A U.S. Marine tests an Instant Eye drone during exercises on August 18 in Virginia. Credit: Lance Cpl. Michaela R. Gregory

August 14, 2017 – August 20, 2017

News

During a nighttime flight in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian surveillance drone followed a U.S. aircraft carrier and came within 300 feet of a U.S. fighter jet. It was the second time in a week that an Iranian drone interfered with U.S. Navy operations in the Gulf. In a statement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that its drones were operated “accurately and professionally.” (Associated Press)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

A report by the RAND Corporation argues that distributed, localized drone hubs can reduce energy consumption for drone delivery programs in urban centers. (StateScoop)

At the Economist, Tom Standage writes that toys like hobby drones can “sometimes give birth to important technologies.”

At the Atlantic, Naomi Nix looks at how the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative is investing in programs that teach students how to build and operate drones.

At Aviation Week, David Hambling examines the growing demand for small, pocket-sized military drones.

At Slate, Faine Greenwood argues that the U.S. military should not use consumer drones.

At the Los Angeles Times, W.J. Hennigan reports that U.S. drones are performing danger-close strikes in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

At TechCrunch, Jon Hegranes separates the “fiction from feasibility” of drone deliveries.

At DefenseNews, Adam Stone looks at how the U.S. Navy is investing in a command-and-control system with an eye to someday operating drones from carriers.  

At the Modern War Institute, Dan Maurer considers whether military ethics and codes should apply to robot soldiers.

At the San Francisco Chronicle, Benny Evangelista considers recent reports of close encounters between drones and manned aircraft.

At War is Boring, Robert Beckhusen writes that the Israeli military is investigating allegations that an Israeli drone manufacturer carried out a drone strike against Armenian soldiers as part of a product demonstration.

At Popular Mechanics, David Hambling considers whether an armed quadrotor drone is ethical or even practical.

At Washington Technology, Ross Wilkers looks into Boeing’s push to become a leader in the field of autonomous weapons systems.

Know Your Drone

Israeli firm Meteor Aerospace is developing a medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (FlightGlobal)

Following the U.S. Army’s decision to discontinue use of its products, Chinese drone maker DJI is speeding the development of a security system that allows users to disconnect drones from DJI’s servers while in flight. (The New York Times)

Huntington Ingalls Industries demonstrated its Proteus dual-mode unmanned undersea vehicle at an exercise held by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center. (Jane’s)

A team from the University of Sherbrooke is developing a fixed-wing drone that uses thrust to achieve perched landings. (IEEE Spectrum)

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is developing a fuel cell-powered drone called Hybrid Tiger that could have an endurance of up to three days. (Jane’s)

China’s Beijing Sifang Automation is developing an autonomous unmanned boat called SeaFly, which it hopes will be ready for production by the end of the year. (Jane’s)

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency unveiled the Assured Autonomy program, which seeks to build better trustworthiness into a range of military unmanned systems. (Shephard Media)

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology unveiled an anti-radiation loitering munition drone. (Shephard Media)

Amazon has patented a retractable tube that can be used to funnel packages from delivery drones to the ground. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart has been awarded a patent for a floating warehouse that could be used to carry goods for drone deliveries. (CNBC)

Telecommunications company AT&T is looking to develop autonomous systems to make drones more efficient for cell tower inspections. (Unmanned Aerial Online)  

Drones at Work

The U.S. Forest Service used a drone to to collect data over the Minerva Fire in the Plumas National Forest. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

A team of researchers from Oklahoma State University and the University of Nebraska are planning to use drones to study atmospheric conditions during the upcoming solar eclipse. (Popular Science)

In a test, U.S. drone maker General Atomics flew its new Grey Eagle Extended Range drone for 42 hours. (Jane’s)

In a U.S. Navy exercise, an MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter drone was handed off between control stations while in flight. (Shephard Media)

A U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone crashed shortly after taking off from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. (Military.com)

The Michigan Department of Corrections announced that three people have been arrested after attempting to use a drone to smuggle drugs and a cellphone into a prison in the city of Ionia. (New York Post)

Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents in San Diego, California arrested a man for allegedly flying a drone laden with drugs over the U.S.-Mexico border. (The San Diego Tribune)

A medevac helicopter responding to a fatal car crash in Michigan had to abort its first landing attempt at the scene because a drone was spotted flying over the area. (MLive)

NASA plans to once again use its Global Hawk high-altitude drone to study severe storms over the Pacific this hurricane season. (International Business Times)

Police in Glynn County, Georgia used a drone to search for a suspect fleeing in a marshy area. (Florida Times-Union)

The Regina Police Service Traffic Unit in Canada is acquiring drones to collect data over collision scenes. (Global News)

A photo essay at the National Review examines quadrotor drones at work in both civilian and military spheres.

Industry Intel

DefenseNews reports that General Atomics is hoping to sell around 90 Avenger drones, the successor to the Reaper, to an unnamed international customer.

The Ohio Federal Research Network is behind a $7 million initiative to make Ohio a center for drone research. (Dayton Daily News)

The U.K.’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory awarded Qinetiq a $5.8 million contract to lead the Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation project. (Shephard Media)

Insitu has partnered with FireWhat and Esri to provide firefighters with improved aerial intelligence. (Shephard Media)

3DR, Global Aerospace, and Harpenau Insurance have partnered to offer businesses drone insurance that covers legal liability and physical damage. (TechRepublic)

Aerialtronics, a Dutch industrial drone maker, announced that it has applied for a solvency procedure and will seek new investors. (Press Release)

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $7.5 million foreign military sales contract for six ScanEagle drones for the Philippines. (DoD)

 The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $319,886 contract for the procurement of Strongback Module Assemblies.

The U.S. Air Force awarded Area I a $5 million contract for the development of air-launched drones. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Gird Systems a $148,364 contract for squad-level counter-drone technology. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Airspace Systems a $1.9 million contract for autonomous drone defense. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded RPX Technologies a $147,905 contract for a micro IR thermal imaging camera for nano-UAVs. (FBO)

The U.S. Department of Interior awarded Brocktek a $65,000 contract for 3DR Solo drones. (FBO)  

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Australia retired the IAI Heron drone after eight years of service. The Royal Australian Air Force is currently seeking a replacement. Image via Aviation Analysis Wing

August 7, 2017 – August 13, 2017

News

Two U.S. airstrikes targeted members of al-Shabab in Somalia. In a statement, the U.S. Africa Command said the strikes were “conducted within the parameters of the proposal approved by the President in March 2017.” A spokesperson said the strikes were carried out by drones. (ABC News)

In a classified guidance issued last month, the Department of Defense authorized the U.S. military to seize or destroy drones that appear to endanger the airspace or pose a threat to military installations. Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis told reporters that the move was a response to the “increase of commercial and private drones” in the U.S. (Reuters)

An Iranian drone interfered with a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet jet in the Persian Gulf. In a statement, the U.S. military said that the drone flew within 100 feet of the manned fighter as it was preparing to land on the USS Nimitz. (Washington Post)

Turkish authorities have detained a Russian citizen with ties to ISIS for allegedly planning to use a drone to attack a U.S. military base. Police in Adana claim that Renad Bakiev admitted to reconnoitering Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. (Associated Press)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Financial Times, Louise Lucas writes that China-based drone manufacturer DJI is considering making a move toward the commercial sector.

At C4ISRNet, Jen Dunham argues that hiring more analysts won’t help the U.S. military analyze all the data from drones.

A report by CorpWatch examines the contractors and technologies that underpin U.S. military drone operations.

At Defense Tech, Oriana Pawlyk writes that U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones are taking on more missions in Afghanistan.

At Air and Space Magazine, Tim Wright considers how recent events have impacted DJI’s brand image.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton looks at why the U.S. Army recently issued a ban on DJI drones.

Also at Popular Science, Kendra Pierre-Louis looks at how the U.S. Forest Service is working to dissuade drone users from flying over wildfires.

At 9News, Mike Dalton profiles Carbonix, an Australian company that makes lightweight airframes for drones.

At the Wichita Eagle, Jerry Siebenmark looks at how drone companies in Kansas are adapting to changes in the drone industry.

ABC News visited a U.S. police department’s training facility to see how drones are aiding law enforcement operations.

At Defense News, David B. Larter writes that the U.S. Navy is exploring ways of using drones and artificial intelligence to repair damaged airfields.

At Offiziere, Paul Iddon writes that Turkey is moving to step up production of armed drones.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board argues that the Los Angeles County Sheriff should adopt a more transparent process for integrating drones into police work.

At the Wall Street Journal, Nicole Friedman writes that insurance companies are increasingly relying on drones to inspect physical damage to properties.

At the San Francisco Chronicle, Carolyn Said looks at how robots and drones are taking on more roles in food delivery.

At WFTV, Lauren Seabrook writes that a new state law in Florida that offers more opportunities for drone businesses conflicts with local drone ordinances.

At Drone Law Blog, Jonathan Rupprecht offers the pros and cons of the proposed Drone Operator Safety Act of 2017.

Know Your Drone

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions announced that a classified military drone that it is developing for an unnamed program will enter into production this year. (FlightGlobal)

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has modified its Fencepost acoustic surveillance system to function as a counter-drone device. (Aviation Week)

Northrop Grumman is using an X-47B drone as a testbed for the Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray aerial refueling drone. (Aviation Week) For more on the X-47B, click here.

Drones at Work

A drone hobbyist in Scotland managed to land an off-the-shelf consumer drone on the deck of the Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, a modern aircraft carrier. (The Telegraph)

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission approved a policy to use drones for construction management, environmental monitoring, and inspection. (San Francisco Examiner)

The Worldview International Foundation is planning to use drones to plant tree seeds as part of a reforestation effort in Myanmar. (Fast Company)

The Kansas Department of Transportation and app maker AirMap are partnering to develop a drone air traffic management system. (The Wichita Eagle)

China is operating a dozen unmanned undersea vehicles for scientific observations in the South China Sea. (CNBC)

An Indian Air Force drone crashed during a flight over the Kathua district. (Indian Express)

Researchers from Cornell are using drones to measure surface reflectivity on the landscape as a means of studying climate change. (Phys.org)

The local government in Tamil Nadu is planning to use mapping drones for a flood mitigation project. (The Hindu)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Daytona Beach Police Department are partnering to develop a police drone program. (Drone Life)

The Israeli Defence Ministry is investigating reports that defense firm Aeronautics was asked by Azerbaijan to carry out a live demonstration of a loitering munition drone against Armenian forces. (Jerusalem Post)

The Muriwai Surf Life Saving Club in New Zealand is planning to use drones for patrolling a popular beach. (News Hub)

Researchers who used a drone last year to collect pollutant samples from the open burning of waste at an Army ammunition facility in Virginia found arsenic and other pollutants. (Phys.org)

The Royal Australian Air Force has retired its Heron surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (Shephard Media)

The U.S. Air Force announced that it will participate in “ThunderDrone,” a competition to develop new drone capabilities. (DefenseNews)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $12.9 million contract for work on the Squad X Experimentation program. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Dragonfly Pictures a $2.84 million contract for research into unmanned maritime systems. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Pretalen a $149,698 contract for ADS-B for unmanned aircraft operations. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a $25.9 million contract for upgrades to the sensors onboard the RQ-4 Global Hawk. (UPI)

The U.S. Air Force awarded KeyW a $24 million contract for research into Multi-Sensor Multi-Domain Fusion. (Press Release)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Endeavor Robotics a contract for 32 small unmanned ground vehicles.  (Shephard Media)

Drone Aviation, a Florida-based manufacturer of tethered drones, raised $4 million in funding. (Press Release)  

CB Insights identified the top 15 early-stage drone startups according to disclosed funding levels.

FlyNex, a German drone startup, reported closed a seven-figure seed funding round. (Finsmes)

Boston-based Altaeros raised $7.5 million in funding from SoftBank Group to use tethered aerostats to bring broadband wireless to rural areas. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

The EMILY lifesaver drone. Credit: Hydronalix

July 31, 2017 – August 6, 2017

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At the Center for the Study of the Drone

In an interview with OpenGov, Center for the Study of the Drone co-director Arthur Holland Michel discusses the main trendlines in the ongoing evolution of drone technology.

News

A U.S. drone strike in Somalia reportedly killed a member of al-Shabab. In a statement, the U.S. Africa Command said that the strike took place in the Lower Shabelle region, an al-Shabab stronghold. (Associated Press)

The Trump administration is reviewing a drone exports policy established by the Obama administration. According to an official who spoke to DefenseNews, the review is part of a broader effort to find “smarter new approaches to U.S. defense trade policy.” The Obama administration placed controls on drone technology exports to U.S. allies in 2015.

A small tethered drone will help the U.S. Secret Service provide perimeter security during President Trump’s visit to the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey this month. In an announcement, the agency said that the test is part of an initiative to explore new technologies for security operations. (Reuters)

Citing cyber vulnerabilities, the U.S. Army has instructed its units to discontinue the use of all drones made by DJI, the popular Chinese manufacturer. The decision appears to have been based on a classified study and a Navy memo on security issues in DJI products. (Reuters)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Wired, officials at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency discuss the history of the DARPA Grand Challenge, a groundbreaking robotics competition.  

At an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute, Adm. Paul Zukunft discussed the Coast Guard’s history with drone acquisition and operations. (USNI News)

At the BBC, Paul Marks looks at how law enforcement agencies in the U.K. identify and investigate rogue drone users.

At the Ringer, Kate Knibbs considers how police departments in the U.S. are using robots.

At the Middle East Institute, Dennis M. Gormley argues that the Trump administration should continue President Obama’s push to regulate armed drones.

At the Diplomat, Tobias Burgers and Scott N. Romaniuk consider how China’s new maritime loitering munition represents an evolution in drone technology.

Know Your Drone

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has made a number of upgrades to its CH-4 Rainbow surveillance and strike drone. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

A team of security researchers has demonstrated that sonic blasts can be used to hack a number of electronic devices, including drones. (Fox News)

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Zurich University of the Arts have developed a hexacopter with independently rotating propellers that is capable of flying in far more acrobatic ways than traditional multirotor drones. (Yanko Design)

The University of Michigan has announced that it is developing an outdoor flight testing facility for drones. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

In a project for DARPA, engineering firm Draper and a team from MIT are developing drones that can navigate through complex environments without GPS. (Drone Life)

A team at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is developing an app-based management system for large military drones. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

Following a 10-month definition process, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation has decided that its European Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance drone will have a twin turboprop design. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

Ukraine’s SpetsTechnoExport has conducted a weapons test of its Fantom-2 unmanned ground vehicle. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

U.S. firm Gryphon sensors has unveiled an unmanned traffic management system called Mobile Skylight. (UAS Magazine)

Drones at Work

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which a drone was spotted near a runway at Newark International Airport. (USA Today)

China’s People’s Liberation Army confirmed that it is now operating the CH-901, a loitering munition drone. (Popular Science) For more on loitering munitions, click here.

The Duluth Fire Department in Minnesota is testing EMILY, an unmanned surface vehicle designed for saving stranded swimmers, with an eye to possibly acquiring the system to use on Lake Superior. (Grand Forks Herald)

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced a bill that makes it illegal to fly drones near airports without permission. (The Hill)

The Fort Wayne Police Department in Indiana has acquired two drones for a range of operations, including emergency response and environmental surveys. (News Sentinel)

Kentucky governor Matt Bevin has accused a local news channel of invading his privacy after it flew a drone over his private property. (CNET)

A team of researchers from University of Colorado Boulder and Black Swift Technologies are using fixed-wing drones to measure water moisture at a test irrigation farm. (Daily Camera)

The U.S. Army and the Army of the Republic of Macedonia are constructing a 300m-long runway for drones in the Krivolak Training Area. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

The North Dakota Air National Guard took delivery of its first new MQ-9 Reaper drone. (Associated Press)

The government of Zambia has begun using a Chinese CH-3 drone for surveying applications. (East Pendulum)

Israel has offered to teach special forces units in the Ghana Armed Forces how to use tactical surveillance drones. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

Jordan Temkin won first place at the Drone Racing League’s 2017 Allianz Circuit Season Finale for the second year in a row. (Drone360)

Google’s Project Wing is seeking approval from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority to test delivery drones. (Canberra Times)

Industry Intel

3D Robotics partnered with DJI to provide the 3DR Site Scan surveying tools to DJI drones. (Construction Dive)

Snap is reportedly negotiating to buy Zero Zero Robotics, the China-based manufacturer of the Hover Camera selfie drone, for between $150 and $200 million. (TechCrunch)  

Atlas Dynamics, a startup that builds carbon-fiber drones, raised $8 million. (Electronics 360)

Aerobotics, a South African startup that provides drones to agricultural users, raised nearly $600,000 in a seed-funding round led by 4Di Capital and Savannah Fund. (Venture Burn)

Exxaro, a South African mining company, contracted Rocketmine for drones that will create 3D photogrammetry models of mine stockpiles. (IT Web)

U.S. drone services company Measure acquired Pilatus Unmanned, a provider of custom drones for enterprise customers. (Press Release)

The U.S. Army awarded SRC an $11 million contract for electronic warfare improvements to the Small UAS Integrated Defeat System. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $19.9 million contract to identify solutions to “near-term emergent obsolescence issues” for the MQ-4C Triton. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $2.94 million contract for MQ-8 Fire Scout logistics and training sustainment. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $263,762 contract to provide support for the MQ-8 Fire Scout UAS Tactical Control System. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $213,134 contract to provide software to support the integration of the COBRA payload. (FBO)  

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $13,661 contract to provide engineering support for the RQ-21A Blackjack shipboard testing. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $3.35 million contract for an “energy innovative” and low cost small drone. (FBO)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded BAYSPEC a $44,530 contract for a hyperspectral imager that can be integrated onto a drone. (FBO)

DIUx awarded Photon-X a $2.26 million contract for counter-drone “passive real-time 3D sensors.” (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded 3R Robotics a $75,000 contract for virtual reality software. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Endeavor Robotics a $32,003 contract for a controller for the Endeavor SUGV 310 EOD robot. (FBO)

Indonesia is in talks to buy armed drones from China. (Jane’s)

Singapore’s ST Electronics has purchased an Aveillant Gamekeeper counter-drone system, which it has installed in downtown Singapore. (Today Online)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter.

A U.S. Army soldier launches an RQ-11 Raven during an exercise in North Carolina on July 27. Credit: Staff Sgt. Andrew Lee/U.S. Air Force

July 24, 2017 – July 30, 2017

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Commentary, Analysis, and Art

In an in-depth article at Wired, Jessica Pishko chronicles the rise and fall of the drone startup Lily Robotics.

At Drone 360, Leah Froats uses data provided by the FAA to find out why certain Part 107 waiver requests are denied.

At the National Interest, Paul Scharre argues that drones are challenging international security norms.

Also at the National Interest, Lyle J. Goldstein looks at how the race for air and sea drones could intensify competition between the U.S. and China.

At the Redlands Daily Facts, Sandra Emerson writes that a local police department’s drone program is drawing concerns from residents.

Meanwhile, at the Los Angeles Times, Maya Lau writes that a civilian oversight board is pushing Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to stop flying its drones.

A study funded by the U.K. Department of Transport found that while airliner windshields could withstand a collision with a drone, other aircraft remain vulnerable. (Gov.UK)

In response to Transport’s report on drone impacts, a coalition of drone manufacturers pressed the government to release the data underpinning its findings. (BBC)

At Shephard News, Richard Thomas looks at how the commercial drone market continues to consolidate.

At Aviation Week, Graham Warwick contends that the development of future low-cost drones depends on the availability of low-cost engines.  

Also at Aviation Week, John Morris writes that the 2017 EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest air show, features drones and other new technologies.  

At Real Clear Defense, Robbin Laird examines the Navy’s approach to manned-unmanned teaming.

Researchers at Stanford University consider whether control of a drone swarm should be centralized or decentralized. (Phys.org)

At Lawfare, Elsa Kania looks at how China seeks to leverage civilian advances in artificial intelligence for military gain.

In the NATO Review magazine, Col. Gjert Lage Dyndal examines legal and ethical issues associated with autonomous weapons.  

At an event in Washington, Gen. David Goldfein said that the Air Force needs better artificial intelligence in order to improve intelligence collection. (DefenseTech)

At an Ars Live event, Lisa Ling discussed her role as a drone imagery analyst for the U.S. Air National Guard. (Ars Technica)

At the National Geographic, Christina Nunez looks at how affordable underwater drones are aiding marine conservationists.

Meanwhile, students at the University of Washington are building underwater drones to study the ocean surrounding Antarctica. (UW)

At Air and Space Magazine, Tim Wright writes that the counter-drone industry could eventually be worth over a billion dollars.

At the U.S. Naval Institute, Lt. Alex Laun argues that the Navy needs a point person to coordinate the development of autonomous unmanned systems.

At Defense One, Caroline Houck looks at the technological advances that could enable “terror drones” to reach U.S. shores.

A drone video by architect Mariana Bisti offers an aerial perspective of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers. (dezeen)

Know Your Drone

Ukraine’s Iskra Scientific and Production Complex unveiled the Spectator-M, a small military reconnaissance drone. (Kyiv Post)

Russian design bureau Sovremennye Aviatsionnye Teknologii has unveiled a concept for a reconnaissance and strike drone based on the SR-10 jet trainer. (Jane’s)

Amazon has been granted a patent for a system by which its proposed delivery drones scan a customer’s home upon delivering a product in order to develop product recommendations for future purchases. (CNET)

British firm FlyLogix broke a national record for the longest beyond-line-of-sight drone flight during an 80km operation to inspect structures in the Irish Sea. (The Telegraph)

Rohde & Schwarz, ESG, and Diehl unveiled the Guardion, a counter-drone system. (Jane’s)

Researchers at Moscow Technological Institute have developed a defibrillator drone with a range of up to 50km. (TechCrunch)

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center is developing a robotic refueling system for helicopters. (Shephard Media)

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed an unmanned tank for reconnaissance and mine detection. (Economic Times)

Using hundreds of plastic ducks, researchers at University of Adelaide in Australia have demonstrated that drones are more effective for counting birds than traditional techniques. (New Scientist)

Drones at Work

A team from Queensland University of Technology in Australia is planning to use drones to count koalas as part of a conservation initiative. (Phys.org)

Matagorda County and Wharton County in Texas are acquiring three drones for a range of operations. (The Bay City Tribune)

The Fire Department and Police Department of Orange, Connecticut have acquired a drone for emergency operations. (Milford-Orange Bulletin)

The Philippine Air Force is evaluating the Hermes 900 surveillance and reconnaissance drone for possible acquisition. (FlightGlobal)

A drone carrying cell phones and other contraband crashed into the yard at the Washington State Prison in Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

North Carolina has adopted a bill that expands drone rules to recreational model aircraft and prohibits drone use near prisons. (Triangle Business Journal)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $19.6 million contract for five ScanEagle systems and support for the Government of Afghanistan. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $3.01 million contract to integrate the Alticam 11 EO/IR Turret on the RQ-21A Blackjack. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $211,397 contract for software for the MQ-8 Fire Scout. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $10.2 million contract for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a sensor on board the RQ-4 Global Hawk. (DoD)

The U.S. Army awarded R.C. Construction a $4.74 million contract for a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Facility at Fort Benning, Georgia. (FBO)

Singular Aircraft finalized a contract to test the Flyox unmanned amphibious aircraft at the Pendleton Unmanned Aircraft System Test Range in Oregon. (My Columbia Basin)  

AeroVironment finalized a contract with the Australian Defence Force for the Wasp AE micro reconnaissance drone. (Press Release)

The Department of Homeland Security awarded Colorado-based VTO a $928,541 contract for drone forensics research and development. (Press Release)

The U.S. Air Force awarded the University of Arizona a $750,000 grant to build autonomous drones to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico. (Photonics)

The Dallas Safari Club Foundation awarded Delta Waterfowl, a duck hunting organization, a $10,000 grant to use drones to conduct a survey of duck nests. (Grand Forks Herald)

In a statement, Dassault CEO Éric Trappier said that the French-U.K. collaboration on a fighter drone will continue in spite of Brexit and a new Franco-German manned fighter project. (FlightGlobal)

A U.S. military study found that the cost of the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton program has risen by 17 percent. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter.

