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AeroVironment Introduces Extended Range Antenna, Expanding UAS Command and Control up to 40 Kilometers in a Lightweight, Portable Form Factor

Thursday, December 10th, 2020

• Cost-effective optional antenna array kit designed to integrate seamlessly with AeroVironment’s standard RF head antenna

• Provides operators 100 percent greater controllable range over standard RF head antenna with minimal logistical footprint

• Add-on kit narrows antenna beam width, extending command and control range up to 40 km

AeroVironment’s new Extended Range Antenna (Photo: AeroVironment)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 10, 2020 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced the introduction of its Extended Range Antenna (ERA), the latest addition to AeroVironment’s growing line of network connectivity solutions. The ERA is a lightweight, portable antenna array kit designed to integrate seamlessly with AeroVironment’s standard RF head antenna to support a diverse range of missions.

The ERA add-on kit narrows the antenna beam width, extending the command and control range up to 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) with minimal impact to its size, weight and power (SWAP) footprint. Similar to the standard RF head antenna, the ERA is manually positioned. The included RF Unit switch allows users to toggle between omnidirectional mode, for short-range operations, and extended range mode, for longer-range operations. The ERA supports both M1/2/5 and M3/4/6 Digital Data Link (DDL) operating bands.

By adding the ERA kit to their existing AeroVironment RF antenna, UAS flight operators can immediately expand their operational capabilities, gaining actionable battlefield intelligence at greater stand-off range to maximize their stealth and safety. When used in combination with other AeroVironment network connectivity options, the ERA provides an enhanced level of operational flexibility. This enables teams to coordinate command and control transfer of UAS, such as Puma LE, easily over greater distances, maximizing the aircraft’s multi-mission capabilities, in day or night operations, across dynamically changing environments.

“AeroVironment continues to incorporate direct customer and user feedback into our product development investments to address increasingly complex and dynamic mission requirements,” said Rick Pedigo, AeroVironment vice president of sales and business development. “Not only do operators benefit from available options in terms of UAS capabilities, but they can also benefit from a selection of antenna options that are portable, easy to operate and provide extended range and multi-mission capabilities.”

Further expanding its connectivity solutions, AeroVironment recently announced updates to its Long Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA), which it now offers in two versions to support M1/2/5 and M3/4/6 DDL frequency bands. AeroVironment’s network connectivity product line includes the pocketable, short-range pDDL (5 km), standard RF antenna (20 km), ERA (40 km) and LRTA (60 km) capabilities in both M1/2/5 and M3/4/6 bands.

For more information on AeroVironment’s network connectivity solutions, visit www.avinc.com/tuas/network-connectivity.

Posted in Comms, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on AeroVironment Introduces Extended Range Antenna, Expanding UAS Command and Control up to 40 Kilometers in a Lightweight, Portable Form Factor

DroneShield Releases Next Edition of C-UAS Factbook

Thursday, December 3rd, 2020

DroneShield’s C-UAS Factbook is now in its 5th edition, providing an overview of available C-UAS technologies, and merits of each approach.

The C-UAS Factbook can be downloaded here.

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Drone Pilot Academy Ready for Action as Drone Surveying Distributor for Microdrones

Monday, November 23rd, 2020

Rome, NY –Drone Pilot Academy, based in the United Kingdom, a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accredited training provider since 2015 and commercial drone retailer since 2017, has partnered with Microdrones as an authorized distributor of drone surveying equipment throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

As a Microdrones distributor, Drone Pilot Academy will offer Microdrones Integrated Systems that come with everything a commercial user needs to get started using drones for surveying and mapping – the UAV, the sensors, and the software and hardware. In addition, the Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) sales model will allow Drone Pilot Academy to broaden the drone surveying market with convenient hardware and software packages at affordable monthly payment and rental options.

