Newsletter drone 8-9 décembre 2020
Lecture de 2 mn
Relais radio
The Airbus Zephyr, Solar High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) Concludes a Successful New Test Flight Campaign in Arizona, USA
Airbus US – 3/12/2020 – Airbus Defence and Space has successfully completed a new test flight campaign for its Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) in Arizona. The 2020 flight campaign succeeded despite global slowdowns due to the Covid19 pandemic. It focused on aircraft agility, control and operations to build upon previous campaigns, which have already proven the day and night stratospheric persistence of the unmanned aerial system (UAS) essential in military and commercial markets. This year’s campaign held during the first three weeks of November aimed to demonstrate operational flexibility and aircraft agility, particularly testing lower altitude flying and early-stage transition to the stratosphere. It also allowed the validation of a new flight planning tool suite and the development of operational concepts through multiple, varied flights in short succession… lire l’article
R & D
GA-ASI Completes Full-Scale Static Testing On MQ-9B SkyGuardian Wing Structure
UAS weekly – 8/12/2020 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) recently completed Full Scale Static (FSS) testing on the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) wing after three months of extensive testing. MQ-9B includes SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian ® RPA produced by GA-ASI. The testing included multiple load cases to 150 percent of expected maximum flight loads. The wing was loaded using specially designed fixtures to apply a distributed load across the wingspan – simulating gust and maneuver flight conditions – with no failures… lire l’article
This tiny drone uses an actual moth antenna to sniff out target chemicals
Tech Crunch – 7/12/2020 – If, for instance, you had one sensor that could detect toxic particles at a fraction of the concentration of that detectable by another, it would be a no-brainer to use the more sensitive of the two. On the other hand, it’s no cake walk training moths to fly toward toxic plumes of gas and report back their findings. So the team (carefully) removed a common hawk moth’s antenna and mounted it on board. By passing a light current through it the platform can monitor the antenna’s general status, which changes when it is exposed to certain chemicals — such as those a moth might want to follow, a flower’s scent perhaps… lire l’article
These 3 companies will build prototypes for the Air Force’s Skyborg drone
Defense News – 8/12/2020 – WASHINGTON — Boeing, General Atomics and Kratos will create prototypes for the Air Force’s Skyborg program and have a mere five months to build the first test vehicles of the autonomous combat drone. As part of the Skyborg program, the Air Force hopes to build a family of low-cost, attritable drones that can be reused, but are cheap enough that losses in combat can be financially and operationally tolerated. The project is meant to produce a family of uncrewed aerial systems that can move into contested spaces and conduct aerial missions… lire l’article
Cartographie
Parrot, UgCS partnership augments drone mission planning, mapping
UAS weekly – 9/12/2020 – SPH Engineering, the world’s premier UgCS software developer, announced today that the Parrot ANAFI UAV platform is now compatible with UgCS. ANAFI users now have access to the program’s vast range of tools to enhance professional drone operations and streamline land surveying and mapping processes. The world’s premier UgCS (Universal ground Control Software) is a tool for enhanced UAV mission planning and data collection suitable for land surveying and industrial inspections. It is an industry-standard data acquisition instrument for professional drone pilots doing their job with a mixed multi-vendor drone fleet in large scale surveying projects. It allows to plan and fly drone survey missions to safely collect high-quality data, providing convenient technics for aerial and linear surveys and enabling direct drone control. UgCS also offers key features including custom elevation data import, terrain following mode and georeferenced video streaming… lire l’article
Divers
Sécurité : le marché des drones ne connaît pas la crise
RNMPS – 8/12/2020 – Stéphane Morelli est responsable de la conformité et des relations publiques d’Azur Drones, entreprise créée en 2012 et aujourd’hui leader européen du drone autonome. Pour Rendre notre monde + sûr, il dresse un premier état des lieux de ce marché, face à la crise sanitaire et aux prochains défis réglementaires… lire l’article
Electronic Bird Control lance E-Raptor, son drone effaroucheur d’oiseaux
La Tribune – 8/12/2020 – La société gardoise Electronic Bird Control s’apprête à commercialiser un drone d’effarouchement autonome, capable de reproduire les mouvements d’un rapace en action de chasse. Cette innovation pourrait séduire les exploitants de centrales photovoltaïques, les aéroports ou encore les sites d’enfouissement des déchets. Avec son bec noir et sa large voilure, le drone E-Raptor semble plus vrai que nature. Directement inspiré du faucon pèlerin, il reproduit avec la même portance et la même finesse, les trajectoires du rapace en chasse. Léger, d’une autonomie de 15 à 20 minutes, il pourra voler jusqu’à 80 km/h, avec une caméra intégrée sur son corps (en option) permettant d’être au plus proche de l’action. Véritable prouesse technologique, ce drone a été conçu par l’ingénieur François Lorrain, cofondateur associé de la start-up Electronic Bird Control (EBC), créée en 2019 et basée à Caveirac (30)… lire l’article
