Defense Systems
Navy facility to assess Shadow UAS payloads
The Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft System Test Directorate plans to test new technologies and payloads for the Shadow Tactical UAS at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
Defense Systems
Modularity in satellite design is key to quick response
The Operationally Responsive Space Office is driving changes that shorten development times for military satellites.
Defense Systems
LightSquared's threat of legal action raises questions
A LightSquared spokesman has threatened to launch a legal counteroffensive to assert the company's "legal rights," but it is unclear whom the company would sue and for what it would sue.
Defense Systems
Army to test wall-scaling robot in Afghanistan
U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the near future might be able to use a robot that can leap over high walls to explore inside compounds and provide views through its built-in camera of possible threats that might lie inside.
Defense Systems
Navy picks contractor for C4ISR integration projects
The Navy has awarded a three-year, $139 million delivery order to CACI International to provide an array of communications technology to the Defense Department and other federal entities.
Defense Systems
Army creates project office to manage fixed-wing aircraft
The Army has activated a project office specifically to oversee all Army fixed-wing aircraft rather than having them operated independently by individual organizations and major commands.
Defense Systems
Army lists achievements of manned-unmanned aircraft demo
The Army's Manned Unmanned Systems Integration Capability exercise demonstrated the ability of all of the manned and unmanned systems involved to exchange video with each other and also the ability of operators to control the UAS payloads of the larger unmanned aircraft using universal ground stations and remote video terminals.
Defense Systems
Reaper UAVs hunt terrorists from base in Ethiopia
The U.S. Air Force is flying armed Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles on counterterrorism missions from a civilian airport in southern Ethiopia against the Somalia-based al-Qaeda affiliate known as al-Shabab.
Defense Systems
Tigershark UAV boasts two drones in one
Known as the Robotic Russian Doll of Death, a new drone heading for testing in 2012 would hide a smaller, warhead missile drone inside, enabling more accurate explosions and limiting collateral damage.
Defense Systems
Army, AAI collaborate on UAS payload development
AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems has delivered a small and a miniature UAS to the Army's Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center that will be used to help develop various payloads for three classes of the UAS.
Defense Systems
Demand for better payloads to spur UAV tech advances
Global spending on payloads and subsystems for UAVs is expected to hit $2.9 billion this year as companies continue to enter the market or expand their existing capabilities to provide the equipment to conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communication and attack missions with UAVs.
Defense Systems
Army chooses contractor for UAS support services
The Army has awarded a five-year contract with options potentially worth $105 million to Aerodyne to furnish engineering and support services to the service's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office.
Defense Systems
Autonomous network would manage long-range recon, strikes
The U.S. military is interested in establishing an aviation force centered primarily on existing unmanned aircraft that could carry out long-range surveilliance and strike missions in the Pacific theater.
Defense Systems
UAV recon missions over Afghanistan quadruple
There have been some 23,000 Coalition spy missions in Afghanistan since 2011 began -- four times more than in 2009 -- but with insurgent attacks still on the rise, some are wondering just what is the point?
Defense Systems
Switchblade UAV would perform human-kill missions
A small unmanned aerial vehicle designed to sneak up on a human target and then dive bomb the person will soon be part of the Army's arsenal.
Defense Systems
Collaboration must be lifeblood of joint combat operations
Collaboration among coalition forces on the battlefield would seem to be a given, but there are still major hurdles preventing critical information sharing, according to international military officials.
Defense Systems
SOUTHCOM looks to non-traditional information sharing
The U.S. Southern Command's commander wants to use non-traditional ways to achieve the intelligence capabilities required in South America.
Defense Systems
Shadow M2 offers expanded payload capabilities
AAI has introduced the Shadow M2, an improved version of the RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aerial vehicle used by the Army and Marine Corps. It is capable of carrying two sensor payloads on a mission rather than the single standard electro-optical, infrared package available on previous versions.
Defense Systems
Boeing's new C4ISR division to manage multiple programs
Boeing has created a new division to provide more focus and expertise to military customers for network-enabled command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) programs and technologies.
Defense Systems