OFFSET Swarm Systems Integrators Demonstrate Tactics to Conduct Urban Raid
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Researchers integrate swarm tactics and human-swarm teaming technologies in third field experiment In its third field experiment, DARPA’s OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program deployed swarms of autonomous air and ground vehicles to demonstrate a raid in an urban area. The OFFSET program envisions swarms of up to 250 collaborative autonomous systems providing critical insights to […]
New bio-inspired wing design developed for small drones
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Researchers from Brown University have designed a new type of wing that could make small fixed-wing drones far more stable and efficient. The new wing replaces the smooth contour found on the leading edges of most airplane wings with a thick flat plate and a sharp leading edge. Counterintuitive as it may seem, it turns […]
USAF XQ-58A Valkyrie expands flight envelope in fourth test
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The Air Force Research Laboratory, along with partner Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Inc., completed the successful fourth flight test of the XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost unmanned air vehicle demonstrator Jan. 23, 2020, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. During the test event, the Valkyrie demonstrator’s flight successfully met all of the test objectives, and the envelope […]
China Flies World’s First Large, Three-Engine Drone
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Independently developed by China, the world’s first large, three-engine utility drone recently made its first flight, with experts saying on Sunday that the drone is very reliable and versatile thanks to the extra engine, and can be used in transport and attack missions. Developed by Chengdu-based Tengden Technology Co, the drone took off and landed […]
Leonardo’s Falco Xplorer drone completes first flight
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Leonardo has announced the maiden flight of its new Falco Xplorer drone aircraft. Falco Xplorer S/N0001 took off from Trapani Air Force base on January 15, cruised over the Gulf of Trapani in a dedicated fly zone, for around 60 minutes and then returned to base, landing safely. The maiden flight is a significant milestone […]
Slow light to speed up LiDAR sensors development
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Quicker is not always better, especially when it comes to a 3D sensor in advanced technology. With applications in autonomous vehicles, robots and drones, security systems and more, researchers are striving for a 3D sensor that is compact and easy to use. A team from Yokohama National University in Japan believes they have developed a […]
Russia Developing Anti-Drone Weapons
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The Russian defense industry is working on several models of anti-drone weapons to improve the military’s protection. In a report on January 14, 2020, Air Recognition detailed some of the handheld anti-drone weapons that are being developed in Russia, which include the Garpun-M, Pishchal, and REX-1. The Russian military has begun to emphasize anti-drone weapons […]
Moths’ flight data helps drones navigate complex environments
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The flight navigation strategy of moths can be used to develop programs that help drones to navigate unfamiliar environments, report Ioannis Paschalidis at Boston University, Thomas Daniel at University of Washington, and colleagues, in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology. To understand how real moths plan their route, the researchers mounted 8 hawk moths (Mantuca […]
AEW brings Reaper airpower into new decade
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CREECH AIR FORCE BASE: In early 2009, a recently reactivated combat unit, now named the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing, achieved the mark of 500,000 hours of combat, for a relatively new form of airpower, known as remotely piloted aircraft. In roughly a decade, the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, RPAs designed for enhanced loitering […]
US Air Force completes initial Ultra LEAP flight tests
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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio: The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation has successfully completed initial flight tests for a revolutionary Unmanned Aerial System with a customizable suite of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools that supports extended missions. This series of flight tests began in Feb. 2019 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, culminating […]