Friday, February 03, 2017

Terminator Times #29

Drones:

The Pentagon is prioritizing the EP-3 elint mission for the US Navy's Triton.

DARPA backed Vanilla Aircraft flew a small UAV on a record flight for its size using a diesel engine.

DARPA is working with Sikorsky for phase 3 of the ALIAS program to be able to convert any helicopter into a drone.

USAF Global Hawks are being used against Daesh.

The US Army will have Raytheon with Israeli company Uvision demonstrate the Hero 30 loitering weapon (kamikaze drone).

The US Army demonstrated a 3d printed drone.

The US Army is seeking proposals for a quadcopter swarm dispenser (potentially missile carried).

The US Army's JTARV quadcopter, capable now of carrying 300 lbs of supplies and planned to work up to 800 lbs, has taken flight.

The USMC is advancing its plans for a Predator equivalent drone to be launched from amphibs.


The US Navy demonstrated a swarm of 103 PERDIX UAVs launched from two F/A-18Es.

The US Navy is planning on using the Coyote drone for both swarming ISR and attack.

Airbus will fly its VTOL VSR700 UAV by year's end.

Azerbaijan’s Azad Systems has begun manufacturing Aeronautics Defense Systems’ Orbiter 1K.

Belarus and China have set up a joint venture to manufacture UAVs.

The British have bombed the site where Daesh was building its drones.

The British are expanding where they send their UCAV drones.

The French have a new mini drone, the Spy'Ranger.

The French also received two more Reaper UCAVs and deployed them to Niger.

General Atomics has announced a new version of the Predator B called the Sky Guardian.

A German court is nearing a decision on the Heron TP selection challenge.

Islamic State (Daesh) is showing off its war drones.

How drones are a threat to Israeli national security.

Israel's Zur drone competition heats up.

Israel also eased up its drone export rules.

The SD-150 VTOL drone is now owned fully by one company.

North Korea may be developing a UAV/cruise missile for use with a dirty bomb.

Romania has selected Aeronautics' Orbiter 4.  The procurement has been appealed and Romania has halted the procurement at least temporarily.

South Korean company Hankuk Carbon demonstrated a vertical take-off fixed wing drone.

Turkey's Anka drone is on target for first delivery.

An UAE air strike may have destroyed an Iranian drone on the ground.

Unmanned Ground Vehicles:

The US military's robot targets get a review.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles:

The US Navy's CUSV will support the LCS in its minesweeping role, but may take on roles past that.

DARPA's Sea Hunter USV will be used by the Navy as a reference, but probably won't become a program of record.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (Robo subs):

 The US Navy's LDUUV will get different packages, including anti sub and anti ship.

3d Printing:

Most military analysts think 3d printing will be standardized.

The US Air Force is exploring 3d printing.

The many uses of 3d printing for the military.

Cyborgism:

US Military amputees may get 'LUKE' robotic prosthetic arms.

Counter Drone:

An AUDS system has been deployed with US troops over seas.

The US Navy has been testing the Spike mini missile to kill UAVs.

How Russia may fight American drone swarms.

META:

2016 marked the rise of the robot in warfare.

And expanding on the possibilities for autonomus weapons.

How the Pentagon is embracing the robopocalypse.

How the US Navy is embracing the robopocalypse.

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