The K5 security robot fell into a fountain in Washington, D.C.

July 17, 2017 – July 23, 2017

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News

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan is reported to have mistakenly killed 15 Afghan soldiers. In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense reported that the strike hit a security outpost in Helmand province. (Voice of America)

The U.K. Department of Transport is developing regulations that would implement a drone registration program, safety courses for drone owners, and more extensive geo-fencing to keep drones out of restricted areas. According to the BBC, it is not yet clear when the new rules will go into effect.

China announced plans to advance the development of artificial intelligence. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China released a plan to grow AI-related industries into a $59.07 billion sector by 2025. (Reuters)

Canada’s transportation safety agency issued an update to its drone regulations. The update relaxes key provisions for recreational and commercial drone users. (CTV News)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

In testimony before the U.S. Senate, Air Force General Paul Selva argued that autonomous weapons should never be allowed to decide whether or not to take a human life. (Breaking Defense)

In a discussion at the National Governors Association annual meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk argued that artificial intelligence is a “fundamental existential risk for human civilization.” (Real Clear Politics)

At Wired, Tom Simonite argues that Musk’s comments are a distraction from the real problems of artificial intelligence.

A report by the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs considers how artificial intelligence could revolutionize warfare. (Wired)

At the Wall Street Journal, Jeremy Page and Paul Sonne look at how China is stepping up exports of drones to U.S. allies.

At Scout Warrior, David Hambling looks at how separatists in eastern Ukraine are arming small drones with grenades and other ordnance.

A NASA study found that noise from drones is more irritating to people than noise from cars. (New Scientist)

At Popular Mechanics, Eric Tegler looks at how the U.S. Air Force is testing equipment intended for the Reaper drone on a World War II-era Douglas DC-3.

At War on the Rocks, Gregory C. Allen considers how animals in nature inspire the design of military robots.

Also at War on the Rocks, Scott Cuomo argues that the Marine Corps needs a persistent aerial surveillance and strike drone like the MQ-9 Reaper.

At the Intercept, Robert Trafford and Nick Turse write that Cameroonian forces used a drone base to torture suspected members of Boko Haram.

CNN looks at how Agadez, a city in northern Niger where the U.S. is building a drone base, is an unstable “tinderbox.”

At the Motley Fool, Rich Smith offers suggestions on drone manufacturers to invest in.

Know Your Drone

Researchers at MIT are developing small power-efficient computer chips that could be used to build highly autonomous micro-drones. (The Drive)

An Australian student has developed a drone that is capable of flying for longer and at much higher speeds than other consumer systems. (ABC News)

Airbus Defense and Space conducted a test flight of a subscale model of the Sagitta stealth drone that it is developing with a group of German research institutes. (Aviation Week)

A team at the Singapore University of Technology & Design has developed a vertical take-off drone that transitions to horizontal flight by turning its rotors into wings. (The Verge)

A team at Stanford University is developing a wormlike robot that can move by expanding in size. (Science Robotics)

The Chinese military is developing what appears to be an 8×8 unmanned supply truck. (IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly)

Russian defense firm Kronstadt unveiled the concept for its Orion-E, a military drone that will be about the size of the MQ-1 Predator. (FlightGlobal)

Meanwhile, Russian Helicopters unveiled the VRT3000, a co-axial rotor reconnaissance helicopter drone. (Shephard Media)

Estonian firm Threod Systems is developing a new variant of its Stream tactical military drone. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

Researchers at MIT have developed a small robot that can swim through water pipes searching for leaks. (Dezeen)

YouTube channel Make it Extreme published a video showing how one can build a DIY counter-drone net gun. (Popular Mechanics)

Estonian Startup Marduk Technologies plans to begin testing its Shark counter-drone system with the Estonian military in August or September. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

The U.S. Navy issued a draft Request for Proposals detailing some of the characteristics of its planned MQ-25A Stingray refueling drone. (USNI News)

Israeli firm GPSdome has developed a jam-resistant GPS system for drones. (C4ISRNET)

Ukraine-based defense firm Infocom revealed new details about its Laska armed unmanned ground vehicle. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

Drones at Work

Singapore has offered the Philippines drones and other military equipment for operations against Islamist militant groups. (Reuters)

Police departments in Dorset, Cornwall, and Devon in the U.K. have been using drones to track reckless motorcyclists. (The Drive)

The town of Deadwood in South Dakota has approved an ordinance restricting the use of drones in the city. (Black Hills Pioneer)

Investigators have concluded that a mid-air collision in Australia that was thought to have been caused by a drone was actually caused by a bat. (ABC News)

In a test, the U.S. Navy used its Laser Weapon System to shoot down a drone. (CNN)

A remotely operated robot exploring the interior of Fukushima’s reactor 3 appears to have discovered objects that could be fuel debris. (Japan Times)

The U.S. Air Force has established a program to teach coalition forces how to react to adversary drones on the battlefield. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

A drone flying near the scene of a car crash in Avonport, Canada delayed the departure of a helicopter that was airlifting a patient to hospital. (CBC)

The police department of Harvey County, Kansas found a missing 91-year-old man by using a drone. (KWCH)

Canada’s OEX Recovery group will use a Kraken unmanned undersea vehicle to search for the remains of several subscale prototype jets that crashed into Lake Ontario in the 1950s. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

The U.S. Navy Special Warfare Command is testing a vehicle-mounted SkySafe counter-drone system. (GCN)

LG Electronics has begun a live trial of a series of cleaning and guide robots at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. (ZDNet)

Meanwhile, a Knightscope security robot fell into a fountain while patrolling an office building in Washington, D.C. (CNN)

A drone crashed while racing a Formula E electric race car during an event in Brooklyn. (The Drive)

Industry Intel

Counter-drone company SkySafe raised $11.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. (TechCrunch)

The U.S. Navy awarded Hydroid a $27.3 million contract modification for the Mk 18 Kingfish family of unmanned undersea vehicles. (DoD)

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a $29,610 contract for an unmanned underwater vehicle. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Engility Corporation a contract for “autonomous collaborative vehicle research and development.” (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $39,810 contract for software for the RQ-21A reconnaissance drone. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Leonardo DRS and Moog a $16 million contract to develop a vehicle-mounted counter-drone system. (UPI)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $3.9 million contract for UAS operational support and maintenance. (USASpending)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded BAE Systems a $4.6 million contract under the Mobile Offboard Clandestine Communications Approach program. (USNI News)

Georgia’s Innovation Fund Tiny Grant program awarded the Long Cane Middle School an $8,000 grant to develop a curriculum on drones. (The Journal)

U.S. drone firm Measure will offer new inspection services to the solar energy industry. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Propeller Aero will begin distributing Trimble’s Connected Site, a platform for analysis data from drones. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Solent Local Enterprise Partnership awarded BAE Systems a $593,871 grant to design a testing site for autonomous systems in the U.K. (Inside Unmanned Systems)

The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense awarded Inzpire Limited a contract to help train pilots of the new General Atomics Protector drone. (Inzpire)

Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries announced that it will begin marketing the Hamaseh surveillance and strike drone to international customers. (FlightGlobal)

Israel Aerospace Industries will offer India an agreement to produce the Heron TP domestically. (FlightGlobal)

Israeli drone company Aeronautics will acquire an unnamed U.S. firm for $6 million. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter.

The South Korean Navy conducted shipboard flight tests for the TR-60 tilt-rotor UAV. Source: KARI

July 10, 2017 – July 16, 2017

If you would like to receive the Weekly Roundup in your inbox, please subscribe at the bottom of the page.

News

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed Abu Sayed, the leader of the local ISIS cell. In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson said that the strike targeted the ISIS headquarters in Kunar Province. Abu Sayed’s predecessor, Abdul Hasib, was killed in a special forces raid in April. (New York Times)

A Turkish drone strike in Anatolia reportedly killed five suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It was the first strike carried out with the Anka-S, a new Turkish surveillance and strike drone. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

Portugal will implement a new law regulating drone operations after a recent spike in reports of close encounters between drones and manned aircraft. Drone users will be required to register and purchase insurance. Speaking with members of a parliamentary committee, Infrastructure Minister Pedro Marques said that he hopes the law will be in place by the end of the month. (Associated Press)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At The Digital Circuit, Scott Simmie looks at how hackers are selling kits to disable the geofencing in drones made by DJI.

At the Hill, Paul Scharre argues that the U.S. should start treating drone exports the same way it treats exports of manned aircraft.

At Popular Mechanics, David Hambling looks at the technology underpinning a U.S. drone designed for research missions in the Arctic.

At War on the Rocks, Ben Brewster argues that the U.S. Marine Corps needs a long-endurance surveillance and strike drone like the Reaper or Gray Eagle.

In a speech in Washington, Gen. Mike Holmes argued that the U.S. Air Force needs greater authority to protect its facilities and aircraft against drones. (FlightGlobal)

London’s Gatwick Airport released a video showing how a drone can interrupt air traffic around an airport. (Motherboard)

At Truthout, Alex Edney-Browne looks at how on-the-ground research can shed more light on the effects of U.S. drone strikes.

At Vertical Magazine, Oliver Johnson looks at how a Canadian company is using drones to help fight wildfires.

At CBC, Dean Beeby writes that Transport Canada’s Arctic drone program was delayed because of international arms control regulations.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton looks at how Amazon’s drone hub concepts pose big challenges for urban planners.

A drone video captured the extent of the destruction of Mosul, Iraq. (Associated Press)

Know Your Drone

A team of universities, research institutes, and broadcasters is looking to develop swarms of three to five video drones that can be used to film large sporting events. (Horizon)

Serbia’s Military Technical Institute has unveiled a prototype unmanned ground vehicle that is armed with a machine gun and a grenade launcher. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute conducted flight trials of its TR-60 tiltrotor drone from a moving ship. (IHS Jane’s 360)

NASA has developed onboard software for drones called Safeguard that forces them to land if they come too close to a no-fly zone. (Wired)

Walmart has announced that it will conduct tests for its delivery drone program at an airport in Upstate New York. (New York Upstate)

Drone maker AirDog unveiled the ADII, a multirotor consumer drone optimized to record sports events and other outdoor activities. (The Drive)

In a test, a team at Johns Hopkins University successfully transported a medical sample under temperature control over 160 miles by drone. (SUAS News)

A consortium of three European countries is looking to develop an unmanned ship for use in the oil and gas sector. (Construction.Ru)

Israeli company Flytrex is seeking to use sophisticated air traffic management software to enable drone deliveries. (The Drive)

A Florida-based company has developed a simulated IED-equipped drone for training soldiers. (C4ISRNET)

CASC conducted a flight test of the new CH-5 Rainbow drone at an airport in northeast China. (East Pendulum)

Drones at Work

Drone maker Flyability announced that its collision-resistant Elios drone has been used to inspect the interior of a nuclear reactor building. (Press Release)

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating a possible collision between a drone and a light aircraft near Adelaide. Nobody was injured in the incident. (ABC) For more on Close Encounters, click here.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force is looking to obtain authority to shoot down small drones over its facilities after a recent close encounter between a F-22 Raptor jet and a drone. (Aviation Week)

Researchers in Boulder, Colorado used drones to survey damage caused to local trees by invasive green jewel beetles. (Daily Camera)

South Korea is looking to deploy a new system to detect North Korean surveillance drones that fly into its territory. (UPI)

A Drone Racing League RacerX quadcopter drone set a new record for the fastest civilian drone, hitting a top speed of 179.3 mph. (CNET)

Researchers at Northwestern University are developing small ground robots equipped with whiskers that allow them to precisely detect their surroundings. (Wired)

Police in Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset in England are launching the country’s first police unit dedicated to using drones. (AP)

Singapore’s upcoming National Day Parade will feature a light show of 300 drones. (The Straits Times)

Police in DeSoto County, Mississippi used a drone to help investigators search for debris from a recent military plane crash in the area. (Fox13)

North Dakota authorities dismissed criminal charges against a man who was accused of using a drone to stalk a group of private security workers at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests last year. (Bismarck Tribune)

The British Army will no longer use the Black Hornet, a micro drone made by Norway’s Prox Dynamics. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Office of Naval Research awarded Embry-Riddle University a $900,000 grant to develop advanced communication systems for unmanned surface vehicles. (Press Release)

The National Science Foundation awarded Bakman Technologies a grant to develop a sensor for a drone to monitor emissions that contribute to global warming. (Drone Life)

Colorado’s El Paso County awarded Sanborn Map Company a multi-year contract to provide drones for a variety of missions, including disaster response and construction site monitoring. (Press Release)

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded Riptide Autonomous Solutions a $69,374 contract for an unmanned underwater vehicle. (FBO)

The French Navy awarded ECA Group a contract for unmanned undersea vehicles for mine detection and disposal. (Press Release)  

Germany’s Bundeswehr awarded EMT a $71 million contract for three LUNA NG systems. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

Thales is reportedly marketing the Watchkeeper surveillance drone to the Indonesian Air Force. (IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly)

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Autonomous Solutions a contract to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence to autonomous vehicles operating in challenging environments. (Press Release)

CybAero Ab, a Swedish company that makes rotary drones, signed a debt-refinancing deal with Bracknor, a Dubai-based investment firm. (DefenseNews)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter.

The U.S. Army is developing a drone that moves like a flying squirrel. Credit: David McNally/U.S. Army

News

A U.S. drone strike in Somalia targeted members of al-Shabab. It is the second drone strike in Somalia since President Trump relaxed rules for targeting members of the al-Qaeda-allied group. (New York Times)

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is offering refunds to drone hobbyists who paid the $5 fee to register with the agency. The move follows a federal court ruling in May that found that the FAA could not compel recreational drone users to register. The FAA has collected over $4 million in fees since it implemented the registration policy in December 2015. (Recode)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Washington Post, Greg Jaffe profiles U.S. Air Force analysts who examine video imagery from drones.

In a report published by the Mitchell Institute, Gen. David Deptula argues that the U.S. Department of Defense should create an office for unmanned aircraft to coordinate efforts across the different services. (Breaking Defense)

In Drone Warrior, Brett Velicovich and Christopher S. Stewart offer an insider’s account of running U.S. targeted killing operations. (Wired)

At Lawfare, Kenneth Anderson and Matthew Waxman present a primer on the legal and ethical debates over autonomous weapons.

At the Jamestown Foundation, Elsa Kania writes that the China is seeking to leverage recent advances in swarming drones to bolster its military.

This month’s Signal magazine includes several articles on drones and robots. (AFCEA)

At Breaking Defense, Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. looks at how the lack of trust between humans and unmanned systems will inhibit the integration of robots in the future.

At the Morning Consult, Edward Graham writes that recent legislation in Congress would enable localities to have a greater say in drone regulations.

At TechCrunch, Helen Greiner discusses how robots and drones have taken on more and more roles.

At Poynter, Melody Kramer considers how recent aerial images of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on an empty beach demonstrate how drones are becoming effective newsgathering tools.

At Drone360, Lauren Sigfusson looks at how the FAA’s Part 107 waiver and authorization process has changed in recent weeks.

At Arkansas Matters, Chris Pulliam says that crop dusters are concerned about the potential threats posed to their aircraft by drones.

At DefenseNews, Burak Ege Bekdil writes that Turkey is increasingly relying on drones for border security, counterterrorism, and operations against Kurdish groups.  

At the National Interest, Samuel Bendett considers whether Russia will ever be able to catch up with the U.S. and Israel in terms of drone development.

In a letter to the editor of the Pocono Record, Pete Sauvigne argues that a local model aircraft club should not be stripped of its permission to fly in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

At The Drive, Marco Margaritoff looks at a few of National Geographic’s best drone photos of year to date. Know Your Drone

The U.S. Army is developing a drone that moves like a flying squirrel. (Popular Mechanics)

Meanwhile, the Army is developing a system that allows a single human operator to control multiple drones. (Press Release)

Defense firm Rafael has added a laser interceptor to its Drone Dome counter-drone system. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Italian firm Piaggio has resumed flight testing of its HammerHead military drone a year after the program was grounded due to a crash. (AIN Online)

Israeli defense firm Elbit has demonstrated its Seagull unmanned surface vehicle in an end-to-end mine countermeasures mission. (IHS Jane’s 360)

A group of researchers in Florida is developing an underwater drone that seeks out and collects lionfish, an invasive species in the area. (Pensacola News Journal)

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are developing a jumping one-legged robot that could eventually be used for search and rescue. (Wired)

The U.S. Coast Guard will begin evaluating different small drones with the goal of acquiring a system in 2018. (C4ISRNet)

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Coast Guard is looking to equip its offshore patrol vessels with aerial surveillance drones by 2020. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Netherlands Aerospace Centre is testing a small jet-powered fixed-wing drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Hot dog company Oscar Mayer revealed the newest addition to its WienerFleet, the WienerDrone, a hot dog delivery drone. (Fortune)

Drones at Work

An inmate who broke out of a South Carolina prison reportedly escaped using tools delivered to him by a drone. (The New York Times)

The Russian Navy is reportedly displeased with the performance of its Inspector Mk2 unmanned surface vehicle developed by French firm ECA Group. (Mil.Today)

Officials in Kaziranga National Park in India are using drones to monitor wildlife displaced by recent floods in the area. (Hindustan Times)

The Redondo Beach Police Department in California used a drone to conduct aerial surveillance during the local Independence Day celebrations. (Easy Reader News)

Meanwhile, Police in Nashville, Tennessee arrested a man for flying a drone over a large crowd during a Fourth of July celebration. (Fox 17)

The French Air Force flew one of its MQ-9 Reaper drones in civilian domestic airspace for the first time. (Aviation Analysis Wing)

Ohio has passed a law that permits ground delivery robots to operate on sidewalks. It is the fifth U.S. state to pass such a law. (Recode)

Florida governor Rick Scott signed a bill that establishes statewide regulations for drone use. (Flying Magazine)

A volunteer rescue group in Italy is using drones to look for signs of possible impending rock slides before they happen. (Motherboard)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Army awarded Assist Consultants a $18.1 million contract to build a facility for the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. (FBO)

The Department of Justice awarded AARDVARK a $51,247 contract for backpackable robots. (FBO)

Germany’s Bayer CropScience awarded SlantRange, a U.S. company that makes sensors for drones, a contract to collect data on crop breeding and research programs. (Agriculture.com)

Australia’s new Defense Cooperative Research Center will award $50 million in grants to develop autonomous capabilities for military unmanned systems. (Press Release)

The European Union selected Sensofusion, a Finnish company, to help develop a counter-drone security system. (Press Release)

Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris has contracted Aveillant to install a counter-drone system called Gamekeeper. (FlightGlobal)

Germany is pausing plans to acquire the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron military drone until after its upcoming election. (DefenseNews)

IAI has agreed to transfer drone technology to India’s Dynamatic Technologies and Elcom Systems. (IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly)

Meanwhile, Indonesia and Turkey agreed to cooperate on the development of military systems and technologies, including drones. (IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly)

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions stock prices lifted 11 percent in June, due in part to news of a sale of attritable unmanned aircraft. (Motley Fool)

The Israeli military awarded Duke Robotics, a Florida-based startup, a contract for the TIKAD, a quadrotor drone that can be armed with a machine gun or grenade launcher. (Defense One)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

The OR-3 autonomous security robot will begin patrolling parts of Dubai. Credit: Otsaw Digital

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

In a podcast at The Drone Radio Show, Arthur Holland Michel discusses the Center for the Study of the Drone’s recent research on local drone regulations, public safety drones, and legal incidents involving unmanned aircraft.

In a series of podcasts at the Center for a New American Security, Dan Gettinger discusses trends in drone proliferation and the U.S. policy on drone exports.

News

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed a lawsuit over the death of several civilians from a U.S. drone strike in Yemen, concurring with the decision of a lower court. In the decision, Judge Janice Rogers Brown argued that Congress had nevertheless failed in its oversight of the U.S. military. (The Hill)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, Michael Horowitz argues that the Missile Technology Control Regime is poorly suited to manage international drone proliferation.

At War on the Rocks, Joe Chapa argues that debates over the ethics of drone strikes are often clouded by misconceptions.

At Phys.org, Julien Girault writes that Chinese drone maker DJI is looking at how its consumer drones can be applied to farming.

At IHS Jane’s Navy International, Anika Torruella looks at how the U.S. Navy is investing in unmanned and autonomous technologies.

Also at IHS Jane’s, Anika Torruella writes that the U.S. Navy does not plan to include large unmanned undersea vehicles as part of its 355-ship fleet goal.

At Defense One, Brett Velicovich looks at how consumer drones can easily be altered to carry a weapons payload.

At Aviation Week, James Drew considers how U.S. drone firm General Atomics is working to develop the next generation of drones.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton looks at how legislation in California could prohibit drone-on-drone cage fights.

At the Charlotte Observer, Robin Hayes argues that Congress should not grant Amazon blanket permission to fly delivery drones.

At the MIT Technology Review, Bruce Y. Lee argues that though medicine-carrying drones may be expensive, they will save lives.

In a speech at the SMi Future Armoured Vehicles Weapon Systems conference in London, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Jim Jenkins discussed the service’s desire to use small, cheap autonomous drones on the battlefield. (IHS Jane’s 360)

At the Conversation, Andres Guadamuz considers whether the works of robot artists should be protected by copyright.

Know Your Drone

A team at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has built a multirotor drone that is also capable of driving around on wheels like a ground robot. (CNET)

Facebook conducted a test flight of its Aquila solar-powered Internet drone. (Fortune)

Meanwhile, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation conducted a 15-hour test flight of its Cai Hong solar-powered drone at an altitude of over 65,000 feet. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency successfully tested autonomous quadcopters that were able to navigate a complex obstacle course without GPS. (Press Release)

French firm ECA group is modifying its IT180 helicopter drone for naval operations. (Press Release)

Italian firm Leonardo plans to debut its SD-150 rotary-wing military drone in the third quarter of 2017. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Researchers at MIT are developing a drone capable of remaining airborne for up to five days at a time. (TechCrunch)

Drones at Work

The government of Malawi and  humanitarian agency Unicef have launched an air corridor to test drones for emergency response and medical deliveries. (BBC)

French police have begun using drones to search for migrants crossing the border with Italy. (The Telegraph)

Researchers from Missouri University have been testing drones to conduct inspections of water towers. (Missourian)

An Australian drug syndicate reportedly used aerial drones to run counter-surveillance on law enforcement officers during a failed bid to import cocaine into Melbourne. (BBC)

In a simulated exercise in New Jersey, first responders used a drone to provide temporary cell coverage to teams on the ground. (AUVSI)

The International Olympic Committee has announced that chipmaker Intel will provide drones for light shows at future Olympic games. (CNN)

The U.S. Air Force has performed its first combat mission with the new Block 5 variant of the MQ-9 Reaper. (UPI)

The police department in West Seneca, New York has acquired a drone. (WKBW)

Chinese logistics firm SF Express has obtained approval from the Chinese government to operate delivery drones over five towns in Eastern China. (GBTimes)

Portugal’s Air Traffic Accident Prevention and Investigation Office is leading an investigation into a number of close encounters between drones and manned aircraft in the country’s airspace. (AIN Online)

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and app company AirMap are developing a system that will automate low-altitude drone operation authorizations. (Drone360)

Police in Arizona arrested a man for allegedly flying a drone over a wildfire. (Associated Press)

Dubai’s police will deploy the Otsaw Digital O-R3, an autonomous security robot equipped with facial recognition software and a built-in drone, to patrol difficult-to-reach areas. (Washington Post)

The University of Southampton writes that Boaty McBoatface, an unmanned undersea vehicle, captured “unprecedented data” during its voyage to the Orkney Passage.

