Trump may take a hard line with Pakistan

Even though the US Government was unable to defeat the Taliban with 100.000 troops in the country, apparently Trump thinks that by taking a harder line with Pakistan and sending a few thousand more troops to Afghanistan he is going to pressure the Taliban into making peace.

The result will probably be for Pakistan to create more difficulties for the US Government in Afghanistan and also a point blank refusal to allow any drone attacks, as a majority of the Pakistani public would support such a move. However, the United States claims that the Pakistani spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ties to the Haqqani network of militants who are thought to be responsible for some deadly attacks in Afghanistan. The Afghan Government too has accused Pakistan as giving safe haven to the militants. Pakistan Government denies this, as they have lost about 7.000 of its security forces and about 22.000 civilians as a result of militant activity since 2003.

There are some within the US Government and in various think tanks who do not consider Pakistan an ally at all:

• The Pentagon designated the Haggani network that Pakistan is alleged to support, as "terrorist organization" in 2012.
• Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, a top U.S. military officer, told the U.S. Congress in 2011 that the Haqqani net was a veritable arm of the Pakistani ISI.
• David Sedney, who was Obama's deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2013, claims that Obama's attempt to make Pakistan a strategic partner failed miserably and said that it made Pakistan's behavior even worse.

But this appears very one-sided: Pakistan in effect allowed UAV attacks on its territory in the face of tremendous political opposition. It also eventually carried out military operations in the territories that were quite costly in casualties for their security forces.

The U.S. has given considerable aid to Pakistan since 2002: $33 billion and that included Coalition Support Funds (CSF) that is meant to reimburse allies that incurred costs in supporting counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan did incur heavy costs in its operations in conflicts with various militant groups in the tribal areas of north-west Pakistan. However, the U.S. argues that Pakistan has failed to take action against the Haqqani network and last year withheld $300 million in CSF funding to Pakistan. US officials say the Trump administration may do the same... But also warns that moves such as this would encourage China to invest even more than the $60 billion it has already invested in Pakistan.

India to Purchase 22 Predator

According to The Diplomat, the Indian Government had expressed interest in purchasing an unarmed naval variant of the Predator already before 2015. However, the United States rejected India’s request because the country was neither member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) nor did it enjoy Major Defense Partner (MDP) status.

Now, the US Government has approved the deal, which is valued at over $2 billion. The deal, still pending congressional approval, would be the first such purchase by a country that is not a member of the NATO alliance. With these new UAVs, India seeks to protect its maritime assets, in particular in the Indian Ocean, and detect intrusions on a real-time basis.

Next to the threat of terrorism emerging from the maritime domain, India has been in particular concerned about the growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.

UAV designs ready to be 3D printed

A very good collection which includes custom UAV models ready for real life usage thanks to 3D printing technology. 

https://www.supermotoxl.com/designs-a-creations/3d-printed-real-object-design-for-hobby-models

FDM Lightweight Structures

The FDM process offers several material options, from ASA to Nylon 12 CF, each has attributes that make it suitable for a variety of lightweight structural applications. With this variety in materials, FDM technology is boosting design freedoms without having to sacrifice material use or part stiffness in both Aerospace and Automotive Industries. 

Download this white paper now and learn how to: 

    

•    Choose the correct material for each required application

•    Create higher strength-to-weight value by using use the “single bead” design methods 

•    Increase stiffness-to-weight ratio by using sparse fill in structural parts

http://aviationweek.com/knowledge-center/fdm-lightweight-structures

3D Robotics X8+ UAV Structure Scan Demo Using DroidPlanner 2.0

Adam from http://www.aeroworksproductions.com demonstrates a fully autonomous "Structure Scan" flight using DroidPlanner 2.0 and a 3D Robotics X8+ multirotor UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Post processing done with Autodesk 123D Catch 3D stitching software.

Pakistan: JF-17 shoots down an iranian UAV

An Iranian UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) operating in Pakistan’s Parom area of Panjgur district was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) JF-17 fighter.

Iran’s army chief recently warned that Tehran would strike militant safe havens inside Pakistan ─remarks that drew a strong protest from Islamabad─ after 10 Iranian border guards were killed by militants allegedly from across the border earlier this year.

