16 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Posted By: Jason Reagan
French drone company Novadem announced delivery this week of its latest model of micro-drone as the centerpiece of a $2.2 million contract with French armed forces.
The Ministère des Armées purchased 55 micro-drones from Novadem's NX70 model line to provide security surveillance and reconnaissance over 24-hour periods.
“For several years, we have put in place all necessary processes and documentations to be able to face, when the day arrives, this increase of the production rate,” Novadem CEO Pascal Zunino. “This major contract has allowed us to refine and validate our organization in order to make it replicable in the future and to reach the quality standards expected by the [ministry].”
The contract includes training of more than a dozen users from France's 61st Artillery Regiment with a total of 100 or more trained operators expected to be trained in the future.
Last year, Novadem introduced the first iteration of the NX70 under contract with France's national police agency, Gendarmerie Nationale.
“Their feedback as well as feedback of other customers in France and abroad allowed us to continue research and development to develop the ‘Block 2' model of today,” Zunino said. “This marks a new step compared to the first generation.”
Zunino added, the next generation of the NX70 drone improves image stabilization and night vision capabilities. “Radiofrequency links have also evolved to meet military requirements: defense frequency bands, data encryption and a radio range increased to more than 5 kilometers,” he added.
French defense officials tested the micro-drones in June at the Mourmelon military camp.
Earlier this year, Novadem launched a new tethered UAV platform, the NXWIRE 2.0 during AUVSI XPONENTIAL, the world's largest UAS trade show. The drone model offers a ground-based power supply that can be connected to a main supply or auxiliary power unit and a 50-meter cable to sustain electrical power from the ground to the drone.
The company also produces LPS technology using terrestrial beacons much in the same way that GPS uses satellites to create a local positioning network.
https://dronelife.com/2019/09/13/french-drone-firm-scores-major-military-contract/
30 mars 2021 | International, Aérospatial
The German government is buying a minority stake in defense supplier Hensoldt, a company that derives from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus’ former defense and security electronics division.
22 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – The U.K. and U.S. governments have turned to startups and inventors in a competition to adapt commercial technology solutions to answer pressing challenges in the military space sector. The two countries have jointly put up £1 million, or $1.3 million, to tap into potential new ideas in six technology areas from small companies, innovators and others around the world. The finalists will face a beauty parade in front of senior British, American and NATO military officials at a space conference scheduled to take place in London in November. Up to 15 proposals will be selected to go forward with further work on what is being called International Space Pitch Day. Launching the scheme, the U.K.'s first-ever, recently appointed director for space matters, Air Vice-Marshal Harv Smyth, said the initiative is “all about fast-tracking innovation and cutting-edge technology to the front line quicker than ever before, and fresh ways of working with industry to make sure we stay ahead of our shared adversaries and the threats they pose.” Smyth will be one of the judges at the conference, which will be held virtually if the live event is cancelled. The format will be the first international collaboration of its kind between two allies, the Ministry of Defence said. Organizations who make it through to the space conference final will be in contention to secure a $66,000 contract from the judges to speed up development of what is expected to be mainly commercial innovations and technology. The effort, run by Britain's Defence and Security Accelerator organization, is funded by the U.K. Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force. The aim is to find, fund and fast track innovations by tech startups and other experts in order to accelerate the development of commercial space technology s to solve problems in the defense space sector. This year's competition is seeking solutions to six challenges set by the U.K. and U.S. space teams: Visualization of key events and information for combined space operations with allies and commercial partners. Understanding current satellite systems relevant to the operations of a particular commander. Understanding the present and potential impact of space weather on users across all domains. Provision of training against realistic threats and opportunities, incorporating live data, and integrating space across multiple domains. Enabling common and user-defined operational pictures to support multinational space domain awareness and command and control. A verification and comparison tool for space domain awareness, which can take orbital observation data from a variety of sources and in a variety of formats and produce a single, reliable operational picture. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/07/22/us-uk-launch-military-space-competition-for-startups
11 février 2022 | International, Aérospatial
RCAF captain and flight instructor at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School, Joshua Cordery, launched the Eagle's Wings flight school in 2020 with the goal of teaching teenagers to both pilot an aircraft and develop self-confidence.