UAS

Listen to any U.S. Navy leader talk about the Pacific Ocean and eventually you’ll hear the phrase the “tyranny of distance.”

Chinese eVTOL developer AutoFlight conducted an uncrewed flight of its Prosperity air taxi on July 24.

Portugal’s Air Force has signed up to operate the Tekever AR5 uncrewed aircraft system for use in the maritime security mission.

The U.S. Army plans to adapt its XM913 50mm chain gun for counter-UAS, with new ammunition and systems showcased at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

Idaho-based Titan Batteries says it stands to benefit from having its name in the running of contracts with companies involved in military drone orders.

The U.S. Army has awarded Siemens Government Technologies an $80 million contract to set up an advanced manufacturing facility for drone components at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.

DARPA’s Lift Challenge pushes drone payload-to-weight limits, with Avidrone winning by carrying 3.84 times its weight over a 5-mi. course.

The U.S. Marine Corps has ordered a new vehicle-mounted high-power microwave system from Epirus for point defense from drones as the Pentagon continues to expand its defensive systems for deployed troops.

A Greek startup is proposing an autonomous amphibious firefighting aircraft aimed at removing aircrews from the perilous conditions associated with aerial firefighting.

China’s NUAA completes the first flight of its Qizhi-5 tiltrotor UAS, advancing long-range vertical-lift technology with a 1,900 km range.

U.S. startup Impact Drones has launched out of stealth offering drone interceptors as a service to protect data centers, airports, power grids and other infrastructure.

The U.S. DOD on Aug. 4 rolled out a new counter-unmanned aerial system marketplace platform to aid different agencies in acquiring counter-drone tech.

Turkish uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer Baykar has completed the first releases of weapons from the payload bay of its Kizilelma autonomous combat aircraft.

The Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital has made an up to $820 million conditional loan commitment to Performance Drone Works (PDW) to expand domestic drone component manufacturing.

The Defense Innovation Unit has launched a new $100 million competition to use uncrewed surface vessels to launch UAS to hunt low-cost threats.

The Irish government has approved the acquisition of a military radar network to protect the country’s airspace.

Los Angeles-based Chaos Industries, a startup previously focused on counter-drone technology, has acquired autonomous cargo aircraft developer Atropos Group.

China built its drone dominance through electronics manufacturing, automation, competition and stable industrial policy, executives say.

Balancing its military and business aviation activities and organizing its production sites by specialties helps the airframer weather crises.

Hensoldt says it has secured the first application for its Compact Infrared Reconnaissance and Alert (Cairas) missile warning system.

Tekever has unveiled a new rotary wing uncrewed air system which it hopes will help it secure a chunk of the growing uncrewed heavylift multi-copter market.

Sikorsky has completed initial ground and flight testing of a larger version of its Nomad rotor-blown-wing, VTOL uncrewed aircraft system.

BAE Systems compressed 18 months of work to develop a low-cost anti-drone capability for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon into just 42 days, the company has revealed.

X-Bow unveiled its low-cost Buckler interceptor after successful flight testing, targeting affordable defense against Shahed-type drones.

Weapons testing for the Royal Air Force’s new Protector UAS has been completed, paving the way for the service to use the platform in a strike role.