The U.S. Navy and the General Dynamics Mission Systems Knifefish team recently completed an evaluation of Knifefish, an autonomous surface mine countermeasure (SMCM) unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV). The test events took place off the coast of Boston using submerged navy mine test targets. According
The Royal Australian Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit (UASU) showcased the navy’s newly acquired Schiebel Camcopter S-100 vertical take-off UAV at the Avalon airshow that concluded on March 5. The UASU is tasked with trialing and testing two different unmanned aircraft types – the ScanEagle (fi
The U.S. Navy recently demonstrated a new mine sweeping technique during a test in which a MH-60S helicopter deployed a MK-18 Mod 2 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). This demonstration proved a possible lighter, less time intensive way to sweep for mines in theatre, compared to a MH-53E helicopter
U.S. Navy researchers from several branches are working on a software system that uses intelligent agents to guide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that each serve as a ‘wingman’ in manned/unmanned teams, in simulated beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat missions. The system is called Tactical Battle
After a period of performance tests carried out in the latter part of 2016, the Indonesian ministry of defence became the first ever Skeldar V-200 UAV customer, UMS Skeldar announced. The delivery of the V-200 vertical take-off and landing UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) marks the start of a working p
Australian shipbuilder Austal launched the tenth Cape-class patrol boat for the Royal Australian Navy at its Henderson, Western Australia, shipyard on February 14. Future Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Inscription is the the second of two follow-on Cape-class boats that will be operated by the
U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Coronado returned to sea after spending just seven days undergoing engineering maintenance in Singapore. Sailors aboard USS Coronado started training and conducting operations at sea after departing Singapore on February 10. The Coronado crew is executing a busy
The U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) is funding the development of an underwater robotic explosive ordnance disposal device that will keep divers out of harm’s way. The contract award was announced by RE2 Robotics, a developer of robotic manipulator arms, which has received a small busines
The Royal Australian Navy has awarded Austrian UAV developer Schiebel a contract for the supply of its Camcopter S-100 system and three years of follow-on contractor logistics support. The contract was signed at the end of December 2016, but the company announced it on February 6, 2017. The Royal Au
During a December 2016 test at China Lake, the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center’s Weapons Division-developed Spike missile, twice, demonstrated the capability of the missile to shoot down an Outlaw UAV with one shot. Spike is a forward-firing miniature munition that can be launched from the ground or t
UK’s BMT Defence Services (BMT) joined forces with the University of Bristol to work on the development of an UAV that would be the first ever to perform a perched landing on a ship’s flight deck. The 18-month research project was delivered as part of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s
Scientists and engineers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division have developed a way to change unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) mission information easier and faster. Autonomous systems engineers, Drs. Matthew Bays and Drew Lucas, refer to the system as “Autonomy in a Box.” Autono
Pentagon’s press secretary confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy returned the U.S. Navy’s glider unmanned underwater vehicle near the location where it had been unlawfully seized on December 15. Chinese Navy vessel 510 returned returned the glider to USS Mustin (DDG 89) in international w
China will return an underwater drone it ‘stole’ from the USNS Bowditch, a civilian U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship which was operating in the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Thursday. “Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese wi
