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GA-ASI Makes First Flight of XQ-67A OBSS

Friday, March 1st, 2024

SAN DIEGO – 29 February 2024 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) for the first time on Feb. 28, 2024. OBSS is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program and GA-ASI was selected in 2021 to design, build and fly the new aircraft.

With flight of the AFRL-funded XQ-67A, GA-ASI has validated the “genus/species” concept first developed with AFRL as part of the Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS) program focused on building several aircraft variants from a common core chassis.

Under LCAAPS, AFRL and GA-ASI explored development of a chassis, termed a “genus”, as the foundational core architecture from which several “species” of aircraft can be built.

“This provides an alternative acquisition approach for military aircraft that enables faster development, lower costs and more opportunities for frequent technology refresh,” said Trenton White, OBSS Program Manager and aerospace engineer in AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate. “XQ-67A is the first “species” to be designed and built from this shared platform. Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step toward showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass.”

“OBSS is the first aircraft type built and flown using a common core chassis developed by GA-ASI that promotes commonality across multiple vehicle types,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood.

Posted in Aviation, Press Release, UAS | No Comments »

DroneShield Releases Record 2023 Annual Results, Surging to Profitability

Thursday, February 29th, 2024

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the release of record full year FY23 results.

The highlights include:

• FY23: record contracts and rapidly growing cash receipts

? FY23 $73.5 million cash receipts, up 5x vs. FY22

? FY23 $55.1 million revenue, up 3x vs. FY22

? 80% of revenues are from repeat customers

? The revenue vs. cash receipt difference mostly due to advanced payments on product subscriptions (SaaS), warranties, as well as grants received

? Largest geographical segment revenue contributions are US at 68% and Australia at 23%

• FY23 is first profitable year, with $9.3 million profit after tax

• Shareprice up 64% over 2023 (vs 9% for ASX300)

• Cash balance of $57.9 million as of 31 Dec 2023, no debt or convertibles

? Committed supply chain payments of $30 million

• $30 million contracted backlog and pipeline of over $510 million*

• Substantially completed expansion of the team to enable build, delivery and support of materially larger orders

? Completed move to a larger Sydney facility (3x current floor space) in January, plus supply chain partners been rapidly expanding

? No material cost to DRO to move, due to light capex model (heavy machinery work all outsourced) and landlord fitout incentive payments

? Positions the company for $300-400 million annual production capacity

? 115 team members including over 90 engineers

• Favourable environment for DroneShield with rapidly rising counter-drone, defence and security spending globally

? The Ukraine conflict continues to highlight the use of drones on the battlefield, which will continue driving increasing C-UAS orders even after the eventual ceasefire

? Drones increasingly used across global conflicts, including Hamas terror attack on Israel

Full Year Results Presentation can be viewed here:

Annual Report can be viewed here:

* There is no assurance that any of the Company’s sales opportunities will result in sales.

Posted in Industry, Press Release, UAS | No Comments »

General Atomics Expands International Collaborations and Partnerships with Japan in Critical and Emerging Technologies

Tuesday, February 20th, 2024

SAN DIEGO – 19 February 2024 – General Atomics, a defense and diversified technologies company with affiliates operating on five continents, is expanding its collaborations and partnerships across Japan with new investments in the nuclear energy and rare earth elements sectors.

Numerous teaming arrangements are in the late stages of discussion and are set to be announced in early 2024. These partnerships will complement the company’s existing relationships as a long-term partner collaborating with Japanese industry and government agencies.

“General Atomics is committed to collaborating with its Japanese partners to advance the development of cutting-edge technologies in the maritime security, nuclear energy, and rare earth elements sectors,” said Dr. Vivek Lall, chief executive at General Atomics Global Corporation. “Building on a legacy of successful collaborations, we have held a series of strategic engagements with government officials, industry leaders, and research institutions in Japan. These engagements have laid the foundation for future partnerships aimed at advancing the development of critical and emerging technologies.”

