UAS weekly – 14/12/2020 – The 60th Air Mobility Wing, 60th Security Forces Squadron, in conjunction with Easy Aerial, a commercial provider of autonomous drone-based monitoring solutions, has developed and deployed the first automated drone-based monitoring and perimeter security system for a United States Air Force (USAF) installation. The Smart Air Force Monitoring System (SAFMS) free-flight drone-in-a-box solution, along with a tethered (SAFMS-T) version, was developed by Easy Aerial and the USAF in a span of just two years. The work was done under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program and conforms to the Air Force Base Perimeter Security and Situational Awareness operational requirements… lire l’articleNewsletter drone semaine 14 - 18 décembre 2020
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Lecture de 5 mn
Surveillance des espaces maritimes
Microsoft, CIRC jointly develop surveillance drone solution
DigiTimes – 16/12/2020 – Microsoft and Coretronic Intelligent Robotics (CIRC) have jointly developed an Azure-based autonomous surveillance drone solution, according to Microsoft Taiwan. The solution is capable of real-time capture of images at all weather conditions, modeling and computing, and consists of Skywatch drone fleet management system and a data application system. Skywatch stores data produced at each drone flight, such as route planning, missions, abnormal conditions and designated surveillance areas… lire l’article
Four Additional Schiebel Camcopter S-100 VTOL UAV For The French Navy
UAS weekly – 14/12/2020 – Naval Group, on behalf of the French Navy, has accepted for operational use two further CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) with a total of four Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs). They will be deployed on the Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carriers (Porte-Hélicoptères Amphibie – PHA) Tonnerre and Mistral. The acquisition comes after the successful integration of the CAMCOPTER® S-100 on the French Navy Mistral-class vessel Dixmude, which was finalised in 2019. This was the first time in Europe, that a rotary wing UAS had been connected to the combat system of an amphibious helicopter carrier… lire l’article
Surveillance de zone ou de site
Vidéos. Dordogne : comment les pompiers utilisent les drones en opération
Sud Ouest – 17/12/2020 – En 2021, 30 pompiers seront formés pour utiliser les 12 drones disponibles dans le département. Cette technologie est précieuse lors de certaines interventions. Au pied du sapin, certains vont peut-être trouver un drone en guise de cadeau de Noël. Depuis quelques années, ces engins télécommandés se démocratisent. Mais au-delà de l’aspect ludique, cette technologie revêt un rôle très important pour les pompiers. En Dordogne, le Service départemental d’incendie et de secours (Sdis 24) a sauté le pas voilà quelques années. « Le projet de drones chez les pompiers a émergé au printemps… lire l’article
No armed drones for the German army — for now
DW – 14/12/2020 – The Bundeswehr has called for approval for armed combat drones for military use. But the controversial technology has been blocked in the German parliament. What does that mean for German defense? For the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, the timing could not be better: In the next few months, the German armed forces will receive five new Heron TP drones. The drone can circle in the sky for more than 30 hours, controlled remotely from a station on the ground. Even in bad weather, the Heron TP, which is being built by the Israeli defense company Israel Aerospace Industries, can send images of houses, cars, or people to earth in real-time… lire l’article
Le droniste portugais Tekever en prospection à Abuja, Kinshasa et Yaoundé
Africa Intelligence – 16/12/2020 – Forte de ses récents succès au Nigeria, où elle a livré plusieurs drones d’observation, la société portugaise Tekever intensifie sa campagne de prospection commerciale dans le pays, tout en espérant conquérir d’autres marchés en RDC et au Cameroun. […] lire l’article
UAVOS & TITRA Alpin Unmanned Helicopter Successful Flight in Turkey’s Sky
UAS weekly – 15/12/2020 – The converted Alpin UAV, which is based on the manned Heli-Sport Italian CH7 helicopter, a joint project of TITRA, a Turkish engineering company, and UAVOS, a researcher, developer, and manufacturer of advanced products in the unmanned systems industry, has completed its first successful flight in the sky of the State of Turkey. The test flight has been performed in preparation of the Alpin unmanned helicopter, currently being launched on the Turkish market. The Alpin UAV was created in accordance with the needs and requirements of the Turkish Rescue &
Security industries. The joint project of TITRA and UAVOS companies was signed in 2019 as a part of the conversion program of manned aircraft into UAV and addresses the growing market of UAV cargo delivery. The program outlines the conversion of the manned CH7 helicopter into UAV as well as maintenance and training programs… lire l’article
