Empire Challenge 2011

Image: Northrop Firebird OPV

Empire Challenge (EC) is an annual joint and multinational live intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) interoperability demonstration sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Intelligence (USD/I). EC showcases emerging ISR capabilities and provides vital lessons learned to improve joint and combined ISR interoperability to support warfighters at the tactical edge. EC 11 will be conducted May 23 - June 3, with a focus on near-term capabilities that can be delivered rapidly to the warfighter.
Northrop Grumman is planning to publicly unveil its new and to showcase the use of up to four payloads – including high-definition full-motion video, electro-optical/infrared sensors, electronic support/direction finding and a communications relay — simultaneously on Firebird. The company plans to land, reconfigure the sensor payload and launch a new sortie within an hour. Northrop Grumman aspires to challenge General Atomics that dominate the US large UAV market with their Predator B systems.

Turkey Signs Unmanned Aircraft System Agreement

Turkey will become an important industrial partner for a next-generation Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

Image: Cassidian, Talarion

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Cassidian on behalf of EADS Deutschland GmbH and Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) to establish a close collaboration in the Talarion programme. The MoU was signed May 11th, during an official ceremony at the 10th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held in Istanbul.
Signed in the presence of Murad Bayar, The Honourable Undersecretary for Defence Industries and Thomas Kossendey, Germany's Deputy Defence Minister, this new agreement further reinforces the presence of Turkey in Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) multinational collaborative programmes.
Talarion is the European programme for a next-generation Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) advanced Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to fulfil the requirements initially placed by France, Germany and Spain for future unmanned long endurance surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The novel aspect of this approach is a modular design and the integration of the UAV in a network-enabled operations scenario.
Turkey has always advocated to participate in this major European programme with the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) agreeing significant investment and integration in the Talarion prototype programme team by major companies of the Turkish industry led by TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc.).
The prototype will be the first development standard following an interactive design approach. First flight of the prototype is scheduled for 2014. To achieve this goal, Cassidian has created a dedicated co-located plateau phase with engineers from France, Spain, Turkey and Germany including main suppliers. Today around 160 engineers are working in the Talarion plateau.
Being the first Unmanned Aerial System that will operate within civil airspace, Talarion can be used for a variety of security missions amongst others such as anti-piracy, drug control, border protection and ecological and natural crisis management.

Next Generation UAVs

Image: Boeing Phantom Ray

Boeing announced on May 3, that Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots. The Phantom Ray is expected to have an operating altitude of 40,000 feet and a cruising speed of just over 600 mph, not so far from the speed of sound.

UAV takes High Resolution Images above Damaged Nuclear Power Plant

Credit: Air Photo Service Co. Ltd., Japan

Air Photo Service Co. Ltd., Japan has flown with an aerial photo drone over Fukushima power plant and shot images and video of the damaged reactors.The image shows the damaged reactor building with the red Putzmeister remote controlled concrete pump on the right side.

A2 sends: High quality, detailed video of the plant shot on 24 March 2011:

April 2, 2011 photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), leaking radioactive contaminated water drain through crack of a maintenance pit, right, into the sea, near the Unit 2 reactor of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) 

UAV Shades Qatar World Cup 2022

BBC video screencap: UAV Cloud 

Concerns about the summer heat up to 50C at the 2022 Qatar World Cup for players and fans have challenged engineering imagination and creativity. One idea recently launched is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) filled with helium and built of light carbon material, powered by four solar-powered engines for maneuvering between the Qatar World Cup stadium and the sun to provide shade. The idea was presented by Saud Abdul Ghani, head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department at Qatar university, BBC reports. The "artificial cloud" could be flown over the stadium by remote control to provide shade to players and  spectators.
The UAV cloud hovers like a remotely controlled helicopter over the football ground, shielding it from direct sunlight and providing a favorable climatic environment. The UAV is also programmed to continuously change its shielding position according to the prevailing east-to-west path of the sun. Commercial models, Ghani said, could be used at beaches and car parks, perhaps even fetched by mobile phones.