Five flights were diverted from Gatwick Airport when a drone was spotted flying nearby. (BBC)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Arcturus UAV a contract to compete in the selection of the Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System. AAI Corp. and Insitu are also competing. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical a $27.6 million contract for the MQ-9 Gen 4 Predator primary datalink. (DoD)

The U.S. Army awarded AAI Corp. a $12 million contract modification for the Shadow v2 release 6 system baseline update. (DoD)

The U.S. Army awarded DBISP a $73,392 contract for 150 quadrotor drones made by DJI and other manufacturers. (FBO)

The Department of the Interior awarded NAYINTY3 a $7,742 contract for the Agisoft Photo Scan, computer software designed to process images from drones. (FBO)

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Computer Sciences Corporation a $200,000 contract for work on drone registration. (USASpending)

The U.S. Navy awarded Hensel Phelps a $36 million contract to build a hangar for the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone at Naval Station Mayport in Florida. (First Coast News)

The U.S. Navy awarded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions a $35 million contract for the BQM-177A target drones. (Military.com)

NATO awarded Leonardo a contract for logistic and support services for the Alliance Ground Surveillance system. (Shephard Media)

Clobotics, a Shanghai-based startup that develops artificial intelligence-equipped drones for infrastructure inspection, announced that it has raised $5 million in seed funding. (GeekWire)

AeroVironment’s stock fell despite a $124.4 million surge in revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter. (Motley Fool)

Ford is creating the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Research team to study emerging technologies. (Ford Motor Company)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Amazon’s “beehive” concept for future multi-storey fulfillment centers. Credit: Amazon

June 19, 2017 – June 25, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

In an interview with Robotics Tomorrow, Center for the Study of the Drone Co-Director Arthur Holland Michel discusses the growing use of drones by law enforcement and describes future trends in unmanned systems technology.

News

The U.S. State Department is set to approve the sale of 22 MQ-9B Guardian drones to India, according to Defense News. The sale is expected to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. The Guardian is an unarmed variant of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B. If the deal is approved and finalized, India would be the fifth country besides the U.S. and first non-NATO member to operate the MQ-9.

The United States shot down another armed Iranian drone in Syria. A U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepted the Shahed-129 drone near the town of Tanf, where the U.S.-led coalition is training Syrian rebel forces. The shootdown comes just days after the U.S. downed another Shahed-129 on June 8, as well as a Syrian SU-22 manned fighter jet on June 18. (Los Angeles Times)

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Pakistani air force shot down an Iranian drone. According to Nafees Zakaria, the unarmed surveillance drone was downed 2.5 miles inside Pakistani territory in the southwest Baluchistan province. (Associated Press)

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk drone crashed in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The RQ-4 is a high-altitude long-endurance surveillance drone. (KTLA5)

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate introduced bills to reauthorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. Both bills include language on drones. The Senate bill would require all drone operators to pass an aeronautical knowledge test and would authorize the FAA to require that drone operators be registered. (Law360)

President Trump spoke with the CEOs of drone companies at the White House as part of a week focused on emerging technologies. Participants discussed a number of topics, including state and local drone laws and drone identification and tracking technologies. (TechCrunch)

The Pentagon will begin offering an award for remote weapons strikes to Air Force personnel in a variety of career fields, including cyber and space. The “R” device award was created in 2016 to recognize drone operators. (Military.com)

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has formed a committee to study electronic drone identification methods and technologies. The new committee is comprised of representatives from industry, government, and law enforcement. (Press Release)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At MarketWatch, Sally French writes that in the meeting at the White House, some CEOs of drone companies argued for more, not fewer, drone regulations. (MarketWatch)

At Air & Space Magazine, James R. Chiles writes that the crowded airspace above Syria could lead to the first drone-on-drone air war.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton looks at how fighter jets of the future will be accompanied by swarms of low-cost armed drones.  

At Drone360, Leah Froats breaks down the different drone bills that have recently been introduced in Congress.

At Motherboard, Ben Sullivan writes that drone pilots are “buying Russian software to hack their way past DJI’s no fly zones.”

At Bloomberg Technology, Thomas Black writes that the future of drone delivery hinges on precise weather predictions.

At Aviation Week, James Drew writes that U.S. lawmakers are encouraging the Air Force to conduct a review of the different MQ-9 Reaper models that it plans to purchase.  

Also at Aviation Week, Tony Osborne writes that studies show that European governments are advancing the implementation of drone regulations.

At The Atlantic, Marina Koren looks at how artificial intelligence helps the Curiosity rover navigate the surface of Mars without any human input.

At Phys.org, Renee Cho considers how drones are helping advance scientific research.

At Ozy, Zara Stone writes that drones are helping to accelerate the time it takes to complete industrial painting jobs.

At the European Council on Foreign Relations, Ulrike Franke argues that instead of following the U.S. example, Europe should develop its own approach to acquiring military drones.

At the New York Times, Frank Bures looks at how a U.S. drone pilot is helping give the New Zealand team an edge in the America’s Cup.

At Cinema5D, Jakub Han examines how U.S. drone pilot Robert Mcintosh created an intricate single-shot fly-through video in Los Angeles.

Know Your Drone

Amazon has filed a patent for multi-storey urban fulfilment centers for its proposed drone delivery program. (CNN)

Airbus Helicopters has begun autonomous flight trials of its VSR700 optionally piloted helicopter demonstrator. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Italian defense firm Leonardo unveiled the M-40, a target drone that can mimic the signatures of a number of aircraft types. (FlightGlobal)

Defense firm Textron Systems unveiled the Nightwarden, a new variant of its Shadow tactical surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (New Atlas)

Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems unveiled the SkEye, a wide-area persistent surveillance sensor that can be used aboard drones. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a WiFi-based  system that allows drones to see through solid walls. (TechCrunch)

Israeli drone maker Aeronautics unveiled the Pegasus 120, a multirotor drone designed for a variety of roles. (IHS Jane’s 360)  

U.S. firm Raytheon has developed a new variant of its Coyote, a tube-launched aerial data collection drone. (AIN Online)

Drone maker Boeing Insitu announced that it has integrated a 50-megapixel photogrammetric camera into a variant of its ScanEagle fixed-wing drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Telecommunications giant AT&T is seeking to develop a system to mount drones on ground vehicles. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman demonstrated an unmanned surface vehicle in a mine-hunting exercise in Belgium. (AUVSI)

Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems unveiled a new radar and laser-based counter-drone system called Drone Dome. (UPI)

French firm Reflet du Monde unveiled the RDM One, a small drone that can be flown at ranges of up to 300 kilometers thanks to a satellite link. (Defense News)

RE2 Robotics is helping the U.S. Air Force build robots that can take the controls of traditionally manned aircraft. (TechCrunch)

The U.S. Marine Corps is set to begin using its Nibbler 3D-printed drone in active combat zones in the coming weeks. (3D Printing Industry)

U.S. drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has completed a design review for its Advanced Cockpit Block 50 Ground Control Station for U.S. Air Force drones. (UPI)

Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center are developing systems for small drones that allows them to determine on their own if they are suffering from mechanical issues and find a place to land safely. (Wired)

The inventor of the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner has unveiled an unmanned ground vehicle that autonomously finds and removes weeds from your garden. (Business Insider)

Drones at Work

A group of public safety agencies in Larimer County, Colorado have unveiled a regional drone program. (The Coloradoan)

Five marijuana growing operations in California will begin using unmanned ground vehicles for security patrols. (NBC Los Angeles)

The Fargo Fire Department in North Dakota has acquired a drone for a range of operations. (KFGO)

The Rochester Police Department in Minnesota has acquired a drone for monitoring patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and other disorders. (Associated Press)

Drone maker Parrot and software firm Pix4D have selected six researchers using drones to study the impacts of climate change as the winners of an innovation grant. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagstaff Police Department used an unmanned ground vehicle to enter the home of a man who had barricaded himself in a standoff. (AZ Central)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Boeing Insitu and Textron Systems contracts to compete for the Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems III drone program. (AIN Online)

The U.S. Navy awarded Arête Associates a $8.5 million contract for the AN/DVS-1 COBRA, a payload on the MQ-8 Fire Scout. (DoD)

The U.S. Army awarded Raytheon a $2.93 million contract for Kinetic Drone Defense. (FBO)

The Spanish Defense Ministry selected the AUDS counter-drone system for immediate deployments. The contract is estimated to be worth $2.24 million. (GSN Magazine)

The European Maritime Safety Agency selected the UMS Skeldar for border control, search and rescue, pollution monitoring, and other missions. (FlightGlobal)

The Belgian Navy awarded SeeByte, a company that creates software for unmanned maritime systems, a contract for the SeeTrack software system for its autonomous undersea vehicles. (Marine Technology News)

A new company established by the Turkish government will build engines for the armed Anka drone. (DefenseNews)

Italian defense firm Leonardo is seeking to market its Falco UAV for commercial applications. (Shephard Media)  

Thales Alenia Space will acquire a minority stake in Airstar Aerospace, which it hopes will help it achieve its goal of developing an autonomous, high-altitude airship. (Intelligent Aerospace)

The Idaho STEM Action Center awarded 22 schools and libraries in Idaho $147,000 to purchase drones. (East Idaho News)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

The Missile Defense Agency is seeking a high-altitude unmanned aircraft that can be equipped with a high-energy laser. Credit: MDA

June 12, 2017 – June 18, 2017

News

A U.S. drone strike in Yemen reportedly killed two individuals suspected of being members of al-Qaeda. The strike targeted a vehicle in Shabwa province, one of several strongholds of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. (Reuters)

The European Union released draft regulations for consumer and commercial drones. The blueprint was assembled by the Single European Sky Air traffic management Research Joint Undertaking, a body set up by the European Commission to study low-altitude drone operations. The EU plans to implement drone regulations by 2019. (Press Release)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

A report by the Center for a New American Security explores possible policies designed to manage military drone proliferation.

A report by the Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic and the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies evaluates the U.S. government’s transparency on drone strikes between 2002 and 2017.

At Fast Company, Steven Melendez considers how the next generation of military drones and autonomous systems could change warfare.

At the National Interest, David Axe writes that the U.S. Air Force is planning to invest more in disposable strike drones than large complex systems.

Also at the National Interest, Dan Goure looks at how U.S. companies are focusing on ending the threat posed by rogue drone use.

At the Washington Post, Thomas Gibbons-Neff writes that U.S. officials are concerned about the ability of ISIS drones to disrupt U.S. operations.

At Lawfare, Rebecca Crootof and Frauke Renz argue that the conversation surrounding lethal autonomous weapons should seek alternative regulatory strategies beyond an outright ban.

At TechCrunch, Brian Heater looks at how RE2 Robotics is making robot control mechanisms more intuitive.

At Inc.com, Will Yakowicz writes that Saildrone, a California-based startup, aims to deploy more unmanned sailboats to measure climate change than all of the satellites in space.

A study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that defibrillator-carrying drones could cut response times for cardiac arrests by 16 minutes. (The Guardian)

An essay at the Economist explores how consumer drones are being put to work for commercial applications.  

At iRevolutions.org, Patrick Meier looks at how flying robots could be used to combat the spread of Zika.

At the University of Toronto, students and faculty discuss the opportunities presented by the development of advanced autonomy for consumer drones.

At KSHB, Belinda Post writes that drones are a popular father’s day gift this year.

At AIN Online, Vladimir Karnozov considers the history of Iranian-Russian collaboration on the development of new drones.

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is looking to acquire a high-altitude long-endurance drone that can carry a high-energy laser to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Drone maker RaptorUAS has unveiled the Raptor EV, a vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

U.S. drone maker Kratos is unveiling its two new low-cost combat drones, the XQ-222 Valkyrie and the UTAP-22 Mako. (New Atlas)

The U.S. Air Force is conducting a study to estimate the service life of its MQ-9 Reaper drones. (Defense Daily)

Airbus Defence and Space will conduct test flights of its Zephyr high-altitude long-endurance drone in Australia next year. (Shephard Media)

U.K. firm Horizon Technologies is looking to mount a satellite phone monitoring sensor on small drones. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Researchers at Nvidia are developing drone navigation systems that rely on computer vision rather than GPS signals. (The Drive)

Amazon has been awarded two patents for its delivery drone system: one for foldable rotor arms and the other for a winch system to lower packages from the drone to the ground. (GeekWire)

Drones at Work

South Korean officials said that a North Korean drone that crashed in the country had taken 10 photographs of a sensitive U.S. missile defense site. (The Washington Post)

A search and rescue team in Colorado used a newly acquired drone to search for a group of missing hikers. (CBS4)

General Electric has begun a program to test drones and unmanned ground vehicles to inspect industrial facilities and infrastructure. (Reuters)

The Croatian Defense Ministry is planning to acquire drones and set up an unmanned aircraft squadron. (Defense News)

Drone Delivery Canada conducted the first beyond visual line of sight delivery test flights in Canada, flying a drone in Alberta from a control center 2,500 kilometers away in Toronto. (AUVSI)

Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice show that there have been more than a dozen attempts to smuggle contraband into federal prisons using drones in the past five years. (USA Today)

Firefighters in London used a drone to assist in the response to the Grenfell Tower fire. (Newsweek)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating reports of illegal drone operations in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Charlotte Observer)

The California National Guard has relocated its fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones from Victorville to the March Air Reserve Base. (Aviation Week)  

Security officials used a Dedrone counter-drone system at the Golden State Warriors’ basketball team’s championship parade in Oakland, California. (Recode)

Massachusetts police used drones for security during the Sail Boston boating event. (Boston Globe)

The Middlesex County prosecutor’s office in New Jersey bought a drone for criminal investigations. (TAP into Piscataway)

The Israeli air force is developing a 15-year roadmap for its fleet of unmanned aircraft. (FlightGlobal)

Police are searching for a drone operator who flew a drone close to air tankers and helicopters assisting in the response to a California brush fire. (10News)

The U.S. Navy picked the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS George H.W. Bush as the first two aircraft carriers to deploy the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueler drone. (USNI News)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing Insitu an $8 million contract for one RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system for the Marine Corps. (DoD)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Raytheon a $5.2 million contract for the Aerial Dragnet program.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Embry-Riddle and Creare a $1 million grant to develop an autonomous flight control system for drones. (Press Release)

The Drone Racing League raised $20 million in grants from Allianz and Sky. (The Telegraph)

Kraken is partnering with Atlas Elektronik to develop a system for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Remote Mine Disposal System requirement. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Laura Ponto, an executive at Alphabet’s Project Wing, is the new chairman of the Commercial Drone Alliance, an industry advocacy organization. (Recode)

Israel’s Aeronautics, a drone manufacturer, has made an initial public offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. (IHS Jane’s 360)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Republic of Singapore Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Neo and Seaman Apprentice Kenneth Seah, both assigned to Mine Countermeasures 194 Squadron, recover an unmanned underwater vehicle during the Western Pacific Naval Symposium Diving Exercise (WPNS-DIVEX) 2017 off the coast of Guam June 12, 2017. WPNS-DIVEX 2017 is a biennial diving exercise conducted by WPNS nations to enhance cooperation, interoperability, and tactical proficiency in diving operations in support of disaster response. (U.S. Navy Combat Camera photo by Information Systems Technician 1st Class Ledget Glover III)

June 5, 2017 – June 11, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

At Washington D.C.’s WTOP radio, Center for the Study of the Drone co-director Dan Gettinger discusses the growing use of drones by public safety agencies in the U.S.

News

A U.S. drone strike reportedly killed eight individuals at an al-Shabab command post in southern Somalia. It is believed to be the first U.S. drone strike in Somalia since President Trump relaxed rules for targeting al-Shabab militants. (New York Times)

Canada announced that it is moving ahead with its acquisition of strike-capable drones. The planned acquisition is part of a $62 billion investment in new military systems and technologies. In a press conference, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the government will carefully review how to best use the drones prior to deployment. (CBC)

Alphabet will sell Boston Dynamics, which makes quadruped and bipedal robots, as well as robotics firm Schaft, to SoftBank Group, a Japanese telecommunications corporation. Boston Dynamics has become well-known for developing advanced, dexterous robots. Alphabet acquired Boston Dynamics in 2013 and Schaft in 2014. (Recode)

A U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone near the Al Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq. In a statement, the U.S.-led coalition said that the drone had earlier attacked U.S. allies on the ground and that it was approximately the size of a U.S. MQ-1 Predator, indicating that it was likely a Shahed-129 drone. A variety of Iranian drones have supported pro-regime forces in Syria since at least 2012. (The Daily Beast) For more on the drones operating in Syria and Iraq, click here.

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

In an in-depth interview at Drone Wars UK, a former British drone pilot discusses his experience flying the MQ-9 Reaper.

Meanwhile, at Over the Horizon, U.S. Air Force Colonel Joseph Campo discusses U.S. drone operations and the psychological toll of those operations on drone pilots.

At the MIT Technology Review, Jonathan W. Rosen looks at how Zipline’s drones are reducing the time it takes to deliver blood to remote medical facilities in Rwanda.

The WeRobotics Global conference featured several panels that considered the use of unmanned systems for humanitarian and conservation purposes. (iRevolutions)

At Recode, April Glaser writes that the Trump administration’s plan to privatize air traffic control could accelerate the push to develop a national drone tracking system.

Meanwhile, at Business Insider, Jonathan Camhi writes that it may be difficult for privately-organized drone air traffic control systems to make it to market.

At IEEE Spectrum, David Schneider looks at some failed drone bills and asks why they never became laws.

DRONEII.com considers the different energy sources available for drones and alternatives to the popular Li-Po batteries.

In a study published in the online Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, Paul Nesbit examines the growing number of close encounters between drones and manned aircraft in Canada. (Phys.org)

In a paper published in the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, David R. Green and Cristina Gomez argue that drones are especially useful for pipeline monitoring.  

In the Georgetown Security Studies Review, Shannon Dick considers the U.S. targeted killing program in the context of Just War Theory.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s 2017 report on Chinese military capabilities highlights China’s progress in developing and exporting drones. (PDF)  For more on China’s drones, click here.

At TechCrunch, Brian Heater looks at how the Robust Adaptive Systems Lab at Carnegie Mellon is developing drones and robots that can work alongside humans.

At CBC, Kyle Bakx visits a village in Canada that is seeking to transform itself into a hub for companies that develop and test drones.

At Radio New Zealand, Roy Olsson, the head of the ICARUS project at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, discusses the future of disposable drones.

A comic strip at xkcd considers the challenges of countering drones. (xkcd)

Know Your Drone

NASA successfully tested five drones in a number of scenarios as part of its unmanned aircraft traffic management system program. (Military Embedded Systems)

Meanwhile, Alphabet conducted a live test of its developmental air traffic control system for drones. (MIT Technology Review)

California startup Airspace Systems has unveiled a drone designed to hunt and catch rogue drones. (Forbes)

Turkish defense firm Meteksan Savunma has developed the country’s first indigenous automatic takeoff and landing system for drones. (Defense News)

Amazon has been awarded a patent for a safety system for its delivery drones that shuts off the aircraft’s rotors if it detects an imminent collision. (Drone Life)

U.S. drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is planning to demonstrate an ultra high-speed laser satellite communication link for drones as well as a drone-mounted high-power kill laser. (Aviation Week)  

U.K. technology firm Wirth Research has unveiled a hydrogen-powered vertical take-off and landing mapping drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Researchers at Georgia Tech are developing the Miniature Autonomous Blimp, an indoor unmanned blimp that has a camera that can detect faces and autonomously follow individuals. (IEEE Spectrum)

Researchers at MIT have developed a small low-cost gas powered drone that can remain aloft for up to five days at a time. (New Atlas)

The China Electronics Technology Group Corporation conducted a flight test of a swarm of 119 small drones. (The Economic Times)   

Several Japanese shipbuilders and shipping firms are partnering to develop remote controlled cargo ships. (The Guardian)

French drone maker Delair-Tech conducted a beyond-line-of-sight flight of a commercial drone at a distance of 30 miles. (Drone Life)

Undersea drone maker Robosea has unveiled the BIKI, a small remote controlled unmanned undersea vehicle. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Drones at Work

The city of Garfield in New Jersey is revising a recently adopted drone ordinance after it was found to contravene FAA authority. (NorthJersey.com) For more on local drone laws, click here.

Navajo County sheriff’s deputies in Arizona used a drone to assist in the search for a man who went missing in a local forest. (White Mountain Independent)

A group of women in Majorca, Spain claim that a drone spied on them while they were sunbathing on a boat. (The Telegraph)

A man in Mountain View, California crashed a drone into a high voltage power line, causing a power outage that affected 1,600 people. (San Francisco Chronicle)

New Zealand’s first drone store opened to large crowds in Auckland. (News Hub)

A Hezbollah TV channel has broadcast footage of what it claims shows U.S. drone that was filmed by an Iranian drone over southeast Syria. (Reuters)

Officials in Fiji are planning to use drones to assist with the country’s 2017 census. (Fiji Sun)

A helicopter operated by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina was involved in a close encounter incident with a drone. (WSOCTV)

Meanwhile, aerial firefighting operations over the Lizard Fire in Arizona were interrupted for four hours after a drone was spotted in the airspace over the fire. (Sierra Vista Herald)

The Philippines has been revealed to be an operator of the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle drone. (IHS Jane’s 360)

South Korea has found what it claims to be a North Korean surveillance drone near the border between the two countries. (Reuters)

Police in Lawrenceville, Georgia are planning to purchase a drone for a range of operations. (AJC.com)

In Nepal, the Kanjirowa-Bullis STEM project tested a drone near Mt Everest at a high altitude. (The Himalayan Times)

An Australian filmmaker has been charged with jeopardizing Cambodia’s national security after he flew a drone over an election rally. (The Phnom Penh Post)

Australian computer vision firm Sentient Vision has announced that its Kestrel automated surveillance system will be deployed aboard the Australian Defence Force’s AeroVironment Wasp tactical drones. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Researchers used an autonomous boat to obtain data from an acidic crater lake at the Poás Volcano in Costa Rica. (The Atlantic)

Industry intel

The European Commission officially launched the 5.5 billion Euro European Defence Fund, which will include funding for unmanned systems development and acquisition. (Press Release)

Japanese investor Kotaro Chiba launched the $9 million DroneFund to invest in drone startups. (The Bridge)

The U.S. Navy awarded Academi Training Center, Insitu, PAE ISR, and AAI contracts for sea and land-based drones for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The total value of the contracts is $1.73 billion. (DoD)

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded AAI Corp. a multiple award with a $475 million maximum order ceiling for Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems. (DoD)

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Insitu a multiple award with a $475 million maximum order ceiling for Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded SpaceX a contract to launch the X-37B unmanned spacecraft in August. (Reuters)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Radio Hill Technologies a $2.5 million contract for 100 Block 3 Dronebuster counter-UAS detection and jamming systems. (Shephard Media)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded BAE Systems two contracts worth $5.4 million to develop a payload architecture that will enable smaller drones to multitask, a program known as CONCERTO. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Oregon State University a $6.5 million grant to improve the trustworthiness of artificial intelligence in robots and drones. (Press Release)

Boeing is partnering with Huntington Ingalls, the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S., to help to develop the company’s Echo Voyager extra large unmanned undersea vehicle (XLUUV). (Defense One)

ECA Group was awarded a contract by an undisclosed NATO navy for its A9-M autonomous underwater vehicles for mine countermeasure operations. (Naval Technology)

Dronefence, a German counter-UAS startup, announced seed funding from Larnabel Ventures, VP Capital, Boundary Holding, and Technology and Business Consulting Group. (Press Release)

Maritime Robotics, a Norwegian company specializing in unmanned maritime vehicles, will provide Seabed Geosolutions with its Mariner unmanned surface vehicle for seismic exploration. (Maritime Journal)

The Duke Energy Foundation awarded Butler Technology and Career Development School in Hamilton, Ohio a $45,000 grant to teach students how to use drones. (WLWT5)

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe awarded three $50,000 grants to the Counter-Drone Research Corporation, TruWeather Solutions, and dbS Productions to conduct research into drones and autonomous vehicles. (StateScoop)  

Nongtian Guanjia, a Chinese agricultural drone startup, raised $7 million in a funding round led by Gobi Partners. (Deal Street Asia)  

Autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence company Cognata raised $5 million from Emerge, Maniv Mobility, and Airbus Ventures. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

A German Heron 1 UAV. Credit: Airbus Defence and Space

May 29, 2017 – June 4, 2017

News

A German court has thrown out a protest filed by U.S. drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems over the German military’s decision to acquire the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP drone over the U.S. firm’s Reaper. The decision by the Oberlandesgericht, the country’s high court, allows the Bundeswehr to proceed with the planned acquisition of five Heron TPs, a medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (DefenseNews)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At War on the Rocks, Jonathan Gillis argues that the U.S. military is not prepared for a future filled with enemy drones.