Travis Air Force Base and Easy Aerial Partner for Autonomous Drone-Based Security Operations
UAS weekly – 14/12/2020 – The 60th Air Mobility Wing, 60th Security Forces Squadron, in conjunction with Easy Aerial, a commercial provider of autonomous drone-based monitoring solutions, has developed and deployed the first automated drone-based monitoring and perimeter security system for a United States Air Force (USAF) installation. The Smart Air Force Monitoring System (SAFMS) free-flight drone-in-a-box solution, along with a tethered (SAFMS-T) version, was developed by Easy Aerial and the USAF in a span of just two years. The work was done under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program and conforms to the Air Force Base Perimeter Security and Situational Awareness operational requirements… lire l’articleISR
Kongsberg Geospatial Announces New Tactical UAS Sensor Data Management Solution
Space War – 14/12/2020 – Kongsberg Geospatial has announced the release of the Modular ISR Data Analysis and Storage (MIDAS) solution. MIDAS was developed to provide a rapid capability for the exploitation and further distribution of drone sensor data. Kongsberg Geospatial’s MIDAS addresses the « lack of standards » problem that the vast majority of Tactical UAVs encounter – no standards-compliant PED capability for their organic sensor data. MIDAS provides a fully standards-compliant system that allows intelligence analysts to exploit sensor data in near real-time, from where the drone is being operated – without having to wait for post mission analysis from headquarters… lire l’article
Silent Falcon UAS to Establish East Coast Factory in Virginia
Assembly – 10/12/2020 – FRONT ROYAL, VA—Silent Falcon UAS Technologies, an unmanned aircraft manufacturer, plans to establish an East Coast headquarters here at the Front Royal-Warren County Airport. The $6 million facility will focus on research, development and manufacturing activities. The Albuquerque, NM-based company’s main product is the E1, a solar electric, fixed-wing aircraft that’s used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications in commercial, military and security markets. Commercial applications include agriculture, mapping, surveying, and oil and gas pipeline inspection… lire l’article
Kongsberg Geospatial Announces New Tactical UAS Sensor Data Management Solution
UAS weekly – 11/12/2020 – Kongsberg Geospatial, creators of the TerraLens geospatial map-engine Software Development Kit (SDK), announced today the release of the Modular ISR Data Analysis and Storage (MIDAS) solution. MIDAS was developed to provide a rapid capability for the exploitation and further distribution of drone sensor data. Kongsberg Geospatial’s MIDAS addresses the “lack of standards” problem that the vast majority of Tactical UAVs encounter – no standards-compliant PED capability for their organic sensor data. MIDAS provides a fully standards-compliant system that allows intelligence analysts to exploit sensor data in near real-time, from where the drone is being operated – without having to wait for post mission analysis from headquarters… lire l’article
ISTAR
Drones Anka-S : le turc Havelsan fournira les simulateurs de pilotage Réservé aux abonnés
Africa Intelligence – 17/12/2020 – Alors que la Tunisie s’apprête à réceptionner ses trois premiers drones Anka-S conçus par le turc TAI, son compatriote Havelsan, expert de l’électronique de défense, devrait pouvoir imposer ses simulateurs de pilotage pour la formation du personnel. […] lire l’article
Collaboration UAV – aéronefs habités
Stealthy XQ-58 Drone Busts The Networking Logjam Between F-22 And F-35
The Drive – 15/12/2020 – he U.S. Air Force has successfully demonstrated the ability of a new communications and data gateway, designed in part to be installed on a specially configured XQ-58A Valkyrie drone, to allow the service’s F-22 and F-35A stealth fighters, as well as the rest of the Joint Strike Fighter family, to exchange information stealthily. During these tests, the Valkyrie — designed as a lower-cost, stealthy unmanned aerial vehicle — also achieved a semi-autonomous flight alongside the F-22 and F-35s for the first time… lire l’article
R & D
En Normandie, le centre d’innovation dédié aux drones décolle
New Record for Minimum Drift in Navigation without GNSS
UAS weekly – 17/12/2020 – The safe, robust, and efficient execution of non-GNSS flight is a clear need in the market. UAV Navigation is committed to the simultaneous integration and fusion of several systems or onboard observers to face the most challenging scenarios. In this case, the team has tested the “INS” (inertial) capacity of the VECTOR-600 system by simulating a failure in the system, forcing it to operate only with the inertial sensors and the magnetometer to determine its position and execute the guidance. In this scenario, the system begins to estimate its position by propagating its state through the iterative integration of its inertial sensors and airspeed data. This inevitably produces, due to this integration, an accumulation of error that results in a “position drift in time”… lire l’article