Qatar Camel Race Robot Jockeys

It's not the first time Qatar robotic ideas make headlines. In 2005 the first successful official race featuring robotic jockeys was conducted in Qatar after the Emir of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, banned child jockeys and directed that, by 2007, all camel races would be directed by robotic jockeys. Initially, the idea of using robots was proposed by the Government of Qatar, and as a result, the RAQBI Center located at Al Shahaniya, 30 Kms from Doha city. was founded. The different models allow camel owners to remotely whip and steer the camels from the sidelines and can also be equipped with GPS and a heart-rate monitor to assess performance. However, using electric shocks on a camel is not permitted during races and anyone caught doing so can face up to three months in prison.
Shock Jockeys
In January 2011 press reported Dubai Police arrested three men for allegedly selling robotic camel jockeys with an illegal electric shock feature. The suspects were reportedly selling their "shock jockeys" for up to $ 8000. The cost of an ordinary robotic camel jockey is between $ 220-320.

CMU Qatar Robotics 
In 2004 at the invitation of Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mellon joined Education City, located in Doha, a unique center for scholarship and research for students from Qatar and 30 different countries. Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in business administration, computer science and information systems including robotics.

The Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre, QRSC,  started  in 2009 has become one of the leading surgical training centres in the region by improving the quality of surgical care in Qatar. QRSC, a partnership between Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), provides robotic and non-robotic minimally invasive surgery training. QRSC is a collaboration with Imperial College London, and provides three Da Vinci-brand medical robots, a simulation operating theatre and a "tele-mentoring" suite.

Military Robotics Business Opportunities & Risks

ABI Research has released a new research report titled ‘Defense Robots: UAVs, UGVs, UUVs and Task Robots for Military Applications’. The study predicts that the global military robotics market will experience significant growth from $5.8 billion in 2010 to around $8 billion in 2016.

In the report Autonomous Military Robotics: Risk, Ethics, and Design (2008) Patrick Lin, Prof. George Bekey, and Keith Abney, Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University recommend "not to unduly rush the process" of introducing robots in military affairs without a rigorous testing phase of robots. They discuss the challenge of creating autonomous military robots that can act reliably according the Laws of War and most Rules of Engagement, i.e. to distinguish enemy combatants from non-combatants. They conclude that military robots aimed to also replace human soldiers, especially in ‘dull, dirty, and dangerous’ jobs, raise novel ethical and social questions that should be raised "before irrational public fears or accidents arising from military robotics derail research progress and national security interests."

Credit: Talon Metal Storm

Robot Arms Control

According to the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, ICRAC, more than 40 countries already have robotic programs and even Iran has launched a UAV bomber with a range of several hundred miles. Unmanned robot systems are still difficult to develop but easy to copy. The committee fears that advances in robotic systems will lead to more countries committing to war, since robots would be taking the place of humans on the battlefield. The biggest concern for the future is autonomous systems that select targets themselves. ICRAC is promoting the regulation and control of armed military robots including a prohibition on the further development of armed autonomous robots and the setting of restrictions on armed tele-operated drones for applications such as targeted killings in sovereign territories not at war.

$ 2,1 million to U.S. Congress Promoters of Unmanned Systems

The US Defense Budget for 2012 continues strong funding for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) with $4.8 billion. This means jobs in the U.S. defense industry and saving lives of U.S. war fighters. One of the most influential promoters of Unmanned Systems in the U.S. is the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus (USC), originally formed as the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Caucus in 2009. USC is a bipartisan group of 32 Republican and 10 Democrat members of the U.S. Congress, committed to the growth and expansion of unmanned systems in defense,  intelligence, law enforcement, homeland security and science. USC defines its mission "to educate members of Congress and the public on the strategic, tactical, and scientific value of unmanned systems; actively support further development and acquisition of more systems, and more effectively engage the civilian aviation community on unmanned system use and safety."

