Terminator Times #40

Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles):

The US will provide Lebanon with ScanEagle drones.

A drone struck a US Army helicopter.

The US Army Research Lab designed quickly 3d printable drones.

The USAF is retiring the MQ-1 Predator this summer.

The USAF's Global Hawk is getting a new optical sensor.

The USAF just gave a $48 million contract to Aurora for its Orion UAV.

The USMC has been testing fully autonomous helicopters.

USMC VMU-4 retired its last RQ-7b.

Two Marines UAV operators received Achievement Medals with the Remote 'R' Impact device.

The US Navy has placed its first LRIP order for the Triton.

China's Wing Loong II hit multiple targets with five different types of munitions a test run.

India is advancing its procurement of General Atomics Guardian UAVs.

The Israeli Navy is working on a VTOL UAV for its ships.

Russian UAV teams practiced jamming attacks on simulated opponents.

Taiwan will launch the production of the Teng Yun MALE UAV.

AeroVironment has teamed up with SoftBank to develop a long persistence, solar powered HALE drone.

Airbus has been testing autonomous fly and landing capabilities for helicopters.

Airbus is getting help with its Zephyr pseudo satellite UAV.

BAe has been testing the MAGMA drone flown without control surfaces.

Boeing unveiled its MQ-25A Stingray entry: more pix here with a link to a video.  This is the follow-on to the UCLASS that turned from a stealthy strike asset to a tanker.  It appears Boeing updated its UCLASS design to be a tanker.  The prototype is undergoing engine trials and will conduct deck handling demonstrations in the coming year.

The FAA has approved and given a designation to the Boeing MQ-25 prototype: N234MQ.  Supposedly, the Navy wants t build up to 72 MQ-25s.

General Atomics got a $328+ million contract to support the Predator and Reaper drones.

Ogres & Bolos (Unmanned Ground Vehicles):

The US Army has selected four vendors for its SMET UGV program.

Robo Boats (Unmanned Surface Vehicles):

The US Navy has given Leidos another contract for a second Sea Hunter II USV.

China has been showing off the Tianxing-1, an armed USV capable of over 50 knots.

Israeli Seagull USVs were used for mine hunters for the HMS Ocean during an exercise.

Robo Subs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles):

DARPA has awarded the payload bay design for the US Navy's Orca XLUUV.

General Atomics is building a permanent magnet motor for the US Navy's LDUUV.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen captured a US Navy UUV.

META:

The UN is getting hung up on just defining what killer robots are, nevermind any progress on actually banning them.

Saab has laid out its vision of manned/unmanned teaming in war.

Terminator Times #35

Drones (UAVs):

The USAF is allowing more airmen to become drone pilots.

The USMC can now print drones with its expeditionary forces.

The US Navy's ONR tested the Nomad UAV on the USS Coronado.

The US Navy has one less competitor in the Stingray unmanned tanker procurement: Northrop has dropped out.  This is a bad sign because NG was seen as the leading contender.  It strongly implies Northrop thinks the competition will not complete or be badly mismanaged,

It appears the MQ-25 Stingray has gone weirdly pear shaped: there are rumors the Stingray will be an unmanned F-18 modified for tanking.  That might be the only way to get the stingray on the deck by 2019 like the Admirals want.  It would explain Northrop's withdrawal.

DARPA has funded the development of a drone that disappears after a single use.

The US Missile Defense Agency has awarded a contract for a laser test program to General Atomics as a precursor to placing a laser on a UAV, probably some variant of GA's Avenger.

Azerbaijan's Heron drones have been spotted at a new base.

The Bolivian Army demonstrated new UAVs, apparently from China.

China will resupply its South China Sea bases with its AT200 cargo drone.

China's Sunic-Ocean unveiled its SU-H2M VTOL drone.

Pakistan claims to have shot down an Indian spy drone.

Portugal is looking for a mini UAV system.

Russia delivered over 30 new drones to its western forces.

Spain has ordered the Fulmar mini UAV system.

The Swiss government is embarrassed because its officials witnessed the testing of the Hermes 900 in the Golan Heights.

Turkey has started manufacturing suicide drones, the Alpagu and Kargu.

The Cormorant UAV got its Safran helicopter engine.

Vanilla Aircraft demonstrated a less than 500 kg UAV that can fly for more than 5 days.

The future of drones gets discussed: higher autonomy, smaller and deadlier, operational challenges, and teaming deployment.

Ogres and Bolos (UGVs):

Russia is procuring armed robots for combat.

Robo Boats (USVs):

China's Yunzhou unveiled its M80B USV for ocean recon.

Robo Subs (UUVs):

The USMC sees a need for multiple types of UUV in the littorals.

Kazakhstan established an MRO facility for UUVs.

Lockheed won a contract to design an Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle.

Skynet (AI):

Google and other tech companies are warning China could outpace the US in AI technology by 2025.

Counter Drone:

China's Digitech is developing counter UAV systems.

Russia has stood up a dedicated drone killing unit.