USN Reports on the New DJI Mavic Mini, Jupiter Tricopter and Much More!

    UNMANNED SYSTEMS NEWS (USN)
                                                                          10 NOVEMBER 2019
All opinions expressed within this newsletter are those of the respective author or authors. This information has been released to the public and distribution is unlimited.
Thanks to Robin Alexander for identifying many of the below sources.
My contact info is: DavidPlace47@gmail.com  Home phone: 858-586-1612 Cell phone 858-442-4396.  Editors comments are highlighted in ital.
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DJI Mavic Mini photos leak ahead of announcement
DJI is perhaps best known in the consumer drone market but it has been relatively silent of late, at least as far as UAVs were concerned.  The consumer drone market is a rather crowded one in the low and lightweight end of the spectrum. Most, however, come from smaller and lesser-known brands, not all of which come with the quality and performance you’d expect from the likes of DJI. Perhaps seeing a market opportunity, the famed drone-maker is aiming for a smaller form factor with the DJI Mavic Mini.
https://www.slashgear.com/dji-mavic-mini-ultra-light-folding-drone-revealed-with-2-7k-camera-30597806/
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Here is one drone killer US troops have taken overseas
U.S. troops are already deploying abroad with counter-drone capabilities, including CACI International’s SkyTracker suite.  The core of SkyTracker is radio frequency detection and mitigation. It identifies the link between a drone and its controller.  Those positions can then populate on a user interface screen, like the portable tablets already used in the field by many troops. The tracker identifies what type of drone is being used and offers options to do anything from jamming its communication to forcing it to the ground.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/10/28/here-is-one-drone-killer-us-troops-have-taken-overseas/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Army%20DNR%20102819&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Army%20-%20Daily%20News%20Roundup
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New Game-Changing UAS Unveiled at Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas
The new year will see drone technology soaring to new levels of performance for commercial and industrial applications, as FlightWave Aerospace Systems launches its new Jupiter tricopter UAS.  By contrast, Jupiter circumvents this problem by leveraging the power of FlightWave’s ingenious thrustvector control, autopilot, and power management systems. In addition to extending your flight time, level flight keeps all your sensors pointed where they need to be - you get more useful data out every flight.
https://www.prweb.com/releases/new_game_changing_uas_unveiled_at_commercial_uav_ expo_in_las_vegas/prweb16676667.htm
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ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, participated at NATO’s REP (MUS) 19 Exercise in Portugal where ELTA demonstrated its Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Drone Guard (ELI-4030)
The Drone Guard passed a rigorous evaluation of its specifications by the Portuguese Navy and was qualified to participate in the NATO exercise for protecting harbors against hostile drones, UASs, USVs and other airborne and surface threats.
"C-UAS units must be able to detect and classify both hostile as well as civilian drones that mistakenly enter sensitive areas as they too can cause unintended damage to a facility's infrastructure,"
https://armyrecognition.com/october_2019_global_defense_security_army_news_industry/elta_systems_demonstrates_their_c-uas_capabilities_during_a_nato_exercise.html
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Largest Gathering of Robots and AI in History! Xponential 2019 (Well worth your time to visit the below link)
Thanks to Lucien Miller and Tom Atwood for providing a top shelf review of Xponential 2019 that was held in Chicago earlier this year.  Check out the below link and enjoy the review. It is in the rotating carol at the top of the home page.  As you peruse the gallery of photos, when you scroll over each individual picture you should be able to see a vetted URL associated with that specific company.
http://www.the-nref.org
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Unmanned aircraft could provide low-cost boost for Air Force’s future aircraft inventory
As the U.S. Air Force looks to increase the size and capability of its aircraft inventory, the service should assess the possibility of using drones as a low-cost and highly available alternative to manned airplanes, posits a new study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  The CSIS report makes the case that the low cost and high mission capable rate of RPAs like the MQ-9 Reaper or RQ-4 Global Hawk merits more attention when making future force planning.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/10/29/unmanned-aircraft-could-provi...?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Air%2010.29.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Air%20Force%20-%20Daily%20News%20Roundup