Destruction
Russia confirms usage of Kalashnikov kamikaze drone ‘KUB-BLA » in Syria
South Front – 8/12/2020 – Unmanned aerial vehicles of the Kalashnikov Concern were successfully employed during hostilities in Syria, the head of the Russian state corporation “Rostec” Sergey Chemezov said. The Russian official clarified that he was talking not only about reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles, but also about combat ones.The statement of Chemezov became the first official confirmation of the usage of the KUB-BLA loitering munition in the conflict. At the same time, this fact itself is an open secret and Syrian militants regularly report strikes on their positions and vehicles by some ‘mysterious suicide drones’… lire l’article
Système automatique
Unleash the Potential of BVLOS Drone Operations with Obstacle Detection Radar
UAS weekly – 7/12/2020 – Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation is fast becoming a standard requirement in many industrial and mission-critical applications. With drone operations no longer limited by the range constraint within the remote pilot’s line of sight, unlocking BVLOS operations in autonomous drones creates new use cases and performance benefits in various applications. Industries such as disaster management, precision agriculture, law enforcement and insurance amongst others are considering BVLOS as the future for managing operations… lire l’article
Surveillance de zone ou de site
Newcastle Airport latest UK airport to install Dedrone drone detection technology
Unmanned Airspace – 8/12/2020 – Newcastle Airport now has the visibility to detect drones and therefore build a comprehensive set of response protocols to safeguard its passengers from this emerging threat, according to a case study by drone detection company Dedrone. The airport is the latest UK airport to install Dedrone’s CPNI-approved detection technology to safeguard its passengers and operations against unwanted drones. The equipment informs the airport about drone activity surrounding its airfield including the average flight time, frequent times of the day when drones appear, and information to locate drones. The airport now has a standard response protocol in the event there is a drone incursion. With this situational awareness, Newcastle Airport can prepare for and rehearse their drone intervention response and prevent disruption should a drone approach the critical operational area, says Dedrone… lire l’article
Announcing VESPER & Vision GCS: Vantage’s Next Generation Elite Small Drone
UAS weekly – 8/12/2020 – Introducing VESPER: a new military-grade small drone that is designed, sourced and built in the United States. This 690 gram quadcopter exceeds the specifications of the most elite federal security leaders and is, for the first time ever, now available for direct purchase on the Vantage Robotics website. What is VESPER? Vesper is a complete aerial reconnaissance system built upon user-centered design criteria obtained from military leaders, experienced operators, elite special forces, industry veterans, and DoD security experts. These respected leaders helped the Vantage team thoughtfully develop Vesper and Vision Ground Control Station and informed the foundations of the design – specifically… lire l’article
AirData and Autel Integration and Partnership
PR.com – 4/12/2020 – Today, AirData UAV and Autel Enterprise Robotics are announcing a new partnership specially tailored to meet the needs of Autel Pilots across the USA: Autel EVO II users will receive a one-month free trial of AirData Enterprise fleet management software. Now optimized for all Autel Evo II camera models, by utilizing AirData, Autel pilots can reduce the risk in flying and managing Autel Evo II drones and fleets. AirData brings advanced fleet management functionality integrated with the Autel ecosystem, including pilot and flight data logging and analysis, compliance management, maintenance tracking, and crash prevention information, as well as increasing flight efficiency for better and safer drone operations… lire l’article
JEMS Editor Emeritus A.J. Heightman Provides Update on Drone First-Response Effectiveness
JEMS – 7/12/2020 – The most advanced drone first response system in the United States, operated by the Chula Vista (CA) Police Department, should be followed and mimicked by EMS, police and law enforcement agencies around the country. They have been pioneers in this space, overcoming federal and logistic obstacles for two years. I have visited and followed this system 30 miles from my home. Chula Vista police respond to as many as 15 emergency calls a shift with a drone, launching more than 4,100 flights since the program began two years ago, according to the New York Times… lire l’article
ISR
The US Navy wants to find ships to kill using aerial drones launched from submarines
