September 6, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Bell Helicopter met in June 2018 to focus on the development of micro unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The project surrounds what Bell describes as miniature, lightweight reconnaissance vehicles that soldiers can carry onto the battlefield and deploy in a confined space.
The collaboration began after Bell representatives travelled to Adelphi, Maryland, to attend an open campus event at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in November 2016. After a year and a half of information sharing, the two parties signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) in March 2018.
“We're trying to get data on the fundamental level, to build up a knowledge base of vehicles, because their expertise is in designing the vehicles, whereas our expertise is the fundamentals of them,” said Dr. John Hrynuk, a mechanical engineer in ARL's Vehicle Technology Directorate (VTD). “We want new technology; they want new vehicles. Together, we want to enhance technologies for the soldiers – that's what makes it the absolute perfect collaboration.”
Bell engineers Dakota Easley and Levi Hefner recently visited ARL to perform experiments on micro UAS using the facility's wind tunnel. Bell explains the visit was prompted by vehicle control challenges its researchers had observed in early flight testing. With the help of ARL scientists and equipment, according to Bell, the engineers were able to isolate their earlier challenges and improve the performance of the aerial vehicle.
“The wind tunnel here at ARL has been beneficial in providing data that explains why certain things are happening on the control side. Now we're able to better analyze our tests to enhance the performance of our vehicles,” Hefner said. “This collaboration is great because we're heading into a new design space with these small vehicles.”
August 2, 2021 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Shield AI just bought Martin UAV. Here's how the artificial intelligence and autonomy technology company will transform the flagship drone - V-Bat - that has caught the eye of operators across the military services.
December 21, 2018 | International, Land
By: Jarosław Adamowski WARSAW, Poland — As part of efforts to modernize the country's land forces and replace Soviet-designed gear, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence has awarded a deal for 44 Leopard 2 A7+ tanks and 24 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers to Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. In addition, Hungary will buy 12 used Leopard 2 A4 tanks for training, KMW said in a statement. The deal was signed Dec. 19 in Budapest. Prior to the signing, Hungarian Defense Minister Tibor Benko met with Frank Haun, the chief executive of KMW, the defense ministry said in a statement. Benko said he hoped that the contract would further strengthen the cooperation between the Hungarian and German armed forces. The latest development comes shortly after the Hungarian ministry handed an order for 16 H225M multi-purpose helicopters to Airbus. The aircraft are to be fitted with the HForce weapon management system. On Dec. 17, Hungary and Airbus Helicopters also signed a memorandum of agreement to launch industrial cooperation on long-term aviation projects with a focus on manufacturing parts for helicopter dynamic systems. The latest contracts are part of Hungary's ten-year Zrinyi 2026 military development program whose principal aim is to upgrade the weapons and equipment of the country's armed forces. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/12/20/hungary-signs-deal-to-buy-dozens-of-tanks-howitzers-from-germanys-kmw
November 21, 2024 | International, C4ISR, Security
More than 145,000 internet-exposed ICS devices found globally, revealing significant vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.