GE Aviation has teamed with Hybrid Project to provide a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV capability for high endurance commercial applications.
The teaming arrangement will provide comprehensive integration of ground, cloud and airborne components, including Hybrid Project’s 35lbs hybrid-powered SuperVolo VTOL UAV with a full stack airborne computing hardware platform, and flight and safety management. Integration will be carried out by GE Aviation and Auterion.
GE Aviation’s computing platform will enable flight control and airborne computing power at the edge while maintaining an independent and authoritative safety controller. Auterion’s Enterprise PX4 operating system resides on the vehicle, in the cloud and the ground station.
Flight testing of the solution will commence in quarter four of 2019 with commercial availability targeted for the first quarter of 2020.
Matt Vacanti, product leader, avionics systems for GE Aviation, said: ‘The combination of Hybrid Project’s SuperVolo airframe, GE Aviation’s computing platform, and Auterion’s software stack enables an all-in-one solution that readily scales for commercial applications. A highly integrated system is critical to achieving scalable commercial UAV operations.’
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
DroneSentry-X, a cross-vehicle compatible, automated 360° C-UAS detect and defeat device, can offer 360° awareness and protection using integrated sensors. According to its manufacturer, it is suitable for mobile operations, on-site surveillance and on-the-move missions.
Funded by the country’s former president, the new C-UAS systems will be sent to the frontline where they have already been tested against Russian invading forces.
Connect with us on socials