It was unknown when the UAV was shot down but the wreckage was recovered by local security forces last monday. According official sources, the UAV was shot down by a JF-17 in the Parom area of Panjgur district after it ventured “deep inside Pakistani airspace” on a spying mission.

The JF-17 (Joint Fighter-17) can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. Technically is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the PAC (Pakistan Aeronautical Complex) and the CAC (Chengdu Aircraft Corporation) of China.

China launches record-breaking UAV swarm

The China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) claims to have set a new record for the number of UAVs flying in a swarm, the state-owned Xinhua news agency quoted the corporation as saying.

The 11 June news report states that the swarm comprised 119 UAVs, breaking CETC's previous record swarm of 67 UAVs. Xinhua did not mention when or where the event took place.

The size of the mini UAV swarm is greater than that trialled by the USAF in October 2016 when three Boeing F/A-18 Hornet deployed a swarm of 103 Perdix micro UAVs, which the US DoD noted was one of the world's largest micro UAV swarms to date.

CETC published a video in 2016 of its fixed-wing UAV swarm prototype, which shows the UAVs in a coordinated launch from the ground. The corporation said that the UAVs were flying ad hoc networks, sensing and avoiding collision, and demonstrating autonomous group control.

A CETC engineer was quoted by Xinhua as saying that UAV swarms will become "a disruptive force" that will "change the rules of the game".

Source:

http://www.janes.com/article/71624/china-launches-record-breaking-uav-swarm

UAV propellers ready to be 3D printed

Here you can find up to 1.926 printable 3D Models of UAV Propellers:

http://www.yeggi.com/q/drone+propeller/?s=tx

El CH-T4 podría amenazar los buques de la US Navy

China ha informado que el UAV solar Caihong-T4 (CH-T4) ha logrado volar por primera vez a una altitud de 20.000 metros, lo cual representa una importante amenaza para la US Navy ya que podría ser capaz de funcionar durante varios meses o incluso años gracias a la ausencia de nubes a esa altura.

De acuerdo con los expertos, el CH-T4 combina un gran tamaño (39 metros de envergadura) y un reducido peso (450-490 Kg), gracias a sus componentes de plástico y fibra de carbono. Puede alcanzar velocidades de hasta 201 km/h y planear a una altitud de hasta 19 kilómetros, lo cual le permite cubrir una superficie de hasta un millón de kilómetros cuadrados.

Todas estas capacidades del CH-T4 permiten al Ejército Popular de Liberación (PLA) poner en peligro a los portaaviones estadounidenses en el Pacífico, ya que permite obtener y proporcionar en tiempo real información de cada objetivo a sus misiles balísticos anti buques, más concretamente al DF-21D, más conocido como "Asesino de Portaaviones".

Taiwan: Foreign buyers interested in local defense UAV

As the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology products are not limited to military use, international buyers have expressed interest in buying its products, and the Ministry of National Defense has prepared a list of items that are ready for sale. The Institute is to showcase its products at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in August, with a focus on UAVs, and during this year has attended multiple international events, including the SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing trade show in California, the International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, and the Paris Air Show. In all events, many visitors were interested in the institute’s self-developed defense UAV, named Multi-Functional Laser Sight System.

Global Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market 2017-2026

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market - Analysis and Forecast 2017-2026 (Major Focus on Type and End-Users)" report to their offering.

Key Topics Covered: 

Executive Summary 

1 Research Scope & Methodology 

2 Market Dynamics 

3 Competitive Insights 

4 Industry Analysis 

5 Global Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market, 2017-2026 

6 Global Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market by Type 

7 Global Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market by End-User 

8 Fixed-Wing VTOL Aircraft Market By Geography 

9 Future Opportunities 

10 Company Profiles

AeroVironment, Inc.

Airbus Group SE

Arcturus UAV

Aurora Flight Sciences

BAE Systems

Boeing

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

Leonardo Group

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Textron Inc.

