China’s EHang has launched an unmanned aerial firefighting version of its two-seat autonomous electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi, demonstrating its ability to fight fires in high-rise buildings.
Chinese urban air taxi developer EHang is to expand its production capacity for autonomous air vehicles as it works to develop domestic and international markets for the passenger-capable aircraft.
The HAPSMobile venture involving Japan’s SoftBank and AeroVironment has completed a fourth test flight of its solar-powered stratospheric unmanned aircraft, flying for longer and reaching a higher altitude than previous tests.
Switzerland’s Dufour Aerospace has completed 550 flights of a large-scale technology demonstrator in an initial phase of testing for its tilt-wing electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has completed the first flight of a Heron TP medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system to be operated by Germany.
Four companies have been selected to build prototypes for the Skyborg family of autonomous and attritable unmanned aircraft systems, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced on July 23.
British defense firm Qinetiq says it has carried out the UK’s first manned/unmanned teaming demonstration, operating a semi-autonomous multicopter unmanned aircraft system from an Airbus H125 light helicopter.
The U.S. Army is testing two quadcopters at Fort Benning, Georgia, with the aim of selecting one later this year as its Short-Range Reconnaissance (SSR) drone.
Drone logistics system developer Matternet on July 14 announced the start of a second hospital delivery operation with UPS Flight Forward in North Carolina.
U.S. small drone manufacturer Skydio said it has raised $100 million in venture capital, which the company will use to accelerate product development and expand into the commercial and public-sector markets.
ANA Holdings, parent company of All Nippon Airways, is cooperating with Japanese startup Aeronext on the development of delivery drones with the goal of beginning commercial operations in 2022-23.
Drone delivery company Volansi is to partner with U.S. Special Operations Command to demonstrate its Voly M20 long-range cargo unmanned aircraft under a small business contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force.
German air taxi startup Lilium is in “detailed discussions” with major suppliers as it prepares the next stage in development and service-entry of its Lilium Jet after concluding an agreement with Toray Industries to deliver composites for the aircraft’s structure.
Damaging attacks by SUAS on Saudi oil facilities last September prompted the Pentagon to quickly seek to rationalize a counter-small unmanned aircraft systems (C-SUAS) architecture,.
The FAA and Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) will cooperate on the development and coordination of drone safety standards, the agencies announced July 8.