Also at War on the Rocks, Michael Horowitz considers the ways in which emerging technologies will shape how the U.S. military fights in future conflicts.

In a series of articles at Breaking Defense, Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. looks at how the U.S. military is integrating artificial intelligence into its operations.  

At Defense One, Patrick Tucker writes that Poland is planning to invest in small, lethal drones rather than large unmanned systems like the Reaper.

A study by the University of Washington found delivery drones tend to produce fewer carbon emissions than trucks when traveling short distances. (UW Today)

At TechCrunch, Brian Heater argues that the DJI Spark foldable drone is not quite the “mainstream” drone that it was made out to be.

At Popular Mechanics, Joe Pappalardo considers the role that small, disposable drones will play in the future of warfare.

At ArsTechnica, Sean Gallagher recalls his role in the U.S. Navy’s early experiments with unmanned aircraft.

At the Montreal Gazette, Marc Garneau discusses the potential threat posed by drones to aircraft.

At the Washington Post, Michael Laris considers what is likely to happen in the wake of the federal appeals court’s decision to strike down the FAA’s drone registration rule for hobbyists.

At the Jamestown Foundation, Tobias J. Burgers and Scott N. Romaniuk look at how al-Qaeda learned to adapt to U.S. drone strikes.

The New York Times reports that a former head of the CIA’s drone program will now lead the agency’s Iran operations.

A paper in Remote Sensing offers a survey of the different systems and methods for using drones for marine mammal research. (MDPI)

A paper in Frontiers in Plant Science compares the use of drones and satellite images in monitoring plant invasions.
In Critical Studies in Security, Katharine Hall Kindervater argues that targeted killings are best understood within the context of a shift towards lethal surveillance.

In the Air & Space Power Journal, Lt. Col. Thomas S. Palmer and Dr. John P. Geis II argue that effective counter-drone weapons will be essential in future conflicts.

In the Naval War College Review, Jeffrey E. Kline considers how to effectively integrate robotics into the fleet while recognizing fiscal constraints.

Know Your Drone

Researchers at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute have created a system that turns live dragonflies into steerable drones. (Gizmodo)

A team at the University of Sherbrooke has developed a solar-powered drone than can autonomously land on lakes to recharge its batteries. (IEEE Spectrum)

U.S. firm Drone Aviation Holding Corp. unveiled an automated winch tethering system for DJI Inspire commercial multirotor drones. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Amazon has been awarded a patent for a shipping label that doubles as a parachute for items delivered by drone. (GeekWire)

Meanwhile, Walmart has been awarded a patent for a system that uses blockchain technology to keep track of delivery drones. (CoinDesk)

The Office of Naval Research is developing a drone that can detect buried mines for use in amphibious landings. (Shephard Media)

Apple announced that its education programming App, Swift Playgrounds, will soon support code-writing for robots and drones. (The Verge)  

Belorussian firms presented a range of new military unmanned aircraft at the MILEX 2017 exhibition in Minsk, including the Belar YS-EX, a medium-altitude long-endurance system. (IHS Jane’s 360)

In a test flight, China’s Caihong solar-powered ultra long-endurance drone reached an altitude of 65,000 feet. (The Sun)

Defense firm Lockheed Martin successfully completed a beyond line of sight pipeline inspection operation with its Indago 2 commercial multirotor drone. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

Robot maker SMP Robotics unveiled the S5 Security Robot, an unmanned ground vehicle. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

In a test, the U.S. Army used two Raytheon Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to intercept two drones. (Press Release)

The U.S. Special Operations Command has completed testing for its Joint Threat Warning System sensor for the Puma hand-launched tactical drone. (Shephard Media)

Aerospace firm Russian Helicopters is developing a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing drone. (Shephard Media)

The U.S. Army is planning to test its autonomous trucks on a public highway in Michigan later this month. (Voice of America)

Texas Instruments has designed two circuit-based subsystems that it claims could increase the efficiency of battery-powered drones. (Drone Life)

Drones at Work

In a proof of concept demonstration, Drone Dispatch delivered a box of donuts to a customer by drone in Colorado. (CNET)

The organizers of the Torbay Airshow in the U.K. banned the use of drones at the event. (Devon Live)

Police in Snellville, Georgia are investigating various reports of a drone being used to spy on residents in their homes. (WSBTV)

Officers from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia used a drone to find an armed suspect. (WTOP)

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office in New York has acquired a drone for a range of operations. (Albany Times Union)

North Dakota’s governor has established a task force to support the development of counter-drone technologies. (Press Release)

The Israel Defense Forces is equipping infantry, border defense, and combat intelligence corps units with DJI drones. (Times of Israel)

A Russian bank plans to begin using drones to deliver cash to customers. (Forbes)

Industry Intel

Speaking at the Code Conference, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that Intel will not develop a consumer drone. (Recode)

Snap, the social media company that owns Snapchat, has acquired Ctrl Me Robotics, a California-based drone startup. (Buzzfeed)

The Australian Ministry of Defense announced that it will invest $75 million in small unmanned aircraft systems, including the AeroVironment Wasp AE, for the Australian Army. (Press Release)

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence selected the Insitu Integrator to replace the Insitu ScanEagle. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

The U.S. Army awarded Six3 Advanced Systems a $10.5 million contract to design and develop a prototype for a squad of human and unmanned assets. (DoD)

Three German firms, ESG Elektroniksystem und Logistik, Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz, have partnered to market the Guardion counter-drone solution. (Shephard Media)

2G Robotics will provide the laser scanning, imaging, and illumination systems for the Norwegian Navy’s Kongsberg Maritime Hugin autonomous underwater vehicles. (Shephard Media)

France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement will take delivery of the Thales Spy’Ranger mini drone beginning in late 2018. (IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

The DJI Spark drone. Image via dronetrest.com

May 22, 2017 – May 28, 2017

News

A U.S. drone strike reportedly killed three members of the Pakistani Taliban. According to the Associated Press, the strike targeted a compound in Khost province, Afghanistan, although other sources indicate that the strike was in Pakistan.

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking new powers from Congress to track and destroy wayward drones inside the United States. A draft of the proposed law obtained by the New York Times would allow the federal government to intercept any drone that is viewed as a threat or is flying over a specially designated area such as military bases. According to the Times, the draft bill is currently being discussed in classified briefings on Capitol Hill.

A judge in North Dakota has acquitted a drone operator arrested at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests last year. Aaron Shawn Turgeon was charged with reckless endangerment after police claimed that he had flown close to a surveillance airplane. Footage from cell phones and from Turgeon’s drone contributed to his acquittal. (Bismarck Tribune)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on disruptive technologies and companies.

At Bellingcat, Nick Waters considers trends in ISIS drone bombing tactics based on a database of 121 strikes.

At the Los Angeles Times, Nabih Bulos examines the role that ISIS drones are playing on the battlefield in Mosul.

The editorial board at the Los Angeles Times argues that drones should not be considered the same as toys, even in the wake of the court ruling that struck down the FAA drone registration database.

At East Pendulum, Henri Kenhmann takes a closer look at the Chinese Air Force’s Wing Loong strike drone squadron.

At the Wall Street Journal, Paul J. Davies writes that profits are eluding drone manufacturers in spite of the popularity of consumer drones.

At CNET, Rick Broida surveys the cheap, $20 quadrotor drones that are currently available on the market.

Meanwhile, at Time, John Patrick Pullen looks for the perfect selfie drone.

At the Verge, Sean O’Kane writes that a new DJI policy will remove functionality from their drones unless the user registers with the company.

At Drone360, David O’Connor argues that online retailers are embracing delivery drones out of a desire to exploit consumer tendencies for instant gratification.
At TechCrunch, Brian Heater argues that in spite of new technologies and systems, consumer drones are not quite “mainstream” yet.

At the Taiwan News, Judy Lin writes that Taiwan’s push to develop a medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance drone is still in its early stages.

At the Augusta Chronicle, Thomas Gardiner writes that a Department of Energy investigation into drone sightings near nuclear sites in Georgia has not confirmed any of the reported sightings.

At the Financial Times, Jennifer Thompson looks at the impact that drones have had on workers in different industries.

At the Australian Financial Review, Andrew Burke examines the role that drones had in making the new Pirates of the Caribbean and considers how drones are changing filmmaking.

Know Your Drone

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Boeing are teaming up to build a reusable unmanned space plane called Phantom Express. (Popular Mechanics)

At a launch in New York City, commercial drone maker DJI unveiled Spark, a small consumer quadcopter that can be controlled with hand gestures. (TechCrunch)

In a test flight, a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems SkyGuardian drone remained airborne for 48 hours, a new record for a Predator-series aircraft. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Swedish auto maker Volvo is testing an autonomous garbage truck. (AUVSI)

Swiss drone maker Aeroscout unveiled the Scout B-330, a 50 kg rotary drone that can fly for up to three hours. (GPS World)

Defense firm Textron announced that it has successfully test fired its Fury lightweight precision guided missile from a Shadow tactical drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Israeli defense company UVision has developed a new extended-range loitering munition called the Hero-400EC with an endurance of two hours. (FlightGlobal)

Atmos UAV has unveiled the Marlyn, a vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing drone for commercial applications. (GIM International)

Belarus’s Indela Design Bureau has developed a military vertical take-off and landing drone called Bur. (IHS Jane’s 360)

In a test sponsored by the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin launched a Vector Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle from a Marlin MK2 undersea drone. (Popular Mechanics)

Drone maker SwellPro unveiled the Splash Drone 3, a waterproof multirotor drone that can float on water. (The Verge)

Otsaw, a Singapore-based startup, has developed an autonomous security ground robot equipped with a multirotor drone. (Mashable)

The U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center is testing a biomimetic minehunting unmanned undersea vehicle. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Navy has issued a Request for Information relating to a planned large unmanned surface vehicle program. (FBO)

The U.S. Office of Naval Research and Naval Surface Warfare Command have developed an undersea remotely operated vehicle to assist naval dive teams. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Drones at Work

Chinese retailer JD.com has been granted government approval to operate heavy-load delivery drones along certain fixed routes. (Vox)

A drone crashed into the stands at a San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game in San Diego. (Washington Post)

U.S. Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Lee (R-UT), Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cotton (R-AR) have introduced a bill that would grant local governments the authority to regulate drone use. (Press Release)

The European Space Agency conducted a test in which it used a drone to help explore a cave system in Sicily. (Press Release)

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority has released a mobile app that shows drone operators where they can and cannot fly. (ABC)

Meanwhile, farmers in Australia are using drones to help muster herds of Merino sheep. (ABC)

Somali police have acquired five aerial surveillance drones donated by a former U.S. special operations officer. (Reuters)

The Idaho State Police have acquired four drones for a range of operations. (Idaho State Journal)

A food blogger in New Zealand used a drone to pick up his fried chicken from a KFC for him. (Mashable)

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is using three unmanned aircraft to observe atmospheric changes that could lead to severe thunderstorms. (Press Release)

A number of drone companies have teamed up to provide 3D drone imagery following flooding in Colombia. (UAV Expert News)

An Israeli Skylark drone crashed during a flight over southern Lebanon. (The New York Times)

The non-profit Lindbergh Foundation is using AI developed by Neurala to analyze footage from anti-poaching drones. (Engadget)

Park police in New York State used a drone to help rescue a dog from Letchworth Gorge. (Press Release)

The North Dakota National Guard in Fargo is slated to receive two MQ-9 Reaper drones for training this summer. (MPR News)

North Dakota was host to a simulated disaster exercise in order to test the role that drones could play in disaster response. (KVRR)

The Israeli military announced that it will deploy unmanned ground vehicles to patrol its border with the Gaza Strip in the coming years. (The Algemeiner)

The Yuku Baja Muliku Rangers in Queensland, Australia are using drones to conduct environmental inspections. (Innovators Magazine)

Industry Intel

Echodyne, a startup developing radar systems for drones, raised $29 million in a funding round led by Bill Gates. (TechCrunch)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded the University of Washington a base $3.5 million contract for the Aerial Dragnet program. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $49.4 million advance acquisition contract for components for the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $13 million contract for one multi-function active sensor for the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $65.5 million contract modification for logistic support and sustainment for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (MQ-4) program. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Insitu a $1.8 million contract to train service members on the RQ-21A Blackjack drone. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $14.7 million contract for the AN/AQS-20, a mine hunting sonar that is designed to be towed by unmanned undersea and surface vehicles, as well as by manned platforms. (DoD)   

The U.S. Air Force awarded Radio Hill Technologies a $2.8 million contract for counter-drone systems. (FBO)

The Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador awarded Kraken Sonar Systems $553,609 in funding to support development of the ThunderFish autonomous underwater vehicle. (Press Release)

American Robotics, a company that develops drones for commercial farming applications, secured $1.1 million in a funding round led by Brain Robotics Capital. (Press Release)

DroneSAR, a Dublin-based startup that seeks to develop drone software for emergency response, will receive $55,880 in funding as part of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre. (Silicon Republic)

Ontario-based SkyX received $4 million in funding from Kuang-Chi Group to continue developing self-charging drones for long-range industrial inspection missions. (Unmanned Aerial Online)  

L3 Technologies has acquired Open Water Power, a Massachusetts-based company that develops high-density aluminium batteries for unmanned undersea vehicles. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Israeli drone manufacturer Aeronautics will make an initial public offering by mid-June. (IHS Jane’s 360)

BIKI, an autonomous commercial underwater drone equipped with a 4K camera, has reached its fundraising goal on Kickstarter. (News Ledge)

Alta Devices and PowerOasis announced a partnership to develop a solar/lithium-ion hybrid battery for drones. (Drone360)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Latvian drone manufacturer Aerones organized the world’s first drone skydive. Credit: Aerones/YouTube

News

A U.S. Court of Appeals has struck down the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone registration requirement for recreational operators. The federal court ruled that the registration system violates the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which does not grant the FAA the authority to regulate hobby aircraft. More than 820,000 people have registered their drones with the FAA since the requirement was implemented in 2015. (Recode)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Harvard Business Review, Chris Anderson examines the economic potential of drones to transform industries like construction.

At Wired, Rhett Allain studies the physics of a quadcopter in flight.

In a statement, Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) urges the Department of Defense to develop an air traffic management system for drones. (Press Release)

In a speech at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, General Raymond Thomas said that armed ISIS drones were the “most daunting problem” of the past year. (DefenseNews)

The U.S. Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development held a hearing on drones and self-driving cars.

At the Indianapolis Star, Ryan Martin writes that police departments in Indiana are pushing back against a state law that prohibits police from using drones for surveillance.

At War is Boring, David Axe looks at how the U.S. Air Force is using robotic F-16 fighters to test the teaming of manned and unmanned aircraft in combat.

At The Strategy Bridge, Brian M. Michelson considers the challenge of accountability in autonomous weapons.

At the Intercept, Shuaib Almosawa and Murtaza Hussain write that family members of individuals killed in a U.S. drone strike are disputing claims that the men were members of al-Qaeda.

At Vox, Timothy B. Lee writes that artificial intelligence is “getting more powerful, and it’s about to be everywhere.”

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton looks at how ISIS is developing remote-controlled weapons that appear similar to some of the earliest drones.

At Ars Technica, Megan Geuss visits a drone racing event to discover the appeal that draws would-be racers to the budding sport.

The Digital Forensic Research Lab look at how separatists in Ukraine use drones and text messages to spread propaganda.

Paint By Drone, a graffiti drone system, will create its first two installations in Berlin and Turin later this year. (Progrss)

Know Your Drone

Amazon announced that is has started development of an air traffic management system for its delivery drones. (Bloomberg)

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and ETH Zurich in Switzerland are developing systems that enable drones to maintain the exact framing of a scene specified by the operator. (Engadget)

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is working to develop solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can remain aloft for extended periods. (R&D Magazine)

Maritime firms Yara and Kongsberg are partnering to develop an autonomous electric cargo ship that produces zero emissions. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

An official at the U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center has said that the service’s next tank will have the ability to operate aerial drones. (War is Boring)

In a test, a robotic co-pilot system developed by Aurora Flight Sciences successfully landed a simulated Boeing 737 commercial airliner. (Aviation Week)  

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing drone swarms in which the aircraft are protected by a virtual bumper area that prevents them from crashing into each other. (Engadget)

The Air Force Research Laboratory released a rendering of what appears to be its planned Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology drone. (The Drive)

Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory presented a number of unmanned aircraft projects at the second biennial Department of Defense Lab Day, including the Ninja counter-drone system and the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology Program. (Press Release)

U.S. firm Endeavor Robotics unveiled a variant of its 710 Kobra ground robot armed with a 7.62mm machine gun. (Shephard Media)

The Unmanned Mine Counter Measure Integrated System, an unmanned undersea vessel built by Russian shipyard SNSZ, has been declared fully operational with the Kazakh Navy. (Press Release)

Singapore-based firm Zycraft announced that its Independent USV completed a test in which it was deployed in the South China Sea for a continuous period of 22 days. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is developing small unmanned aircraft that can be launched from AC-130 gunships or similar manned aircraft. (IHS Jane’s 360)

During a trial operation off the coast of San Clemente Island, a U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout  drone helicopter served as a laser designation platform for a Hellfire missile fired from an MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter. (Press Release)

Drones at Work

Japanese fighter jets were scrambled in response to a drone operated by a Chinese vessel over disputed waters in the East China Sea. (Nikkei Asian Review)

A Jordanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that was flying near the Syrian border.  (IHS Jane’s 360)

Police in South Pasadena, California used a drone to aid in the search for a missing boy. (The Los Angeles Times)  

Officials in Elk City, Oklahoma enlisted students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to survey damage from a recent tornado with a drone. (News9)

Two aerial inspection services companies, AirShark and Unmanned Experts, used drones to inspect a crucial railroad bridge in New York State. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

The West Australia Police air wing is planning to test drones for a range of operations including investigations and search and rescue missions. (The West Australian)

Researchers using drones to study narwhals found that the animals appear to use use their long, sharp tusks to stun their prey. (New Atlas)

U.S. startup DroneSeed has obtained FAA approval to operate multiple drones carrying agricultural payloads. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

Police in Brick Township, New Jersey have purchased a drone for search and rescue and scene documentation. (App.com)

As part of an inauguration ceremony for an unmanned aircraft runway, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe flew in a remotely piloted airplane. (Press Release)

Researchers at the University of California are using drones to study tortoise habitats in the Mojave Desert. (IGIS)

The Les Nicolles prison in the the U.K. has installed a Sky Fence counter-drone system. (The Telegraph)

The Israeli Air Force is planning to replace its Sea Scan manned maritime patrol aircraft with the IAI Heron 1, a medium-altitude long-endurance drone. (UPI)  

Industry Intel

DroneWERX, a new initiative by the U.S. Special Operations Command and Strategic Capabilities Office, will focus on rapidly acquiring and fielding new drones and robots, swarms, and machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies for special operations. (DefenseNews)

The U.S. Special Operations Command has placed an urgent order for 325 AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munition drones. (Defense One) For more on loitering munitions, click here.

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $400 million contract for 36 MQ-9 Reaper aircraft. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $303.9 million contract modification for three Lot 2 MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft and associated equipment. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Leidos a $299,570 contract for the Open Ocean Counter Unmanned Underwater Vehicle. (FBO)

The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental awarded FlyMotion a $35,388 contract for DJI drones. (FBO)

Delphi will collaborate with BMW, Intel, and Mobileye to develop and field automated vehicles by 2021. (Associated Press)

Silverstone, the British racing circuit, has reportedly contracted Drone Defence to provide counter-drone systems for the Formula 1 race in July. (The Sun)

The University of Aarhus in Denmark awarded YellowScan a $114,316 contract for a UAS LiDAR solution for surveying. (Ted)

Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a state-owned military industrial company that will manufacture drones, as well as a variety of other military systems and equipment. (Reuters)

Amazon will open a research center outside of Paris that will focus on developing its Prime Air drone delivery concept. (Venture Beat)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 (EODMU5) Platoon 142 recover an unmanned underwater vehicle onto a Coastal Riverine Group 1 Detachment Guam MK VI patrol boat in the Pacific Ocean May 10, 2017. Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Torrey W. Lee/ U.S. Navy

May 8, 2017 – May 14, 2017

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News

The International Civil Aviation Organization announced that it plans to develop global standards for small unmanned aircraft traffic management. In a statement at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Xponential trade conference, the United Nations agency said that as part of the initiative it has issued a Request for Information on air traffic management systems for drones. (GPS World)

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has created a new office dedicated to drones and autonomous systems. According to Gov. McAuliffe, the Autonomous Systems Center for Excellence will serve as a “clearinghouse and coordination point” for research and development programs related to autonomous technologies. (StateScoop)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Telegraph, Alan Tovey writes that the U.K.’s exit from the European Union is unlikely to affect cross-channel cooperation on developing fighter drones.

At the Dead Prussian Podcast, Ulrike Franke discusses the role that drones currently play in the military.

At IHS Jane’s 360, Daniel Wasserbly writes that the U.S. Marine Corps will slow its acquisition of the Boeing Insitu Blackjack drone.

At the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, James Rogers argues that the Trump administration policy on drones is “likely to prove counterproductive.”

At IEEE Spectrum, David Schneider examines state and local drone regulations.

In the Journal of Archaeological Science, Sean Field, Matt Waite, and LuAnn Wandsnider consider the utility of drones for archeological surveys.

At RJI Online, Jennifer Nelson looks at what a television station in Idaho is learning about using drones for news coverage.

A report by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights considers the “impact of drone attacks on law, warfare and society.”

At The New York Times, William Grimes visits “Drones: Is the Sky the Limit?,” a new exhibition at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

In a paper in the International Organization journal, Matthew Fuhrmann and Michael C. Horowitz consider the reasons that states acquire drones.

At Bloomberg, Justin Bachman looks at how different companies are seeking an advantage in managing data from drones for commercial purposes.

At the Associated Press, Dario Lopez and Joshua Goodman write about a U.S. Coast Guard program using drones to counter maritime smuggling.

In a speech at the Xponential 2017 trade show, Intel Corporation CEO Brian Krzanich argued that data will be the most significant aspect of the drone industry. (AUVSI)

At the South China Morning Post, Li Tao writes that China’s popular consumer drone brands are increasingly turning to the commercial sector.