For more information about this report visit:

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cxxmvz/global_fixedwing

Webcast: Nuevas impresoras 3D Stratasys F123

La serie de Impresoras 3D Stratasys F123 ha sido diseñada para eliminar las barreras a las que se enfrentan los diseñadores e ingenieros haciendo que el proceso de prototipado rápido sea más eficiente y productivo. Descubra las características y diferencias entre los distintos equipos de la serie Stratasys F123, las aplicaciones en las que estos equipos destacan y cómo aprovechar al máximo el potencial de las capacidades de conectividad de las Impresoras 3D.

Viernes 23 de junio a las 10:00 hrs.

Coste: Gratuito

Link para realizar la inscripción:

http://integralplm.com/es/empresa/eventos/

PSS Technology: ¿Safety or New World Order?

Aside from the privacy concerns associated with persistent aerial surveillance, there are also worries related to transparency: In Baltimore, Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) technology was flown over the city without elected officials (including the mayor), the state’s attorney, or members of the public being informed first. And in Miami-Dade county, the mayor wasn’t aware of Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) persistent aerial surveillance plans. 

Military equipment has a tendency to make its way from foreign battlefields into the hands of domestic law enforcement. This is a trend that can be useful in investigating crimes, but policies that protect privacy should be in place before snooping airplanes take to the sky, and the public as well as local officials should be informed about the surveillance tools police are using. Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS), the Ohio-based company that made the sensor system deployed in Baltimore, uses technology originally designed for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This kind of technology has prompted privacy concerns in others cities, with Baltimore being perhaps the most notable.

EU unveils plans to regulate small UAVs

According to IATA, 65 countries currently have rules for the use of small UAVs. And among EU countries, France is a pioneer: Government decrees already regulate UAV use and parliament has voted in a law coming into force next year that will punish users of UAVs flying over airports and other sensitive areas with fines or prison.

Current common European rules only cover UAVs weighing above 150 kilograms, but small UAVs can be used to deliver services in urban areas, collect data for a wide range of industries, inspect infrastructure, and aid farming. "UAVs mean innovation, new services for citizens, new business models and a huge potential for economic growth," EU Transport Minister Violeta Bulc said in a statement. "We need the EU to be in the driving seat and have a safe UAV services market up and running by 2019. The EU needs to take a leading role worldwide in developing the right framework for this market to flourish, by unleashing the benefits for key economic sectors." added.

The aim is to have the regulatory framework functioning by 2019, with basic services like registration and e-identification. The blueprint unveiled from the European Commission, the EU executive, covers allowing drones to operate in high density under the supervision of fleet operators. The Commission cited estimates that the drone services market could grow up to €127bn in the next few years, so the demand for regulation is increasing with the rising use of drones and the risk of collisions. The European Commission said it hopes negotiations involving the European Parliament and 28 member states will be completed by the end of the year as a key part of the process. The idea is to build a system similar to that of Air Traffic Management for manned aviation, that would supply information to allow UAVs to fly safely and avoid obstacles or collisions.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which sets global standards for the aviation industry, counted 856 cases worldwide between January 2013 and August 2015 of a UAV getting too close to a plane for comfort, so the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is trying to establish a global framework for the future use of UAVs. Fortunately, there have been no collisions to date, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) reported in February.

Airbus to implement UAVs at their plants

Airbus has already demonstrated the use of Ascending Technologies’ Falcon 8 UAV with RealSense depth-sensing technology from Intel to visually inspect airliners. The manufacturer has said it will implement UAV inspections of the A350XWB widebody airliner this year.

As said, for the initial tests the company used a multi-rotor UAV supplied by Ascending Technologies, a German company that U.S. semiconductor manufacturer Intel acquired in early 2016. “Now it’s a manual system with people having to climb all over the plane,” Intel CEO Brian Krzanich told the Xponential 2017 conference in Dallas in May. “With Airbus we’ve developed a system that’s capable of doing inspections both on the tarmac or in the hangar. Airbus has developed additional software that allows you to do an airplane inspection, identify and geolocate defects, understand their size and dimensions, then push out a data report that allows you to go back and do a repair.”

The GRVC-CATEC team will implement a UAV-based tool delivery and locating system at Airbus Defence and Space’s Centro Bahía de Cádiz site in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, early next year, said Antidio Viguria, head of CATEC’s avionics and unmanned systems department. The plant specializes in manufacturing carbon fiber components for programs including the A400M transport and A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport). It also produces fan cowl doors for the A320neo narrowbody airliner.

