Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FAA Unveils Long-awaited Small Drone Draft Regulation
The FAA announced its highly anticipated and long-overdue notice of proposed rulemaking for commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
EBACE 2015 To Feature Unmanned Aircraft Zone
The UAS zone will provide a venue for exhibitors to do live demonstrations of their products in a 12m-by-12m netted pavilion.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Raytheon Acquires Manufacturer of Small, Tactical Drones
Raytheon acquired Sensitel, manufacturer of the Silver Fox, Manta and Coyote small unmanned aircraft systems.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Pirker, FAA Settle Penalty for Alleged Unsafe Drone Operation
Raphael Pirker settled with the FAA on the first civil fine the agency levied for alleged unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Aurora Submits Orion Drone for World Endurance Record
Aurora Flight Sciences said its Orion unmanned aircraft system flew for 80 hours during a flight in December.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Dubai Airport Flights Delayed by 'Irresponsible' Drone Use
Authorities suspended operations at Dubai International Airport for nearly an hour when recreational users flew drones in the terminal airspace.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Japan Plans To Acquire Global Hawks, Adding to Asia's Fleet
Japan will join South Korea as an operator of the RQ-4 Global Hawk in the Asia Pacific region.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Air Force Takes Steps To Relieve, Retain UAV Pilots
The U.S. Air Force is taking steps to relieve “strain” on its remotely piloted aircraft pilots
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Military UAV Manufacturers Announce Flight-time Milestones
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and variants of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk recently achieved flight-time milestones.
Safety
Two More Companies Granted Approval To Operate UAS
The FAA has granted 14 total exemptions; 214 petitions have been filed with the agency.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
IG Slams U.S. Customs and Border Protection Drone Program
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency “cannot prove” that its use of Predator B drones is effective for border surveillance, IG says.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Helicopter Operator Places Launch Order for Flexrotor UAV
Precision Helicopters placed the launch order for the Flexrotor, a vertical takeoff and landing UAV developed by Insitu co-founder Tad McGeer.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
ICAO Panel Will Recommend First UAV Standards in 2018
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s new Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel aims to deliver first standards for UAVs in 2018.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FAA, Drone Groups Launch UAS Safety Effort
The FAA and trade organizations representing drone and model aircraft operators launched the "Know Before You Fly" safety campaign.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FAA, Drone Groups Plan 'Safety Campaign' Announcement
The FAA and leading unmanned aircraft systems trade organizations have scheduled a teleconference to announce a “UAS Safety Campaign.'
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Army Displays JLens Aerostat for East Coast Coverage
The Army displayed the first aerostat of the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor it will fly over the East Coast.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Leads ICAO's New Remotely Piloted Aircraft Panel
A representative of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is chairman of the new ICAO Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
U.S. Army Installs First Ground-Based UAS Radar System
The U.S. Army has installed the first of five ground-based sense and avoid radar systems to track flights of unmanned aircraft in the U.S.
Aircraft
Unmanned K-Max Tested for Firefighting
The Indago can be used by firefighters to identify hot spots more precisely through heavy smoke and then transmit that data back to the remote operator.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FAA Grants Second Round of '333' Exemptions to Fly Drones
The FAA on December 10 granted four companies permission to operate drones under a special provision of the 2012 FAA reauthorization act.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Airline Pilots Recommend Go-Slow Approach on Drones
The Air Line Pilots Association contends that pressure to introduce drones into the U.S. national airspace system should not override safety.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Textron Launches Unmanned Aerosonde at Virginia Test Site
Textron started operating the Aerosonde UAS through an FAA certificate of authorization awarded to the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
NTSB Supports FAA's Position in Pirker Drone Case
The NTSB reversed a ruling that the FAA was wrong to fine Raphael Pirker for allegedly recklessly flying a drone.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Iran Claims First Flight of Reverse Engineered RQ-170 Drone
Iran claims to have flown an unmanned aircraft copied from the RQ-170 Sentinel that crashed in that country in December 2011.
Aircraft
Darpa Seeks Ideas for Unmanned-aircraft Host Ship
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks information on "distributed airborne capabilities" involving small unmanned aircraft.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Australia Will Use Heron as Training Bridge to MQ-4C Triton
The Royal Australian Air Force will continue using the IAI Heron to train until it receives the MQ-4C Triton.
Aircraft
Sagem Touts Patroller UAV for French Army Contest
The program is expected to be worth €200 to €250 million (up to $310 million), for the acquisition of 8-10 systems, with three UAVs per system.
Aircraft
U.S. Air Force Rebuts Pentagon's Audit of Reaper Buy
The report from the Pentagon's inspector general relies on outdated information, contends the Air Force.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Aircraft Exemption Requests Now Exceed 50
The number of applicants seeking to operate unmanned aircraft by exemption is increasing.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Navy Shifts MQ-4C Tritons to East Coast, Adds Functionality
The service is adding mission systems for the new maritime surveillance aircraft.
