DefenceTalkGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) today announced the successful first flight of Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Extended Range (ER) Long Wing, retrofitted with improved long-endurance wings with greater internal fuel capacity and additional hard points for carrying external stores. The flight occurred on February 18 at GA-ASI’s Gray Butte Flight Test Facility in Palmdale, Calif., […]https://www.defencetalk.com/predator-b-uav-extended-range-conducts-first-flight-with-long-wings-upgrade-66899/

DefenceTalkEach year, the U.S. Army conducts a series of technology demonstrations known as the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments, or AEWE. The event is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s live, force-on-force experiment. AEWE places technologies under development by industry and Army researchers into the hands of Soldiers for early and credible feedback from the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-selects-3-d-printed-uas-concept-for-future-experiment-66817/

DefenceTalkElbit Systems has developed the Skylark3, a new autonomous mini-Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), best suited for brigades and divisions in “beyond the next hill” reconnaissance, counterinsurgency and force protection missions, as well as for use in a range of civil applications, such as border and coastal security and anti-terror operations. The new system has already […]https://www.defencetalk.com/elbit-introduces-skylarktm-3-the-latest-addition-to-its-family-of-mini-uas-66735/

DefenceTalkThe Army is working toward a universal control interface for unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, that will help operators pilot more than one type. “Probably one of the biggest and most impacting changes that we’re looking forward to in our strategy is that of a universal operator and a universal control interface,” said Col. Paul […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-to-go-universal-with-uas-operator-training-66631/

DefenceTalkWith Phase 3 award, program aims to deliver embedded capabilities that have been on the U.S. Navy’s wish list since World War II Small-deck ships such as destroyers and frigates could greatly increase their effectiveness if they had their own unmanned air systems (UASs) to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and other capabilities at […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-northrop-develop-unmanned-vtol-flying-wing-small-us-navy-ships-66208/

DefenceTalkFor decades, U.S. military air operations have relied on increasingly capable multi-function manned aircraft to execute critical combat and non-combat missions. Adversaries’ abilities to detect and engage those aircraft from longer ranges have improved over time as well, however, driving up the costs for vehicle design, operation and replacement. An ability to send large numbers […]https://www.defencetalk.com/gremlins-could-enable-cheaper-more-effective-distributed-air-operations-65257/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Army and Raytheon Company successfully test fired an AIM-9X Block II missile from the Army’s ground-based Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-I (IFPC 2-I) Block 1 Multi-Mission Launcher (MML). AIM-9X is traditionally fired from aircraft toward aerial targets and this test demonstrated that the latest AIM-9X can be used in both air-to-air combat […]https://www.defencetalk.com/raytheon-air-to-air-missile-scores-direct-hit-from-us-army-ground-launcher-65187/

DefenceTalkFORT HOOD, Texas: Selected units received an upgrade to their Raven unmanned aerial systems during an initiative here last week. The upgrade, dubbed the Raven Gimbal, is a new payload for the Raven R-11B Small Unmanned Aircraft System – a small, hand-launched reconnaissance and surveillance tool. “The Gimbal system replaces the old, fixed camera, where […]https://www.defencetalk.com/troopers-receive-new-raven-uas-camera-upgrade-65114/

DefenceTalkAeroVironment, Inc. today announced it has received a contract from the United States Army totaling $3.4 million for RQ-11B Raven unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to supply the Spanish Ministry of Defense via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Raven is the most widely used UAS in the world today. It is designed for rapid deployment […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-contract-rq-11b-raven-uavs-spanish-army-65099/

DefenceTalkNASA, working with government and industry partners, is testing a system that would make it possible for unmanned aircraft to fly routine operations in United States airspace. Through the agency’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System (UAS-NAS) project, NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Honeywell […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nasa-partners-test-unmanned-aircraft-systems-64700/