UAVs keep dropping drugs and porn into prisons

A new report from USA Today found that UAVs have been used more than a dozen times to fly contraband into federal prisons over the last five years, as scattered reports suggest the smuggling operations have proven popular.

Local news reports from not just the United States but around the world have brought other instances to light over the past few years. In 2014, police in Australia said a UAV was employed for a planned drug smuggling operation. Later that year, there was another incident in South Carolina, where a UAV crashed while attempting to deliver weed.

And the list goes on: in 2015, a UAV-delivered drug package sparked a fight in an Ohio facility. That year, in yet another incident, two people were arrested for trying to smuggle contraband using a UAV. The paper writes that Justice Department documents showed attempts to smuggle cellphones, drugs, and porn into the federal facilities, although the tally almost certainly undercounts possibly successful attempts, as well as smuggling done in state facilities.

Understandably, officials are now wondering what to do about the problem. In April, the United Kingdom announced a new squad dedicated to combating the issue. The US Bureau of Prisons, meanwhile, has posted requests for technology that could be used to stop UAVs near facilities. While it’s likely impossible to get a full count of incidents, it does seem clear that the smuggling operations can sometimes be lucrative. Prosecutors in one recent case said a smuggler had been making $6,000 per drop.

ExecuJet Adds UAV Services In Africa

ExecuJet has announced the addition of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) services at its African facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Lagos.

UAVs will form an integral part of ExecuJet's operations, enabling clients to carry out inspections, surveys, mapping and photography in greater detail. ExecuJet will be able to deploy UAVs to any location on the continent, as required by its customers.

Gavin Kiggen, Director, Aviation Africa, ExecuJet, says: "The market for drone technology in the commercial sector has been increasing in recent years and is expected to grow at a rate of 19%+ between 2017 and 2020, as the technology becomes more widely utilised. Whilst attending the Drone Con conference, it emerged from research done by Dr Roelof Botha that in South Africa, the drone market is expected to create 24,000+ jobs by as early as the end of 2018, contributing R2b+ to the economy. UAVs can be used in various ways, from wind turbine inspections and crop monitoring, to covering sporting events and filming for television and movies. Industry experts believe that Africa is one of the most progressive regions when it comes to drone technology."

Agriculture: in-field data in an instant

In collaboration with industry-leader DroneDeploy®, the Case IH UAV makes it quick and easy to fly your UAV, capture imagery, view and analyze maps with powerful filters, and then share those maps and insights with trusted advisers. Watch the video to learn how the new Case IH UAV package allows you to quickly take the pulse of crop health for real-time decision making.

UrbanBees, o cómo aprovechar la contaminación

En la naturaleza, las abejas buscan el néctar de las flores para producir miel en sus colmenas.

De la misma forma, UrbanBees pretende utilizar un enjambre de UAVs para recoger la contaminación atmosférica y llevarla a una base central.

Allí las partículas se convertirán en material de Impresión 3D, con el que se podrán fabricar utensilios diversos demandados por los agentes sociales.

En primer lugar, se utilizarán los diversos sensores de contaminación desplegados por las ciudades para detectar cuando el nivel de contaminación supera un cierto umbral.

Las partículas más dañinas son las denominadas “Particulate Matter” (PM), que tienen un tamaño menor de 10 micras. En caso de alcanzar un nivel de contaminación peligroso para la salud, los sensores envían una señal a la base central que contiene los UAVs.

A continuación, los UAVs serán enviados al lugar concreto para recoger la polución. El sistema de guiado se realizará tanto por ondas de radio como por autopiloto dentro del UAV, dependiendo de las condiciones meteorológicas o de ubicación del lugar.

Los UAVs llevarán instalados filtros que permitirán la recolección de las partículas contaminantes. La recolección de partículas contaminantes acaba cuando los UAVs deban volver a la base central para recargar la batería, o bien cuando el depósito cargado por el UAV para almacenar la polución se haya llenado.

