All Military UAVs news – Page 302
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Bids are in for VTOL competition
The US Navy's multi-million dollar contest to acquire a vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (VTOL UAV) generated up to three bids. Bidding for the programme, which includes 12 systems for the US Navy and 11 for the US Marine Corps, closed on 1 November. The USN ...
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Star target
NATO is well on the way to having its own version of the USA's Joint STARS Paul Lewis/MELBOURNE, FLORIDA After years of deliberation, NATO has embarked on a programme that could see the alliance field its own version of the US Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) by ...
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Hard to digest
Whether it is clever politics, a knee-jerk reaction or just well-meant advice, the "closed" sign has gone up in the window of the transatlantic merger diner at which Europe has been trying to book a table since merger-mania gripped the industry earlier this year. Clever politics, perhaps, because Washington ...
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USAF gets funding to begin work on Galaxy re-engining
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force has secured $18 million in long lead funding to begin work on re-engining the Lockheed Martin C-5A/B Galaxy, as the Air Mobility Command (AMC) prepares to conclude a critical study of its future heavylift transport options. Congress has approved initial funding in ...
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Kosovo air campaign shows up US and NATO disparities
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US secretary of State for Defense William Cohen says the Kosovo air campaign highlighted disparities between US military forces and those of NATO allies, including precision strike capabilities. Cohen's assessment is contained in an initial Kosovo after-action report from the Department of Defense containing early lessons from ...
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TUAV shoot-out marred by crash
The US Army's fly-off involving four tactical unmanned air vehicles (TUAV) suffered its first casualty when an AAI Shadow 200 was destroyed in a crash on 11October near Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The Shadow 200 began its system capability demonstration (SCD) on 4 October and had completed two check flights ...
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Running with it
If Europe has found a way of sorting out its fragmented space, guided weapons, commercial aircraft and even helicopter industries with a path being trodden for avionics, radar and other defence systems, the fighter road is far from clear. It is a worrying sign, given that air power will ...
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Out on a wing
NASA is set to turn an experimental project into full-scale scientific and commercial work Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESAs shopping expeditions go, visiting NASA's display of Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project aircraft on 13 October has to rank as one of the strangest. On show, under the appropriate banner ...
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Comanche tests to speed up
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DCBoeing and Sikorsky plan to accelerate RAH-66 Comanche helicopter flight and system testing in a move to reduce development risk. This coincides with the US Congress signalling its intent to pay much closer scrutiny to the helicopter programme. Key members of the House Appropriations Committee defence panel warn ...
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UK sends out for UAV assessment bids
Stewart Penney/LONDON The UK Ministry of Defence is inviting a dozen companies to bid for the assessment phase of its Sender unmanned air vehicle (UAV) requirement. At the same time, the MoD and US Army have agreed a letter of intent (LoI) to explore opportunities for Tactical UAV (TUAV) co-operation. ...
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Four tactical UAVs in US Army shoot-out
The US Army has initiated a fly-off at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, to decide which of four tactical unmanned air vehicle (TUAV) candidates will be bought. The $325 million TUAV competition includes the AAI Shadow 200, Alliant Techsystems Outrider, General Atomics Prowler II and S-TEC STM-5B Sentry. The Shadow 200 ...
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IAI/TAI agree deal
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will submit joint bids for contracts in Turkey and in countries where an Israeli company cannot be a prime contractor. The deal stems from good relations between the companies and close defence links between Israel and Turkey. Co-operation is likely ...
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Global Hawk downed by rogue abort signal
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESNorthrop Grumman says the crash on 29 March of a Ryan Aeronautical RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was caused by an abort signal from another remotely operated vehicle which was being tested more than 250km (140nm) away. The signal accidentally triggered the Ryan UAV's flight termination ...
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NATO makes a noise over Sentry re-engining deliveries
The NATO airborne early warning force (NAEWF) is expected finally to release a request for proposals (RFP) in October to re-engine its Boeing E-3A Sentrys ahead of the introduction of Stage 3 noise restrictions in Europe. The NAEWF operates 18 E-3As powered by Pratt & Whitney TF33-100 turbofans. The RFP ...
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Technical problems put back US Navy CL-327 sea trials
US Navy-sponsored sea trials of Bombardier Services' co-axial rotor CL-327 Guardian vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (VTOL UAV) have been delayed by at least a month because of technical problems, say USN project officials. The decision to postpone the shipborne flight operations coincides with Bombardier Services' withdrawal ...
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USAF settles on 'waverider' scramjet missile
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US military has settled on development of a scramjet-powered "waverider" vehicle as its candidate for an inexpensive hypersonic stand-off missile, according to US Air Force Lt Col Walt Price, the Affordable Rapid Response Missile (ARRM) programme manager. Development of a Mach 6.5tactical missile employing ...
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US Marines get message with Cypher II
Sikorsky Aircraft has received $5.5 million from the US Congress to build two Cypher II unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) with ground control stations, for testing by the US Marine Corps. The contract includes options for another 10 of the all-composite vertical take-off and landing UAV rotorcraft. Dubbed Dragon Warrior by ...
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Bombardier drops UAV bid on eve of sea trials
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Bombardier Services has withdrawn from the race to win a US Navy contest to supply a vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (VTOL UAV). The Canadian company was considered a leading contender for the multi-million dollar programme. The decision to drop out of the ...
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USAF strike studies look beyond B-2
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are studying concepts for a future strike aircraft (FSA) under a 12-month US Air Force contract. The companies are refining requirements for a strike capability that could replace the USAF's B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers beyond 2030. The manufacturers are looking at a range ...
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Unmanned alternatives
II(AC) Sqn pilots see unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) as a viable alternative to the manned aircraft for certain missions, particularly suppression of enemy air defences, and because of the political pressure to avoid casualties. A flight commander says the difficulty with UCAVs "is the physical pushing of the button. ...