Saturday, August 17, 2019

Terminator Times #61

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones):


DARPA tested OFFSET, a drone swarm building tool.  Can it be used to map battles in real time?

Four companies have been selected to compete for the US Army's Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems.

The US Army has awarded General Atomics a contract for work on their Gray Eagle UAVs.

The US Army wants to add a UAV to its Assault Breacher vehicles.

The US Army has started using its Black Hornet mini drones in Afghanistan for infantry patrols.

The "secretive" drone base near Groom Lake that the Warzone has been obsessing over gets new sat photographs.

The USAF is already testing software for Skyborg.

USAF RQ-4 Global Hawks will be soon operating out of Yokota air base.

The USAF is expecting a revolution in small turbines.

The USAF has designated the Dynetics Gremlins as the X-61A.


The USAF's AFRL made a robo pilot that flew a Cessna for 2 straight hours.

The USAF is seeking information on the small UAV supply chain.

The first two Marines have graduated from the training for MQ-9 Reaper operations as the USMC moves to operating their own.

The British unveiled the LANCA program, a British Loyal Wingman.

The British unveiled the Reaper to Protector transition.

How a British Watchkeeper drone went down.

China had a Soar Dragon UAV shadow the USS Antietam's transit of the Taiwan Strait.

A French Rafale has been spotted with a marking for killing a UAV.

Iraq only has one operational CH-4 drone and its ScanEagles are in terrible shape, too.

Japan is considering buying the MQ-8C FireScout.

A drone strike in southern Libya has killed 43 people.

The LNA claims a counterstrike against Turkish UAVs.



The Russian flying wing Ohotnok-B/Hunter-B UCAV had its first flight.  More on the S-70 Ohotnik-B flight.

The Russians have an interesting hybrid drone.

South Korea's KUS-VH unmanned variant of the MD 500 helicopter has flown.

The US State Department approved the possible sale of support for South Korea for the Global Hawk.

South Korea will take delivery of its first RQ-4 Global Hawk next month.

Taiwan's Chien Hsiang antiradiation drone was unveiled.

Taiwan's Hong Que small UAVs have been unveiled as well.

Taiwan is also working on a new MALE UAV.

Yemeni Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia with drones again.  The Houthis also attacked a military parade in Aden.  Apparently 30 were killed.  Another attack again.  And again.  And again.  And Again.  And again (and the Saudis shot a drone down).

Boeing Australia is stepping up its unmanned work.

Kratos is expecting orders totaling up to 40 for its Valkyries UCAV by year's end.

MartinUAV's V-Bat gets profiled.  the drone is under consideration for the US Army's FTUAS program mentioned above.

Northrop won two contracts for the MQ-4C Triton.

Orbital Corp of Australia is eying the tactical UAV market.

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Bolos and Ogres):


Can robots make an Army platoon 10x more effective?

The USMC is looking at unmanned ground systems to refuel F-35s and other assets on islands and remote bases.

The Australian Army trialed logistics UGVs at an exercise.

Israel is exploring manned-unmanned teaming for armoured warfare.

The Russian Marker UGV is being used for R&D.

ST Engineering demonstrated a new UGCV, an unmanned version of its NGAFV.

Umanned Surface Vehicles (Ro-boats);

The US Navy released the draft RFP for the Overlord Large USV.

British Aerospace is demonstrating the P950 USV.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (robo subs):

Huntington Ingalls is expecting high demand from the US Navy for UUVs and is preparing for that future.

Saab has finished the first production Sea Wasp ROV.

Exoskeletons:

Soft robotics might be the route forward for exoskeletons for the US Army.

META:

The US Army is seeking software bots and unmanned tech to make infantry squads more effective.

The US Navy tested several unmanned systems on the USNS Spearhead.

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