Russia’s latest reconnaissance/attack drone undergoing operational evaluation
TASS – 7/12/2020 – MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. The Korsar reconnaissance and strike drone developed by the Rybinsk-based Luch Design Bureau (part of Vega Company of Ruselectronics Group within the state tech corporation Rostec) is undergoing operational evaluation, Rostec Chief Sergei Chemezov told a briefing on Monday. »If we speak again about developing medium-class drones, we can also recollect the Korsar unmanned aerial vehicle that can carry armament… lire l’article
Nordic Unmanned has Developed and Demonstrated a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Drone
UAS weekly – 15/12/2020 – Sandnes, Norway – Nordic Unmanned AS has carried out a successful test flight with a hydrogen fuel cell powered Staaker BG-200. This drone is a robust and versatile platform that is adapted to Nordic conditions. It is equipped with a 2kW customized fuel cell system from HES and a 7.2 L pressure vessel with hydrogen at 300 bar. With a 9 L pressure vessel, an endurance of 120 minutes can be achieved. The standard Staaker BG-200 has a maximum take-off mass of 25 kg and has a typical endurance of 60 minutes (no payload). The goal is to have the fuel cell system as a “high endurance module” that can be installed on any “fuel cell ready” Staaker BG-200… lire l’article
DARPA Gremlins Project Completes Third Flight Test Deployment
UAS weekly – 13/12/2020 – Attempts at airborne retrieval of three unmanned air vehicles, nicknamed Gremlins, were just inches from success in DARPA’s latest flight test series that started on October 28. Each X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle (GAV) flew for more than two hours, successfully validating all autonomous formation flying positions and safety features. Nine attempts were made at mechanical engagement of the GAVs to the docking bullet extended from a C-130 aircraft, but relative movement was more dynamic than expected and each GAV ultimately, safely parachuted to the ground. “All of our systems looked good during the ground tests, but the flight test is where you truly find how things work,” said Scott Wierzbanowski, program manager for Gremlins in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. “We came within inches of connection on each attempt but, ultimately, it just wasn’t close enough to engage the recovery system.”… lire l’article
Eurodrone project gets ‘formal go’ in advance of 2021 contract award
Flight Global – 10/12/2020 – Europe’s joint project to produce a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted air system (MALE RPAS) is on track for contract signature early next year, having recently cleared two key milestones. Jana Rosenmann, head of Unmanned Aerial Systems at Airbus Defence & Space, says a formal bid submitted to partner nations France, Germany, Italy and Spain in early June was followed by “very interesting and very lively discussions” via Europe’s OCCAR defence procurement agency… lire l’article
Logistique terrestre
Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport Carries 110 lbs. of Payload
UAS weekly – 16/12/2020 – On Dec. 9, the Autonomous Pod Transport flew with 110 lbs. of payload over an 8-mile route at Bell’s testing site near Fort Worth, Texas. To date, the APT flight test program has completed over 300 flights. In 2021, APT will demonstrate several military and commercial operations while simplifying user interfaces and enhancing the aircraft’s autonomous features. “The APT flight test team continues to push the capabilities of our aircraft, and we are excited to hit this milestone,” said John Wittmaak, program manager, UAS. “This is yet another example of how Bell continues to adapt to customer needs.”… lire l’article
PABLO AIR succeeds in simultaneous delivery using two drones in a 50-mile circular flight
PR Newswire – 4/12/2020 – SEOUL, South Korea – The successful drone delivery of emergency medicines and everyday items from mainland Korea to nearby islands has been the subject of significant attention. The long flight followed by accurate, simultaneous delivery of items by two drones departing at the same time is expected to open up the era of drone deliveries. In a recent flight, PABLO AIR, a member company of Born2Global Centre, shipped medical supplies to two islands with two drones. The drones flew from Incheon New Port (management pier) to Yeongheungdo Island and Jawoldo Island, a roundtrip 50-mile journey, in one hour and 20 minutes… lire l’article ou voir la vidéo KBS News
Now that’s air mail! Christmas gift touches down at remote lighthouse marking the Royal Mail’s first ever delivery by drone
