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Latest UAVs News (page 2)

An unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a powered aerial vehicle sustained in flight by aerodynamic lift and guided without an onboard crew. It may be expendable or recoverable, and can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely. There are two categories of UAVs: drones and RPVs. Taken literally, the term could describe anything from kites, through hobbyist radio-controlled aircraft, to cruise missiles from the V-1 Flying Bomb onwards, but in the military parlance is restricted to reusable heavier-than-air craft. This section of your international aviation news magazine features the latest news related to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Systems, both in civil and military applications.

27/06/07: Boeing Demonstrates Autonomous Command and Control of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

ST. LOUIS, June 27, 2007 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated the simultaneous command and control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) by a single operator, using advanced autonomous control software, three ScanEagle aircraft and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) console. This next-generation capability will enhance interoperability with current and future command and control systems through an open, standards-based system and significantly reduce the workload of unmanned vehicle operators.

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22/06/07: EADS welcomes trinational cooperation to develop a family of modular high-performance unmanned aerial vehicles: Objective: innovative UAV project for surveillance and reconnaissance missions

22 June 2007 – Today, the defence ministries of France, Germany and Spain announced that they have decided to move ahead with the joint project planning and development of a future trinational modular system family of jetpowered high performance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A “Technical Arrangement”, as the document has been designated, provides the basis for a subsequent study, the task of which is to consolidate the capability requirements of the armed forces of the partner nations in the area of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance systems and propose appropriate technical solutions.

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20/06/07: GA-ASI’s Predator UAS Series Achieves 300K Flight Hours: Combat-Proven Aircraft Family Currently Amassing Over 8,000 Hours Per Month

PARIS AIR SHOW – 20 June 2007 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that its Predator® UAS series has passed the milestone of 300,000 flight hours, with over 80-percent of that time spent in combat. The milestone was achieved by P-135 on June 15 while it performed an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This particular aircraft has flown over 125 combat missions in just the one year it has been deployed.

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19/06/07: GA-ASI & Diehl BGT Defence Sign Teaming Agreement on Male Predator B

PARIS AIR SHOW – 19 June 2007 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, and Diehl BGT Defence, a leading German defence contractor, yesterday signed a teaming agreement for marketing the Predator® B UAS in Germany. The German Government has launched a program called SAATEG (System fuer die abbildende Aufklaerung in der Tiefe des Einsatzgebietes; In-Theatre Reconnaissance) which has identified a requirement for a MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) UAS capable of providing imaging intelligence for its armed forces in international missions. The German requirement is an immediate one, i.e. Initial Operating Capability (IOC) is scheduled as early as 2010.

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18/06/07: Boeing Completes First Flight of A160T Hummingbird Unmanned Helicopter

LE BOURGET, France, June 18, 2007 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] successfully completed the first flight of the A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft June 15 from an airfield near Victorville, Calif. The A160T, a turbine-powered version of the innovative piston-powered A160 helicopter, features unmatched range, endurance, payload and altitude for an unmanned rotorcraft. “Today’s Hover-In-Ground Effect flight is our first step in providing the warfighter the key element of our approach to providing persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage that only an unmanned helicopter of this type can provide,” said Jim Martin, Boeing Advanced Systems A160 program manager, after the flight.

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14/06/07: First Pre-Production Sky Warrior Aircraft Takes Flight: Maiden Flight Marks Important Milestone in Execution of U.S. Army ER/MP Contract

SAN DIEGO, California – 14 June 2007 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that the first Sky WarriorTM aircraft flew successfully from the company’s El Mirage Flight Operations Facility in Adelanto, Calif., on June 6. The company-owned Block 0 aircraft completed all stated objectives for its maiden flight.

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12/06/07: CAMCOPTER S-100 receives European permit to fly

Vienna, June 12, 2007 - As a first, the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAV System has received a Permit to Fly under the new amended European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Regulation. The Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 is one of the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the first helicopter UAV that received an EASA Permit to Fly . This new amended regulation is applied to EU-registered aircraft, for which such a Permit to Fly is required. The Permit to Fly is issued for those aircraft not holding a type-certificate yet but still are able to perform flights safely under the EASA-approved flight conditions.