En ese momento, el UAV regresa a la base para vaciar el depósito y obtener nueva bateria para salir de nuevo. Por último, las partículas contaminantes de tipo metálico se someten a un proceso de compactación a través del cual se transforman en material para Impresoras 3D. Los objetos fabricados mediante Impresión 3D serán destinados a satisfacer diversas necesidades sociales, como puede ser la producción de material escolar.

Más información:

http://obrasurbanas.es/urbanbees-contaminacion-beneficio/

La cara y la cruz de pilotar un UAV armado

Discretos, furtivos, silenciosos... los UAVs armados han ido poco a poco ganando presencia hasta constituirse en ciertos casos en un elemento esencial de las Fuerzas Armadas, pues contribuyen a salvar muchas vidas inocentes en escenarios reales de guerra.

Desde luego sus pilotos no sufren mal de altura, ni su cuello se castiga con las maniobras de un caza, ni sufren daño alguno en caso de que el UAV sea derribado. Esto es de agradecer, pero no todo es agradable en su trabajo: Se pasan muchas horas encerrados en un contenedor, trabajando en penumbra, visualizando constantemente una pantalla que muestra en tiempo real imágenes del territorio enemigo.

En el contenedor se respira siempre la tensión: Con frecuencia, su trabajo consiste en sobrevolar un area y vigilar de manera constante una casa hasta que vean salir de ella a un individuo concreto al que deben liquidar... que podrá optar por deambular, o bien por meterse en un vehículo y emprender la marcha, sin ser consciente de que, mediante un aparato gris, que vuela a más de 3.000 metros de altura, alguien está observando cuidadosamente cada uno de sus movimientos en tiempo real, desde una base ubicada a bastante distancia y quizá en otro continente, al objeto de lanzarle un misil Hellfire en el momento más adecuado para liquidarlo sin causar daños colaterales.

Además de que para desarrollar ese trabajo los pilotos deben ser capaces de soportar una gran tensión y no perder la concentración, deben estar psicológicamente preparados para un día a día que muy probablemente empezará por salir de su casa y llevar a sus hijos al colegio, para acudir después a la base, pilotar un UAV armado, bombardear un objetivo y asegurarse de haber acabado con el enemigo, y volver a casa al finalizar su turno, quizá pasando por el supermercado. Nadie les felicitará públicamente por su trabajo, y nadie siquiera les agradecerá que continúan vivos gracias a su trabajo. Incluso algún periodista mal informado y/o algún político oportunista les calificará gratuitamente como asesinos. Algo difícil de asimilar. Pero ser soldado exige asumir y aguantar todo esto y mucho más: en la guerra, hay que comportarse como en la guerra.

SARA: El futuro UAV argentino

El proyecto SARA representa una inversión de más de 2095 millones de pesos y supone el avance de Argentina en el emergente campo de los UAVs.

En una primera fase, consistente en el diseño y desarrollo, intervienen diversos actores:

1) La Secretaría de Ciencia, Tecnología y Producción para la Defensa, que se encarga de coordinar y articular las capacidades industriales y el desarrollo de proveedores.

2) El INVAP, contratista y principal responsable del desarrollo.

3) CITEDEF y el Instituto Universitario Aeronáutico (Córdoba), ambos como participantes de la investigación y desarrollo del SARA.

4) El Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, con sus Direcciones de I+D y requerimiento operativo.

5) Diversas universidades nacionales y pymes argentinas.

En una segunda fase, será transferida la tecnología del producto a Fabricaciones Militares y a FAdeA, lo que incluye la totalidad de documentos de la ingeniería básica y de detalle, herramientas, máquinas y otros elementos físicos de soporte productivo para la reproducción de los prototipos.

En una tercera y última fase verá la luz el SARA final, y esto incluirá el desarrollo de las líneas de producción y la posterior fabricación en serie.

Más información:

http://fdra-aereo.blogspot.com.es/2017/06/uav-sistema-aereo-robotico-argentino.html

Australia busca un MTUAS para sus OPVs

El Grupo de Adquisición y Mantenimiento de Capacidades de la Defensa (CASG, por sus siglas en inglés) ha emitido una solicitud de información (RFI, por sus siglas en inglés) para adquirir un sistema aereo no tripulado de uso marítimo táctico (MTUAS, por sus siglas en inglés) que se operará desde los Buques de Patrulla Offshore (OPVs por sus siglas en inglés) de la Marina, para llevar a cabo actividades de inteligencia, vigilancia y reconocimiento (ISR, por sus siglas en inglés.