Daily Mail – 16/12/2020 – Using the aircraft to deliver parcels has been talked about for years – but this is the first time a nationwide UK parcel carrier has transported a real package using this unmanned technology. Royal Mail will now consult with Mull residents to understand how best the drones could help and where they are needed. If the scheme is successful, it could then be extended to other remote areas. As with normal deliveries, the postcode will direct the parcel towards its destination… lire l’article
World’s first cargo drone logistics facility to be built in Tokyo
Citti Magazine – 14/12/2020 – The world’s first cargo drone logistics facility will be designed and built in Toyko by logistics real-estate platform ESR and Derby-based aerospace company VRCO.Located at Higashi Ogishima Distribution Centre in Tokyo, the facility will validate how electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) airframes could potentially transform the movement of commercial cargo from distribution centres. ESR and VRCO will work with local regulatory authorities, government agencies and the technology supply chain to develop an automated fleet of smart air-cargo vehicles… lire l’article
DHL Express Malaysia partners Aerodyne Group on drone delivery services
UAS weekly – 14/12/2020 – DHL Express, the world’s leading express service provider, has inked a joint agreement with Aerodyne Group in Malaysia to assess the commercial viability of drone technology and develop business models for its use in life sciences and maritime supply chains. Aerodyne Group is a world-leading provider of drone-based enterprise solutions, and a pioneer in the use of AI as an enabling technology for large-scale data capture and analytics. Through the partnership, both companies have identified market opportunities for improving the transport of healthcare related supplies in East Malaysia and time-critical essentials to vessels plying the Malaccan Straits… lire l’article
Israeli drone startup Flytrex takes to US skies
Aircargo World – 11/12/2020 – Three years after launching his drone startup, Flytrex, Yariv Bash made a pivot. What started in 2013 as a supplier for drone manufacturers and hobbyists became a delivery service provider. “We realized that the killer application for drones was going to be backyard delivery,” Bash says. Soon after, the Israel-based company became one of the first commercial drone operators, delivering groceries and other goods in Reykjavik, Iceland. Since then it’s added small-scale test routes in North Dakota and North Carolina. In September, Walmart Inc. announced it would begin using Flytrex drones to make deliveries as part of a pilot program in Fayetteville, North Carolina. A few months earlier… lire l’article
Drone completes first freight flight to Isles of Scilly
BBC News – 11/12/2020 – A drone has successfully carried supplies from the mainland to the Isles of Scilly for the first time. It completed the 60-mile (97km) round trip, delivering an NHS supply box to St Mary’s airport. The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG) said the flight « paves the way » for a « new lifeline connection » with the remote islands off Cornwall. The unmanned vehicle returned to Land’s End airport with local produce including gin and flowers. Currently most freight is carried to the islands by ship, with some being taken alongside passengers on planes… lire l’article
Ravitaillement en vol
Boeing’s tanker drone completes first flight with refueling pod
Environnement
Monitoring ecological characteristics of a tallgrass prairie using an unmanned aerial vehicle
Wiley Online Library – 14/12/2020 – ite‐specific conditions, climate, and management decisions all dictate the establishment and composition of desired plant communities within grassland restorations. The uncertainty, complexity, and large size of grassland restorations necessitate monitoring plant communities across spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may provide a tool to monitor restored plant communities at various scales, but many potential applications are still unknown. In a tallgrass prairie restoration located in Franklin Grove IL, we used UAV‐based multispectral imagery to assess the ability of spectral indices to predict ecological characteristics (plant community, plant traits, soil properties) in the summer of 2017… voir l’étude
Recherche scientifique
An integrated approach of flash flood analysis in ungauged Mediterranean watersheds using post‐flood surveys and unmanned aerial vehicles
Wiley Online Library – 18/09/2020 – This study analyzes the flash flood event of two ungauged ephemeral streams in Olympiada region (Chalkidiki, North Greece), which occurred at the 21–22 of November 2019. Aim of the study is to reconstruct the specific flash flood event, investigate the causes of flood generation mechanisms, evaluate the performance of SCS‐CN hydrological and HEC‐RAS hydraulic models, investigate the relation between extreme flash floods and human intervention, using the combination of ground and aerial observations obtained from the field survey and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)… voir l’étude