Defense News – 8/12/2020 – WASHINGTON – The name of the game in the Pacific is stand-off range. But with longer range torpedoes and anti-ship missiles in the arsenal, submariners are looking to a new domain to help them extend their deadly reach: The air. In an October request for information, Naval Sea Systems Command’s Submarine Combat and Weapons Control Program Office asked industry for input into a “Submarine-Launched Unmanned Aerial System,” or SLUAS, currently in development. The Navy has been interested in sub-launched drones for some time and has been testing prototypes, but the RFI shows the service is getting serious… lire l’article
Anti-drone
Canadian Authorities Test SkyTrack
eBOM – 3/12/2020 – Canadian authorities recently conducted performance testing on the soon to be released SkyTrack system from OpenWorks. This follows the integration testing that was completed in Germany by ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH, earlier this year.Canadian authorities represent the first end-users to operate the system, as they stay at the forefront of C-UAS technology. Testing SkyTrack as part of their search for the latest generation of optical UAS detection and tracking technology… lire l’article
US cyber security agency publishes best-practice defence against malicious drones
Unmanned Airspace – 8/12/2020 – A new report released by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (ISA) outlines awareness and mitigation measures for use by US federal departments and agencies to protect against malicious unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations. “Protecting Against the Threat of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): An Interagency Security Committee Best Practice,” has been compiled as a result of extensive collaboration within the ISC Unmanned Aircraft Systems Working Group. Topics covered in the document include… lire l’article
US defence agency selects FS-LIDS as interim counter-sUAS solution for military
Unmanned Airspace – 8/12/2020 – The Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Office (JCO) in the US has selected Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) as the interim counter-sUAS solution for the US military. This comes after the US Department of Defense (DoD) established the US Army-led JCO in January to evaluate the performance of more than 40 counter-sUAS systems. The JCO recommended the FS-LIDS solution for fixed or semi-fixed mission, following which it was then reviewed and approved by the DoD. The FS-LIDS solution is equipped with SRC Technology’s AN/TPQ-50 air surveillance radar, counter-sUAS EW system and electro-optic / infrared camera. These components help the system in detecting low flying and small moving UAS targets, classify them and offer electronic defeat capabilities. According to a SRC press release, SRC’s AN/TPQ-50 air surveillance radar, counter-sUAS EW system and electro-optic/infrared camera are primary components of FS-LIDS. These systems provide accurate detection of low flying and small moving UAS targets… lire l’article
DroneShield and Squarehead partner in the counter drone space
Unmanned Airspace – 7/12/2020 – Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) company DroneShield has partnered with Squarehead, a Norwegian-based acoustic array technology company to enhance drone detection and mitigation capabilities. According to a press release, DroneShield can now offer an integrated system for C-UAS detection and mitigation, with DroneShield’s radiofrequency, radar and camera-based UAS detection and electronic warfare UAS defeat products integrated with Squarehead’s Discovair G2 direction-finding acoustic system, within DroneSentry-C2 airspace awareness, command-and-control and reporting software. This product integration of the two companies’ offerings has been completed, and the combined solution is available to customers at present. The combined system is presently undergoing test evaluation schedule with the US Department of Defense. Squarehead CEO Stig Nyvold said: “We are pleased to enter into the partnership with DroneShield in the rapidly emerging C-UAS space. C-UAS security and airspace awareness is becoming an increasing problem for wide range of military and civilian customers, and we expect our capability to detect any drone in the near field… lire l’article
Polish military takes delivery of Poprad static and mobile counter drone equipment
Unmanned Airspace – 7/12/2020 – Counter Unmanned Aircraft Sytems (C-UAS) capability is included in the latest deliveries to Polish military forces by PIT-RADWAR. Some 24 Poprad surface-to-air missile systems have been handed off to military units all around Poland, and the Air Force training centre in Koszalin, according to Defence24. The last Poprad SAM system left the production facility at the end of November under an agreement signed with the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish MoD, covering 79 systems with a price tag of more than PLN1 billion. Poprad systems act as the primary armament of three anti-aircraft regiments of the Polish Army. They are also operated by three air defence regiments in four brigades (15th “Giżycka” Mechanized Brigade, 21st Highland Brigade, 17th “Wielkopolska” Mechanized Brigade, and 19th “Lubelska Mechanized Brigade)… lire l’article