Military UAVs – Page 304
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New deep penetrator warhead used in Operation Allied Force
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC A US weapon still under development and designed to attack deep underground bunkers containing command and control centres and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was secretly and successfully deployed against Yugoslav targets in the Kosovo theatre of operations, according to US Air Force officials. ...
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Four Tactical UAVs in US Army shoot-out
The US Army has narrowed the field of players in its $325 million Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (TUAV) competition from seven to four. They will participate in a fly-off later this year. The AAI Shadow 200, Alliant Techsystems Outrider, General Atomics Prowler II and S-TEC STM-5B Sentry will take ...
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The show goes on
As mainland China blusters and threatens, Taiwan stages its fifth Taipei Aerospace show, playing down its traditional defence slantAndrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE Despite the continuing tense political situation between Taiwan and neighbouring mainland China across the Taiwan Strait, the Taipei Aerospace Technology Exhibition 99 (TATE99) has drawn increasing representation from Taiwan's own ...
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IAI Airtruck details revealed
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Flight International has obtained the first detailed technical specifications on Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) Airtruck, as the Israeli company struggles to find a large enough customer base to launch its proposed twin turboprop freighter. IAI began developing the Airtruck several years ...
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USAF targets new pod
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC) has drawn up an operational requirement for an advanced targeting pod and will shortly be seeking industry proposals as a result of lessons learned during the Kosovo conflict. "We're looking to field the system in a 2003 timeframe, ...
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Hummingbird tested
Frontier Systems has flight tested avionics and software for its A160 Hummingbird vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding development of the 48h endurance, 5,500km (3,000nm) range A160 (Flight International, 21-27 July). The key Hummingbird technologies were flown in ...
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DERA presents Racal with a radar lifeline
Stewart Penney/LONDON Racal Defence Electronics' work with the UK's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA)to define a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology demonstrator for fast jet low level reconnaissance missions has handed the UK company a lifeline that will allow it to continue developing SAR technology. This is despite its ...
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Israel thinks again on F-16A/B upgrades after big purchase
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Israel's recent decision to buy 50 Lockheed Martin F-16Is and take options on another 60 has led to the air force reconsidering an upgrade programme for its large fleet of F-16A/Bs (Flight International, 28 July-3 August). Sources in Israel's Ministry of Defence say that, although the ...
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US Army pushes cockpit management technology
Guy Norris/YUMAThe US Army has begun demonstrations of the Rotorcraft Pilot's Associate (RPA), a cockpit management system for combat helicopters, amid mounting interest from potential non-rotary users, including the unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) and Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programmes. A Boeing Phantom Works-led team developed the RPA over six ...
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Kosovo proves need for pilots
Stewart Penney/THE HAGUEThe Kosovo conflict proved the continued need for a man in the cockpit and the need for the highest possible level of technology, regardless of the sophistication of the threat, according to Lt Gen Ben Droste, commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). A man in ...
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Israelis settle for F-16I, despite new F-15I offer
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DCIsrael's air force has settled its long-running fighter competition by ordering 50 Lockheed Martin F-16Is for $2.5 billion, and taking options on up to a further 60. The announcement follows a last-ditch attempt by Boeing to clinch the contest, offering an F-15L version of its ...
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USA/UK join forces on Sender unmanned vehicle
The US Army is set to formalise its participation in the UK's Sender "unit level" tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The Sender is one of two emerging British Army requirements for UAVs (Flight International, 14-20 July). With a 30km (16nm) range, it will be equipped with a surveillance and ...
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Mergers
Northrop Grumman has bought Ryan Aeronautical - a manufacturer of target drones and unmanned air vehicles - from Allegheny Teledyne for $140 million. The business will move its base to San Diego, California, and will be used to develop Northrop's unmanned technology programmes. Allegheny Teledyne has also completed the sale ...
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US Marines look at Litening for Harriers
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US Marine Corps will decide whether to equip its Boeing AV-8B Harrier IIs with the Rafael Litening targeting and navigation pod by the end of July at the conclusion of demonstration trials. USMC planning had called for the initial funding of a pod acquisition to equip ...
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Ranger for Finland
The Finnish army has selected the Israel Aircraft Industries Ranger unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to meet its requirement for tactical UAVs. Three systems will be procured as part of the $20 million deal. A system normally includes three aircraft and two ground stations. The Ranger - designed for service in ...
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Civvy strip
Ed Reavis/FRANKFURT Two German airports regain economic ground lost when the US Air Force leftWith the end of the East-West confrontation and the following military drawdown, Germany's economy suffered major after-shocks from the closure of several major US military installations. Among those given up by the US Air ...
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UAV designated targets
US Air Force sources have confirmed that the General Atomics Predator unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was used to laser designate targets for combat aircraft in the Kosovo conflict, the first time that UAVs have been confirmed as designators for laser-guided munition carrying fast jets, although it is believed the Israelis ...
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High endurance rotorcraft set to fly
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Frontier Systems this year plan to flight-test a revolutionary unmanned helicopter that can remain airborne for up to 48h and achieve an unrefuelled range of 5,550km (3,000nm). Neither DARPA nor Abraham Karem, Frontier president, will disclose details of the research ...
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Kaman wins USMC remote helicopter work
The US Marine Corps has awarded Kaman Aerospace a $4.2 million contract to modify and demonstrate a remotely piloted version of the K-MAX helicopter to further validate its Broad Area Unmanned Responsive Resupply Operations (BURRO) concept. Flight testing of the unmanned helicopter is to begin around August next year at ...
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Ultra Electronics/Cubic teamed to develop HIDL
The UK Ministry of Defence has selected an Ultra Electronics/Cubic team to conduct a one-year study contract to set specifications for a back-up high-integrity datalink (HIDL) for unmanned air vehicles. The MoD is providing about $200,000, with the companies contributing an undisclosed amount. The contract grows out of the ...