Drones de combats
Ukraine to produce warships and UAVs under Turkish supervision
South Front – 15/12/2020 – On December 15th, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Taran signed agreements with Turkish companies on technology transfer and production of corvettes for the Ukrainian Navy and combat UAVs for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.The signing took place during the visit of the Turkish delegation headed by the President of the Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey Ismail Demir. According to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, these are primarily projects designed to radically strengthen the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy to enhance security in the Black and Azov Sea regions… lire l’article
Destruction
Russia is developing a helicopter drone to destroy other drones
Defense News – 17/12/2020 – MOSCOW — Russia is developing a helicopter drone to assist anti-aircraft weapon systems in their counter-UAV mission. The project, accelerated shortly after the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in mid-2020, will fill a gap in Russia’s military capabilities. The new drone will “track down small and low-speed enemy drones at low and extremely low altitudes,” a source in the military-defense complex told the Russian government news agency RIA Novosti this month… lire l’article
UTM
« En 2035, il y aura 50 fois plus de drones que d’avions militaires en vol »
Les Echos – 17/12/2020 – Montrer la crédibilité opérationnelle de la composante aéroportée de notre dissuasion nucléaire. Nous avons un avion polyvalent, le Rafale, qui se modernise, et une arme, le missile ASMPA (Air Sol Moyenne Portée Amélioré), qui est en cours de rénovation à mi-vie ainsi que l’avion ravitailleur A330-MRTT. Ce tir permet de franchir une étape en vue de qualifier ce nouveau missile, dont les capacités sont nettement supérieures à la version initiale. La dissuasion nucléaire a une grammaire particulière que savent très bien déchiffrer les grandes puissances. Avec l’annonce de ce tir, on rappelle donc nos capacités à « passer à travers les défenses adverses » quoiqu’il arrive, si nos autorités le demandaient… D’ores et déjà, nous avons fait des exercices pour montrer que nous pouvions projeter notre composante nucléaire avec des vols de plus de 10 heures, ce qui vous laisse imaginer le rayon d’action, et tenir une permanence en vol pendant 24 heures d’affilée. Quant à la rénovation du missile ASMPA (ASMP amélioré), elle marque une étape avant la mise en service de l’ASN4G (quatrième génération) qui sera un missile hypervéloce à l’horizon de 2035… lire l’article
Pop-Up UTM Successfully Demonstrated by Altitude Angel, Inmarsat and A-techSYN
UAS weekly – 16/12/2020 – Altitude Angel, the world’s leading Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider, Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, and A-techSYN, a foremost manufacturer of next generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), today announced the successful conclusion of drone test flights using their jointly developed Pop-Up UTM platform. The Pop-Up UTM platform delivers advanced Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight tracking for UAVs. It enables drones to be safely integrated into controlled airspace and ensures they are visible to – and can be kept distant from – other air traffic… lire l’article
BT Aim to Establish UK’s First Commercial Drone Corridor
ISPreview – 15/12/2020 – Broadband and mobile giant BT has today announced that they will lead a new Government backed consortium as part of ‘Project XCelerate‘, which seeks to establish the UK’s first commercial drone corridor in open and unrestricted airspace (i.e. enabling automated drones and manned aviation to safely co-exist). The project, which is supported by the Future Flight Challenge Fund, envisages a future where drones could be used for all sorts of industry tasks, such as assisting the police with road traffic incidents (faster and cheaper response than helicopters), assessing high-voltage electricity pylons, supporting search and rescue teams and transferring medical supplies between rural hospitals… lire l’article
Liaison radio
AeroVironment Introduces Extended Range Antenna (ERA)
UAS weekly – 11/12/2020 – AeroVironment, Inc. , a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced the introduction of its Extended Range Antenna (ERA), the latest addition to AeroVironment’s growing line of network connectivity solutions. The ERA is a lightweight, portable antenna array kit designed to integrate seamlessly with AeroVironment’s standard RF head antenna to support a diverse range of missions. The ERA add-on kit narrows the antenna beam width, extending the command and control range up to 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) with minimal impact to its size, weight and power (SWAP) footprint. Similar to the standard RF head antenna, the ERA is manually positioned… lire l’article