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Look, up in the sky! Drone light show to dazzle academy cadets (Albeit this event occurred in October 2019 there is still an excellent video embedded at the below link)
500 choreographed drones.  Intel made history in 2018 when it flew 1,218 of its Shooting Star drones as part of the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. That performance set a Guinness World Record for the most drones flown simultaneously.  A few months later, Intel set another world record when it flew 2,018 drones for the company’s 50th birthday celebration.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/10/29/look-up-in-the-sky-drone-light-show-to-dazzle-academy-cadets/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Air%2010.29.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Air%20Force%20-%20Daily%20News%20Roundup

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Unmanned systems vulnerable to the enemy, which makes trusted computing a critical cyber design challenge
Reliable, secure communications becomes much more critical in unmanned systems. If communications are lost, the unmanned system may need to throttle back.
Trusted-computing is a difficult concept to implement, even in some of the best scenarios. Implementing adequate cyber security and other protections becomes even more challenging when the system being protected will be deployed into the harsh world without a trusted service member nearby to operate the system.
https://www.militaryaerospace.com/trusted-computing/article/14069596/trusted-computing-unmanned-cyber?utm_source=MAE+Trusted+Computing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS191030031&o_eid=7100E1556389A7Q&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7100E1556389A7Q&oly_enc_id=7100E1556389A7Q

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Armed drones to fly out of Niger air base now operational after delayed completion
Nigerien Air Base 201 is now operational — roughly a year after it was supposed to be completed.  U.S. Africa Command announced that intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations are now being conducted out of the base in Agadez, Niger, which is designed to house armed drones and other aircraft that have historically operated out of Niger’s capital, Niamey.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/flashpoints/2019/11/01/armed-drones-to-fly-out-of-niger-air-base-now-operational-after-delayed-completion/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Air%20Force%20-%20Daily%20News%20Roundup
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Interior Dept Ceases Drone Operations Amid Investigations on Chinese Tech
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is directing his department to ground its fleet of over 800 drones in a move to prevent threats from Chinese-manufactured technologies.  The drones will remain grounded until investigations into security risks conclude. He noted that drones used for emergency response will be exempted from the directive.
Currently, the department uses its drones for a range of operations encompassing dam inspection, endangered species monitoring, erosion surveying and fighting forest fires.
https://www.executivegov.com/2019/11/interior-dept-ceases-drone-operations-amidinvestigations-on-chinese-tech/
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Navy, Marines Moving Ahead with Unmanned Vessel Programs
The Navy is gaining enough experience with unmanned vehicles on and below the water’s surface that it’s becoming easier to kick off new programs, as each can build on previous program’s lessons learned.
https://news.usni.org/2019/10/31/navy-marines-moving-ahead-with-unmanned-vessel-programs?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2011.01.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief
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Here’s the robotic vehicle that will carry equipment for US troops
The U.S. Army has selected General Dynamics Land Systems’ Multi-Utility Tactical Transport, or MUTT, for its Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport unmanned ground system program of record.
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2019/10/31/heres-the-robotic-vehicle-that-will-carry-equipment-for-us-troops/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2011.01.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief
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Epic water rescue tech - UUV
OceanAlpha has been bringing the same revolution that drones brought to the air to the ocean, with fleets of unmanned vehicles for oceanic sensing and exploration.  If you would like more information on this capability, contact Colin Guinn at guinnpartners.com
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/colinguinn_oceanalpha-has-been-bringing-the-samerevolution-activity-6595697438407872512-6Zu1?ck_subscriber_id=232648974
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Unmanned battle tank could serve as robotic wingman
A new robotic tank designed to operate as a “wingman” was recently unveiled  The Ripsaw M5, originally featured on a reality TV show, has been transformed into a heavily armed combat drone equipped with an autocannon and two drones of its own. Armored wingmen will operate alongside U.S. Army tanks and armored vehicles, doing dangerous jobs to keep humans out of harm’s way.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a29476669/ripsaw-m5/
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New senseFly eBee X fixed-wing UAS undergoes tests with US Army
The US Army Engineering and Support Center is testing the new senseFly eBee X fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS).  The system will be used by the service to collect mapping data and high-resolution photography to support the center's more than 40 programs and several missions conducted globally.
https://www.army-technology.com/news/sensefly-ebee-x-uas-tests-us/
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First Navy Submarine Resupplied By Commercial Drone  (Well done to Ted Ralston and the folks in Hawaii for finally making this capability a reality)
It was only a matter of time before somebody thought of this. Last month, a small quad-rotor delivery drone, of the type used for delivering packages to your door, resupplied a U.S. Navy submarine.  The honor fell to the suitably named USS Hawaii (SSN 776), one of the latest Virginia Class fast attack submarines. It took place just a mile off Oahu, Hawaii, in partnership with the University of Hawaii Applied Research Lab. This may not sound very impressive, but it is a look into the future.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutton/2019/10/29/navy-submarine-resupplied-bycommercial-drone/#2242cae6ee08
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Drone delivers parts, medicine to Navy submarine off Oahu
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/10/29/hawaii-news/drone-delivers-parts-medicineto-underway-navy-submarine/?HSA=d8a82ca33dfc3ef55e75dab402947d86f10eae98
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4 questions with NATO on its unmanned tech test
As militaries around the world invest in advanced technology, the need to test the capabilities of new systems for military operations is critical — both to ensure the training of personnel as well as the effective integration with existing platforms.
https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2019/10/28/4-questions-with-nato-on-its-unmanned-tech-test/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2010.29.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief
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China Is Exporting Killer Robots to the Mideast
China is exporting drones that it advertises as having lethal autonomy to the Middle East, said Defense Secretary Mark Esper. It’s the first time that a senior Defense official has acknowledged that China is selling drones capable of taking life with little or no human oversight.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/11/secdef-china-exporting-killer-robotsmideast/161100/?oref=d_brief_nl
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As Drone Encounters Rise, Study Shows Visibility Concerns (Thanks to Mark Rindler for sharing this article)
An airborne human-factors experiment conducted by researchers from Oklahoma State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University concluded in a recent published study that certificated pilots failed to see a common type of quadcopter during approach to a runway, and in most cases, could never detect motionless drones.
https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/drone-encounter-visibilityconcerns/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email
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General Atomics’ Predator RPAs Mark 6M Mission Hours
A series of remotely piloted aircraft systems built by General Atomics’ aeronautical systems business has logged over 6M flight hours in support of the U.S. military, Department of Defense and other clients worldwide.
https://blog.executivebiz.com/2019/11/general-atomics-predator-rpas-mark-6m-missionhours/
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DoD should consider truly autonomous weapons
The US military should adopt artificial intelligence urgently without letting debates over ethics and human control “paralyze AI development.
https://breakingdefense.com/2019/11/bipartisan-ai-commission-dod-should-consider-truly-autonomous-weapons/?utm_campaign=Breaking%20Defense%20Networks%20%26%20Cyber&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=78997178&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_04poDMHNIZM05aJh2EeCJ7szPfpGr96BBhoHp1FXp2z9KV-3YKyicLsUhpzBs5B0BOKca8un4m8lt6TveumF29X-guw&_hsmi=78997178
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US Army looks to boost Air Launched Weapons Inventory