At Defense One, Marcus Weisgerber writes that the Pentagon is using machine-learning to help identify ISIS targets.

Know Your Drone

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology unveiled the Saqr 1, an armed drone with a range of up to 2,500 km. (IHS Jane’s 360)  

U.S. drone maker AeroVironment unveiled the Snipe, a nano quadcopter that weighs just 150 grams. (New Atlas)

In a test, startup Volans-i flew a delivery drone along a 100-mile route in Texas, a new record for a drone delivery. (Tech Crunch)

Energy firm twingtec is developing a tethered drone that harvests power from the wind. (Design Boom)

The U.S. Army is seeking a midsize cargo drone that could operate with a high level of autonomy. (FlightGlobal)

Nautilus, a California startup, is developing a cargo drone that could carry thousands of pounds of goods over long distances. (Air & Space Magazine)

Drone maker Pulse Aerospace unveiled two new rotorcraft drones for military and commercial applications, the Radius 65 and the Vapor 15. (Press Release)

Piaseki Aerospace will likely submit its ARES demonstrator drone for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Unmanned Expeditionary Capabilities program. (FlightGlobal)

Turkish defense firm Aselsan has unveiled two new counter-drone systems. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Defense firm Kratos confirmed that it has conducted several demonstration flights of a high performance jet drone for an undisclosed customer. (FlightGlobal)

Technology firm Southwest Research Institute has been granted a patent for a system by which military drones can collaborate with unmanned ground vehicles. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

The U.S. Army is interested in developing a mid-size unmanned cargo vehicle that could carry up to 800 pounds of payload. (FlightGlobal)

A student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design has created a drone designed to help parents track their children. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

French drone maker Parrot is set to begin developing a line of prosumer drones. (Recode)

Defense firm Qinetiq has announced that it will pursue the U.S. Army’s Lightweight Reconnaissance Robot program. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Army is seeking a replacement engine for the RQ-7 Shadow tactical drone. (FlightGlobal) 

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon have been crashing autonomous drones repeatedly in order to teach them how to avoid crashing. (IEEE)

An Air Force investigation found that the cause of the crash of an MQ-9 Reaper drone in Nevada last summer was pilot error. (Press Release)

A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency press release describes in detail its recent military academy swarming competition.

Raytheon announced that it has installed ground-based sense-and-avoid systems at a number of air bases in the U.S. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Digital Circuit has put together a compilation of images of some of the more interesting drones at this year’s Xponential drone conference.

Drones at Work

A drone flying over a bike race in in Rancho Cordova, California crashed into a cyclist. (Market Watch)

Meanwhile, a consumer drone crashed into a car crossing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia. It is the second time a drone has crashed at the site of the bridge in the past nine months. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Insurance company Travelers has trained over 150 drone operators to use drones for insurance appraisals over properties. (Insurance Journal)

Kazakhstan’s armed forces displayed a number of its recently acquired unmanned aircraft during a military parade. (IHS Jane’s 360)

A Latvian technology firm used a large multirotor drone to carry a skydiver to altitude before he parachuted back down to earth. (Phys.org)

Clear Flight Solutions and AERIUM Analytics are set to begin integrating the Robird drone system, a falcon-like drone that scares birds away from air traffic, at Edmonton International Airport. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Army awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $221.6 million contract modification for 20 extended range Gray Eagle drones and associated equipment. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Electric a $14 million contract for work that includes the Thermal Management System for unmanned aircraft. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing Insitu a $8.1 million contract for spare parts for the RQ-21A Blackjack. (DoD)

The United Arab Emirates awarded Canada-based CAE a contract estimated at $40.9 million to train drone operators. (UPI)

Airbus opened a subsidiary in Atlanta that will sell imagery from satellites and drones to commercial clients. (AIN Online)

Turkish Aerospace Industries will begin cooperating with ANTONOV Company on the development of unmanned systems. (Press Release)

Aker, a company that develops drones for agriculture, won $950,000 in funding from the Clean Energy Trust Challenge. (Chicago Tribune)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Tech. Sgt. Mike, Master Sgt. Alex and Master Sgt. Mike stand next to a T-6A Texan II parked on the west flight line at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, May 4, 2017. They completed undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft training May 5th here and the T-6A is one of the planes they trained in. They are the first Air Force enlisted airmen to train as pilots since World War II. Image: US Air Force

May 1, 2017 – May 7, 2017

If you would like to receive the Weekly Roundup in your inbox, please subscribe at the bottom of the page.

News

The European Aviation Safety Association has proposed a set of regulations for small drones. The rules include geo-fencing requirements to protect restricted airspace, as well as the inclusion of educational pamphlets in retail packaging for consumer drones. The agency will submit a final draft to the European Commission by the end of the year following a public comment period. (Reuters)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Scout Warrior, David Hambling looks at the different ways that small, low-cost drones will be used to shape the battlefields of the future.

At the Air Force Times, Stephen Losey profiles the Air Force’s first enlisted RQ-4 Global Hawk drone pilots.

At the National Interest, Samuel Bendett writes that Russia is pushing ahead with the development of unmanned ground vehicles.

At Motherboard, David Axe writes that live footage from U.S. military drones may have accidentally leaked onto the Internet.

At Recode, April Glaser and Kurt Wagner write that Facebook is turning to a tethered drone produced by a San Francisco-based startup to bring Internet to hard-to-reach areas.

The Digital Forensic Research Lab looks at the Russian-made Orlan-10 drones that have recently crashed in Ukraine.

At the Army Times, Todd South writes that U.S. defense officials are pushing to update DoD’s acquisition process in order to accommodate new technologies like drones.

At Wired, Sophia Chen profiles the ArcticShark, a drone originally designed for military service that is now being used to study climate change.

At AIN Online, Bill Carey writes that the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee is taking steps to implement a counter-drone strategy for U.S. airports and critical infrastructure.

At C4ISRNET, Valerie Insinna writes that the Department of Defense is expected to soon release a new unmanned systems roadmap, its first since 2013.

At Deadspin, Dan McQuade examines the case of a drone user who was charged with reckless endangerment for allegedly flying a drone near the NFL Draft event.

At the Spokesman-Review, William L. Spence writes that citizens in Pullman, Washington are voicing privacy concerns about the police department’s plan to acquire drones.

At the Los Angeles Times, Samantha Masunaga looks at how an air traffic system for drones might actually work in practice.

At Dezeen, Marcus Fairs profiles a Tokyo-based architecture firm preparing for a future in which drones radically alter city life.

At ADN, Alex DeMarban writes that transportation officials in Alaska may save money by using drones instead of airplanes to obtain aerial images of structures and terrain.

A photograph by Andrew Studer captures what appears to be a drone flying illegally over a lava spout in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. (PetaPixel)

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Air Force conducted its first ever strike using a GBU-38 GPS-guided bomb from an MQ-9 Reaper in Syria, just days after completing testing of the weapon aboard the drone. (Breaking Defense)

Rapid Composites unveiled the Bullray, an armed amphibious vertical take-off and landing drone. (Press Release)

IBM has filed a patent for a system that enables the transfer of packages between two flying drones. (New Atlas)

Turkey’s defense ministry has conducted test firings of domestically produced weapons mounted on a Turkish Aerospace Industries Anka drone. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Augmented reality technology startup Edgybees has unveiled an augmented reality game that allows drone pilots to fly along a virtual obstacle course. (Spatial Source)

The U.S. Navy is studying the possibility of using drones to keep track of sailors during man-overboard situations. (Naval Technology)

Colorado firm Black Swift Technologies is building two drones that will be used to study volcanoes. (KUSA)

Researchers at the University of Nevada have developed an unmanned ground vehicle for inspecting bridges. (New Scientist)

Drone maker UAV Solutions has test-flown a drone beyond visual line of sight using a 4G LTE network connection. (Shephard Media)  

Meanwhile, chipmaker Qualcomm has announced that an extensive study shows that drones can reliably be controlled using an LTE data connection. (Engadget)

China is reportedly developing a ground-effects drone-missile hybrid. (The Drive)

The AirSelfie, a selfie micro-drone funded through a Kickstarter campaign, is now available for pre-order. (Forbes)

U.S. firm Valmie Resources is set to unveil the Transition UAV, a long endurance fixed-wing drone. (Shephard Media)

Unmanned systems maker iRobot has added Alexa functionality to some of its Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaners, allowing the systems to be controlled with voice commands. (TechCrunch)

Drones at Work

Researchers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are experimenting with drones for counting herds of Elk. (KTVZ)

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota used a drone for aerial surveillance during a standoff with an armed suspect. (KSFY)

First responders in Spanish Fork, Utah used a drone to assist the search for a man who went missing last month. (KSL)

Nevada aerospace firm AviSight has been granted permission to fly drones over the Las Vegas Strip. (U.S. News)

An MQ-9 Reaper drone being operated from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico crashed during a flight. The Air Force has not released further details about the incident. (Holloman AFB)

A number of U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawks arrived at Yokota Air Base in Japan, where they will be deployed temporarily for a range of reconnaissance missions. (Yokota AFB)

Two men were arrested in South Carolina after allegedly attempting to smuggle contraband into a prison using drones. (Associated Press)

The Connecticut state legislature chose to not pursue a bill that would allow law enforcement to use weaponized drones. (CT News Junkie)

Police in Riverside County, California arrested a man accused of illegal dumping after he was spotted from above by a local drone pilot. (NBC Los Angeles)

The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office has acquired a drone that was donated by a California software company. (Port Clinton News Herald)

The San Francisco city government is developing policies that would enable city agencies to use drones. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Animal rights group Showing Animals Respect and Kindness has been using drones to document activities at feedlots and a livestock research facility in Nebraska. (Cattle Network)

Industry Intel

Fortem Technologies, a Utah-based company developing a counter-drone radar, raised $5.5 million in a funding round led by Signia Venture Partners and Data Collective. (TechCrunch)

DARPA awarded Lockheed Martin a $4.5 million contract for Aerial Dragnet, a program examining the use of drones for persistent, wide-area surveillance of drones over urban areas. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $32.6 million contract modification for radar and software upgrades to the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Aquabotix a $125,000 contract for unmanned undersea vehicles. (Defence Connect)

The U.S. Navy awarded a contract for software for the Forward Deployed Energy and Communications Outpost unmanned undersea vehicle. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $40 million contract for the Battle Field Airborne Communications Node for the EQ-4B Global Hawk. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Robonic, a Finnish company and subsidiary of Safran Electronics and Defense, a contract for two Kontio pneumatic launchers for drones. (UPI)

The U.S. Army awarded Black-I-Robotics a $150,000 contract for an unmanned ground vehicle with a robotic arm. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Source 4 Industries a $6,952.50 contract for pneumatic caster wheels for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle transport cases. (FBO)

Israel’s Meteor Aerospace was awarded its first contract for the Impact 700 drone by an unidentified customer. (FlightGlobal)

General Atomics Aeronautical selected GKN Aerospace Fuel Systems to supply the fuel bladder system for the MQ-9B Reaper. (Press Release)

Statistics MRC predicts that the global market for drones will reach $22.15 billion by 2022. (DefenseNews)

Applied Research Associates acquired Neya Systems, a Pennsylvania-based unmanned systems company. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Arth-Wind, a Brazilian wind energy company, contracted Portugal-based Pro-Drone to provide wind turbine inspections services. (Renewable Energy World)

Amazon announced that it will expand research and development operations in the U.K. by moving to a new, larger facility. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Researchers at Georgia Tech tested swarms of autonomous drones. Credit: Javier Chagoya/ U.S. Navy

April 17, 2017 – April 23, 2017

News

A U.S. drone strike in Yemen reportedly killed four suspected members of al-Qaeda. According to Yemeni officials, the strike targeted al-Qaeda fighters in the central Marib province. (Reuters)

The U.S. Department of Transportation will audit the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval process for granting waivers for drone operations that are currently prohibited under federal regulations. The audit is the second that the agency has faced in the past year. (AIN Online)

Twenty members of Congress are urging the Trump administration to sell armed drones to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. In a letter to the President, the lawmakers argue that the sale would have both economic and security benefits for the U.S. The Obama administration limited the sale of large drones to a small number of close U.S. allies. (The National)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the Diplomat, Ian Armstrong looks at how an influx of Chinese military drones to Saudi Arabia could influence dynamics in the region.

Meanwhile, in an editorial by China’s state-run newspaper Xinhua, the designer of the Wing-Loong II drone discusses the capabilities of the new system and plans for exports.

A study by Bellingcat, Human Rights Watch, and Forensic Architecture argues that a U.S. airstrike in Syria that involved drones did indeed target a mosque. (Bellingcat)

At Newsweek, Jeff Stein reports that a U.S. drone strike in January 2016 nearly killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda.

Also at Newsweek, Damien Sharkov writes that Russia could be exploring the development of a weapon that fires shrapnel at drones.

At the National Interest, Jerry Hendrix argues that the U.S. Navy’s plans for the MQ-25 Stingray drone will limit the drone’s ability to act as a long-range refueler for manned jets.

Also at the National Interest, Jarek Buss argues that the Trump administration should invest in drones, rather than a wall, to protect the U.S. border.

A new U.S. Army manual, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Techniques, presents different tactics and procedures for defending against drones. (FAS)

At IEEE Spectrum, David Schneider considers whether drones should be required to broadcast a code by radio that would identify the user.

At the BBC, a former U.K. prison official argues that the drone smuggling issue is a “red herring.”

At the Drone Radio Show podcast, Michael Monnik discusses the drone cybersecurity sector. (Soundcloud)

At the Press Democrat, Derek Moore writes that parks in Sonoma County, California have different rules on drones.

In a Defence Connect podcast, Ron Bartsch discusses Australia’s push to become a global leader in civilian and military drone technology.

Drone, a new film starring Sean Bean, is a thriller about a CIA drone pilot. (A.V. Club)

A new music video by chillwave artist Syre was filmed mostly using a drone. (Drone360)

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Marine Corps is developing disposable plywood glider drones that can deliver 700 pounds of goods at distances of up to 70 miles. (Popular Mechanics)

In field tests, the U.S. Army used a Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle mounted with a Mobile High Energy Laser to shoot dozens of drones out of the sky. (The Drive)

Researchers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute and Naval Postgraduate School orchestrated a large test dogfight between two opposing swarms of autonomous drones. (Press Release)

Singapore’s Defence Ministry is developing a drone that can launch from an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle. (Today Online)

Startup firm SwellPro has developed two waterproof drones for fishing applications. (FStoppers)

Researchers at New York University have developed a robot control interface based on augmented reality technologies. (IEEE Spectrum)

An automated vehicle consortium in the U.K. is set to begin the country’s first driverless vehicle trials this year. (Bristol Post)

The non-profit Robots in Service of the Environment has developed an unmanned undersea vehicle that stuns and captures invasive lionfish. (Unmanned Systems Technology)  

Singapore Post and Airbus Helicopters are partnering to develop a drone delivery system called Skyways. (Channel News Asia)

Researchers at Cornell University are developing a networked coordination system for drones and robots. (Recode)

Israel Aerospace Industries is updating the design of its Panther hybrid drone after an early prototype was damaged in tests last year. (FlightGlobal)

The Moscow Aviation Institute is developing a paraglider drone. (Mil.Today)

U.S. firm Aurora Flight Sciences is pitching the concept of an armed variant of its LightningStrike prototype drone for the U.S. Marine Corps. (Aviation Week)

Data management services firm DroneDeploy unveiled Fieldscanner, an application that allows one to generate low resolution aerial maps from a drone’s sensor in real time. (TechCrunch)

The European Defence Agency is sponsoring a study on how unmanned ground vehicles could be deployed in non-military domains. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Facebook is developing a tethered drone that can be used to provide wi-fi coverage during natural disasters. (Recode)

The U.S. Department  of Homeland Security is establishing a research and development program for drones at Mississippi State University. (Sun Herald)

Meanwhile, defense firm Northrop Grumman opened its drone research and development and training facility in North Dakota. (AIN Online)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has issued a call for proposals for artificially intelligent systems that learn by themselves over time. (FedScoop)

Drones at Work

Search and rescue teams at the Grand Canyon used a drone to search for two lost hikers. (Associated Press)

Researchers from the University of Bristol and Cambridge University are using fixed-wing drones to gather data from an erupting volcano in Guatemala. (Fox News)

U.S. Central Command released drone footage that appears to show ISIL fighters using civilians as human shields. (ABC News)

A pair of U.K. researchers are using drones to listen for bat calls. (New Scientist)

The town of Hanover in Massachusetts has obtained approval from the FAA to operate drones for a range of applications. (Yahoo! Finance)

The Duncan Police Department in Oklahoma is creating a drone program for search and rescue missions. (The Duncan Banner)

The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill that relaxes restrictions on drone use and would allow drones to be equipped with firearms for hunting and other applications. (Willamette Week)

A Lakshya target drone crashed during a training exercise in the Balasore district of India. (Indian Express)

Firefighters in Coral Springs, Florida used a drone to assist in the response to a fire at a Dollar Tree store. (Local 10 News)

A Tennessee drone hobbyist’s drone was shot down by an unidentified shooter. (Local 8 Now)

Industry Intel

The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental announced that it has awarded a total of $12.3 million in contracts for 13 new projects, including a counter-drone initiative. (FedScoop)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Televere Systems a $190,000 contract for NERVA LG Vehicle Robots. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Foster-Miller a $227,482 contract for Dragon Runner robots. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Tactical Electronics and Military Supply a $9,922 contract for SIRE multi-functional IED robots. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Atlantic Diving Supply a $87,039 contract for Endeavor robots. (FBO)

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will provide the Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant battery system for the Semi-Autonomous Hydrographic Reconnaissance Vehicle. (Press Release)

The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command selected XTAR to provide X-band satellite services for the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone. (Press Release)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Iran unveiled the Mohajer 6 drone last week, the latest in the Mohajer family. Credit: Tasnim News

April 10, 2017 – April 16, 2017

News

A drone strike in the Sinai reportedly killed one person. According to al-Jazeera, the strike targeted a house in Rafah, a town that borders the Gaza Strip. Hours before the strike, an ISIS affiliate in the Sinai launched a rocket attack into Israel. (The Times of Israel)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At TechCrunch, Lora Kolodny examines why Flybrix, a startup drone manufacturer, decided to avoid a crowdfunding campaign.

At Recode, April Glaser writes that hobby drone maker DJI is “running away with the drone market.”

In a video at IEEE Spectrum, Allison Ferguson discusses how PrecisionHawk is experimenting with beyond line-of-sight drone operations.

At USNI News, Megan Eckstein looks at how a recent contract for two unmanned surface vehicles will shape the Navy’s acquisition decisions in 2018.

At AIN Online, Bill Carey writes that Northrop Grumman is nearing delivery of the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone.

At DefenseNews, Jen Judson surveys the technology driving the next generation of U.S. Army unmanned ground vehicles.

At IHS Jane’s 360, Gareth Jennings describes the role that U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers are playing in the counter-ISIS campaign.

At Air & Space Magazine, Ed Darack looks at how tethered drones can, in some urban situations, be more useful than free-flying drones.

At Deseret News, Jarek Buss argues that deploying more drones on the U.S. border with Mexico would be more effective than building a border wall.

Meanwhile, at Aviation Week & Space Technology, James Drew examines whether an updated Aurora Orion long-endurance surveillance drone could be used for maritime border security.

In a podcast at the Modern War Institute, Maj. Jen Snow and Dr. James Canton discuss the future military applications of robots, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality.

At Yale Books Unbound, Christopher Fuller looks at why the Trump administration decided to expand the drone strike authority of the CIA.

Meanwhile, at the Cipher Brief, Rachel Stohl argues that the Trump administration could undo President Obama’s improvements to transparency and accountability surrounding drone strikes.

At the New York Times, Ben C. Solomon reports on an ISIS drone attack on Iraqi forces in Mosul.  

At the Associated Press, Dave Kolpack writes that job opportunities for drone mechanics are on the rise.

Know Your Drone

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has developed an unmanned version of the Russian T-72 Tank, which will be used by the U.S. Army as a target for training. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

European utility E.ON is investing in a tethered drone system that can be used to generate offshore wind energy. (CleanTechnica)

Researchers at St. Petersburg Marine Technical University have unveiled a new unmanned undersea glider. (Mil.Today)

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is preparing to test its Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA) swarming drones. (TechCrunch)

The U.S. Navy conducted the first test flight of its MQ-8C Fire Scout from a Littoral Combat Ship. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

In a live test, defense firm Lockheed Martin demonstrated autonomous systems for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Loyal Wingman program. (Aviation Week)

Drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems successfully conducted a test flight of its MQ-9 Reaper equipped with a Raytheon radar system. (AUVSI)

Aviation firm Textron is planning to demonstrate its Aerosonde vertical take-off and landing drone from a Navy vessel later this year. (Sea Power Magazine)

Researchers at the University of Manchester tested what happens when consumer quadcopter drones are struck by lightning. (Gizmodo)

Azerbaijan’s Defense Industry Ministry has announced that it will begin production of its Zarba-KH surveillance and reconnaissance drone this year. (Azernews)

In a simulated test, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command demonstrated the mission control system for its developmental MQ-25 Stingray drone. (Press Release)

In a statement, the U.K. Minister of Defence Harriet Baldwin called for proposals for autonomous systems to deliver supplies to troops in the field. (MoD)

Drones at Work

The U.S Air Force is planning to deploy five of its RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance drones to Yokota Air Base in Japan in May. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The City of San Diego in California has passed an ordinance regulating private drone use in the area. (The San Diego Union Tribune) For more on local drone laws, click here.

Meanwhile, drones have been banned from all public parks in Sacramento County, California. (KCRA)

And the town of Toms River in New Jersey is considering an ordinance that would ban drone use below 400 feet. (NJ.com)

The Middleton Police Department in Wisconsin used a drone to aid in the search for the fugitive Joseph Jakubowski. (Channel 3000)

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office in California dropped charges against a man who flew a drone near a wildfire in July of last year. (KCRA)

The Lebanon Police Department in Indiana has acquired a drone for operations. (The Lebanon Reporter)

The Clare County Council is considering the possibility of using drones to track illegal dumping. (The Clare Champion)

The Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District in California is preparing to use drones to search for mosquitoes in support of an upcoming eradication effort. (Fox 40)

This year’s Coachella music festival featured a drone swarm light show. (The Los Angeles Times)

A hobby drone flying over Seven Mile Beach in Jamaica struck a pelican and crashed into the beach. (UPI)

Industry Intel

A report by the NPD Group found that consumer drone sales doubled in the past year. (Press Release)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Boeing a $7.6 million contract for Hydra Phase 2, a program intended to develop networks of unmanned undersea vehicles. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems $24.8 million, Boeing $19.2 million, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics $18.9 million, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems $18.7 million contract modifications for additional risk reduction activities in support of the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueler. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems a $12.7 million contract for MQ-8 Fire Scout engineering and maintenance support. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Unit a $33.1 million contract for an unmanned aircraft systems hangar at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. (DoD)

Ocean Infinity awarded 4D Nav a contract for mission planning software for autonomous underwater vehicles. (OE Digital)

Australia’s EPE purchased the Department 13 MESMER counter-drone system on behalf of an unnamed end customer. (iTWire)

Two Swiss prisons awarded Rheinmetall AG contracts for the Radshield drone detection system. (Press Release)

Please note: The Department of Defense has issued a correction for a contract for URS Federal Services that was included in last week’s Roundup. According to the correction, the contract is for a range of support services and not for remotely piloted aircraft.