Divers
Syrian authorities uncovered weapons, drone in southern region (video, photos)
South Front – 13/12/2020 – Syrian authorities uncovered loads of weapons and ammunition during a recent search operation in the country’s southern region, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported on December 13. “Through close security monitoring and in cooperation with Syrian Arab Army units in the southern region, a quantity of medium, heavy and light weapons and ammunition, which had been left behind by terrorist groups, was uncovered,” a security source told the state-run news agency. »… lire l’article
Traitement
Flamethrower drone incinerates wasp nests in China
AP – 12/12/2020 – BEIJING (AP) — A drone has been converted into a flying flamethrower in central China in a fiery campaign to eradicate more than 100 wasp nests. Blue Sky Rescue, a volunteer group that conducts search and rescue and other emergency work, have teamed up with villagers in Zhong county near the city of Chongqing. They raised 80,000 yuan ($12,200) to buy a drone and equip it with a gasoline tank and an arm-length nozzle. Videos released by Blue Sky show a recent mission by the six-arm drone. It hovers above a hive as large as a suitcase before swooping down. The drone operator flips the ignition switch, and the drone spits bursts of fire onto the hive… lire l’article
Surveillance de l’éolien Off-Shore
New Drone Prototype to Start Offshore Wind Trials Next Year
offshoreWIND – 10/12/2020 – Falco Drone Technologies will commence trials of a prototype of its new drone in 2021, which is said to play a vital role in floating offshore wind inspection and maintenance.In summer 2021, launch and recovery trials will begin at ORE Catapult’s Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine off the Fife coast. The newly developed drone addresses limitations of the existing drone technology in flight times and flying in adverse weather… lire l’article
Surveillance de la faune
Infrared insight: Drones keep tabs on crop-ravaging boars in Japan
The Mainichi – 8/12/2020 – SHIBATA, Niigata — This city on the Sea of Japan coast tested out drones with infrared cameras on Dec. 7 to count and study the habitat of wild boars in a bid to collect information that could help prevent the beasts from ravaging local crops. The experiment was the first time Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, has used drones as a natural pest countermeasure, and officials hope the technology can also be applied to bears and other animals moving forward… lire l’article
Marché drone
Le drone français cherche la contre-attaque
L’Usine Nouvelle – 15/12/2020 – A quelques mètres au-dessus du sol, l’appareil se stabilise. Les huit moteurs électriques de cet Hercules 20 font léviter une masse de plus de 15 kg. Des buses, disposées le long des deux bras de ce drone de 3 mètres d’envergure, jaillit une bruine. Pas de pesticide ici, mais de l’eau. Sur ce terrain de 200 mètres de longueur, à Plailly (Oise), les équipes de Drone Volt affinent leur prochaine conquête commerciale… lire l’article
Inspection visuelle
Global success fuels growth for Cyberhawk
UAS weekly – 16/12/2020 – Cyberhawk, a global leader in drone-based inspection and creator of iHawk, a cloud-based asset visualization software, increased its yearly revenue by 51 percent in 2020 after strategic growth plans saw the company expand its headcount and grow its footprint in key international regions. In response to global demand for its drone-based inspection, surveying and data visualization services, Cyberhawk has doubled its headcount, with over 100 staff members based in the UK, India, Qatar, and three offices in the USA… lire l’article
Logistique médicale
Des drones électriques assureront bientôt des transports médicaux d’urgence en Allemagne
O1 Net – 16/12/2020 – L’association allemande d’automobilistes ADAC est aussi le plus gros opérateur d’hélicoptères ambulances avec sa branche ADAC Luftrettung. Elle a commandé deux exemplaires du taxi volant de la start-up Volocopter pour 2023. L’objectif est d’amener plus rapidement les patients aux soignants et de réduire les coûts de ce type d’opération. Cette décision a été prise après 26 000 simulations sur ordinateur. L’ADAC estime que l’Allemagne pourrait avoir besoin de plus de 250 bases pour exploiter ce type d’engin, sans remplacer totalement les hélicoptères. Volocopter cherchera d’ici là à améliorer la charge utile de son prototype mais aussi sa portée et sa vitesse… lire l’article
Maintenance
Robotic Skies to Expand Drone Support Services
UST drones – 16/12/2020 – Robotic Skies has received a new round of investment funding that will enable the company to continue to grow its drone support services and further develop its technology. The investment round is being led by Thayer Ventures, with contributions from existing investors Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, Cerracap Ventures, Kickstart Seed Fund, Sun Mountain Capital, and new investors Side X Side Management. Combining expertise in drones with maintenance methodology drawn from traditional aviation, Robotic Skies provides enterprise UAS (unmanned aerial systems) fleet operators with local, professional-grade scalable services through its global network of repair centres… lire l’article
