US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
AeroVironment and a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been contracted to provide the US Coast Guard ice breaker Polar Star with a RQ-20A Puma AE unmanned aircraft system.
The system will be supplied with a flight crew to take part in Operation Deep Freeze, the military component of the larger, civilian-managed US Antarctic programme to re-supply the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station.
The Operation Deep Freeze joint team departed Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, on 30 December and reached McMurdo Station on 18 January.
During Operation Deep Freeze, AeroVironment personnel are employing Puma’s new Autonomous Recovery System to capture the UAS in a portable net on its return to the ship. Puma also can be recovered from the sea as a result of its waterproof design.
Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, AeroVironment, said: ‘Operation Deep Freeze is one of the US military's most complex peacetime missions due to the harsh Antarctic environment.
‘AeroVironment's Puma AE is delivering vital advanced scouting intelligence to help the coast guard's Polar Star conduct ice-breaking operations in the treacherous waters of the Ross Sea more safely and efficiently without putting pilots and costly helicopters at risk.’
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
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.