What's next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
UAV Factory release 12kJ catapult
Composite UAS airframe manufacturer UAV Factory said that strong market demand was behind the decision to develop a new pneumatic catapult capable of handling a take-off weight of 60kg.
A company spokesperson said the 12kJ catapult would open up a new sector of the market and anticipated solid sales numbers. At double the strength of the original version it would offer the same benefits, such as portability and versatility, as its smaller 6kJ counterpart.
The spokesperson added: ‘We had great interest for a larger catapult for some time so the idea came from market demand. The Asian and North American Markets is where the highest demand is right now, but Europe has good interest as well.’
Konstantins Popiks, CTO at UAV factory, said in a statement that the new catapult would be the most powerful and mobile of its kind in the world.
In 2012 the company announced that its Penguin B UAV completed a 54.5 hour non-stop flight, developments of which led to the release of the Penguin C model one year later.
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