Safran has secured its first export contract for the Patroller tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV), with Greece signing a four-unit deal via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. Continue reading
Category Archives: Military UAS
Development of Drones During WWI and WWII
It was in the mid-19th century that the first UAV was deployed in combat. That distinction belongs to the Austrians, who in 1849 bombed Venice, Italy, using explosive-laden balloons. Unsurprisingly, they weren’t very effective—many of them even blew back toward Austria due to wind. Continue reading
Romania Buys Three Watchkeeper X Tactical UAS for $180M
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced, further to its announcement of December 21, 2022, that it received a first purchase order worth approximately $180 million to supply the first three out of a maximum seven Watchkeeper X tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as part of a framework contract with the Romanian Ministry of National Defense with a maximum value of approximately $410 million (1.89 billion Lei). Continue reading
France’s Largest-Ever Drone Breaks Cover
In something of a surprise development, a new French-made drone, the Aarok, has emerged in prototype form ahead of the Paris Air Show trade exhibition next week. The Aarok uncrewed aircraft system, or UAS, is a new addition to the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) segment and is intended to fly intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as strike missions. Continue reading
Indian Defence Ministry Approves $3BN Deal for 30 MQ 9B Sea Guardian Drones
Portugal’s Tekever to Supply Drones to Ukraine via British-Led Fund
Portuguese drone manufacturer Tekever will provide some of its long-endurance systems to Kyiv to support land and maritime operations, a move bankrolled by the United Kingdom’s International Fund for Ukraine. Continue reading
Tunisian Air Force Receives 2 Additional ANKA UAVs from TAI
Bertan Kurt, Head of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), recently answered questions about the company’s export operations during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2023) in Malaysia. Continue reading
Kuwait to Buy Turkish Bayraktar TB2 Drones for $367M
Kuwait has concluded a contract worth $367 million with Turkish defence firm Baykar to buy its TB2 drones through direct negotiations between the two governments, the Kuwaiti army said in a statement on Tuesday. Continue reading