In 2023, Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering announced an agreement with GA to supply two advanced gyrotrons to the U.S. Department of Energy’s DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, Calif.

Currently, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) are testing and deploying the MQ-9B SeaGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). SeaGuardian is a long-endurance maritime surveillance aircraft that can be used for a variety of missions, including search and rescue, disaster response, and maritime law enforcement.

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B aircraft is revolutionizing the global RPA systems market by providing true all-weather capability and full compliance with STANAG-4671 (NATO UAS airworthiness standard). This feature, along with GA-ASI’s operationally proven collision avoidance radar, enables flexible operations in civil airspace.

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Air Force Awards Xwing Military Approval to Fly Autonomous Air Force Cargo Missions Across California

Monday, February 19th, 2024

San Francisco, CA, February 13, 2024 – Xwing, the leading supplier of modular autonomy technology for aviation, has announced the successful completion of its recent participation in AGILE FLAG 24-1. The company transported mission-critical cargo with daily autonomous missions throughout the week-long exercise, accumulating over 2,800 autonomous flight miles to military bases and civilian airports, including March Air Reserve Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Sacramento McClellan Airport, Meadows Field Airport, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

“We saw first-hand during AGILE FLAG that the use of Xwing’s autonomous aircraft eliminated the need to fly a larger aircraft such as a C-130 to deliver critical cargo to the warfighter on short notice,” said Maxime Gariel, President, CTO and co-founder of Xwing, “When you fly missions autonomously, you operate with the speed and efficiency required for dispersed ACE operations, delivering cargo and personnel at a much lower cost and risk.”

AGILE FLAG 24-1 was a Total Force exercise, which ran from January 22 – February 4, 2024 bringing together Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC) at military bases and public airports throughout California centered on Agile Combat Employment. After rigorous safety and technical assessments of the Xwing aircraft and operations, the Air Force awarded Xwing a Military Flight Release (MFR) to operate their autonomous aircraft for Public Aircraft Operations (PAO). These approvals allowed Xwing to deliver official Air Force cargo with autonomous taxis, takeoffs, and landings at military and civilian installations.

“Achieving an Air Force Military Flight Release certification is a momentous milestone removing the barrier to transition and unlocking key testing and experimentation opportunities,” said Kate Brown, AFWERX Autonomy Prime deputy branch chief. “AGILE FLAG was an opportunity to showcase autonomous light cargo logistics and demonstrate operational relevance and increased technical readiness.”

A core component of ACE operations is the ability to flexibly execute dispersed logistics to unsurveyed locations with little or no ground support. Air Force operational leaders assigned Xwing cargo missions based on real-time logistics needs of the exercise. This included delivery of sensitive weather equipment and other critical cargo to various locations throughout the week-long event, and demonstrated an increase in the speed to deliver critical parts and reduced the number of requests for traditional heavy lift aircraft, the two key enablers that autonomous aircraft offer operational commanders. The exercise required Xwing to navigate through the busy Los Angeles basin, where the autonomous aircraft successfully integrated with heavy traffic at March ARB and complied with Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions. Xwing successfully illustrated the role of autonomy as a force multiplier and risk mitigator to rapidly disperse contingency operations into unknown, contested, degraded or operationally limited (CDO) environments.

“Our technology has proven effective over hundreds of successful autonomous flights,” said Craig Milliard, Xwing Flight Test Manager, who remotely supervised the flights from a ground control station at Sacramento McClellan Airport, “This exercise gave us the opportunity to stretch the operational envelope into new environments, day and night, with real-world cargo proving that we can effectively complete Air Force mission objectives.”

Xwing’s participation was part of a newly awarded Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. Details of Xwing’s first Agile Flag mission can be found via AFRL. This is a continuation of Xwing’s partnership with AFWERX which included a Phase II contract that began in May of 2023.

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Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Receives Operational Approval from Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

Thursday, February 15th, 2024

Australia, Perth, 13 February 2024 – Wedgetail Aerospace, supported by Schiebel Pacific, successfully obtained the approval from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to operate the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) in civil airspace. It is the first large (>150 kg) Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS to attain this civil approval from the Australian authorities.

