March 15 (UPI) -- A possible $1.77 billion sale of Boeing surveillance aircraft to Germany can be seen as a stopgap until a planned plane becomes available in the 2030s. The GPS receiver system NavtechGPS designed for the ScanEagle is still in use today.[6]. High resolution, day/night camera and thermal imagery, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, Iranian capture and reverse engineering claims. Only four ScanEagles were certified with strict requirements: only one aircraft of the type is allowed airborne at any one time, they cannot fly through clouds or icing conditions, and they cannot take off or land during certain gust and wind conditions. The Royal Australian Air Force plans to initially buy three Airpower Teaming System (ATS) systems, as part of the Loyal Wingman Advanced Development Program (LWADP). Boeing recently edged out Lockheed Martin to begin construction of four extra-large unmanned undersea vehicles, each capable of transiting twelve thousand kilometers autonomously, for $43 million. The use of flying objects in the United States, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), dates back to the Civil War when both Union and Confederate forces would launch balloons laden with explosives on ammunition depots in an attempt to explode them. Navy test demonstrates it can deliver an F-35 engine to an aircraft carrier. "A few decades ago, drones were confined to science fiction or notions of the future. The drone is the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. Boeing Australia Boeing’s new Loyal Wingman drone has completed its first flight in the Australian outback. The latest data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows that nearly 900,000 drones of various types are registered with the agency. Boeing has confirmed that Queensland will house the final assembly facility. It consists of second, quadrotor UAV that carries the ScanEagle vertically and releases it into forward flight. [26][27][28], Insitu announced that the ScanEagle had totaled 500,000 combat flight hours and over 56,000 sorties by July 2011. The ScanEagle was being deployed off the USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) during demonstrations to assess UAV use in the Coast Guard. According to Boeing, the first Loyal Wingman aircraft will serve as the foundation for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System being developed for various global defense customers, and will fly alongside other platforms using artificial intelligence to team with existing crewed and uncrewed assets. Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced on March 1, … March 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber landed in Poland for the first time for a quick refueling exercise on Friday at Powidz Air Base, the Air Force said. Read More » The three drones were built at an automated production line in Brisbane, Queensland. FLARES incorporates the VTOL advantages of launch and recovery in confined areas, as well as eliminating the rail and crane equipment, with the flying efficiency of a fixed-wing body. [23][24][25], In April 2009, a ScanEagle launched by the U.S. Navy was used during the stand-off between the U.S. Navy and a lifeboat controlled by pirates holding Captain Richard Phillips of the MV Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean after a failed hijack attempt. Commercial certification was the result of previous military certification and the Congressionally mandated opening of airspace over much of Alaska to small UAVs. USS Vella Gulf sidelined again after fuel leak repairs. The flight of the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years flew under the supervision of a Boeing test … March 2 (UPI) -- The Australian government announced a plan Tuesday to co-develop three more Loyal Wingman unmanned aircraft, which recently completed its first test flight. March 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated its ability to bring an F-35 fighter plane engine onto an aircraft carrier deck, using helicopters, it said on Monday. [29], In September 2011, Insitu revealed the ScanEagle had been employed by the U.S. Navy in Operation Unified Protector during the 2011 Libyan Revolution. The three-year, $115 million-dollar deal will support the maturation of the aircraft design, evolution of current and future payloads and create the sustainment system for the Loyal Wingman. Japan, U.S. conduct historic parachute exercise. The trials in May lasted two weeks with 90 flight hours completed. SpaceX scrubs 20th Starlink communications satellite launch, Alexei Navalny leads Russians in a historic battle against arbitrary rule, Climate change threatens food chains, top predators. The ScanEagle was designed by Insitu based on the Insitu SeaScan, a commercial UAV that was intended for fish-spotting. [31], On 26 July 2013, the ScanEagle became one of the first unmanned aerial vehicles to be granted certification by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly in U.S. airspace for commercial purposes. [10], In July 2011, a team of two ScanEagles and another UAV cooperated to search and navigate a mountain area autonomously. The resulting technology has been successful as a portable Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for autonomous surveillance in the battlefield, and has been deployed since August 2004 in the Iraq War. Australia's hobby store. NavtechGPS worked with the manufacturer of the GPS receiver system to enable the system to work in different environments, expanding the capabilities of the UAS for different mission types and areas of the world. Navy battles bedbugs aboard submarine USS Connecticut. The ScanEagle 2 was made to appeal to the growing commercial UAV market and orders will start being taken in 2015, either new built or as an upgrade for existing ScanEagle aircraft. It also has a larger nose to carry day and night sensors at the same time, an increased payload, and heavier empty and max take-off weights; wingspan, service ceiling, and cruise and top speed remain the same. [22], On 15 and 16 October 2008, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted three successful test flights of the ScanEagle, launching it from the fisheries and oceanographic research ship NOAAS Oscar Dyson (R 224) in Puget Sound, Washington, flying it remotely from the ship, and recovering it back aboard. March 12 (UPI) -- A year-long infestation of bedbugs aboard the nuclear submarine USS Connecticut has involved "all feasible measures" for eradication by Navy entomologists. Iran later released images of this production line. ScanEagle has a 10.2-foot (3.1 m) wingspan[3] a length of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) and a mass of 44 pounds (20 kg)[4] and can operate up to 80 knots (92 mph; 150 km/h), with an average cruising speed of 48 knots (55 mph; 89 km/h). The Boeing Insitu ScanEagle is a small, long-endurance, low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, and is used for reconnaissance. On 18 March 2008, Boeing, with ImSAR and Insitu successfully flight-tested a ScanEagle with ImSAR's NanoSAR A radar mounted aboard. [44] On 17 December 2012, Iran announced it was starting mass production for a copy of the ScanEagle and has put that UAV into service. Other upgrades include a fully digital video system, a better navigation system, Ethernet-based architecture and reduced Electronic Magnetic Interference (EMI), and a new ground control station while using the same launcher and skyhook recovery system. Boeing’s Australia subsidiary and the RAAF revealed the ATS drone back in 2019. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is a government body that regulates Australian aviation safety. Almost two years exactly since the Boeing 737 Max was grounded in the US, Southwest Airlines put the airplane back into service Thursday. [40][41][42] Photo evidence of a ScanEagle in Iran showed no U.S. military markings. [20] In addition to the United States military, the Australian Army also operates the ScanEagle UAV[21] and the Canadian Government also leased the ScanEagle. Amityville Horror killer Ronald DeFeo dies in N.Y. prison at 69, 2.9-ton battery pallet becomes largest object discharged from space station, Toys R Us gets another new owner seeking turnaround for iconic brand, Low-dose aspirin may reduce risk for COVID-19, study suggests, British COVID-19 variant to become dominant U.S. strain within weeks: CDC. In August, Marines flew RQ-21A Blackjack drones in Australia for the first time. Long-term goals are to use unmanned systems to augment their manned fleet, while UAVs on offshore patrol cutters would replace medium endurance cutters. ScanEagle is a descendant of another Insitu UAV, the Insitu SeaScan, which was conceived of as a remote sensor for collecting weather data as well as helping commercial fishermen locate and track schools of tuna.