Infonaut/GRB2011: Members of the U.S. Unmanned Systems Caucus (Dem=blue, Rep=red)

Co-Chairs of the USC are Republican Congressman Buck McKeon and Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar. McKeon is representative for California’s 25th District that holds several military locations, including Fort Irwin, Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center. McKeon is also the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, ASC, who influence military policy and have the power to create demand for this industry's commodities. 11 of the USC members are also members of the ASC.

2,1 Million Defense Industry Donations
The hundreds of billions of dollars the federal government spends each year on defense are part of the reason defense firms invest millions of dollars in lobbying activities and campaign contributions. Defense companies concentrate their political donations on members of the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees that allocate federal defense money. 

Infonaut/CRP

According to data from The Center for Responsive Politics, CRP, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy, the defense sector has spend about $ 139 Million in 2010 on lobbying. The sector includes defense aerospace, defense electronics and other miscellaneous defense companies. The sector’s biggest companies include Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics, as well as Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. In 2010, more than 1.000 lobbyists represented about 300 clients.
Defense Campaign Donations 2009-2010 
According to data from the Senate Office of Public Records and CRP 29 USC members of 42 have received  about $ 2,1 million from defence industry during the 2009-2010 campaign. The top 3 recipients, 2009-2010 are Co-Chair Buck McKeon R-CA) $322.900, Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) $ 172.900 and Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) $128.850.
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See also: The House Ethical Rules  and White House fact sheet about special interests reform. 

US$ 4,8 Billion for Unmanned Aerial Systems

The US Defence Budget for 2012 continues strong funding for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) that enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The base budget includes $4.8 billion to develop and procure additional Global Hawk Class (RQ-4), Predator Class (MQ-1/9), and other less expensive, low-altitude systems. The 2012 budget asks for $1.7 billion for the high-altitude Global Hawk class – the same as in 2010, $2.5 billion for Predator-class drones, a significant increase
up from the current $1.7 billion. But smaller UAS, such as the Army’s 3-foot, hand-launched Raven, are being cut from $1.2 billion in the last funding bill down to $600 million.

3 Global Hawk Class (RQ-4):  similar to the U-2 in mission and design – providing high-altitude, near-real-time, high-resolution ISR imagery.  The RQ-4 can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy over land and water. The Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) system is a maritime variant of Global Hawk.  
84 Predator Class (MQ-1/9):  operates over-the-horizon at medium altitude for long endurance. The MQ-1 (Predator for USAF and SOCOM, Gray Eagle for Army) has a primary mission of reconnaissance against perishable targets. The MQ-9 Reaper (USAF and SOCOM) has a hunter-killer primary mission.  
1308 smaller UAS: less-expensive low altitude systems – including some available to frontline commanders at battalion level or lower.

Mini UAVs on Civil Sky - New Risk Scanarios

While U.S. increase its strikes by large drone aircraft on suspected militants in Pakistan in the past few weeks to thwart terror attack plans in European countries, civil aviation authorities are warning for risks of mini UAVs at home land. 

With the increasing popularity of small, unmanned aircraft (20 kg or less), some of which can now be controlled by Smart Phones, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued advice on using mini UAVs in built-up areas or when in proximity to people, property or vehicles. The CAA said it was important that owners of the aircraft understood the risks they pose, despite their small size, to other airspace users and also to individuals on the ground. The CAA pointed out that these devices are ‘aircraft’ and are therefore covered by regulations within the Air Navigation Order, which anyone flying them should be aware of. There have been a number of accidents in recent years, some fatal, involving model aircraft, and to avoid similar incidents and risk to third parties, operators of these new generation of unmanned aircraft should take great care when using them. Where such small, unmanned aircraft are fitted with surveillance cameras, they need permission from the CAA to operate within 50 metres of a person, vehicle, vessel or structure (not in control of the person in charge) and when operating over or within 150 metres of any area that is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes or open-air assemblies of more than 1,000 people.

