XAG has teamed up with FarmInno (Thailand) by Chia Tai Group, Thailand’s leading innovative agricultural company, to introduce fully autonomous agricultural drones in Thailand. This takes smart agriculture to the next level aiming to scale up the potential of Thai farmers with advanced technology and increase both productivity and quality in the agricultural sector. Continue reading
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
DELAIR UX11 Gets EU Class C6 Marking for BVLOS Flights without Specific Authorization
French drone manufacturer DELAIR has announced the release of the UX11 with C6 class marking, allowing BVLOS missions throughout Europe without specific authorization within the framework of the EASA European standard scenario STS-02. Continue reading
South Korea Expands Use of Drones to Stop Illegal Chinese Fishing
South Korea’s Coast Guard reports it will expand its use of drones for monitoring activities including targeting Chinese boats engaged in illegal fishing activities. The expansion of the program comes as there have been increasing reports of Chinese incursions into neighboring countries’ water and after North Korea deployed a squadron of drones over the South at the beginning of this year. Continue reading
Radiation Detection Drones Tested at Belgian Site
Test flights of drones fitted with equipment to identify and measure the radiation being emitted from a plume source have been conducted at the Mol site of Belgium’s Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN). Further tests flights are planned for later this year to prove a new, precise measurement technique. Continue reading
Project with Automated Drones for Offshore Wind O&M to Reduce Downtime and CO2 Emissions
A new project in Denmark is developing a concept for wind turbine inspection and repair that employs fully autonomous drones operating from service operation vessels (SOVs), which are outfitted with charging stations for drones. The solution is said to significantly reduce downtime, CO2 emissions and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs if deployed at scale. Continue reading
New York Power Authority Receives FAA Waiver Allowing Automated Drone Operations
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has received its first federal approval to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the pilot in command. In a significant step forward, this Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver enables NYPA to conduct fully remote drone operations such as asset and vegetative management inspections at its Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project in Schoharie County. Continue reading
Ameriflight to Purchase 35 VTOL Sabrewing Aircraft Air Cargo Drones
Ameriflight, the nation’s largest Part 135 Cargo airline, announces signed letter of intent to purchase 35 VTOL air cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Company, Inc., a U.S. corporation designing and producing a new generation of regional cargo UAV that offers high-efficiency, all-weather operation with vertical landing and takeoff (VTOL) capabilities. Continue reading
10,000 Cartel Drones Detected Crossing US Border Last Year
One single sector of the southern border saw more than 10,000 illegal drone incursions from Mexico last year, a senior Border Patrol agent told Congress. Continue reading