Wedgetail Aerospace, in close cooperation with Schiebel Pacific and the Australian authorities, completed the process to achieve their experimental approval with a series of flight demonstrations in Western Australia. This endorsement enables the S-100 to operate in Australian civil airspace. Possible applications now being pursued include fire and disaster monitoring, cargo delivery, as well as inspections and surveillance.

Additionally, Wedgetail Aerospace is a CASA approved training organisation and will offer an S-100 license for civil operations. Of note, the S-100 is regularly flying under a Defence Aviation Safety Agency (DASA) UAS permit, which the Royal Australian Navy obtained back in 2017 for their S-100 operations.

“This is a significant milestone for Schiebel Pacific and its Australian RPAS operations. The CASA approval enables us to offer the outstanding capabilities of the CAMCOPTER® S-100 system to the civil sector. With strong local partners, our wealth of experience in the operation of the S-100 and now with the approval of CASA, we are very well positioned for the Australian commercial market,” said Fabian Knechtl, Managing Director at Schiebel Pacific.

“Wedgetail Aerospace are delighted to have been able to work with Schiebel to achieve the first approval in Australia to operate a Large Category UAS and will now bring this transformational technology to the commercial market”, said Thomas Symes CEO of Wedgetail Aerospace.

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Mayman Aerospace and Savback Helicopters Ink Deal for 300 Speeder High-Speed VTOL Air Utility Vehicles for European Defense Applications

Tuesday, February 13th, 2024

Long Beach, CA /12 February 2024 – Mayman Aerospace, US-based manufacturer of the Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV), and Savback Helicopters, the independent helicopter and fixed-wing sales specialist, proudly announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the procurement of 300 AI-ready Speeder P100 aircraft. Building upon a 2022 LOI for 25 Speeders, this strategic agreement focuses on the latest attritable P100 model, marking a significant leap forward in their partnership.

With a value exceeding US$120 million, the LOI outlines Savback Helicopters’ plan to begin receiving its initial Speeders around Q4 2025, with deliveries continuing through Q2 2027. Recognizing Speeder’s exceptional maneuverability, high-speed capabilities, and substantial payload capacity, Michael Savback, Chairman of Savback Helicopters, said: “Speeder is an outstandingly versatile machine, and we are proud to announce this expanded agreement with Mayman Aerospace. With its advanced VTOL technology, we are confident that Speeder will meet European defense operators’ complex mission requirements.”

Mayman Aerospace is strategically adapting the Speeder family of Air Utility Vehicles to seamlessly integrate with a wide range of battlefield management systems. The P100 model will be equipped for autonomous operation in a networked battlespace, achieve speeds approaching Mach 0.75, and carry a payload of 100lb. The Speeder family of VTOL aircraft will expand to include P400 (400lb payload) and P1000 (1000lb payload) variants.

This agreement further solidifies the existing collaboration between the two innovative companies. Savback Helicopters was appointed as the exclusive marketing and sales representative for the Speeder in the Nordic countries in June 2022, and this expanded LOI reflects its growing confidence in the aircraft.

Mayman Aerospace’s CEO and founder, David Mayman comments on Speeder AUV platform’s potential in defense applications: “This LOI with Savback Helicopters demonstrates the Speeder AUV platform’s real-world military market demand. We are delivering an aircraft ready for integration into the next-generation AI-managed battlefield. The Speeder system delivers essential value for defense applications through its ease of deployment, reduced operational cost and extensive capabilities. We are excited to be working under contract with the US Department of Defense to further develop and certify the Speeder range of aircraft and anticipate high-speed Speeder P100 testing in Q3 2024.”

