Explore UST’s round-up of our five most read articles in the industry this week, including new technologies, collaborations, white papers, and industry successes.
1. Volatus Aerospace to Distribute the Xer X8
Volatus Aerospace Corp. has signed a sales agency agreement with Xer Technologies to offer X8 heavy-duty hybrid electric engine drones in North America.
The Xer X8 UAS is designed to take on demanding industry applications such as right of way and asset inspections, search and rescue, wildfire and LiDAR and photogrammetry mapping and can fly for 2.5-hours with a 3 kg payload in adverse weather conditions.
2. Successful Flight Testing for Heavy Fuel VTOL UAS
AeroVironment (AV) has successfully demonstrated its JUMP® 20 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with a heavy fuel engine.
The higher horsepower and lower fuel burn rate provided by the heavy fuel engine expands the capabilities of AV’s proven JUMP 20 platform. Integration of the heavy fuel engine further establishes the JUMP 20 as a multi-domain multi-mission UAS capable of autonomously operating in challenging conditions.
3. Lightweight Tactical Drone System Reconfigured
At Eurosatory 2024, Edge Autonomy and Safran Electronics & Defense unveiled Lanner, a new configuration of the Penguin Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS).
In this configuration, the Penguin drone can address multiple missions through a simultaneous dual payload capability, including Electro-Optical/Infra-Red systems, electronic warfare (detection of radio signals or jamming for example), radar, and ammunitions. It can thus carry out land and maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
4. Aerobits Launches New Receiver Station for UTM & Air Traffic Monitoring
Aerobits has launched the DRS-1, a high-performance receiver station designed to provide reliable airspace surveillance capabilities for airports, UTM (unmanned traffic management) and U-space systems, and other ground-based infrastructure.
The versatile receiver is available in four different variants that provide options for receiving ADS-B, FLARM, and UAT signals, as well as drone Remote ID broadcasts via BLE and Wi-Fi. All models also feature a multi-constellation GNSS receiver for precision positioning and timestamping.
5. New Counter-Drone Solution with GNSS Spoofing Capabilities
Safran Electronics & Defense has launched Skyjacker, a counter-drone solution designed to protect battlespaces and sensitive installations from rogue drone threats. The new system has been introduced at the 2024 Eurosatory trade show in Paris.
Skyjacker’s strength lies in its unique spoofing capability: it alters the trajectory of a drone by simulating the GNSS signals that guide it towards its target. Coupled with radar detection and optronic identification, Skyjacker can efficiently defeat isolated drones and drone swarms in land and naval environments.
