The Boeing and Insitu Group ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle demonstrated a mission endurance of nearly 17h on a recent test flight. The UAV was deployed from and recovered by a surface ship for the trial, which included the provision of real-time imagery from the drone's electro-optical sensor. The system's infrared sensor payload was also demonstrated during a separate test flight. The US Marine Corps has already ordered two ScanEagle units for deployment to Iraq.
Source: Flight International
Zephyr ultra-endurance air vehicle developer AALTO has secured a $100 million investment from a Japanese consortium including mobile services provider NTT DOCOMO.
Following its purchase by BAE Systems earlier this year, UK unmanned air vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Malloy Aeronautics is significantly boosting output and targeting continued growth.
UK drone manufacturer Marble Aerospace is considering the adoption of an innovative metallic 3D-printing process to produce the complete airframe of its MRB5 platform to drive performance enhancements.
