Latest news with #uncrewedAircraft
Bloomberg
18-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Estonian Dronemaker Threod Said to Explore Sale as Demand Soars
Threod Systems, the Estonian drone company, is exploring a sale to tap the explosive demand for uncrewed aircraft amid the war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. The company is working with advisers to gauge interest among potential buyers, said the people, who asked not to be identified because discussions are private. Defense companies, including large European manufacturers, and private equity firms are looking at the business, they said. Threod did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing, RAAF Demonstrate MQ-28 Teaming with E-7A Wedgetail
- Two uncrewed MQ-28 aircraft controlled by single operator onboard an E-7A Wedgetail- Successful trial validates key interoperability requirement to meet operational capability WOOMERA, South Australia, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first of its kind demonstration, Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully conducted a mission against an airborne target using two in-flight MQ-28 Ghost Bat aircraft and a third digital aircraft, all controlled from an airborne E-7A Wedgetail. During the mission, a single operator onboard the E-7A took control of the uncrewed MQ-28s emulating the role they play in flying ahead of and protecting crewed assets. "This trial demonstrates family-of-systems integration, the strength of our open systems architecture, and is a critical first step towards integrating mission partners' software and communications systems natively into the E-7A Wedgetail," said Glen Ferguson, director MQ-28 Global Programs. "It not only validated a key element of the MQ-28 concept of operations, but also how collaborative combat aircraft can expand and enhance the role of the E-7A to meet future force requirements. "It is another tangible proof point of the maturity of our program." Australian Minister for Defence Industry The Honourable Pat Conroy MP acknowledged the milestone saying, "The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky." The software was jointly developed and implemented by Boeing Defence Australia, Defence Science and Technology Group and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories. "It has been an exceptional collaborative effort across organisations from government, contractors, and global partners," said Adam Tsacoumangos, director of Air Dominance Programs for Boeing's Phantom Works. This trial is part of a series of events with RAAF assets throughout this year, collectively known as Capability Demonstration 2025 (CD25). CD25 will demonstrate MQ-28 operational effectiveness and how collaborative combat aircraft will integrate and operate with RAAF crewed assets. Future events will involve teaming with other assets, including F/A-18F and F-35. A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity. ContactBelinda EganBoeing Australia Boeing Media Relationsmedia@ Photo - View original content: SOURCE Boeing Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
UK Certifies Protector As First of Its Kind Remotely Piloted Aircraft
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / May 8, 2025 / The UK's Military Aviation Authority has issued a Military Type Certificate to the Royal Air Force's Protector RG Mk1 uncrewed aircraft, also designated the MQ-9B, certifying that it has passed a rigorous airworthiness assessment and verifying it's safe to operate without geographic restrictions, including over populous areas. This April 29 decision was a first-of-its-kind milestone for a large, unmanned aircraft system. It's a huge accomplishment for the UK and a technological watershed in the history of unmanned aircraft systems. GA-ASI is the first manufacturer of large, unmanned aircraft to receive an MTC based on rigorous compliance with STANAG 4671, the NATO standard for unmanned aircraft system airworthiness. Obtaining the MTC has been a goal of GA-ASI since the inception of the MQ-9B in January 2014. The company took its proven UAS platform, the MQ-9A, and added performance enhancing features while ensuring that the design was capable of meeting NATO's STANAG 4671 Edition 2 airworthiness requirements. To meet those rigorous requirements, the aircraft incorporates numerous enhancements not found on other large UAS. These include lightning protection, fire protection, anti-icing systems and a fatigue-and-damage-tolerant building block design approach. All flight critical software was designed in compliance with the rigor of Do-178/254. Mission software is rigidly separated from flight critical software. These features not only address the aircraft's airworthiness but also enhance its reliability and operational flexibility to levels unmatched by other UAS. 'Earning an MTC for MQ-9B was a herculean effort and a seminal achievement for our company,' said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue. 'We invested over $500 million as part of an 11-year effort to develop an unmanned aircraft that meets NATO's rigorous airworthiness standards. This included three flight test aircraft, full component and system-level environmental testing to Do-160 and Mil-Standards (system level environmental testing at Elgin and Pax River), full scale static test airframe test to ultimate ground and flight loads, bird strike, hail protection and full-scale fatigue testing to three lifetimes (3x 40,000 notional aircraft flight hours = 120,000 hours total). Our engineers developed over 140,000 pages of detailed technical data verifying that the MQ-9B met those demanding requirements. I congratulate our team for this outstanding accomplishment, and I know our customers need this type certification, which will open civil airspace for their flight operations.' The Royal Air Force continues to take delivery of new Protector aircraft at their home in the North of England at RAF Waddington. The UK has 10 aircraft of the 16 it has ordered. 'Achieving the award of a first in class Military Type Certificate has required years of dedication and perseverance and is a testament to the hard work of all involved. It is a privilege to be the first to be awarded an MTC for the Protector Air System,' said Gp. Capt. Neil Venables, Type Airworthiness Authority and holder of the Protector Type Certificate. MQ-9B is the world's most advanced medium altitude, long endurance UAS. MQ-9B includes the SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian® models as well as the Protector operated by the RAF. In addition to the UK, GA-ASI has MQ-9B orders from Belgium, Canada, Poland, Japan Coast Guard, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command. MQ-9B has also supported various U.S. Navy exercises, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, RIMPAC, and Group Sail. About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world's foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging more than 8 million flight hours, the Predator® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and includes MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle® 25M, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The company is dedicated to providing long-endurance, multi-mission solutions that deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike. For more information, visit Avenger, EagleEye, Gray Eagle, Lynx, Predator, Reaper, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries. # # # Contact Information GA-ASI Media Relations [email protected] (858) 524-8101 SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. press release