Drone Pilot Academy Managing Director, James Ixer, first took notice of Microdrones during a CAA training course for one of their customers. “We experienced the seamless Microdrones workflow, from the ease of mission planning with mdCockpit to reliable flight performance, and the end results of possessing and visualizing the data,” said Ixer. “At the end of the day, the data, combined with the mdaaS sales model, is what really sold us. Previously, drone LiDAR solutions were prohibitively expensive for most mainstream operators due to the large capital outlay required. We were drawn to Microdrones when we saw the mdaaS Rent-It option that allows customers to maximize their cash flow with manageable monthly payment options.

As their name implies, Drone Pilot Academy offers a variety of pilot, surveying, and mapping training courses to help their customers make the most of their drone surveying equipment. Ben Evans, the Business Development Manager, is ready to conduct demonstrations and show customers how easy it can be to get started with drone surveying. “Having a training academy,” Evans said, “means not only can we supply the drone but we can get them the appropriate qualifications and exemptions to integrate and operate the microdrones fleet into their business model. We’re ready, willing and able to conduct demos throughout the UK at a location of convenience for prospective clients.”

David Pendrill, the Microdrones regional sales manager for Northern Europe, looks forward to the new partnership with Drone Pilot Academy. “These guys are going to be able to offer the best of both worlds,” Pendrill explains. “With their vast experience training drone pilots combined with the ability to offer advanced drone surveying equipment from Microdrones they’ll be able to demonstrate to customers how easy it is to adopt the Microdrones workflow and create new business opportunities.”

The Drone Pilot Academy Limited (DPA) is a commercial drone retailer and a CAA authorized training provider for those who wish to use drones for both commercial or recreational use. They provide courses in PfCO CAA Drone training, surveying, thermal detection, safety, video editing, a drone cinematic masterclass and customized training courses.

Their instructors have an extremely credible background and are all ex-military aviators with a wealth of experience in training and instruction to help guide customers through the commercial course or the practical flight training.

For more information about Drone Pilot Academy visit www.dronepilotacademy.co.uk

Posted in International, Press Release, Training, UAS | Comments Off on Drone Pilot Academy Ready for Action as Drone Surveying Distributor for Microdrones

Elistair Unveils Long-Endurance Orion 2 Tethered Drone for Military, Security, and Industrial Use

Friday, November 6th, 2020

LYON, France — Elistair, a leader in tethered drone solutions, announced today the development of its new Orion 2 tethered unmanned system for military, government, and industry users. Unlike other multi-rotor drones, the Orion 2 hexacopter delivers round-the-clock surveillance for up to 24 hours at a time, making it a true persistent surveillance platform.

“For example, we made it IP54; we optimized the lifespan of the components, including the motors; and we added a safety battery that could recharge in the air.”

“Small, unmanned multi-rotor systems are great if you want a hover-and-stare capability, but they’re also notoriously short on battery life,” said Timothée Penet, CTO and co-founder of Elistair. “Powered tethering stations, like our Safe 2 and Ligh-T 4, offer a solution by increasing a platform’s time in the air—and that’s great for many missions. But what if you need to be on station for a whole day?”

That is where Elistair’s own Orion 2 comes into the picture.

A lightweight yet extremely durable hexacopter, the Orion 2 is designed as a quick-deploy system (automated push-button takeoff and landing) that can stay in the air for 24 hours—something that, previously, could only be done by a helium-filled tactical aerostat, which was a much larger platform and came with a very complicated logistical train.

“We developed redundancies at every level to ensure that the Orion 2 could stay up that long,” said Pierre-Moana Levesque, R&D Director at Elistair. “For example, we made it IP54; we optimized the lifespan of the components, including the motors; and we added a safety battery that could recharge in the air.”

The new Orion 2 is an improvement over the original Orion drone, which has already proven itself with international customers. The Orion helped secure the Ryder Cup in September 2018, flying over crowds of 300,000 attendees for 8 to 11 hours a day, and has been employed by the French police, British military, and Singaporean government.

