a group of 14 investors that raised a $12.5 million seed round investment in Firestorm Labs.

House and Senate appropriators seek to add dozens of aircraft to the Pentagon’s budget in a last-minute plan that needs to pass ahead of the March 22 deadline.

A UK-based startup has begun flight tests of a co-axial, rotary-wing UAS that it hopes to bring to the military market in the next two years.

Digitalization and development of space and cyber are the heart of Leonardo’s restructuring and growth, CEO Roberto Cingolani says.

European industry is being called upon to develop and prototype a new-generation, medium-altitude/long-endurance uncrewed aircraft system.

A company-led test at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah in September demonstrated the armed, propeller-driven Altius-700M striking a tracked armored vehicle.

Defense conglomerate Edge Group focuses on autonomy, electronic warfare and precision weapons.

The integration will allow the Navy to experiment with autonomous capabilities as it continues developing concepts for crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled a concept for a new armed UAV at Drone Show Korea 2024.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.