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Verizon and American Aerospace Technologies tested a drone designed to provide network coverage in emergencies. Credit: Verizon

April 3, 2017 – April 9, 2017

Public Safety Drones

Police and first responder drones were once a sci-fi fantasy; now they are a reality, appearing with increasing frequency in cities and towns throughout the U.S. In a new study, we have identified nearly 350 police, sheriff, fire, and other public safety agencies in 43 states that have acquired drones in recent years. These drones provide users with a range of opportunities to carry out their missions more safely and effectively than by other means, but they also raise concerns about surveillance and safety.

News

The U.S. military carried out at least 20 air strikes in Yemen in early April. According to a statement by the Department of Defense, the majority of the strikes were carried out by drones targeting members of al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula. (Long War Journal)

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has banned private and commercial drone operators from flying over 133 military facilities around the country. The restrictions were enacted at the request of the Department of Defense and other U.S. security agencies. (Associated Press)

The U.K. has suspended its campaign of drone strikes against the Islamic State. According to data released by the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Air Force has not conducted any strikes with its MQ-9 Reapers in the past month. The Reapers continue to serve in a reconnaissance and surveillance role. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Air Force awarded URS Federal Services a $3.6 billion contract for remotely piloted aircraft services. The Maryland-based company will provide support for testing and training for drone operations in Nevada. The contract, one of the largest drone-related deals in recent years, will stand through 2034. (UPI)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Bloomberg, Justin Bachman examines our data on police drone acquisitions and considers whether law enforcement agencies might one day deploy armed drones.

At BBC News, Chief Constable Jeff Farrar discusses the role that artificial intelligence and drones will play in the future of policing.

A report by the Government Accountability Office found that the Customs and Border Protection agency could continue to do better to integrate its drones into border security operations. (GAO)

At DefenseNews, Jill Aitoro looks at how the U.S. Air Force is training its drone pilots to fly in collaboration with manned aircraft.

Also at DefenseNews, Aaron Mehta writes that the U.S. Strategic Command has issued a new policy for defending U.S. nuclear sites against drones.

At War on the Rocks, Andy Macak and Benjamin Jensen consider historical examples of manned-unmanned teaming.

At Stars and Stripes, Chris Church speaks with military drone operators who are tasked with taking off and landing the aircraft.  

At Buzzfeed News, Nancy A. Youssef writes that U.S. officials suspect that a Russian drone may have been at the scene of the Syrian chemical weapons attack.

At Wired, Adam Rawnsley looks at how militants in Yemen are using drones to disable multi-million dollar anti-ballistic missile systems.

At the Drive, Joseph Trevithick writes that the U.S. military is still training Ukrainian soldiers to fly the RQ-11B Raven drone in spite of reports that Ukraine has ceased using the drone in the field.

At the Strategy Bridge, Elsa B. Kania looks at how China’s military seeks to gain a technological advantage over the U.S. through investment in drones and artificial intelligence.

The Ask DroneU podcast offers advice to drone owners who wish to travel with their drones. (Soundcloud)

At the Drone Radio Show podcast, David Oneal and Sarah Oneal discuss the making of “The Drone Invasion,” a forthcoming documentary about domestic drones. (Soundcloud)

At the Caller-Times, Dr. David Niesel and Dr. Norbert Herzog argue that drones that deliver medical supplies will save lives.

At IoT Agenda, Phil Marshall examines the role that LTE cellular technology could play in enabling autonomous drone operations.

At CNBC, Ryan Brown writes that police in the U.K. are receiving a growing number of complaints about drones.

At The Traverse City Record-Eagle, Dan Nielsen profiles Interactive Aerial, a company developing drones for indoor use.

Director Paul Trillo paired with drone company Aerobo to make a short, one-shot film using a drone. (Drone360)

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is soliciting proposals for small unmanned aircraft with advanced sensors capable of facial recognition. (The Verge)

Beihang University in Beijing is reportedly developing a strike-capable reconnaissance drone that it plans to launch in 2018. (IHS Jane’s 360)

A scale model of the the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency LightningStrike vertical take-off and landing drone completed its first round of test flights. (TechCrunch)

Prox Dynamics is developing a new nano drone that will be about twice the size of its predecessor, the PD-100 Black Hornet. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Japanese camera maker Canon and drone maker Prodrone have unveiled a large multirotor drone designed for search and rescue missions. (Digital Trends)  

U.S. aerospace firm Aurora Flight Sciences is building an improved version of its Orion, a high-altitude, long-endurance drone. (Aviation Week)

Technology firms Fenix Group and Martin UAV have unveiled a sub-55-pound drone capable of providing 4G cellular service. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Meanwhile, telecom firm Verizon is testing a 17-foot wingspan drone that could provide wireless coverage during natural disasters. (Fox News)  

Amazon has been awarded a patent for a parachute-based damage-avoidance system for drones based on a system it uses for its Blue Origin rockets. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Canadian startup SkyX unveiled the SkyOne, a industrial fixed-wing drone that can land and take off vertically. (TechCrunch)

Defense One rounds up the most interesting drones on show at the recent Navy League Sea, Air & Space conference.

The U.S. Navy has approved the Snakehead Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle for accelerated acquisition so that it can be deployed by 2019. (Defense Systems)

Unconfirmed leaked photographs appear to show a new small consumer drone being developed by DJI called Spark. (TechCrunch) Robotics firm ST Kinetics has announced that its Jaeger 6 family of unmanned ground vehicles are now ready for sale. (Shephard Media)

The Drone Racing League unveiled a new, faster racing quadcopter, the Racer3. (The Verge)

Defense firm Thales is actively marketing its SpyRanger small reconnaissance drone to several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Navy announced that it is pursuing a concept for collaborative swarming intelligence collection drones called Motley Crew. (Defense Tech)

The U.S. Navy completed a round of test flights of a new variant of its MQ-4C Triton. (UPI)

Drones at Work

Boston public safety officials will deploy a PARC tethered surveillance drone at the starting line of this year’s Boston Marathon. (Boston Herald)

The South Korean military is planning to deploy 10 surveillance drones to monitor North Korean forces. (Yonhap News Agency)

Defense contractor Rafael’s Drone Dome counter-drone system is reportedly operational in an unnamed Asian country. (Shephard Media)

The Seattle Police Department is reportedly investigating a 19-year-old who crashed a drone into the Space Needle for causing a “substantial risk of death or serious physical injury.” (KIRO 7)

Workers building the Xingkang Bridge in China used a drone to tow pilot cables across a river. (Daily Mail)

Bavarian police are investigating a case in which two men reportedly flew a drone over a sunbather on her rooftop. (DW)

Police in Redwood City, California issued an arrest warrant for a 55-year-old drone operator who allegedly interfered with a rescue operation. (Fox 2)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Army awarded Leidos, AASKI Technologies, and AAI Corp/Textron a shared $900 million contract for technical services and field support for the Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Product Office. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Textron a $14.8 million contract for two fourth-generation Common Unmanned Surface Vehicles. Textron will deliver the systems by 2018. (Marine Technology News)  

The U.S. Navy awarded Pacific Tugboat Service a $669,000 contract for a launch and recovery platform for an unmanned undersea vehicle. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded HX5 a contract for an small unmanned air system airframe. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Composite Engineering a $1.5 million contract for contractor logistics and support for unmanned aerial targets. (FBO)

Rajant will supply Sharp Electronics with the Kinetic Mesh wireless technology for the Sharp Intellos unmanned ground vehicle. (Shephard Media)

L3 Technologies acquired OpenServer Technology, an unmanned undersea vehicle company. (Shephard Media)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Animal Dynamics plans to unveil a demonstrator of its planned biomimetic microdrone later this year. Image via: TechCrunch

March 20, 2017 – March 26, 2017

News

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed Qari Yasin, an al-Qaeda leader who was responsible for a 2008 attack on a hotel in Islamabad. The strike took place on March 19 in the southeastern Paktika province. (New York Times)

A report published by the Federal Aviation Administration predicts that the number of hobby drones in the U.S. National Airspace System will rise from 1.1 million in 2016 to more than 3.5 million in 2021. In its “Aerospace Forecast Report fiscal Years 2017 to 2037” report, the FAA also anticipates that the number of commercial drones will rise to somewhere between 442,000 and 1.6 million by 2021. (Flying Magazine)

A U.S. federal judge ruled against drone pilot David Boggs in a lawsuit against James Merideth, the Kentucky man who shot down Boggs’ drone with a shotgun in 2015. The court declined to rule whether or not Boggs’ drone flight constituted an act of trespass. In an earlier case, a Bullitt County judge had dismissed charges against Merideth for the shootdown. (ArsTechnica)

Saudi Arabia will begin producing the Chinese Caihong-4 surveillance and strike drone domestically. According to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation partnered with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to initiate the program.

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the New York Times, Paul Mozur and Jane Perlez examine how Chinese funding for U.S. technology startups is raising concerns within the Department of Defense.

At National Defense Magazine, Stew Magnuson writes that the U.S. Army is reassessing its programs to develop and field a robotic mule for infantry units.

Also at National Defense Magazine, Stew Magnuson writes that the Office of the Secretary of Defense is likely to suggest a larger budget for counter-drone systems.

A report by Conflict Armament Research traces the origin of drones used by Yemeni Houthi forces to Iran. (Washington Post)

At Reuters, Stephen Nellis profiles several companies that are making counter-drone systems.

At Scout Warrior, David Hambling considers whether U.S. drones may be armed with a new type of missile called Viper Strike.

A study by PwC predicts that 40 percent of jobs in the U.S. will be threatened by automation over the next fifteen years. (Recode)

In a hearing of the European Union’s subcommittee on human rights, Jessica Dorsey argued for a EU-wide policy on the acquisition and use of armed drones. (Motherboard)

At Breaking Defense, Chris Pocock argues that the sensors on board the Global Hawk surveillance drone can’t match those on the U-2 manned spy plane.

Also at Breaking Defense, Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. writes that the U.S. Marine Corps is rushing to field test 50 technologies, including unmanned systems.

At Drone360, Lauren Sigfusson compares recreational drone regulations in the U.S. and Canada.

At DefenseNews, Aaron Mehta writes that the U.S.-led international declaration on drone exports established in 2016 faces an uncertain future under the Trump administration.

At Small Wars Journal, Michael Kim and Charles Schultz propose a military doctrine that takes into account technological changes like drones.

A pair of Bulgarian filmmakers won first place in the New York City Drone Film Festival for the short film “2D Run.” (NYCDFF)

Know Your Drone

Researchers at BMT Defence Services and the University of Bristol are developing a fixed-wing drone that can land upright like a bird. (Popular Mechanics)

U.K. startup Animal Dynamics is building a bio-inspired microdrone with flapping wings like those of a dragonfly. (TechCrunch)

IBM has filed a patent for a petsitter drone that can feed, train, and take care of cats and dogs while their owners are away. (Fortune)

Turkish Armed Forces Foundation firm Aselsan unveiled a counter-drone jamming gun. (Shephard Media)

The U.S. Navy and General Dynamics are testing the Knifefish unmanned undersea vehicle for minehunting missions. (Inside Defense)  

Marine technology firms WFS Technologies and Seatronics demonstrated wireless communications between a Seatronics Predator II Inspection Class unmanned undersea vehicle and an aerial DJI Inspire drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)  

The Dubai Maritime City Authority is establishing a facility to promote the development of self-driving boats and drone technology for the shipping industry. (Marine Insight)

China Aerospace Long-March International unveiled the WS-43, a loitering munition drone. (Shephard Media)

The U.S. Navy is reportedly planning to minimize the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities of the planned MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based drone. (USNI News)

Russia is reportedly developing a new surveillance and reconnaissance drone based on Israel’s Searcher 2 unmanned aircraft. (FlightGlobal)

According to the U.S. Air Force Chief Scientist Geoffrey Zacharias, the Pentagon is looking to develop hypersonic drones that can fly at speeds up to Mach 5 by 2040. (Defense Systems)

The U.S. Army demonstrated its Mobile Expeditionary High Energy Laser 2.0 against a drone target at the UAS Hard-Kill Challenge. (Shephard Media)

The Royal Canadian Navy is working to equip unmanned boats with jamming technology to protect frigates against anti-ship missiles. (Local Xpress)

Technology startup UAVOS revealed new details about its Apus solar-powered long-endurance drone. (Shephard Media)

A Russian firm unveiled a surveillance and reconnaissance drone that is launched from a device similar to a grenade-launcher. (TASS)

Researchers at MIT are developing a tiny 3D-printed robot that changes color when touched, just like a golden tortoise beetle. (Engadget)

U.S. military drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has entered into a partnership with a consortium of Japanese industry and government groups to accelerate the integration of drones into Japan’s airspace system. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Norwegian firm Beck Engineering has developed an unmanned undersea vehicle that kills salmon lice in fish farms. (IEEE Spectrum)

The British Antarctic Survey has deployed a new unmanned undersea research vehicle called Boaty McBoatface. (The Guardian)

The U.S. Army is studying the possibility of using autonomous drones to extract soldiers from the battlefield. (Defense Tech)

Drones at Work

Police in Devon and Cornwall in the U.K. are establishing a unit dedicated to operating drones for a variety of missions. (Gizmodo)  

Amazon conducted its first autonomous drone delivery in the U.S., ferrying bottles of sunscreen to attendees at the MARS conference in California. (The Verge)  

Archaeologists in Australia are using drones to create 3D models of dinosaur track sites. (Independent)

Delivery startup DoorDash is using a fleet of up to a dozen Starship delivery robots in a pilot program in Redwood City, California. (CNet)

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill restricting the use of drones over private property. (UAV Expo)

Utah’s governor signed into law a bill that prohibits the use of drones to harass livestock. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has begun using drones to inspect its runways. (CBS46)

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has published a set of best practices for drone use by first responders. (Unmanned Aerial Online)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $12.3 million contract for upgrades to the MQ-9 Reaper. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $24.7 million contract for 18 QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Targets, retired F-16s that are converted into unmanned aircraft. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a $12.6 million contract for MQ-1 and MQ-9 support services. (DoD)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman two contracts, of $20.1 million and $17.7 million, for operations and support for the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node, a sensor used on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded NAVMAR Applied Sciences a $12.8 million contract for research projects, including the development of a low-cost, intelligence-gathering drone. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $1.6 million contract to demonstrate a power system that would enable unmanned undersea vehicles to charge wirelessly underwater. (Press Release)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineering awarded Geodetics a $97,900 contract for a Turn-key drone mapping platform. (FBO)  

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded US Drone a $344,996 contract for quadrotor drones. (FBO)

Intelligent Energy will supply California-based PINC with air cooled hydrogen fuel cells for drones for the logistics sector. (Leicester Mercury)

Kraken Sonar Systems received $1.4 million in funding from the National Research Council of Canada to research underwater robotics technologies. (UPI)

AutoModality, a startup that designs drones for infrastructure inspections, won the $1 million first-place prize in the GeniusNY contest. (Syracuse.com)

California-based startup DeepScale raised $3 million in seed funding to develop perception artificial intelligence for self-driving cars. (TechCrunch)

Mitsubishi Electric has reportedly made its first delivery of the Drone Deterrence System to an unidentified customer. (Shephard Media)

DroneShield announced that it has sold the FarAlert and WideAlert drone detection systems to an unnamed European customer. (Press Release)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

The U.S. Army deployed a company of MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones to Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. Credit: Staff Sgt. Christopher Calvert/U.S. Army

March 13, 2017 – March 19, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

We spoke to Rolling Stone about the implications of recent advances in swarming drone technology for the future of warfare.

News

A U.S. airstrike in Syria involving U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones may have resulted in the deaths of noncombatants. According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strike, which reportedly hit a mosque in Jinah, killed at least 46 people. In a statement to reporters, a Pentagon spokesperson said that U.S. aircraft had not targeted the mosque, but rather al-Qaeda fighters at a community center nearby. (Washington Post)

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump administration has given the CIA greater latitude to order drone strikes. If confirmed to be true, the policy shift would appear to reverse restrictions placed by the Obama administration on the intelligence agency’s role in strikes, and may reopen a disagreement with the Department of Defense over the CIA’s authority to carry out strike operations.

The U.S. Army deployed an MQ-1C Gray Eagle surveillance and strike drone unit to Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. The Gray Eagle company will be assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Aviation Regiment. (AIN Online)

Canada announced new rules for recreational drone users, including a flight ceiling of 295 feet and a prohibition against flying near airports. Infractions could result in fines of over $2,000. In a statement, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said that the measures were aimed at preventing an accident involving a drone and a manned aircraft. (ABC News)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on integrating drones into the national airspace. (UAS Magazine)

At the New York Times, Rachel Nuwer takes a closer look at the benefits and challenges of  using drones to fight poachers.

The New York Times Editorial Board argues that the Trump administration should not loosen the rules of engagement for strikes and counterterrorism operations in Yemen and Somalia.

At Lawfare, Robert Chesney considers the possible consequences of the Trump administration’s reported decision to allow the CIA to order drone strikes.

At Recode, Johana Bhuiyan writes that Uber’s self-driving vehicle technology is struggling to meet expectations.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report in which it found that there was a 75 percent rise in the number of reported close encounters between drones and manned aircraft between 2012 and 2016. (PerthNow)  

Drone manufacturer DJI released a paper in which it argues that drones have saved 59 lives over the past several years. (Drone360)

At Breaking Defense, Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. looks at how automation and robotics figure into the U.S. Army’s plans for its next generation battle tank.

At DefenseNews, Meghann Myers examines the different ways that the U.S. Army is looking to protect soldiers from drones.

At the Verge, Andrew Liptak looks at how one U.S. ally used a $3 million Patriot missile to shoot down a $200 drone.

At CNBC, Michelle Castillo writes that drone racing is turning into a lucrative profession for some racers.

At Real Clear Defense, Jon Blatt explains “why drones still play second fiddle to fighters.”

At the New York Times’ Lens blog, photographer Josh Haner discusses how drones can contribute to storytelling.

At Wired, photographer Aydın Büyüktaş shares how he uses a drone, 3-D rendering, and Photoshop to create curved landscapes of the American West.

Meanwhile, at TechRepublic, Ant Pruitt offers a step-by-step guide to aerial photography for aspiring drone photographers.

Know Your Drone

U.K. firm Windhorse Aerospace revealed new details about its edible humanitarian drones, which will likely be made of compressed vegetable honeycomb and salami. (The Verge)

Online retail giant Amazon has been granted two patents for its proposed delivery drone system: an adjustable landing gear system and a propeller system with adjustable wingtips. (CNBC)

Meanwhile, Amazon displayed two of its Prime Air delivery drones at the South by Southwest  festival in Texas, the first time the systems had been displayed publicly. (Fortune)

Drone maker QuadH2O unveiled the HexH2O Pro, a waterproof commercial drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Russian defense firm Kalashnikov is planning to build a 20-ton armed unmanned ground vehicle. (Popular Mechanics)

Defense firm BAE is once again displaying its Armed Robotic Combat Vehicle, a weaponized unmanned ground vehicle that it developed for the U.S. Army’s cancelled Future Combat Systems program. (Defense News)

Singapore’s Air Force has announced that its Heron 1 surveillance and reconnaissance drone has reached full operational capability. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Researchers at Georgia Tech are developing a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to control robotic arms. (IEEE Spectrum)

China Daily reported that China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a state-owned company, is developing drones capable of evading radar detection. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Israeli military is set to begin operational tests of the Elbit Systems’ Skylark 3, a surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (FlightGlobal)

Defense firm Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled two small electro-optical sensors designed for use on surveillance and reconnaissance drones. (Shephard Media)

Police in Wuhan, China are testing a counter-drone jamming gun. (South China Morning Post)

A software upgrade to the U.S. Navy’s Boeing P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft will enable it to work with unmanned systems. (Defense Systems)

Drones at Work

New Zealand firm Drone Technologies conducted the country’s first beyond-line-of-sight flight of a drone to inspect transmission lines and towers in the Rimutaka Ranges. (Stuff)

The Cecil County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland used a drone to discover a trove of stolen heavy machinery. (ABC2 News)

A Skylark 1 drone operated by the Israel Defense Forces crashed during a flight in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

The FAA has granted the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office in North Dakota a waiver to conduct nighttime drone operations. (Bemidji Pioneer)

Industry Intel

China-based drone manufacturer Yuneec announced that it is laying off an undisclosed number of staff at its North America office. (MarketWatch)

Defunct drone startup Lily Robotics told customers that it does not have a timeline for refunding preorders of its cancelled selfie drone. (Recode)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded Dynetics and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems phase two contracts for the Gremlins low-cost, reusable drone program. (Shephard Media)

The U.S. Air Force will reportedly award General Atomics Aeronautical Systems contracts for upgrading the MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 systems to an extended range configuration. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Aerial Imaging Solutions a $61,850 contract for three hexacopter drone systems. (FBO)

The U.S. Geological Survey awarded Rock House Products International a $13,011 contract for a thermal imaging system for an unmanned aircraft. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $3.6 million contract for the installation and flight testing of the Selex ES Osprey 30 RADAR for the MQ-8C Fire Scout drone. (FBO)

The U.S. Navy announced that it will award Boeing Insitu a $112,842 foreign military sales contract for spare parts for the ScanEagle drone for Kenya. (FBO)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Norway has established a test site at Trondheim Fjord for unmanned and autonomous vessels like these concept container ships of the future. Credit: Kongsberg Seatex

March 6, 2017 – March 12, 2017

News

Germany reportedly intends to acquire the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone, according to a story in Sueddeutsche Zeitung. In 2013, Germany cancelled a similar program to acquire Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk, a surveillance drone on which the newer Triton is based, due to cost overruns. The Triton is a large, long-endurance system that was originally developed for maritime surveillance by the U.S. Navy. (Reuters)

The U.S. Army released a report outlining its strategy for obtaining and using unmanned ground vehicles. The Robotics and Autonomous Systems strategy outlines short, medium, and long-term goals for the service’s ground robot programs. The Army expects a range of advanced unmanned combat vehicles to be fielded in the 2020 to 2030 timeframe. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Air Force announced that there are officially more jobs available for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots than for any manned aircraft pilot position. Following a number of surges in drone operations, the service had previously struggled to recruit and retain drone pilots. The Air Force is on track to have more than 1,000 Predator and Reaper pilots operating its fleet. (Military.com)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Shephard Media, Grant Turnbull writes that armed unmanned ground vehicles are continuing to proliferate.

At Wired, Paul Sarconi looks at how the introduction of cheap, consumer-oriented underwater drones could affect different industries.

At Recode, April Glaser looks at how a key part of the U.S. government’s drone regulations appears to be based on a computer simulation from 1968.

At FlightGlobal, Dominic Perry writes that France’s Dassault is not concerned that the U.K. decision to leave the E.U. will affect a plan to develop a combat drone with BAE Systems.

At Drone360, Kara Murphy profiles six women who are contributing to and influencing the world of drones.

At DroningON, Ash argues that the SelFly selfie drone KickStarter project may go the way of the failed Zano drone.

At the Los Angeles Times, Bryce Alderton looks at how cities in California are addressing the influx of drones with new regulations.

At CBS News, Larry Light looks at how Bill Gates has reignited a debate over taxes on companies that use robots.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Andrew Ng and Neil Jacobstein argue that artificial intelligence will bring about significant changes to commerce and society in the next 10 to 15 years.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on seapower, panelists urged the U.S. Navy to develop and field unmanned boats and railguns. (USNI News)

The Economist looks at how aluminium batteries could provide underwater drones with increased range and endurance.

At Buzzfeed, Mike Giglio examines the different ways that ISIS uses drones to gain an advantage over Iraqi troops in Mosul.

At DefenseTech.org, Richard Sisk looks at how a U.S.-made vehicle-mounted signals “jammer” is helping Iraqi forces prevent ISIS drone attacks in Mosul.