The jet-powered Speeder, based on scalable technology, takes off and lands vertically, and is capable of moving heavy payloads at very high speeds. It is fully reusable and outpaces electric drones and eVTOLs while being faster, more compact, and more cost-effective than traditional helicopters.

www.MaymanAerospace.com

Posted in Aviation, International, Press Release, UAS | 2 Comments »

Schiebel Abu Dhabi Significantly Expands for Camcopter S-300

Monday, February 12th, 2024

Vienna, 6 February 2024 – Schiebel is extensively increasing its capabilities in Abu Dhabi to expand the development and production of the long-endurance, heavy-lift-capable CAMCOPTER® S-300 Unmanned Air System (UAS).

The expansion of Schiebel’s facility in the UAE follows the award of a significant contract for the supply of the CAMCOPTER® S-300 UAS with sophisticated sensor suites for the South Korean Navy.

In addition to being designed to deliver significant persistence, the S-300 is capable of carrying up to 250 kg of payloads. With its unrivalled, exceptional performance and multi-sensor capability, the new UAS is ideal for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions, such as submarine detection and early threat warning of missiles, as well as resupply missions requiring heavy lift over long distances in complex terrain.

“Having been at the forefront of VTOL UAS development and delivery for the last 20 years, Schiebel continues to listen to the market needs and by adding the S-300 to our product portfolio we are filling the gap for a long-endurance, heavy-lift UAS. Given our successful history in the region, our Abu Dhabi location is the logical choice for executing this exciting project,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group.

Schiebel had its major breakthrough into the global UAS market in 2005, with the UAE being the launch customer for the operationally proven and highly successful CAMCOPTER® S-100. As such, the Middle East region has always been a major focus for the Schiebel Group.

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WhiteFox Awarded $1M Phase I of a Multi-Phase Drone Defense Contract to Fortify South Asia’s Critical Infrastructure

Friday, February 9th, 2024

Enhancing Regional Security: Pioneering Airspace Management Solutions to Counter Emerging Drone Threats

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., – WhiteFox Defense Technologies, a globally recognized leader in advanced airspace management and counter-drone defense solutions, recently secured a significant $1 million contract. This milestone agreement, marking the first phase of a comprehensive multi-phase project, is aimed at bolstering the safety and protection of vital infrastructure and lives in South Asia. Amidst the rising global concern over drone-related threats, this contract highlights WhiteFox’s unwavering dedication to deploying cutting-edge technology for ensuring worldwide airspace security and safety.

In recent years, the use of drones for malicious purposes has escalated, posing significant risks to critical infrastructure, national security, and public safety globally. The proliferation of drone technology has made it increasingly accessible, leading to its misuse for surveillance, unauthorized data collection, and disruptive activities. This volatile situation underscores the urgent need for effective drone defense systems.

L.R. Fox, Chief Executive Officer of WhiteFox, stated, “This contract marks a significant milestone in our mission to create a safer world. The growing threats posed by rogue drones require advanced solutions, and WhiteFox is at the forefront of delivering these essential technologies. Our DroneFox NS system is uniquely designed to provide comprehensive protection against unauthorized drones, ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure and the public.”

Manu Srivastava, Chief Revenue Officer of WhiteFox, added, “The implementation of our DroneFox NS system in South Asia is a testament to our global reach and the effectiveness of our solutions. We are committed to customizing and integrating our technology to meet the specific needs of our clients, ensuring enhanced drone detection and protection for vital installations and events.”

WhiteFox will be providing a customized DroneFox NS system, an RF-based technology adept in detecting, locating, identifying, and classifying drones. The system offers several safe drone mitigation options and is designed for increased capability, durability, and mobility. This contract will focus on:

– Customization and integration of DroneFox NS systems for advanced drone detection and protection.

– Efficient integration of customized DroneFox NS to achieve enhanced drone detection within the specified area.

– Ensuring seamless data storage and management capabilities.

DroneFox NS has been proven ideal for protecting Critical Infrastructure, Airports, Border Surveillance, Prisons, and provides base and force protection. Its versatility and effectiveness make it a crucial asset in countering the growing drone threats.

www.whitefoxdefense.com

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