Traitement phytosanitaire
XAG Unveiled New-gen Agricultural Drone and Ground Robots, to Open the Age of Unmanned Farms
Yahoo news – 16/12/2020 – GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — XAG has launched a new series of smart agri-tech at its annual conference (XAAC 2020) hosted on 15 December, introducing more in-depth digital unmanned solutions to make farming easier and more sustainable. The new releases include three models of XAG Agricultural Drone and two editions of R150 Unmanned Ground Vehicle for broadcast and mower, which will soon be commercially available in the Chinese market. XAG has also announced actions to scale-up AI prescription map service for crop spraying in China, fighting against pesticide overuse and misuse… lire l’article
Anti-drone
Counter-drone startup Epirus raises $70M, plans to hire 100 people
Breaking Defense – 17/12/2020 – WASHINGTON ― Epirus, a venture-backed startup offering a counter-drone capability, announced Thursday it raised $70 million to speed its technology to market. The round was led by San Francisco, California-based Bedrock Capital, and brings the 2-year-old company’s total capital raised to roughly $80 million. The news comes six months after Epirus inked a strategic supplier agreement with Northrop Grumman to provide exclusive access to Epirus’ software-defined electromagnetic pulse system Leonidas. Since then, the firm has doubled in size and plans to add 100 jobs in 2021… lire l’article
THOR: Air Force Tests Counter-Drone Microwave In Africa
Breaking Defense – 17/12/2020 – WASHINGTON: The Air Force is testing its prototype drone-killing microwave, the Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR), “in a real-world setting” in Africa, says Richard Joseph, the Air Force’s chief scientist. Given how Iran and its proxies have used drone swarms, this would seem to be a good place to test without risking escalation, or Iran developing countermeasures. “We have recently deployed a test system to Africa for base defense … based on a microwave system. And the purpose is to be able to disrupt and destroy the performance of drones or swarms of drones,” he told the Mitchell Institute today. “It’s been tested extensively, works remarkably well. … I’ve watched it in action and it’s really quite impressive.”… lire l’article
Les solutions anti-drones de MC2 Technologies équiperont les armées
DroneShield To Deploy C-UAS To Swiss Airport
ADU – 15/12/2020 – Sydney. 15 December 2020. DroneShield Ltd is pleased to announce deployment of its multi-sensor C-UAS DroneSentry™ system at the Altenrhein Airport in Switzerland, as well as provide an update on record Purchase Orders and customer cash receipts for the quarter to date. Altenrhein Airport deployment : The deployment consists of the following DroneShield solutions: multiple RfOne™ units, able to detect, ID and track single or swarms of UAS in real time, at the world leading 8km range, as well as indicate the location of the UAS pilot. And DroneOpt™ optical verification systems, with DroneShield proprietary DroneOptID™ AI-based engine, with ability to ID and track the UAS and its payload… lire l’article
Boeing delivers first upgraded compact lasers to DoD customer
Boeing – 9/12/2020 – Boeing has upgraded and delivered the first batch of previously deployed Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) units to a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) customer – increasing their maximum beam power and reliability. Boeing expects to complete upgrades on the remaining units and deliver them in the first quarter of 2021. “The upgraded units will provide warfighters with enhanced protection against larger and more numerous hostile unmanned aircraft systems,” said Kurt Sorenson, Boeing program manager for CLWS. “They will also enable them to defeat threats more quickly and efficiently.”… lire l’article
Netline adds compact tactical rapid deployment anti-drone jammer to DroneNet RD family
Unmanned Airspace – 11/12/2020 – Electronic warfare company Netline Communications Technologies has launched a new DroneNet RD Jammer, a compact rapid deployment (RD) tactical drone jamming solution designed for easy deployment that meets the US Military Standards (MIL-STD), according to a Netline press release. The DroneNet RD Jammer is the latest addition to the DroneNet family of solutions designed to prevent unauthorized drones entering protected airspace, such as over deployed military forces, over strategic facilities, or in VIP protection arenas, whether on the move or stationary. The DroneNet RD jammer can be quickly deployed, mounted on a tripod mast, by a small tactical operating team… lire l’article