With its micro-tether of 330 feet (100 meters), the Orion 2 flies higher than its predecessor and surveils more ground. It can also carry up to 2kg (4.5 pounds) of payload, so it can serve simultaneously as an ISR and telecom platform. The Orion 2 can also stream georeferenced electro-optical and infrared imagery at the same time, and it can deploy 4G/5G communications nodes thanks to a new fiber optics cable option.

“The Orion 2 tethered drone is a clear advance over the very capable Orion in terms of persistence, logistical footprint, and data control. We are thrilled by this product launch,” said Guilhem de Marliave, CEO and co-founder of Elistair.

Posted in Press Release, UAS | 1 Comment »

Brigantes Presents – One Bravo Quadcopter Drones

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

Parrot have long been the European leader in professional consumer drones and the features of these drones are able to translate very successfully within a military environment.

The ANAFI Thermal SE is a French, discreet, micro drone equipped with EO/IR cameras for Scouting & Intelligence, Combat Support & Mobility Support. Ultra compact and lightweight, with 11x zoom, it delivers real-time video and high resolution shooting capabilities from up to 4km away. With 26 minutes of flight time, ANAFI Thermal SE flies at an altitude ensuring total discretion beyond enemy lines and contributes to the conduct of close operations. Close operation requires speed and mobility. Thanks to the small form factor and its compact design, ANAFI Thermal SE can be easily integrated in the soldier’s tactical equipment pack. The camera module provides high quality and precise thermal imaging for urban environment detection and identification of threats and its secure wireless link (AES) transmits images and commands in real time with no data being disseminated.

The Anafi USA was originally designed for the US Army and is manufactured in Massachusetts. It is considered a big jump up in capability from the Thermal. The USA has similar features to the Thermal SE with additional features. It is IP rated to IP53, so it is ideal for poorer weather conditions and desert environments. It has a much larger thermal sensor, so the quality is increased, and it has a stabilised 32x zoom, which is a feature usually reserved for much larger, expensive drones in this industry.

Brigantes have worked with Parrot to provide advise and feedback to make these drones even more suitable to the end user. The additional changes, such as allowing the software to recognise grid referencing in MGRS and measuring angles in mls, make data mapping and surveillance in many deployments much easier to accomplish.

These drones are powerful, lightweight and can pack away easily in a Burgan whilst on exercise or deployments.

For more information:

UK – tribe@brigantes.com

International – international@brigantes.com

For visit our website Brigantes.com to set up an account. Procurement accounts are available.

Posted in Guest Post, UAS | 1 Comment »

Viasat, AeroVironment Team to Develop Enhanced Type 1 Encrypted Communications Capabilities for US Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Thursday, October 15th, 2020

CARLSBAD, Calif. and SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 15, 2020 — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced they will collaborate on a contract awarded under the U.S. Army Reconfigurable Communications for Small Unmanned Systems (RCSUS) initiative. The project will provide U.S. military customers flying small UAS platforms the ability to deploy a robust, on-demand, highly-secure communications network that will address the growing electronic warfare capabilities of peer and near-peer adversaries.

Viasat is the prime contractor on the award and will work with AeroVironment to develop and demonstrate advanced, encrypted communications suitable for AeroVironment’s portable, hand-launched Puma AE™ tactical UAS. The two companies will seek to strengthen the communications and transmission security of AeroVironment’s Digital Data Link™ (DDL) radios currently used by the U.S. Army by converting them into a Type 1 crypto communication system for video and data transmission.

In addition, Viasat and AeroVironment will develop critical interoperability standards for enabling UAS to generate a secure, digitally encrypted communications network—for protecting classified data and improving waveform performance in jamming environments—via the embedded DDL waveform. They will also create a standardized communications architecture that will allow UAS to access spectrum quickly and easily, especially when operating in contested environments.

“Viasat’s robust military-grade cryptography and electronic countermeasure tactical waveform design will enable quick expansion of secure communications to a variety of small unmanned systems operating at the tactical edge,” said Ken Peterman, president, Government Systems, Viasat. “By collaborating with AeroVironment, an established leader in the tactical UAS sector, we can help the U.S. Army set new waveform standards that maximize connectivity and minimize the risk of signal intercept.”

