ASYMMETRIC DIALOGUE

As drones become smaller and faster, new solutions will be required to disable them. Here are a few handheld counter-drone systems that may end up in the hands of armed forces around the world How will drones shape future warfare? The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) held its annual exposition of military technology from 8-10 October in Washington DC. The meeting brought together some of the largest and most well-known firms of the military industrial complex from the US and abroad. Two particularly interesting technologies that were showcased at AUSA were unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well as the latest anti-drone systems. AUSA 2018: New UAVs There were several UAVs that were showcased at the AUSA expo. Here is a rundown of some of the most promising platforms. InstantEye MK-3 Gen-4-D1/D2 sUAS, produced by Instant Eye Robotics. This is a small UAV (sUAV) that weighs 3lbs, has a maximum payload of around 3lbs, and an endurance of up to 30 min

How Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Can Refuel Using Remote Hydrogen

Fuel cell systems in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were first used within military applications, but their viability in terms of range, durability and reliability have quickly opened doors to a diverse range of civilian and commercial applications as well. A key challenge when using UAVs however, is their requirement for hydrogen fuel, especially when operating in remote locations. A proven solution to this issue is the production of hydrogen on-site, using electrolysis to produce this from water. Utilizing a combination of a PEM fuel cell propulsion module from Protonex and high-pressure PEM electrolysis from Proton OnSite allows for a full, hydrogen fuelled solution that can easily accommodate the adoption of ready access to hydrogen, even at the most remote sites. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Versatile and innovative, UAVs are being increasingly used for applications involving monitoring and surveying. It is expected that in the not-too-dista

DARPA, Army Test Optionally Manned Helicopter

DARPA and Lockheed have modified an off-the-shelf commercial helicopter to fly itself in typical military missions, including supply runs, medevac, and recon. The next step: Port the MATRIX software over to an actual Army UH-60 Black Hawk, which will fly next year. The long run: Design next-generation scout and assault aircraft to be optionally piloted from the start. The tablet interface used to control DARPA’s ALIAS autonomous flight controls. For safety reasons, there were highly trained test pilots aboard the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft, a modified S-76B , during this month’s flight tests at Fort Eustis , Va. — but for much of the time, they might as well have stayed on the ground. In one case, Sikorsky autonomy director Igor Cherepinsky told reporters this afternoon, “we also had a non-pilot with all of 45 minutes of training take the aircraft up and operate for almost an hour.” How? The humans just tapped on a tablet screen to issue some basic instructio