Saturday, May 18, 2019

Terminator Times #58

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones):

The CIA and US military are using a new missile that does not explode.  Instead, it releases blades to minimize civilian damage.

DARPA wants to teach UAVs to dogfight.

DARPA has cancelled the Lockheed Ares UAV due to costs.

The US military is pushing ahead with its suicide drones.

The US Army is trying, again, to procure a rucksack portable drone.

The USAF wants an unmanned air taxi to recover its downed pilots.

The USMC is still trying to sort out what it wants the MUX drone to do, but still wants it to fly in 2026.

The USMC is adding autonomous landing to its AH-1Z and UH-1Ys.

The USMC is working on a recon drone launchable from the V-22.

The US Navy's Triton UAV costs are growing according to the GAO.

The US Navy will soon use unmanned logistics elements.

U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division has completed the first training course for the BQM-177.

US SOCOM has ordered a VTOL version of the long endurance Vanilla 001.

Algeria conducted its first drone strikes using a El Djazair 54 UAV.

Australia is expecting to release the RFP for the Shadow replacement soon.

The British MAGMA drone demonstrated flap-free flight.

China claims to have developed a UAV launching armored vehicle.

Italy is buying drones to keep Piaggio in business even though the Italian air force does not want them.

In Libya, a Russian UAV was recovered.

Will the Russian army buy UAVs with hydrogen fuel cells?



Russia's Ohotnik-B/Hunter-B was on display for Putin and to send a message.

Saudi Arabia stated two suicide drones attacked its oil pumping station in Riyadh and the Saudis called it a war crime.  The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia by drone are stepping up.

Turkey's Aksungur UAV has made its first trade show debut.

Turkey is delivering loitering munitions to its allies in Syria.

UAE owned, Chinese made Wing Loongs are making air strikes in Libya.

AeroVironment is demonstrating its Quantix drone in possible military roles.

Boeing's MQ-25 demonstrator was trucked to MidAmerica airport to prepare for flight testing. That testing could start in a month.   The Phantom Works developed a new type of electronically steerable antenna to be first used on the MQ-25.

Flyability has launched its Elios 2 UAV.

Hood Tech Mechanical has developed a VTOL launch and recovery system.

Boeing's Insitu won a $23M contract.

Kratos has teamed up with Aerovironment to test deploying smaller drones from drones.

LaFlamme Aero has developed a tandem rotor VTOL UAV.

Lockheed Martin added a tether to its Indago 3 quadcopter.

Northrop will be outsourcing much of its Firebird optionally manned aircraft production.  The tech for the Firebird is rapidly maturing.

Roketstan has developed a small missile for UAVs.

Silent Falcon is seeking more Pentagon work for its solar powered UAVs.

TAI is planning its Goksungur supersonic UAV.

Threod is developing a direction finder for its VTOL UAV.

UAVOS is testing a helicopter UCAV.

The military UAV industry is working to purge hobbyist parts from its supply chain.

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Ogres and Bolos):


The US Army tested UGVs for breaching defenses such as mines, obstacles and trenches.

Estonia has deployed a THEMIS UGV to Mali with its soldiers.

Pratt Miller has debuted its Light Flexible Robotic Platform UGV.

Two versions of Pratt Miller EMAVs were evaluated by the US Army.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (roboats):

The US Navy is moving forward with its unmanned future.

The US Navy is planning an aggressive unmanned warship prototyping effort.

The Sea Hunter continues its testing at NAVSEA.

When will the US Navy be able to autonomously destroy mines?

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (robo subs):

DARPA has laid out its goals for the Manta Ray autonomous UUV.

The US Naval Research Lab developed the Flying Sea Glider, a UUV that flies to its deployment area and then becomes a sea glider.

The US Navy's Virginia Block VI SSN will carry UUVs.

Software Bots:

The US Army is trying to fold its AI research into its forces.

The USMC is pushing ahead with experimenting and integrating into AI.

The Su-25SM3 will utilize a software bot for targeting.

3d Printing:

The aluminum runway mat from the Vietnam era is getting replaced by a 3d printed one.

META:

Can the Pentagon convince Silicon Valley its AI will be ethical in war?

The US Navy wants a common control system for its unmanned vehicles.  Raytheon may have that interface.

The US Navy has been working on a algorithm to allow drones and missiles to coordinate a swarming attack.

The US & Croatia have been working on teaming USVs and UUVs.

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