Entre los que tienen más probabilidades de ser elegidos están el Saab Skeldar, el Schiebel Camcopter S-100 y el Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout. La RFI fué publicada el pasado 26 de mayo bajo la denominación de proyecto "SEA 129 Phase 5 Stage 1" y se espera que en una segunda etapa del proyecto se adquiera otro MTUAS para operar desde los futuros buques de combate previstos en el proyecto "SEA 1180" presentado en 2016.

US downs pro-Syria regime UAV

A US warplane shot down a pro-regime UAV in Syria on Thursday 9th after it fired at coalition forces, officials said, marking a new escalation of tensions in the war-torn country’s south. Although the weapon the UAV deployed had hit only dirt, the action was nevertheless “clearly meant” as an attack, as the UAV had fired on coalition forces patrolling outside the zone.

No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred near the coalition’s At-Tanaf garrison close to the Jordanian border, spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon told Pentagon reporters, but the UAV "was armed and still had weapons on it when it was fired upon by US forces from an aircraft,” he said. “Regardless of what kind of drone it was, it fired upon our coalition forces, and therefore showed hostile intent, and it was perceived as a threat,". The UAV was about the same size as a MQ-1 Predator, and it was not immediately clear who owned the aircraft or whether it may have been Iranian.

IAF: female squadron commander "not far off"

According to the army, there has been a 5% increase in motivation –as measured by requests – of female recruits as compared to last year’s enlistment, and the army is expecting a spike in female combat recruits in 2017 which will see over 2,500 female combat soldiers enlisting, a senior IDF officer in the Manpower Directorate told the Jerusalem Post. But one of the main challenges for the next generation of pilots is to train for the next war which will be completely different than in the past. Female pilots need to be very strong mentally to finish their course and “overcome all obstacles that may be in front of you,” he said.

Not in vain, a recent Defense Ministry report by IDF Ombudsman, Yitzhak Brick, found a significant decrease in the motivation of women to serve in combat positions. According to Brick, there is a discrepancy between the expectations of soldiers and the reality they face once placed in operational battalions which led to the decrease in the motivation of fighters. However, the senior Manpower Directorate officer disagreed with the findings of the report, telling the Post that the motivation in female combat soldiers continues to increase as well as the need for them to fill positions that have opened up due to the shortening of army service. “There is a significant jump in the recruitment of women into combat roles, and this is all due to their motivation to serve in those positions,” he said, adding that 15% of women volunteer to serve as long as their male counterparts. “That’s something we didn’t see in previous years. We should have put women in these roles even if we didn’t shorten the service period,” he said, stressing that the army “gives them the opportunity and they succeed. With women enlisting in increasingly greater numbers for IDF combat positions, a female Israel Air Force squadron commander is not far off."

US Army y Raytheon demuestran la capacidad del Stinger contra UAVs

Dos FIM-92J Stinger han sido lanzados desde una plataforma de defensa aérea de bajo nivel, destruyendo con éxito dos UAVs Outlaw (MQM-170C) y otro UAV más pequeño cuya marca y modelo no han sido revelados.

El FIM-92J conserva la misma capacidad de ojiva de impacto directo del modelo E, pero se actualiza con una sección de fusibles de proximidad, equipado con detectores de proximidad y una antena desarrollada por Lockheed Martin que incorpora un nuevo motor de vuelo y cartuchos generadores de gas.

El FIM-92 Stinger es un misil tierra-aire rastreador infrarrojo fabricado por Raytheon Missile Systems, y entró en servicio en 1981. El misil Stinger básico ha sido hasta la fecha responsable de 270 naves derribadas confirmadas, la primera de ellas un FMA IA-58 Pucará durante la Guerra de las Malvinas.

