Spain sends fighters to France to square off against Dassault’s new stealth drone

Two Eurofighter Typhoons from Spain’s 11th Wing, along with their accompanying pilots and maintenance personnel, arrived in France late last week to conduct evaluation flights against the stealthy Dassault nEUROn drone (technically speaking, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle or UCAV). The intent of the exercises is simple: assess how effectively the Typhoon’s suite of onboard […]

Spain sends a pair of fighters to France to square off against Dassault’s new stealth drone

Two Eurofighter Typhoons from Spain’s 11th Wing, along with their accompanying pilots and maintenance personnel, arrived in France to conduct evaluation flights against the stealthy Dassault nEUROn drone (technically speaking, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle or UCAV) late last week. The intent of the exercises is simple: assess how effectively the Typhoon’s suite of onboard sensors […]

Why the future of military aviation isn’t unmanned — at least for now

With a rapidly developing military drone industry growing in prominence the world over, and heavyweight defense contractors like Northrop Grumman devoting a large portion of their overall R&D programs to unmanned aerial vehicles, it’s easy to see that the future of military aviation will be largely unmanned. The benefits of such a transition are extensive, […]

What makes an effective UAV and the firms that make the difference: Part II

Read What makes an effective UAV and the firms that make the difference: Part I In the previous installment, we explored what characteristics make an effective Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A company that manufactures UAVs and wishes to be competitive has to ensure that its products have a robust and accurate navigation system, stout and […]

What makes an effective UAV and the firms that make the difference: Part I

Since the closing of the 20th Century, the popularity and utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have increased markedly. The versatility and cost-efficiency of the UAV make it an essential asset in the arsenal of modern militaries and private companies. UAV applications range from intelligence gathering to weather measurement to reconnaissance to surveillance to target […]

What makes an effective UAV and the firms that make the difference: Part II

In the previous installment, we explored what characteristics make an effective Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A company that manufactures UAVs and wishes to be competitive has to ensure that its products have a robust and accurate navigation system, stout and clear sensory and image capturing technology, and a resilient and efficient operating system (for example, […]

What makes an effective UAV and the firms that make the difference: Part I

Since the closing of the 20th Century, the popularity and utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have increased markedly. The versatility and cost-efficiency of the UAV make it an essential asset in the arsenal of modern militaries and private companies. UAV applications range from intelligence gathering to weather measurement to reconnaissance to surveillance to target acquisition […]

Russia’s latest mini-drones are communications killers

The Russian military continues to develop innovative electronic warfare technologies that could secure a crucial advantage in a future conflict. The latest addition to the Russian arsenal is the upgraded Leer-3 mini-drone system. According to Samuel Bendett, a research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses, the Russian drones (usually Orlan-10s) operate in teams of three, […]

The future of military aviation isn’t unmanned — at least for now

With a rapidly developing military drone industry growing in prominence the world over, and heavyweight defense contractors like Northrop Grumman devoting a large portion of their overall R&D programs to unmanned aerial vehicles, it’s easy to see that the future of military aviation will be largely unmanned. The benefits of such a transition are extensive, […]

Belarus’ new combat drone is a grenade launcher with quadrotors strapped to it

Here in the United States, the phrase “military drone” conjures images of advanced air frames like Predators, MQ-9 Reapers and Global Hawks but in battlefields all around the world, drones of all shapes, sizes, and prices are becoming increasingly prevalent and deadly. Thanks to a boon in commercial drone manufacturing, it’s never been easier to […]