Emergency services, and many commercial operators, are already using small, unmanned aircraft mounted with cameras, but are doing so with the full knowledge and authorisation of the CAA. All such flying is done within set distances from the pilot, who must also be able to clearly see the aircraft at all times to ensure safe operation and the avoidance of collisions.

Matt Lee, Head of Regulation Enforcement at the CAA, said: “Anyone thinking of buying a small, unmanned aircraft should be aware that whilst there is a lot of pleasure in flying one, they are not toys and they must be operated legally. In the wrong hands or used irresponsibly in built-up areas, or, too close to other people or property, they represent a very real safety risk. As well as the danger of being physically hit, there is also the chance of other accidents being caused through distraction, for example, if a car driver was to be surprised by something flying towards him. In the past we have seen people seriously injured or even killed by model aircraft and, now that small, unmanned aircraft are becoming more readily available and simpler to fly, we need to avoid any similar incidents.”

Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace – Guidance (pdf)

The technical aspects of terror attacks by using UAVs was described by Eugene Miasnikov researcher at Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in his report "Threat of Terrorism Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Technical Aspects" (2004).

UAS in National Skies

Today more than 1,500 types of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are in production worldwide and the commercial interest in UAS is growing. The probability is high that many of the military uses of UAS will migrate over into the civil sectors. The U.S. Border Patrol is using civilian versions of UAS to monitor vast stretches of the border area between Mexico and the U.S. In Japan rotary wing UAS platforms are being used for aerial agricultural crop spraying. In England, smaller fixed wing UAS are being used for monitoring road traffic and congestion, and for tracking suspicious or illegal behaviors by motorists.

But the biggest barrier to routine commercial UAS missions is still the lack of regulatory guidance and standards.

UAS in USA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with the Congress, the Defense Department, Homeland Security and NASA to determine the means and requirements for the integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System.

Recently FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center has established a cooperative research and development agreement with Insitu Inc., of Bingen, Washington, and the New Jersey Air National Guard to conduct research to guide development of recommendations for integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system. The research will be managed by the FAA’s Research and Technology Development office and conducted at the Technical Center.

Insitu Inc., a wholly-owned, independent subsidiary of The Boeing Company, will provide two ScanEagle aircraft and their related support hardware and data to the FAA. The ScanEagle has flown more than 315,000 hours in military operations, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. It can fly more than 24 hours at a time and has been used in many civil applications, including search-and-rescue operations, fire and flood monitoring, and evacuation efforts conducted in hazardous weather.

European Conference on UAS 2010

The first high-level European Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) will be held on 1 July 2010 in Brussels organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Commission (EC). The conference marks a cornerstone in the efforts undertaken by the EDA and the EC in the field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. As the first European joint civil/defence initiative in the field, it widely opens the path to sustainable technological innovation and offers a bridge into a future European UAS market.

Since 2008 the Air4All consortium is working with EDA to develop a common strategy for the seamless integration of UAS within General Air Traffic. It is expected that this joint approach will lead to a set of coherent projects addressing the commercial as well as the security and defence uses of UAS.

In November 2008 the EDA Steering Board approved a new Category B project on a Future Aerial Unmanned System (FUAS). Seven EDA participating Member States contribute to this project: Germany, Finland, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The FUAS project is currently in its Preparation Phase. It aims at fulfilling Army and Navy tactical ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) requirements from the seven contributing Member States, reflected in the Common Staff Requirement (CSR), by means of a Vertical Take Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial System (VTOL-UAS). An initial in service horizon of the FUAS is the timeframe 2016-2018.

UAS in Asia

The Asian UAS market is still in its infacy stage but spending is expected to increase in the next 5-10 years. Most Asian countries have set up UAS development programs but still lack expertise and resources to develop advanced domestic UAS. Japan could be a global leader in UAS technology but is still restricted by international arm adn weapon trade restrictions. China has started UAS development and is expected to become a main player in the region.

(Sources: FAA, EDA, EASA, Eurocontrol, Frost & Sullivan)