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11/06/07: General Atomics Aeronautical systems awarded Iraqi Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance contract: $53 Million Order Received For Manned ISR Aircraft and Ground Stations

SAN DIEGO – 11 June 2007 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that it has received notification of an award of a $53 million ceiling price order from Raytheon Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kan., to provide an initial lot of five integrated Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) suites for the company’s Beechcraft King Air 350ER (Extended Range) aircraft and related ground stations to be supplied to the Iraqi Air Force under the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

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07/06/07: Boeing Australia Limited to Provide ScanEagle UAV to Troops in Afghanistan

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, June 07, 2007 — Boeing Australia Limited has been awarded a AUD$20 million contract to provide ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based services to the Australian Army in Afghanistan. Throughout the six-month agreement, Boeing Australia Limited will work closely with the Australian Army to provide vital surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for Australian and coalition forces in Afghanistan. The level of ScanEagle services to be provided will be at a significantly higher operational tempo those currently being provided for the Army’s Overwatch Battle Group in Iraq.

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05/06/07: Frost & Sullivan Lauds General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ Contributions to the Unmanned Aerial Systems Industry

Palo Alto, Calif. — June 4, 2007 — Frost & Sullivan has selected General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) as the recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Award for Industry Innovation & Advancement in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry. GA-ASI dominates the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) market segment for unmanned aircraft with its Predator series of UAS. GA-ASI continues to develop unmatched UAS technology to meet the needs of the warfighter overseas, as well as national security needs with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) here at home.

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31/05/07: CAMCOPTER S-100 live demo at IDEF Show: Worldwide First Flight Demonstration of Helicopter UAS during International Defence Show

Vienna, May 31, 2007 - Schiebel presented the CAMCOPTER® S-100 VTOL UAS in daily live demonstrations at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Ankara, Hippodrome Eryaman, Turkey, May 22 through 25, 2007. During the show Schiebel conducted daily 20-minute flights at the venue site at Ankara Hippodrome as part of the air show.

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31/05/07: MQ-8B Fire Scout to Enter Production: A First for a U.S. Navy Unmanned Air System

SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE:NOC) MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical takeoff and landing Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (VTUAV) has reached Milestone C, signifying the beginning of its low-rate initial production phase. The Fire Scout is the first unmanned aircraft system (UAS) within the U.S. Navy and the third UAS of all U.S. military branches to meet Milestone C in the Defense Department acquisition process.

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10/05/07: Northrop Grumman Communicates Over-the-Horizon Using Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

BALTIMORE, May 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), in conjunction with the Office of Naval Research, has successfully demonstrated the ability to extend communications range and capability using the Killer Bee tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) built by Swift Engineering, Inc.

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11/04/07: AUVSI-Canada Launched to Promote Canadian Unmanned Systems Capabilities

Ottawa, Ontario – April 10, 2007 – Representatives from leading Canadian defence companies, the Canadian government and academia have formed a national trade organization to promote the advancement and global application of Canadian expertise in the growing field of unmanned vehicle systems. The new organization, known as AUVSI-Canada, affiliated with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), is headquartered in Ottawa and will work to establish regional chapters. Its primary focus is to increase awareness of Canada’s leading-edge research and capabilities in fielding state-of-the-art technologies and systems in the rapidly growing area of unmanned vehicle systems.

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30/03/07: Ikhana UAV Gives NASA New Science and Technology Capabilities

The inventory of research aircraft at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center has grown by one with the acquisition of a Predator B unmanned aircraft system adapted for civilian missions. Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) of San Diego, NASA took possession of the new aircraft last November, and it is due to arrive at the NASA center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., this spring. The aircraft has been named “Ikhana” (ee-kah-nah), a Native American word from the Choctaw Nation meaning intelligent, conscious or aware.

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28/03/07: Leaders Of Europe’s Unmanned Systems Industry To Convene 8-9 May In Köln, Germany

Arlington, VA – 26 March, 2007 – On 8-9 May, 2007, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) will bring together key members of Europe’s unmanned systems industry for its annual conference and exhibition at the Hilton Cologne in Köln, Germany. Sponsored by EADS and Northrop Grumman, the conference will provide a timely update on Europe’s rapidly expanding unmanned systems marketplace and its emergence as a global leader in the development of policy, and legislative frameworks and standards for the unmanned systems sector, particularly in the challenging area of airspace integration. The two day conference will include a thorough and balanced look into all unmanned disciplines including air, ground and maritime systems.

