On May 7, 2024, the U.S. Air Force deployed an Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) for an early morning mission at Al Dhafra Air Base, a hub for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and previously used for RQ-4 Global Hawk ISR drones, located in the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
Leidos and Elroy Air to Demonstrate Autonomous Aerial Resupply Drone for US Marine Corps
Leidos, a FORTUNE 500 innovation company, and Elroy Air, an autonomous aircraft systems and software development company, have been approved to demonstrate an autonomous Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) prototype for the Navy and Marine Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office (PMA-263). Continue reading
US Army Tests UAV Resupply During Live-Fire Exercises in Hawaii
The US Army has successfully tested an autonomous uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) for battlefield resupply during live-fire exercises in the Hawaiian Islands. The aircraft was a vertical take-off and landing platform called the G1 Gabriel – a multi-rotor type designed by California start-up Soaring, which describes itself as a developer of autonomous heavy-lift cargo drones. Continue reading
Boeing Validates Software for Future Manned Unmanned Refueling Missions
Boeing has advanced its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) technology using a digital F/A-18 Super Hornet and MQ-25 Stingray. The testing shows the software is maturing for future U.S. Navy use and a potential to deploy the teaming capability on both F/A-18 Block II and III Super Hornets. Continue reading
DARPA’s Manta Ray UUV Prototype Completes In-Water Testing
The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) built by performer Northrop Grumman completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024. Testing demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces. Continue reading
Kaman Corporation Celebrates Successful First Flight of Autonomous KARGO UAV
Kaman Corporation has announced the significant achievement of the first flight of the full-scale KARGO UAV, a purpose-built, autonomous, expeditionary resupply vehicle. This milestone, which took place in December of 2023, signifies a major accomplishment in the ongoing flight test progression. Continue reading
QinetiQ Achieves UK’s First Jet-to-Jet Teaming of an Aircraft and an Autonomous Drone
QinetiQ has successfully trialled the UK’s first Crewed-Uncrewed-Teaming demonstration between a crewed aircraft and an autonomous jet drone. Continue reading
GA-ASI Mojave Excels in Yuma Desert Live-Fire Demonstration
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) confirms that its Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) destroyed static targets in live-fire tests on April 13, 2024, validating the system’s battlefield relevance and recording another milestone for the demonstrator aircraft. Continue reading