Currently, tens of thousands of AeroVironment tactical unmanned aircraft are deployed around the world and are capable of serving as secure, digital network communication nodes for on-demand, mesh network applications in various operating environments.

“As U.S. forces plan for the potential of operating against peer and near-peer military adversaries possessing advanced electronic warfare capabilities, the need for even more secure communication capabilities is rapidly increasing,” said Scott Newbern, AeroVironment chief technology officer. “We will work with Viasat to provide customers requiring enhanced, secure communication capabilities with a portable, practical solution for maintaining secret-level communications via tactical unmanned aircraft systems operating at the battlefield’s edge.”

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Army Readies Charging Port for Autonomous Drone Swarms

Thursday, October 15th, 2020

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — A swarm of hundreds of unmanned air vehicles will soon descend on unmanned ground vehicles to autonomously recharge, thanks to U.S. Army-funded research now underway at the University of Illinois Chicago.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory awarded the University of Illinois Chicago a four-year, $8 million cooperative agreement in August to develop foundational science in two critical propulsion and power technology areas for powering future families of unmanned aircraft systems, or UASs.

This collaborative program will help small battery-powered drones autonomously return from military missions to unmanned ground vehicles for recharging. The university is developing algorithms to enable route planning for multiple teams of small unmanned air and ground vehicles.

Dr. Mike Kweon, program manager for the laboratory’s Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion Essential Research Program, said the research on route planning is critical to the Army, which needs intelligent, small UASs that can find optimal routes during a military mission to autonomously return to unmanned ground vehicles, known as UGVs, for recharging. This will optimize the operational range extension and time on mission.

“Imagine in the future, the Army deploying a swarm of hundreds or thousands of unmanned aerial systems,” Kweon said. “Each of these systems has only roughly 26 minutes with the current battery technologies to conduct a flight mission and return to their home before they lose battery power, which means all of them could conceivably return at the same time to have their batteries replaced.”

This future concept is based on the reality of today’s technology, Kweon said.

“Soldiers would need to carry a few thousand batteries on missions to facilitate this, which is logistically overwhelming and overall, not conducive to a leading expeditionary military operation,” he said. “With this research project, we’re operationalizing scientific endeavors to increase Soldier readiness on the battlefields of tomorrow.”

The use of fast, recharging batteries and wireless power transfer technologies will allow multiple small UASs to hover around unmanned ground vehicles for wireless charging, and this will not require Soldier involvement.

“I believe this is the only way to realize practical UAS swarming, and small UAS and UGV teaming. Without solving how to handle the energy demand, all other advanced technologies using artificial intelligence and machine learning will be useless for the Army,” Kweon said. “On the battlefield, we do not have luxury to replace batteries for 100s of UAVs and recharging them for hours.”

For larger drones, Army-funded research will explore the fundamental science needed to develop miniaturized fuel sensors for future multi-fuel hybrid electric propulsion systems.

Fuel property sensors that university partners are developing will help Soldiers who operate fuel-based equipment measure fuel property in real time for the Army’s air and ground vehicles, Kweon said.

This knowledge will allow Army personnel to prevent catastrophic failures of the systems and to increase its performance and reliability.

“This research is critical not only for air vehicles but also ground vehicles, especially for the Army missions,” Kweon said. “The fuel sensor is telling the operator what type of fuel is being delivered from the fuel tank to the engine. This input signal can be used to intelligently tell the engine to adjust engine control parameters according to the fuel type to avoid any failures. This data can also be used to find root-cause failures if any engine component prematurely failed.”

The university’s current research in fuel sensor development examines the effects of fuel structure and chemistry on ignition in future multi-fuel drone engines so that real-time control can be implemented. This project further explores the underpinning science using advanced techniques including spectroscopic diagnostics and data science analysis to both enable and accelerate real-time control.

“It also enriches the understanding of the ignition of any unconventional fuel that may need to be burned in the drone engines,” said Prof. Patrick Lynch, a principal investigator at the University of Illinois Chicago on this project.