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20/03/07: USAF Awards Northrop Grumman $287 Million Contract for Global Hawk

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $287 million contract for the next production lot (Lot 5) of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial systems. The Global Hawk system can survey vast regions to bring real-time imagery intelligence to the warfighter in any weather, day or night. “This contract award represents the continuation of a highly capable system, which has demonstrated unprecedented success in its first production deployment,” said Randy Brown, Global Hawk Systems Group director with the Air Force’s 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “In 2006, it flew more than 3,300 combat hours, taking over 50,000 images directly supporting our deployed forces in support of the global war on terrorism.”

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20/03/07: Australian Official: UAV Good for Surveillance

A trial conducted late last year demonstrated that unmanned aerial vehicles could be used to conduct maritime surveillance of Australia’s North West Shelf area, according to a report released by Peter Lindsay, the parliamentary secretary to the defense minister. “The trial demonstrated that it was possible to deploy an unmanned aircraft to work with patrol boats and other defence and civilian assets in an effective way to carry out maritime surveillance in an Australian environment,” Lindsay said in a statement issued by the Australian Department of Defence.

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19/03/07: Tenix, Northrop Grumman, Saab Team for Australian UAV Bid

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW, Melbourne Victoria – Tenix Aerospace and Defence announced it has teamed with Northrop Grumman and Saab Systems in a bid to become the Industry Capability Partner for Phase 1b of the Australian AIR 7000 project. Under the $1 billion plus program, Australia plans to acquire a Multi-mission Unmanned Aerial System (MUAS). “Tenix Aerospace and Defence is pleased to lead this unmatched team of defence and aerospace systems integration specialists,” said Ian Sharp, Executive General Manager, Tenix Aerospace and Defence. “We are confident the team has the experience in UAV systems and understanding of Australian C4ISR requirements to ably assist government to bring its top-tier unmanned aerial capability to reality.”

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18/03/07: Five Raytheon Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems Receive FAA Airworthiness Certification

Raytheon Company in one day received Experimental Airworthiness Certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration for three of its Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems, bringing the certified Cobra fleet total to five. The Experimental Airworthiness Certificates allow Raytheon’s flight operations to continue in compliance with recently published FAA policy on unmanned aircraft operations in the National Airspace System.

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17/03/07: Boeing Prepares First U.S. Military ScanEagle Crews

The Boeing Company has graduated its first U.S. military ScanEagle crews from its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Training Center in Clovis, N.M. The airmen, assigned to the U.S. Air Force 820th Security Forces Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., include three operators, two maintainers, a mission commander and a sensor operator. “My team and I look forward to the start of an operational evaluation of the system to determine the best tactics for integrating ScanEagle into the mission of protecting Air Force people in a hostile environment,” said Lt. Ben Worley of the 820th Security Forces Group.

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16/03/07: Insitu Receives DHS Safety Act Certification

Insitu, Inc., a pioneer developer of long-endurance, unmanned autonomous aircraft, announced today that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded its ScanEagle and Insight product certification under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (”SAFETY Act”). This designation provides extra protection for developers and users of advanced technology for homeland security applications in the event of terrorism. This protection encourages the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies without excessive fear of lawsuits.

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16/03/07: U.S. Air Force Awards Northrop Grumman $287 Million Contract for Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Systems System Delivers High Altitude, Long Endurance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities for Warfighters

SAN DIEGO, March 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $287 million contract for the next production lot (Lot 5) of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial systems. The Global Hawk system can survey vast regions to bring real-time imagery intelligence to the warfighter in any weather, day or night. “This contract award represents the continuation of a highly capable system, which has demonstrated unprecedented success in its first production deployment,” said Randy Brown, Global Hawk Systems Group director with the Air Force’s 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “In 2006, it flew more than 3,300 combat hours, taking over 50,000 images directly supporting our deployed forces in support of the global war on terrorism.”

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15/03/07: Five Raytheon Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems Receive FAA Airworthiness Certification

TUCSON, Ariz., March 15, 2007 /PRNewswire/ — Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) in one day received Experimental Airworthiness Certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration for three of its Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems, bringing the certified Cobra fleet total to five. The Experimental Airworthiness Certificates allow Raytheon’s flight operations to continue in compliance with recently published FAA policy on unmanned aircraft operations in the National Airspace System.

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15/03/07: Locust to Develop FCS UAV Propulsion System

Locust USA, Inc. a Miami, Fla., company, has been awarded a contract by Honeywell International, Inc. Defense & Space of Albuquerque, N.M., for development of the Heavy Fuel Propulsion System for the US Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) Class I Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

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