In a Drone Radio Show podcast, Steven Flynn discusses why prioritizing drone operators who comply with federal regulations is important for the drone industry.

At ABC News, Andrew Greene examines how a push by the Australian military to acquire armed drones has reignited a debate over targeted killings.

At Smithsonian Air & Space, Tim Wright profiles the NASA High Altitude Shuttle System, a glider drone that is being used to test communications equipment for future space vehicles.

At NPR Marketplace, Douglas Starr discusses the urgency surrounding the push to develop counter-drone systems.

Know Your Drone

Researchers at Virginia Tech are flying drones into crash-test dummies to evaluate the potential harm that a drone could cause if it hits a human. (Bloomberg)

Meanwhile, researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne are developing flexible multi-rotor drones that absorb the impact of a collision without breaking. (Gizmodo)

The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics is readying its Caihong solar-powered long-endurance drone for its maiden flight, which is scheduled for mid-year. (Eco-Business)

Meanwhile, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation has announced that it is developing drones with stealth capabilities. (Voice of America)

During an exercise, defense firm Rafael successfully launched a missile from an Israeli Navy unmanned boat. (Times of Israel)

Technology firms Thales and Unifly unveiled the ECOsystem UTM, an air traffic management system for drones. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Norway’s government has approved a plan to establish a large test site for unmanned maritime vehicles at the Trondheim Fjord. (Phys.org)

Automaker Land Rover unveiled a search and rescue SUV equipped with a roof-mounted drone. (TechCrunch)

U.S. chipmaker NVIDIA has launched the Jetson TX2, an artificial intelligence platform that can be used in drones and robots. (Engadget)

Recent satellite images of Russia’s Gromov Flight Research Institute appear to show the country’s new Orion, a medium-altitude long-endurance military drone. (iHLS)

Technology firms Aveillant and DSNA Services are partnering to develop a counter-drone system. (AirTrafficManagement.net)

Aerospace firm Airbus has told reporters that it is serious about producing its Pop.Up passenger drone concept vehicle. (Wired)

Drones at Work

The Peruvian National Police are looking to deploy drones for counter-narcotics operations. (Business Insider)

The U.S. Air Force used a multi-rotor drone to conduct a maintenance inspection of a C-17 cargo plane. (U.S. Air Force)

India is reportedly looking to deploy U.S drones for surveillance operations along the Line of Control on the border with Pakistan. (Times of India)

The Fire Department of New York used its tethered multi-rotor drone for the first time during an apartment fire in the Bronx. (Crain’s New York)

The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad used an unmanned ground vehicle to inspect the interior of two homes that were damaged by a large sinkhole. (WXYZ)

A video posted to YouTube appears to show a woman in Washington State firing a gun at a drone that was flying over her property. (Huffington Post)

Meanwhile, a bill being debated in the Oklahoma State Legislature would remove civil liability for anybody who shoots a drone down over their private property. (Ars Technica)

In a promotional video, the company that makes Oreos used drones to dunk cookies into cups of milk. (YouTube)

The NYC Drone Film Festival will hold its third annual event this week. (YouTube)

An Arizona man who leads an anti-immigration vigilante group is using a drone to patrol the U.S border with Mexico in search of undocumented crossings. (Voice of America)

A man who attempted to use a drone to smuggle drugs into a Scottish prison has been sentenced to five years in prison. (BBC)

Industry Intel

The Turkish military has taken a delivery of six Bayraktar TB-2 military drones, two of which are armed, for air campaigns against ISIL and Turkish forces. (Defense News)

The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing Insitu a contract for RQ-21A Blackjack and ScanEagle drones. (FBO)

The U.S. Army awarded Riegl a $30,021 contract for LiDAR accessories for the Riegl RiCopter drone. (FBO)

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems awarded Hughes Network Systems a contract for satellite communications for the U.K.’s Predator B drones. (Space News)

Schiebel awarded CarteNav Solutions a contact for its AIMS-ISR software for the S-100 Camcopter unmanned helicopters destined for the Royal Australian Navy. (Press Release)

Defence Research and Development Canada awarded Ontario Drive & Gear a $1 million contract for trials of the Atlas J8 unmanned ground vehicle. (Canadian Manufacturing)

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions reported a $5.6 million contract for aerial targeted drones for the U.S. government. (Shephard Media)

Deveron UAS will provide Thompsons, a subsidiary of Lansing Trade Group and The Andersons, with drone data for agricultural production through 2018. (Press Release)

Precision Vectors Aerial selected the Silent Falcon UAS for its beyond visual line-of-sight operations in Canada. (Shephard Media)

Rolls-Royce won a grant from Tekes, a Finnish government research funding agency, to continue developing remote and autonomous shipping technologies. (Shephard Media)

Israeli drone manufacturer BlueBird is submitting an updated MicroB UAV system for the Indian army small UAV competition. (FlightGlobal)

A Romanian court has suspended a planned acquisition of Aeronautics Defense Systems Orbiter 4 drones for the Romanian army. (FlightGlobal)
Deere & Co.—a.k.a. John Deere—announced that it will partner with Kespry, a drone startup, to market drones for the construction and forestry industries. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

China’s CAIG Wing Loong II on its maiden flight last week. Image via: Sina.com.cn

February 27, 2017 – March 5, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

We spoke to The Daily Beast to help make sense of ISIL’s growing use of armed consumer drones in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, we assisted The Verge in confirming that the jail sentence given to a Seattle man for crashing his drone during a parade was in fact unprecedented in the history of U.S. domestic drone use.

News

A suspected U.S. drone strike in Pakistan killed two individuals near the border of Afghanistan. If confirmed, it would be the first U.S. drone strike in Pakistan under the Trump administration. (Reuters)

The U.S. launched over 20 airstrikes in Yemen, targeting al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula. According to an unnamed U.S. official who spoke with Reuters, the strikes involved both manned and unmanned aircraft.

A U.S. drone strike in Syria reportedly killed Abdullah Muhammad Rajab Al-Rahman, al-Qaeda’s second in command. The strike targeted a vehicle carrying the Egyptian national in Idlib province. (PBS Newshour)

Xinhua news agency reported that China has secured its largest ever export contract for the Wing Loong II drone to an unnamed foreign customer. Developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, the Wing Loong II is larger and heavier than its predecessor. The strike-capable drone made its maiden flight last week. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

Drone Wars UK released a report examining British drone strike data from operations in Iraq and Syria.

Pax for Peace released a report on how different political parties in the Netherlands view the acquisition and deployment of armed drones.

At the New York Times, Katie Benner reports that Snap, the company behind Snapchat, looked into developing a drone.

Also at the New York Times, John Markoff examines the security risks posed by worker and helper robots.

In an in-depth feature at Wired, Douglas Starr profiles a U.S. startup that has developed an advanced counter-drone system, and examines the budding counter-drone industry.

At the Council on Foreign Relations, Micah Zenko writes that President Trump could launch more drone strikes than his predecessor.

At India Defence Review, Gp. Capt. Joseph Noronha examines India’s many efforts to develop unmanned aircraft. (Swarajya)

At Commercial UAV News, Jose Antunes examines how drones aid the work of the U.S. Geological Survey.

At The Drive, Tyler Rogoway takes a closer look at images of an RQ-170 Sentinel drone at Vandenberg Air Force base.

At the Verge, Rich McCormick writes that ice is the only thing that can slow down the Ghost Robotics Minitaur robot.

In a podcast at Recode, Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo discusses the potential for drones to contribute to humanitarian relief.

In a paper in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Irving Lachow explores the “upside and downside of swarming drones.”

At Stars and Stripes, Alex Horton examines how an U.S. Army RQ-7 Shadow drone went rogue and flew 630 miles away from its home.

At ZDNet, Bob Violino looks at how robots could contribute to the construction industry.

At Defense One, Patrick Tucker writes that the U.S. Department of Defense is developing systems to counter drone swarms.

At Just Security, Ryan Goodman and Stephen Pomper debate whether or not the U.S. government’s official figures on drone strike casualties can be trusted.

At the Straits Times, Adrian Lim examines Singapore efforts to field the next generation of military drones.

At Shephard Media, Damian Kemp looks at the growth in civil drone operations in Australia.

Know Your Drone

Automaker Ford unveiled a concept for an autonomous delivery system that uses vans and drones. (Engadget)

Robotics firm Boston Dynamics officially unveiled Handle, an advanced autonomous wheeled robot prototype. (TechCrunch)

Photo sharing startup Snap is reportedly working on a consumer drone. (The New York Times)

U.S. startup Cobalt Robotics unveiled an autonomous indoor security robot. (IEEE Spectrum)

The U.S. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is flight testing the ArcticShark, a long-endurance drone that will be used to collect atmospheric data over the Arctic. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology displayed an armed model of its developmental medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance drone, but declined to confirm whether it is developing an armed variant. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Yemeni rebels displayed a surveillance and reconnaissance drone, the Qasef 1, that appears to be based on the Iranian Ababil 2. (IHS Jane’s 360)

U.S. defense firm Northrop Grumman is testing the MS-177 multispectral sensor aboard its RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance drone. (Executive Biz)

U.S. technology firm Harris Corp., the University of North Dakota, and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site are building a network infrastructure for beyond-line-of-sight drone operations. (GCN)

Internet giant Facebook is planning a new round of test flights of its Aquila high-altitude solar-powered drone. (Bloomberg Quint)

The Russian military is reportedly developing an artillery-launched small unmanned aircraft. (The National interest)

Swiss meteorology company Meteomatics has been granted a patent for a drone that spins its way down to the ground in a controlled manner if it suddenly loses power. (New Atlas)

Drones at Work

The Iraqi Federal Police are reportedly using weaponized consumer drones in operations against ISIL in Mosul. (Bellingcat)

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority is looking to use drones to inspect its network of subway tunnels. (Mashable)

Montana Resources and mining firm Atlantic Richfield Co. are considering using drones to scare snow geese away from a poisoned body of water near an open pit mine. (ABC)

The U.S. Navy announced that it will deploy its MQ-4C Triton high-altitude maritime patrol drone to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam next year, a year later than planned. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The Azerbaijani military has reportedly shot down an Armenian X-55 surveillance drone. (Trend News Agency)

The Cecil County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland has acquired a drone using funds seized during counter-narcotics operations. (Cecil Daily)

The police and fire departments of San Antonio, Texas are preparing to deploy drones for a range of operations. (KSAT)

Industry Intel

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced that its “Team Reaper” will compete for Australia’s requirement for an armed unmanned aircraft. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

The U.S. Navy awarded Hadal Inc. a $14.2 million contract for research into developing a Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Textron Systems a $14.8 million contract modification for mine countermeasure system requirements for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing Insitu a $4.7 million contract modification for ScanEagle system hardware and services. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Composite Engineering a contract for a agile pod interfaces on a low cost attritable UAS demonstrator. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Amtec Less Lethal Systems a $92,537 contract for gauge counter-drone net rounds. (FBO)

The U.K. Ministry of Defence awarded Leonardo Helicopters a $9.8 million contract to develop unmanned helicopters. (Air Force Technology)

Meanwhile, Leonardo Helicopters will provide PicoSAR radar for the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopters for an undisclosed country in North Africa. (UPI)

FlightGlobal reports that Israel’s Aeronautic Defense System has received orders for hundreds of Orbiter 1K loitering munitions from an unnamed customer.  For more on loitering munitions, click here.
Defunct drone manufacturer Lily Robotics filed for bankruptcy. (Recode)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Chinese drone maker DJI unveiled the M200 family of commercial drones. Credit: DJI

February 20, 2017 – February 26, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

Dronescapes is a collection of vibrant, mystical paintings of drones by Australian artist Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox. In a conversation with the Center for the Study of the Drone, the artist shares the meaning of her work, explains her use of traditional Australian motifs, and shares her views on the rise of autonomous technology.

News

The Federal Aviation Administration released a new set of reports of airspace incidents involving drones, including close encounters with manned aircraft and drone use over airports. The dataset includes 1,274 reported incidents that occurred between February and September 2016, around 400 more than occurred during the same period in 2015. (Recode) For our analysis of previous drone sightings and close encounters, click here.

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At the National Interest, Elsa Kania argues that China could soon overtake the U.S. in the development of autonomous drones.

At the New York Times, Scott Shane examines newly-released documents related to an FBI investigation on Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical U.S.-born cleric who was killed in a drone strike in 2011.

At Al Jazeera, AlHakam Shaar and Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick look at how drones are being used to document the destruction of Aleppo and other Syrian cities.

At Popular Mechanics, David Hambling looks at Ukrainian efforts to develop drones in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

At Inside Unmanned Systems, Maj. Gen. James Poss considers the challenges posed by insecure data links that connect unmanned aircraft with pilots.

During arguments for Hernandez v. Mesa at the U.S. Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. discussed a hypothetical overseas drone strike. (Law.com)

CBS News examined how ISIL is increasingly using drones to drop bombs on Iraqi civilians and military personnel in Mosul.

At ArsTechnica, Sean Gallagher looks at how ISIL has adapted the DJI Matrice 100 to carry little bombs.

At the Washington Post, Joby Warrick writes that ISIL’s use of drones is raising fears that drones may be used in a domestic terror attack.

Also at the Washington Post, Avi Selk examines how the French military is training golden eagles to take down drones.

At Military.com, Oriana Pawlyk provides an inside look at a U.S. Air Force strike against an ISIL drone cell.

At Defense Systems, George Leopold writes that the battle for Mosul is fueling the development of counter-drone systems.

At the Palm Beach Post, Kristina Webb looks at how Trump’s visits to Palm Beach impact local drone operators and businesses.

At Automotive News, Keith Naughton writes that Ford is bypassing semi-autonomous vehicles and will instead develop fully autonomous systems.

At War is Boring, Joseph Trevithick examines some of the U.S. Army’s first drone bases.

At Forbes, John Goglia argues that the latest FAA drone incident data proves that the FAA “should just stop tracking pilot drone sightings.”

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Air Force announced that it plans to fully phase out its fleet of MQ-1 Predator drones in 2018. (UPI)

Delivery company UPS tested a new delivery drone system, delivering a package to a customer in Lithia, Florida from the roof of an electric cargo van. (Business Insider)

Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University have developed a drone that can steal a computer’s data. (Wired)

The Royal Canadian Navy issued a Request for Information for surveillance and reconnaissance drones that could be deployed aboard frigates. (CBC)

Ukrainian defense firm Ukroboronprom has unveiled the Phantom, an unmanned ground vehicle equipped with an anti-tank missile system and a machine gun. (Foxtrot Alpha)

U.S. company NXT Robotics unveiled the Scorpion, an unmanned ground vehicle designed for physical security operations. (Press Release)

The Desert Research Institute announced that it has conducted a successful flight test of its Drone America Savant cloud-seeding drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

A team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis is developing a drone that takes off vertically and then unfolds itself into a fixed-wing system. (New Scientist)

Serbian defense firm EDePro unveiled the X-01 Strsljen, a surveillance helicopter drone. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Chinese drone maker DJI unveiled the M200 family of commercial drones. (CNET)

Chinese drone maker China Eagle is building the country’s largest production facility for industrial drones. (Economic Times)

Technology firm KB Radar Design Bureau has unveiled a portable counter-drone system, the Groza-R Counter-Multicopter Radio Electronic Rifle. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Nano-drone maker Prox Dynamics has added a night vision sensor to its Black Hornet surveillance drone. (Defense News)

Pakistani firm Global Industry and Defence Solutions is exploring the possibility of developing a medium-altitude long-endurance drone, and is planning to develop a new variant of its Shahpar reconnaissance drone. (IHS Jane’s 360)

A team at Utah State University has developed a long-endurance battery-powered drone. (Cache Valley Daily)

Defense firms S-Plane Automation and Stemme AG are partnering to develop optionally manned aircraft. (IHS Jane’s 360)

India’s CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories unveiled the Suchan, a small autonomous surveillance drone. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Chinese unmanned systems maker Poly Defence unveiled the Xbot 520, an unmanned ground vehicle. (Shephard Media)

Canadian security firm Med-Eng unveiled the Avenger, an unmanned ground vehicle. (Shephard Media)

German technology firm Rheinmetall is looking to develop an armed variant of its multi-mission unmanned ground vehicle. (Shephard Media)

Autonomous drone firm Exyn Technologies has unveiled a software system that allows drones to autonomously navigate complex environments. (TechCrunch)

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are developing a system to allow drones to land autonomously on moving vehicles. (Phys.org)

Robotics firm Roboteam is developing an unmanned vehicle called Rooster that can both roll on the ground and fly. (Defense Update)

Drones at Work

Iran has banned private drones from Tehran’s airspace after security concerns. In recent months, Iranian air defenses have targeted drones flying near the capital. (Associated Press)

An Israel Defense Forces fighter jet shot down a drone allegedly operated by Hamas over the Gaza Strip. (Jerusalem Post)

A GoPro consumer drone crashed through a 27th floor apartment window in New York. (New York Post)

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has received approval to operate drones for search and rescue missions. (Marketplace)

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District and drone delivery firm Matternet are partnering to work on a delivery system for urgent items such as defibrillators and life vests. (Mercury News)

The Madeira Beach Fire Department in Florida has obtained a drone for search and rescue operations. (ABC Action News)

The Crestview Police Department in Florida has acquired a drone for operations. (Nwfdailynews.com)

Meanwhile, a fire department in West Memphis, Arkansas has obtained a drone for a range of operations. (KATV)

A drone reportedly flew within 90 feet of a commercial airliner near East Midlands Airport in the U.K. (The Sun)

Firefighting efforts near Fort Worth, Texas were interrupted by a rogue drone flying nearby. (KXAN)

A man in Jackson, Wyoming caused a herd of 1,500 elk to stampede after flying a drone too close to the animals. (CBS News)

Meanwhile, tigers at a tiger farm in China caught and wrecked a drone that was being used to film the animals. (Fortune)

Industry Intel

U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Precision Integrated Programs a $2 million contract for a vertical take-off and landing drone. (FBO)

AirMap, a startup developing an air traffic management platform for drones, raised $26 million in a funding round led by Microsoft Ventures. (Reuters)

The European Defence Agency awarded Défense Conseil International a contract for a flight simulator for training medium-altitude long-endurance drone pilots. (Shephard Media)

DARTdrones, a Pennsylvania-based startup that trains consumer and commercial drone operators, was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank. (TechCrunch)

An Alphabet subsidiary is suing Otto and Uber for allegedly stealing secrets to self-driving car technology. (Recode)

PrecisionHawk selected Sierra Wireless for its Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety platform. (Press Release)

Leonardo will outfit Patroller drones with PicoSAR AESA radars for the French Army. (UPI)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

An ISIS unmanned aerial vehicle captured by Iraqi federal police rests on a table at an intelligence-sharing key leader engagement at the Joint Operations Center at Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq on 2/9/17. Credit: Staff Sgt. Jason Hull/ U.S. Army

February 13, 2017 – February 19, 2017

News

Telecommunications firm Verizon has acquired Skyward, a drone operations management company. Skyward develops software for drone operators to manage flight tracking and logging, maintenance scheduling, and contract management. The drone startup will join Verizon’s Internet of Things portfolio. (TechCrunch)

Kenya’s government has implemented regulations for commercial drone use. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority will begin allowing businesses to import and use drones for a range of operations. (Daily Nation)

The U.S. Navy announced that it will build a launch and recovery site and maintenance hub for the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance drone at Mayport Naval Station in Florida. The Jacksonville base was chosen by the Navy over the Key West Naval Air Station and NASA Flight Facility. Around 400 additional personnel will be based at Mayport. (Jacksonville.com)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

A report by the Government Accountability Office found that Customs and Border Protection could take steps to improve its collection of drone and aerostat performance data. (GAO)

The Federal Aviation Administration published the results from the second meeting of the Drone Advisory Committee, which took place in late January. (Press Release)

A U.S. Navy study on future programs proposes fielding 88 unmanned patrol boats that could be armed with missiles. (Breaking Defense)

Meanwhile, an alternative naval fleet architecture report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments argues in favor of unmanned fighters and refueling aircraft. (National Interest)

At Small Wars Journal, Noah B. Cooper examines how to use network analysis techniques to counter ISIL’s bomb-dropping drones.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton considers what policies the Trump administration might adopt with regards to drone strikes.

At Motherboard, Ben Sullivan looks at whether a U.S. drone in Yemen was carrying signals intelligence equipment.

At Wired, Anna Vlasits writes that drones are offering regular citizens new opportunities to study the environment.

Also at Wired, Nigel Gifford discusses how his edible drone is designed to provide humanitarian relief to disaster zones.

At the Independent Record, Pepper Petersen argues that an anti-drone bill in the Montana State Legislature would harm Montana’s drone industry.

At MarketWatch, Sally French examines how DJI beat out the competition for the hobby drone market.

In an interview with Quartz, Bill Gates proposed a “robot tax” for companies that use robots to replace human jobs.

At Phys.org, Engin Kirda discusses the cybersecurity risk to self-driving cars and how carmakers are developing tools to counter potential vulnerabilities.

At Technical.ly, Andrew Zaleski profiles an insurance lawyer who sued the FAA over its drone registration rule.

At Drone360, Cesare Wright considers how drones are shaping science education.

In a Modern War Institute podcast, Brig. Gen. Nechemya Sokal discusses how the Israeli Defence Forces use robots to detect and explore the tunnels built by Hamas.

At DefenseNews, Christopher P. Cavas writes that the Houthi boat that attacked a Saudi frigate in January was remote-controlled.

Hello, Robot, an exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, explores the degree to which humans trust machines. (Dezeen)

Know Your Drone

Amazon has been awarded a patent for a system by which delivery drones drop packages to the ground using parachutes. (Fortune)

The U.S. Marine Corps is testing a micro surveillance drone called Instant Eye, developed by PSI Tactical Robotics. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

uAvionix has developed an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transmitter small enough to fit on a consumer drone. (Air & Space)

Technology firm RE2 Robotics is developing a pair of robotic arms that could be mounted on unmanned undersea vehicle for dismantling improvised explosive devices. (New Atlas)

Chinese drone maker Zerotech has started taking orders for its Dobby foldable hobby drone. (TechCrunch)

Microsoft has unveiled an open source virtual world for training autonomous drones and self-driving cars. (TechCrunch)

Sensor maker Logos has tested its Redkite wide-area sensor aboard the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle drone. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Toy maker KD Interactive unveiled the Aura, a drone that can be controlled by hand gestures. (CNET)

Turkish firm Elfatek is developing an unmanned ground combat vehicle called Ankebot. (Hurriyet Daily News)

A team at Texas A&M University is developing propulsion systems for large-scale hovering drones. (Phys.org)

Israel Aerospace Industries and India’s Defence Research Development Organisation are working on a joint venture to convert old manned Chetak helicopters into ship-based drones. (FlightGlobal)

Drones at Work

Non-profit WeRobotics and the Peruvian Health Ministry are working on a medical drone delivery program in the Amazon. (CNET)

Footage collected by a drone showed new damage to the Roman amphitheater in Palmyra, Syria. (Washington Post)

A drone was used to attempt to smuggle goods into a prison in Saskatchewan, Canada. (CBC)

The Iranian Navy reportedly crashed a drone near the port city of Jask. (New York Times)

A Scorpion unmanned ground vehicle was used to inspect the interior of the Unit 2 reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant. (CBS)

Police in Orem, Utah, arrested a man and a woman for allegedly using a drone to spy on numerous individuals inside their homes. (Huffington Post)

Drone maker DJI and the Academy of Model Aeronautics have announced a joint safety training program to promote responsible drone use. (Drone 360)

A power company in Xiangyang, China used a flamethrower-equipped drone to burn garbage stuck to power lines. (Gizmodo)

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is exploring the use of drones to inspect bridges. (Insurance Journal)

A study conducted in the Appalachians by ornithologists from Gettysburg College found that drones were effective for developing songbird population estimates. (TechCrunch)

An NBA player used a drone to assist with a slam dunk during the NBA Slam Dunk Constest. (Engadget)

Xcel Energy partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration to explore the use of drones to inspect critical infrastructure. (My Plain View)  

Industry Intel

Cisco chairman John Chambers and Felicis Ventures led a $15 million Series B funding round for Dedrone, a counter-drone systems startup. (TechCrunch)

Eni awarded Sky-Futures a 3-year contract for drone inspection services for energy facilities. (Oil & Gas 360)

The Indonesian Ministry of Defence awarded UMS Skeldar a contract for the V-200 unmanned helicopter. (UPI)

The U.S. Navy awarded Arête Associates an $8.5 million contract modification for support for the AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) Block 1, a counter-mine payload on the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. (DoD)

The Department of Homeland Security awarded Boeing Insitu a $12,481 contract for small unmanned aircraft system courses for the U.S. Coast Guard. (USASpending)

The U.S. Air Force awarded Elta North America a $15.6 million contract for counter-drone systems. (FBO)

The U.S. Air Force is expected to launch a program of record for a counter-drone system in Fiscal Year 2018. (Inside Defense)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

Researchers in Japan are developing a drone that can pollinate flowers. Credit: Eijiro Miyako

February 6, 2017 – February 12, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

Loitering munitions are a proliferating class of drones that double as precision attack weapons. These systems, which are often small enough to be launched by infantry units, can orbit over the battlefield for extended periods before striking a target like a missile, in some cases autonomously. We have investigated this emerging field in order to identify which countries operate loitering munitions, what these weapons are capable of, and their implications for the future of war.