El misil es lanzado por un pequeño motor de eyección que lo empuja a una distancia segura del operador antes de activar el motor principal de dos fases de combustible sólido el cual lo acelera a una velocidad máxima de Mach 2,2 (750 m/s). La cabeza de 3 kg actúa por impacto y tiene un temporizador de autodestrucción. Puede atacar naves aéreas a una distancia de 5.500 metros y alturas de 3.800 m. También puede ser lanzado desde un vehículo M-1097 Avenger entre otros. El misil mide 152 cm de longitud y 70 mm de diámetro con aletas de 100 mm. El misil por sí solo pesa 10,1 kg mientras que el lanzador armado con su proyectil pesa 15,2 kg.

“Esta demostración ha revelado los resultados del trabajo conjunto que el Ejército de Estados Unidos, Raytheon y Lockheed Martin han realizado para conseguir un efectivo sistema de protección capaz de alcanzar cualquier tipo de UAV mediante un misil Stinger”, dijo Jack Elliot, Director de Programa de Stinger en Raytheon Missile Systems.

General Atomics Jobs: UAV Pilot - Deployable

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

They have an exciting opportunity for a UAV Pilot at their El Mirage Facility near Palmdale, serving as PIC (Pilot-in-Command) of assigned UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles).

More info at:

https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/uav-pilot-deployable-general-atomics-and-affiliated-companies-JV_IC1146846_KO0,20_KE21,61.htm?jl=2409432107&ctt=1497108863218

General Atomics Jobs: Airframe & Powerplant Specialist

General Atomics Systems Integration LLC (GA-SI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a provider of military and commercial engineering services.

GA-SI is a leading-edge expert in systems integration technologies, reliability improvements, and controls system design.

They currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced A&P Specialist for their Aero Services division to support MQ-9 Reaper operations based out of Creech AFB in Indian Springs, Nevada. 

AMONG OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works under limited supervision providing technical support for the mechanical installation, troubleshooting and inspection on UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

• Performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on UAVs.

More info at:

https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/airframe-powerplant-specialist-deployable-flex-general-atomics-and-affiliated-companies-JV_KO0,46_KE47,87.htm?jl=2447711134&ctt=1497107624273

PDF E-BOOk: Build Your Own Drone Manual

Build Your Own Drone Manual provides practical advice and step-by-step procedures to enable the reader to build a basic, affordable, DIY drone. 

Download at:

https://wesdrftyghuj.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/build-your-own-drone-manual.pdf

Israel shows its latest UAV interception technology

As leader in defense and heavy electronic warfare, the world has for many years looked to Israel for security and intelligence, and Israel’s defense industry has got  leading international companies exporting to countries across the globe.

It is the case of ORAD, an Israeli company based in Holon. According to Yossi Gofer, vice president of sales and marketing at the company,  its Drone Defense System DROM is the “most capable and cost-effective” system to counter the threat posed by hostile UAVs.

ORAD has already sold the system to clients in several countries including Portugal, Spain and Thailand. ¿Its main advantage? the cost reduction: Of course there are missile systems capable to shoot down a hostile UAV, but at $3 million per missile, this is an expensive way to down a device that may only be worth $200: As far as I remember, in August 2014, a Patriot missile shot down a drone that entered Israeli airspace from the Quneitra region in Syria close to the Israeli border. But the scene got worse two years after, when in July 2016, two Patriot missiles were fired at a hostile UAV that crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria: Both missed their target and the unmanned aircraft returned to Syria. Probably the Israel enemies still are remembering it and laughing. 

Technically, the DROM has a weight of just 38 kilograms and comes pre-engineered and pre-assembled to be easily deployed on land or at sea in any weather conditions, to detect an approaching UAV at more than 3.5 kilometers away and take its control. Very useful to fight against the Islamic State, that has used weaponized drones against both Syrian and Iraqi forces, and groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, who have sent UAVs into Israel and are said to have been working on upgrading the group’s UAVs for use in both offensive operations and intelligence gathering.

The latest version of the system also comes with an RF Detection Unit, that detects the presence of a UAV by analyzing signaling channels and radio transmissions. Once a UAV is detected, an alarm is automatically triggered and alerts the system operator of the UAV presence, to land it in a pre-defined location after intercepting it so any intelligence that may have been gathered does not fall into the hands of the enemy.