Army researchers said there is a lot of enthusiasm about partnering through the Open Campus model.

“This not only advances the state of the art, but also operationalizes science for transformational overmatch–the mission of the CCDC Army Research Laboratory,” said Dr. Mark Tschopp, ARL Central regional lead. “What is great is that we are expanding the team to include experts in academia, small businesses, and industry to push concepts and ideas into future capabilities for the Army. In a partnership with the Army, the University of Illinois Chicago brings subject matter expertise, unique facilities and a diverse student body in a collaborative partnership with Army scientists to advance these technologies and to provide future capabilities for the warfighter.”

This university-led research project is one of 11 funded this summer by the Army’s corporate research laboratory as a part of Center for UAS Propulsion efforts to develop technologies for multi-fuel capable hybrid-electric engines and fast efficient energy distribution. Each university partner is helping the Army address the energy demand required to power future unmanned vehicles. Universities also awarded for similar research are the University of Minnesota; University of Michigan; University of Wisconsin-Madison; University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; Iowa State University; University of Delaware; University of North Texas; Texas A&M University; University of Missouri and University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The research, slated to begin this fall, is part of a larger research portfolio of multi-fuel capable hybrid-electric technologies led by the laboratory that supports the Army Modernization Priority for Future Vertical Lift. Most recently, the laboratory recently announced the development of a new, advanced scientific model that will allow vehicle maintenance specialists to turn to bio-derived fuels in austere locations, and efforts to convert a home-based generator into a power source for autonomous ground and air vehicles.

By U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs

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AeroVironment Secures $8.4 Million Puma 3 AE Unmanned Aircraft Systems Foreign Military Sales Contract Award for US Ally

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

• Puma 3 All Environment (AE) unmanned aircraft system delivers immediate tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in maritime and land operations

• Customer is among the 50 allied government forces relying on AeroVironment’s innovative family of tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program promotes interoperability among U.S. and allied forces for joint operations

• Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA) enables 60 kilometer range, and is now available in both M1/2/5 and M3/4/6 Digital Data Link (DDL) military operating bands

Puma 3 AE (All Environment) is ideal for use in day, night, or low-light environments, and for land or maritime operations (Photo: AeroVironment)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 13, 2020 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced it secured a $8,371,332 firm-fixed-price U.S. Department of Defense FMS contract award on September 25, 2020 for Puma™ 3 AE tactical UAS, training and support to an allied nation. Delivery is anticipated by March 2021.

“The United States Department of Defense and the defense forces of 50 allied nations around the world rely on AeroVironment’s family of tactical unmanned aircraft systems to protect and empower frontline troops in the harshest operating environments,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales and business development at AeroVironment. “With an unmatched track record for reliability and effectiveness in combat, training and humanitarian operations, and a roadmap of continuous enhancement and innovation into the future, customers can rely on AeroVironment to proceed with certainty into any operational scenario.”

The AeroVironment Puma 3 AE is a fully man-portable unmanned aircraft system designed for land and maritime operations. The hand-launched Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2 feet (2.8 meters), weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) and operates for up to 2.5 hours at line-of-sight range of 20 kilometers with a standard antenna, and up to 60 kilometers with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna. Capable of landing in water or on land, the all-environment Puma, with its Mantis i45 sensor suite, empowers the operator with extended flight time and a level of imaging capability never before available in the tactical UAS class.

To expand operational range, AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA) can be used with Puma 3 AE, and all other Digital Data Link (DDL) equipped UAS, increasing line-of-sight command and control up to 60 kilometers. The LRTA features a directional antenna mounted on a tracking positioner that allows for automatic or manual tracking of an aircraft at an extended stand-off range. In addition, an omnidirectional antenna provides redundancy and 360-degree coverage with reduced range capabilities. The LRTA is now offered in two versions – M1/2/5 and M3/4/6 – to support all DDL frequency bands and fit diverse mission needs.

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