Category: uae

For the first time in aviation history, an aircraft has been manoeuvred in flight using supersonically blown air, removing the need for complex movable flight control surfaces.

In a series of ground-breaking flight trials that took place in the skies above north-west Wales, the MAGMA unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstrated two innovative flow control technologies which could revolutionise future aircraft design.

MAGMA, designed and developed by researchers at The University of Manchester in collaboration with engineers from BAE Systems, successfully trialled the two ‘flap-free’ technologies earlier this month at the Llanbedr Airfield.

The technologies have been designed to improve the control and performance of aircraft. By replacing moving surfaces with a simpler ‘blown air’ solution, the trials have paved the way for engineers to create better performing aircraft that are lighter, more reliable and cheaper to operate. The technologies could also improve an aircraft’s stealth as they reduce the number of gaps and edges that currently make aircraft more observable on radar.

Developing such technologies helps to ensure the UK has the right technologies and skills in place for the future and could be applied to the development of a Future Combat Air System. It is the latest technological breakthrough to come from several BAE Systems collaborations with academia and industry, that will help the UK to deliver more advanced capability, more quickly, and through shared investment.

New Matrice 300 RTK and Zenmuse H20 Series Extend Airborne Intelligence to a New Generation of Work Ready to Embrace Digitalisation and AI

DJI, the world leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today unveiled its most advanced commercial drone platform, the Matrice 300 RTK (M300 RTK), and the Zenmuse H20 Series – a hybrid, multi-sensor camera. DJI engineered this all-in-one, high-tech solution to expand possibilities and exploit areas of work never explored before, for precise aerial inspections and data collection missions.

“With the M300 RTK flying platform and the Zenmuse H20 camera series, we are providing a safer and smarter solution to our enterprise customers” said Christina Zhang, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy at DJI. “This solution sets an entirely new standard for industrial UAV solutions, significantly enhancing operations across public safety, law enforcement, energy, surveying and mapping as well as critical infrastructure inspections.”

DJI MATRICE 300 RTK – Rewriting the Standard for the Commercial Drone Industry

The M300 RTK is the first ever DJI product that integrates modern aviation features, advanced AI capabilities, 6 Directional Sensing and Positioning System, a UAV health management system, and an impressive 55 minutes’ flight time]. Alongside AES-256 encryption and an IP45 weather resistant enclosure, the drone platform comes built-in with an all-new OcuSync Enterprise transmission system, which provides a triple-channel 1080p video transmission signal reaching up to 15 km away. More versatile than ever before, the M300 RTK can support up to 3 payloads simultaneously and has a maximum payload capability of up to 2.7 kg. “For our teams working in the oil & gas industry, performance and safety are not optional. We cannot compromise on our pursuit of utilizing the best and most efficient tools available,” said Adam Serblowski, Robotics Theme Lead at Shell “The DJI Matrice 300 RTK proves to be an ideal upgrade over the existing DJI product line, and it helps us to further enhance the benefits of our drone programs. Our productive partnership with DJI will continue to help elevate safety in the world’s largest industry.”

Advanced Intelligence for More Efficient Data Acquisition

Combined, the M300 RTK and Zenmuse H20 Series solution offers users two intelligent ways to collect data:

Smart Pin & Track: Intelligent functions that enhance synchronization of aerial intelligence in coordinated missions. It includes Pinpoint, a function that allows users to mark the subject of interest and instantly share the precise location data to a second operator or if necessary to ground teams via DJI Flight Hub; and Smart Track, which allows users to automatically detect and track a moving object, even at extreme distances, while synchronising the subject’s dynamic location in real time.

On March 20, 2020, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and sensor operators from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) conducted their first operational flight of an MQ-9A Reaper Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in the Middle East. The multi-sensor reconnaissance-equipped MQ-9A UAS produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has provided crucial support to USMC’s forward operations on the battlefield.

With the oversight of the GA-ASI team, the VMU-1 “Watchdog” crews took control of a Company Owned/Company Operated (COCO) MQ-9A supporting forward deployed Marines. This USMC achievement comes shortly after surpassing 7,000 hours of COCO flight operations since September 2018.

“This achievement represents a unique milestone and example of the Marine Corps’ legacy of innovation,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “As a partner with the Marine Corps, we look forward to expanding the role of Medium-altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) UAS in support of maritime littoral missions.”

VMU-1 leases MQ-9A Reaper aircraft to fulfil its urgent needs request for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) in Afghanistan. GA-ASI has been working with VMU-1 as the USMC transitions its COCO MQ-9A contract to a Government Owned/Government Operated (GOGO) contract in the coming year.

The GOGO capability fulfils the Commandant’s directive for USMC Group 5 persistent ISR capability with strike. VMU-1 will be the test bed and incubator to provide crucial information, lessons learned, requirements, tactics, techniques, and procedures that will aid in the USMC efforts for the successful acquisition and fielding of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Expeditionary (MUX) Group 5 capability.