News

A U.S. drone strike in Syria killed Abu Hani al-Masri, a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda. The strike targeted a motorcycle in Idlib province. In addition to serving in al-Qaeda, Al-Masri was a founding member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. (Voice of America)

A U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed Rachid Kassim, a senior member of ISIL. The strike took place near Mosul. Kassim, a French citizen, was responsible for communicating with France-based operatives and planning attacks. According to a U.S. official who spoke with CNN, the strike was carried out by a drone. (CNN)

The U.S. Navy has shut down an office dedicated to managing the development and integration of unmanned systems for the entire naval force. The Office of Unmanned Warfare Systems, also known as N99, was established in mid-2015. The responsibilities of the office will be divided among other departments. (Defense News)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At RUSI, Peter Roberts argues that the Navy’s unmanned warfare office achieved what it set out to do before it was closed down.

At Bellingcat, Nick Waters examines the types of ordnance launched from ISIL drones.

Meanwhile, at Stratfor, Scott Stewart argues that it’s only a matter of time before ISIL’s drone tactics inspire similar attacks against targets in Europe and the U.S.

At Reuters, Marine Pennetier reports that France is taking steps to secure its airspace against potential drone attacks.

At Popular Science, Kelsey D. Atherton examines the challenge of countering armed consumer drones.

At TechCrunch, Natasha Lomas writes that industry analysts doubt that drone deliveries will be a reality for at least several years.

At Recode, April Glaser writes that President Trump’s executive order restricting new regulations is a setback for the drone industry.

At U.S. News and World Report, Dawn Reiss considers the best ways to invest in the drone industry.

At the Modern War Institute, M.L. Cavanaugh argues that it would be unwise to place too much faith in technology-based strategies like the Third Offset.

At The Drive, Tyler Rogoway looks at how defense firm Kratos is betting that it can develop and field the next generation of military strike drones.

At Bloomberg, Henri Gendreau and Alan Levin explain why the drone swarm in Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was pretaped.

At Hyperallergic, Kirsten O’Regan reviews an exhibition of Mahwish Chisty’s drone art at the Imperial War Museum in London.

At Just Security, Adil Ahmad Haque examines how the Trump administration could alter the targeting guidelines for drone strikes established by the Obama administration.

Also at Just Security, Gabor Rona argues that the Director of National Intelligence report on U.S. counterterrorism strikes is “not credible.”

At War is Boring, David Cenciotti traces a U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance flight over Libya.

At Aviation Week, Lara Seligman examines the U.S. Navy’s progress in developing a carrier-based unmanned tanker.

At Drone360, Brandon Stark surveys the efforts undertaken by the University of California system to develop drones for a range of applications.

At IEEE Spectrum, Evan Ackerman looks at how one of NASA’s autonomous robots is helping with housekeeping on the International Space Station.

At East Pendulum, Henri Kenhmann examines whether China’s development of the second generation Wing Loong drone might be at the request of Saudi Arabia.

Know Your Drone

A team from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has demonstrated a microdrone that can transport pollen between flowers like a bee. (New Scientist)

U.S. aerospace firm Aurora Flight Sciences demonstrated a device that launches and retrieves drones, developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SideArm program. (Wired)

Israeli firm Flying Production unveiled the Thor, an autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (FlightGlobal)

Singapore-based firm Infinium Robotics is developing drones for stocktaking in warehouses. (CNBC)

Israel Aerospace Industries has unveiled the Heron TP, an export specific version of its long-endurance surveillance and reconnaissance drone. (FlightGlobal)

The U.S. Army is seeking to develop an electronic warfare system for its Gray Eagle surveillance and strike drone. (Defense News)

China’s ministry of national defense is testing a large solar-powered long-endurance drone that can operate at high altitudes. (UPI) For more on high-altitude drones, click here.

Technology firm InnoCorp unveiled the SubMurres, an unmanned undersea vehicle that can also fly. (Space Daily)

Drones at Work

State senators in New Mexico are considering a bill that would restrict the use of drones over other people’s private property. (KRQE)

Shipping firm FedEx is exploring the use of unmanned ground vehicles for deliveries. (MIT Technology Review)

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is looking at using drones for emergency operations. (Charlotte Business Journal)

The Town of Flagler Beach in Florida is considering an ordinance that would restrict drone use in the city. (Flagler Live)

Qatari authorities published a public notice warning drone operators not to use unmanned aircraft without permission. (Doha News)

A group of researchers used a drone to find as many as 450 geoglyphs—large man-made stone formations—in the Amazon. (Phys.org)

A drone was used to measure water levels in the San Francisquito Creek in California. (NBC Bay Area)

The Madison County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois has received approval to purchase a drone for emergency operations. (The Telegraph)

The U.S Army recovered a surveillance drone that it had lost during a training mission out of Fort Huachuca. (Fox News)

The U.K. Maritime Coastguard Agency is studying the feasibility of introducing drones for search and rescue missions. (Aviation Week)

Industry Intel

The Royal Australian Navy awarded Schiebel Group a contract for a Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopter and three years of logistics support. (AIN Online)

The Department of Transportation awarded Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory a $1.51 million contract to provide technical support for a unmanned aerial system collision avoidance system. (USASpending)

Allianz will sponsor the 2017 Drone Racing League championships, which are to be held in June 2017. (Press Release)

Energy firm AES has partnered with Measure, a drone services company, to explore the use of drones to improve safety on work sites. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

An MQ-8B Fire Scout prepares to land on the USS Coronado during operations in the South China Sea on February 1, 2017. Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Amy M. Ressler/ USN

January 30, 2017 – February 5, 2017

News

Israel has reportedly eased export restrictions on military drones in order to boost the competitiveness of Israeli companies. According to an unnamed defense ministry source who spoke with FlightGlobal, Israeli companies will be able to export drones to a variety of previously banned countries. The new regulations will include strict end user agreements.

Military Times reports that open-source airstrike data published by the U.S. Department of Defense appears to be missing thousands of strikes carried out by U.S. Army aircraft, including the MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. The absence of the data may have been the result of competing definitions within the Pentagon of what constitutes an “airstrike.”

The Super Bowl halftime show by Lady Gaga featured hundreds of drones flying in a coordinated swarm. The Shooting Star quadrotors flew in the formation of the U.S. flag. The display was organized by Intel Corporation’s drone division, Intel Drones. (USA Today)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

The Combating Terrorism Center released a study of ISIL documents detailing the organization’s acquisition and use of drones.

Meanwhile, at the Associated Press, Susannah George and Lori Hinnant report on an ISIL drone warehouse in Mosul.

A study by the Government Accountability Office concluded that the U.S. Air Force and Army could do a better job of managing their drone pilot workforces.

At the Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot provide a behind-the-scenes look at Russia’s acquisition of Israeli drones.

At Shephard Media, Grant Turnbull writes that U.S. defense contractors are calling for the Trump administration to reform drone export policies.

Also at Shephard Media, Grant Turnbull considers whether layoffs and cancelled projects at drone companies suggest that we may have passed “peak drone.”

The Council on Foreign Relations released an assessment of the Obama administration’s drone strike program reforms.

At Foreign Policy, Micah Zenko argues that President Trump may discard some of President Obama’s policies on targeted killing.

At Forbes, John Goglia argues that the FAA’s drone flight ban near the Super Bowl is excessive.

At Bloomberg News, Alan Levin writes that a delay in the implementation of an amendment to the FAA’s drone regulations is worrying the drone industry.

At East Pendulum, Henri Kenhmann looks at Chinese efforts to develop carrier-launched drones.

At Scout Warrior, Kris Osborn examines the U.S. Navy’s research into swarming unmanned surface vehicles.

At the Conversation, Andy Miah looks at how the drone “went from the latest must-have tech toy to a billion-dollar cultural phenomenon.”

At Inverse, Graham Templeton writes that the new Boston Dynamics helper robot could help turn the company’s fortunes around.

At InfoSecurity, Michael Hill examines efforts to safely integrate drones into municipalities.

At Law.com, Ian Lopez looks at how tech companies are thinking about the intersection of artificial intelligence and modern law.

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Air Force is looking to develop large drones that can refuel other drones. (National Interest)

Researchers from CalTech and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a small unmanned aircraft that flies like a bat. (PBS)

Robot maker Boston Dynamics unveiled Handle, a wheeled robot prototype. (TechCrunch)

NASA and technology firm Vigilant Aerospace have conducted successful beyond-visual-line-of-sight tests of a sense-and-avoid system for small drones. (The Digital Circuit)

U.S. firm Vanilla Aircraft is reportedly developing two larger versions of its diesel VA001 drone, which recently set an endurance flight record. (Defense Daily Network)

Solar energy company SolAero Technologies is partnering with drone maker Bye Aerospace to put solar panels on a long endurance reconnaissance drone prototype. (GPS World)

GoPro has announced that it has fixed a glitch in its Karma consumer drone, which was recalled shortly after being released in September. (CNET)

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking to exploit computer gaming technologies in the development of its OFFSET swarming drone program. (FlightGlobal)

The U.S. Air Force is exploring the possibility of developing a surveillance and reconnaissance drone that can fly for a week without refueling. (Motherboard)

Technology firm Piaggio Fast Forward is developing a personal cargo robot called Gita. (Engadget)

In a test, the U.S. Navy’s Knifefish underwater drone successfully identified eight sea mines. (Defense Systems)

Drone maker General Atomics Aeronautical Systems unveiled the SkyGuardian, a variant of the Predator B that is certified to fly in civilian airspace. (UPI)

Drones at Work

The Federal Aviation Administration granted 3D Robotics permission to operate a drone at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the first waiver for drone operations at such a busy airport. (Recode)

The Indian state of Goa has implemented a temporary ban on drones until March 11. (The Hindu)

The Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science Technology has deployed a Wave Glider unmanned submarine to provide early warnings of tsunamis near the Ogasawara archipelago. (Scientific American)

Police in Old Forge, Pennsylvania used a drone to search for a man who had been missing for over a week. (PA Homepage)

U.S. drone maker CyPhy Works has equipped its Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications tethered drone with a 4G LTE system that could provide wireless internet during events at stadiums. (Digital Trends)

Indian officials have announced a plan to deploy drones to find and track illegal mining activity. (Bloomberg)

Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria is looking to use drones to track vandalism along the country’s power lines. (Premium Times)

Officials in Twin Oaks, Missouri are developing an ordinance to restrict drone use in the city’s airspace. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Meanwhile, the city of San Diego,California is developing regulations for drone use. (Times of San Diego)

The South Carolina State Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit flying drones over correctional facilities. (The State)

The U.S. Army lost a Shadow surveillance drone in Arizona during a training flight out of Fort Huachuca. (Associated Press)

Police in Pacifica, California arrested a 55-year-old man after he reportedly flew a drone too close to a Highway Patrol helicopter. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Poynter has announced an initiative to train journalists to use drones. (Poynter)

Industry Intel

Romania suspended procurement of the Aeronautics Defense Systems Orbiter 4 after two other Israeli drone manufacturers appealed the award decision. (FlightGlobal)

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $11.9 million foreign military sales contract for spare parts and support equipment for U.K. MQ-9 Reapers. (DOD)

The U.S. Army awarded Syracuse Research Corp. a $65 million contract for 15 counter-drone systems. (DoD)

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Systems a $1.1 million contract for logistics support for the MQ-8 Fire Scout. (FBO)

France reportedly awarded AeroVironment a $6 million contract for small unmanned aircraft systems. (Ouest France)

Caterpillar invested in drone services startup Airware with the goal of bringing drones to the construction and mining industry. (TechCrunch)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

An Amazon patent proposes a drone with foldable wings. Credit: Amazon

January 23, 2017 – January 29, 2017

At the Center for the Study of the Drone

A growing number of countries around the world are developing or acquiring unmanned aircraft systems. Today, the Center for the Study of the Drone and the Center for a New American Security present The Drone Database, an unprecedented survey of over 150 drones from 48 countries. This easy-to-use tool is intended to aid policymakers and the public in understanding the scope and implications of global drone proliferation.

If you are in New York City this week, please join us at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum for a live-action game experience that puts you in the shoes of a high-flying drone investor. The evening will also feature a talk by the Center’s co-director Arthur Holland Michel.

News

The Department of Defense confirmed that there were three U.S. drone strikes in the opening days of the Trump administration. The strikes took place in Yemen and targeted suspected members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. (Washington Post)

The City of Orlando, Florida passed an ordinance that restricts drones from flying near city parks, buildings, and other landmarks. The rules require drone operators to pay for a permit to fly in these areas and establish fines between $200 and $400 for violators. The ordinance was publicly opposed by industry groups, including the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. (WESH2)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Wired, Joshua Bateman looks at how China is using drones to help find earthquake victims faster.

Also at Wired, Jeremy Hsu writes that the U.S. military could be purchasing the same hobby drones that are available to consumers.

In a report published by Chatham House, Missy Cummings assesses the state of the field of lethal autonomous weapons development and calls for policies that address the disparity between defense research and the commercial industry.

At Techradar, John McCann argues that high-end hobby drones are an “over-hyped, expensive let down for the average person.”

At IEEE Spectrum, Oskar Levander writes that it is only a matter of time before autonomous cargo ships become a reality.

At the Drive, Tyler Rogoway writes that a video of an ISIL drone bombing a tank is a “sign of what’s to come.” For more on the drones used in Syria and Iraq, click here.

TechCrunch visited the University of North Dakota’s aerospace program, where it trains the next generation of commercial drone pilots.

At Nasdaq.com, Ryan Giannotto writes that defense contractors that manufacture drones could do well under the Trump administration.

At Fstoppers, Alex Cooke argues that Orlando’s ordinance regulating drones sets a dangerous precedent.

At Aviation Week, James Drew writes that Kratos swarming combat drones prototypes will participate in exercises later this year.

At Defense Tech, Hope Hodge Seck writes that the Textron Systems unmanned minehunting boat may be used by the Navy for other missions such as anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering.

At Drone360, Lauren Sigfusson speaks with PrecisionHawk CEO Michael Chasen about the commercial drone industry.

At sUAS News, Paul Aitken writes that the Customs and Border Protection Agency could change import regulations for drones.

At Directions Magazine, Bill McNeil argues that GoPro should have developed a selfie or pocket drone instead of competing with drones from DJI.

At Vocativ, Joshua Kopstein argues that law enforcement agencies are “making it impossible to use drones to document protests.”

The Los Angeles Times editorial board argues that there is a lack of transparency surrounding the acquisition and use of drones by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office.

DefenseOne released a series of essays on artificial intelligence and autonomy on the battlefields of the future.

New York-based graffiti artist KATSU unveiled a new graffiti drone, the Icarus Two. (Motherboard) For our interview with KATSU, click here.

The Guardian shares some of the images that won Sky Pixel’s 2016 drone photography competition.

Verity Studies released a paper on the systems that support drone shows, including flying lighting displays, the movement of stage props, and the creation of synthetic swarms.

Know Your Drone

The U.S. Patents Office has published a patent awarded to Amazon for a fixed-wing drone that can take off and land vertically. (Geekwire)

Airbus Helicopters is preparing for the maiden flight of its VSR700 helicopter drone, which it is developing for the French Navy. (IHS Jane’s 360)

The U.S. Army has issued a Request for Information for small reconnaissance drones that could be used by individual soldiers. (FBO)

The Royal Saudi Air Force unveiled its first armed CH-4 strike drone, produced by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. (Defense Blog)

Drone maker Kespry unveiled a new version of the Drone 2, a commercial survey drone. (Pit & Quarry)

Technology firm Draper is developing a system that turns live dragonflies into micro air vehicles. (IEEE Spectrum)

The Anti-UAV Defence System, a counter-drone system developed by a consortium of British firms, has achieved operational status and has been deployed by U.S. forces. (IHS Jane’s 360)

Drones at Work

Chinese retailer JD.com is looking to expand its drone delivery network in China to include 100 set routes. (Recode)

An Australian conservation group is raising funds to deploy drones to track broad-scale forest clearing by farmers. (The Guardian)

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is deploying four Waste Shark unmanned surface vehicles, which collect trash from the surface of the city’s harbor. (Popular Science)

Researchers at Florida International University are using drones to conduct a survey of sharks in French Polynesia. (Phys.org)

The San Diego County Sheriff’s office used drones to search for a boy who was swept away in a creek during a severe storm. (NBC)

Arab Coalition Forces in Yemen reportedly shot down an Iranian-made drone in the northern city of Mokha. (Al Arabiya)

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge had to remind visitors that drones were prohibited in the refuge after several reports of drones being used to film the local bird population. (Florida Today)

The U.S. Army used a drone to guide a stranded Iraqi soldier to safety. (Military Times)

The Yorktown Police Department in New York has acquired a DJI Inspire drone, which was donated by the local Chamber of Commerce. (TAPInto)

A Utah teenager was struck in the head by a falling drone at a party in the city of Hyde Park. (Gephardt Daily)

The NFL organized a “drone drop” game in which professional football players had to catch balls dropped by drones from a high altitude. (Gizmodo)

Thrill-seekers in Latvia are using a large multirotor drone to pull them along on snowboards. (Agence France-Presse)

Industry Intel

The U.S. Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $11.8 million foreign military sales contract for the Italy MQ-9 Contractor Logistics Support Phase V Program. (DoD)

Germany’s Bundeswehr awarded Airbus DS Airborne Solutions a $37.5 million contract extension to continue leasing the Heron 1 surveillance drone for operations in Afghanistan. (UPI)

U.K. industrial drone firm Strat Aero raised $477,000 on a heavily discounted share price. (This Is Money)

Up Sonder, a drone rental marketplace, officially opened for business in Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco. (Drone360)

For updates, news, and commentary, follow us on Twitter. The Weekly Drone Roundup is a newsletter from the Center for the Study of the Drone. It covers news, commentary, analysis and technology from the drone world. You can subscribe to the Roundup here.

SkyPan settled a suit with the Federal Aviation Administration for illegally flying over New York City. Image via TechCrunch

January 16, 2017 – January 22, 2017

News

Two suspected U.S. drone strikes in Yemen killed at least three members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. According to local officials, both strikes targeted vehicles in the southern al-Bayda province. If confirmed, the strikes would likely be the first carried out during the Trump presidency. (Reuters)

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its official casualty estimates for individuals killed in counter-terrorism strikes outside of declared war zones. According to the report, which was released on President Obama’s last day in office, the U.S. carried out 53 strikes that killed a total of 431 enemy combatants and one civilian in 2016. It was the second casualty estimate released by the Obama administration. (USA Today)

The Department of Defense announced that B-2 manned stealth bombers and MQ-9 Reaper drones launched strikes against two reported ISIL camps in Libya. The armed Reapers were launched from Sicily and provided follow-on strikes to the B-2 bombers. Over 80 ISIL militants were killed in the strikes. (New York Times)

Meanwhile, the Obama administration removed the area around Sirte, Libya from the territories covered by the Presidential Policy Guidance, a 2013 memo intended to limit the scope of drone strikes. The coastal Libyan city has become a haven for ISIL militants in recent years. Sirte joins Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria as an “area of active hostilities,” a term given by the Obama administration to war zones subject to less restrictive rules of engagement. (New York Times)

The Obama administration filed an appeal in an ACLU suit aimed at revealing more information about the U.S. targeted killing campaign. The White House appealed a July 2016 decision in which U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that the administration must disclose certain information relating to the campaign. (Politico)

The U.S. Air Force announced that Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina will host an MQ-9 Reaper mission control group beginning in 2018. No actual Reaper aircraft will be located at the base. (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Aerial photography firm SkyPan settled a suit brought by the Federal Aviation Administration for illegally operating drones in New York City airspace. The Chicago-based drone operator agreed to pay a $200,000 fine, and will face an additional $150,000 penalty if it continues to violate FAA rules over the next year. The FAA had initially proposed a $1.9 million fine when it filed the suit in October 2015. (Reuters)

The San Francisco District Attorney filed a lawsuit against Lily Robotics, the failed selfie drone manufacturer. According to the complaint, Lily Robotics misled consumers about the capabilities of its drones by publishing fake promotional videos. The company announced earlier this month that it is officially shutting down all operations. (The Guardian)

A man was detained after flying a drone close to a commercial airliner on approach to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in China’s Zhejiang province. In a statement, the Zhejiang Provincial Police stated that the 23-year-old’s intention was to take an aerial video of an airliner landing at sunset. (CNN)

Commentary, Analysis, and Art

At Forbes, Benjamin Joffe writes that Chinese drone-manufacturers appear posed to dominate the global market for hobby drones.

Also at Forbes, Hilary Brueck considers how autonomous drones will be received by the incoming Trump administration.

At Drone360, Leah Froats reports that the FAA has revoked Section 333 exemptions for closed-set filming drone operations.

The Tenth Amendment Center argues that Washington state House Bill 1102, which places limitations on the use of drones to gather personal information, would “help thwart the federal surveillance state.”

At Popular Science, Kelsey Atherton examines a plan to repurpose bullfighting arenas as hubs for drone shows and drone racing.

At Interesting Engineering, Terry Berman writes that disposable drones could help reduce the cost of drone deliveries.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Missy Cummings discussed the future of autonomy in military operations. (PC World)

Emergency services in Australia warned that drones could obstruct aerial firefighting efforts. (ABC News)

At Sixth Tone, Li Xueqing examines how web users in China identified a drone operator who appeared to fly close to a commercial airliner in Hangzhou.

At the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Jessica Purkiss and Jack Serle reflect on drone strikes under President Obama.

At Recode, April Glaser considers the different reasons why the Lily Robotics selfie drone never lived up to the company’s promises.

At the Daily Beast, David Axe considers whether a surface-to-air missile system deployed by the North Dakota Army National Guard to the protests around the Dakota Access Pipeline is intended to shoot down drones.

At Commercial UAV News, Jeremiah Karpowicz examines how some state agencies are using drones.

At FCNP, Sam Tabachnik profiles Vanilla Aircraft, a Virginia-based company that built a drone that holds the world record for the longest continual flight for drones in its class.