The US Army Contracting Command has released a sources sought notice for the production of air-to-ground missiles (AGMs) for the army's fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
https://www.janes.com/article/92329/us-army-looks-to-boost-hellfire-romeo-jagm-stocks
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Unmanned Uncovered - Episode 36 (Since I am having some issues transmitting important information via gmail, I am including some highlights from Stephen Glaus here regarding his most recent Unmanned Uncovered Podcast)
For those of you familiar with AIRT initiatives, you will likely recognize Chris Todd as the force behind AIRT's noteworthy contributions to the Unmanned Systems industry.  Christopher Todd serves as the executive director of the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT®), a Florida-based non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides unmanned aviation capabilities to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex emergencies and major disasters. He’s also the founder and president of Airborne Response®, a Miami-based provider of Mission Critical Unmanned Solutions® for government and industry. As if that wasn’t enough, Christopher is the Director of AUVSI Miami and participates as a member of many different aviation and governmental groups and associations.
https://unmanned-uncovered.simplecast.com/episodes/rock-rolling
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Unmanned submarines seen as key to dominating the world’s oceans 
Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are driving pioneering research in artificial intelligence (AI) underwater communications, autonomous navigation, and unmanned swarm technologies.
The influence of massive spending on developing AI for undersea systems portends the greatest change in military sea power since the introduction of nuclear-powered vessels.
https://www.militaryaerospace.com/unmanned/article/14068665/unmanned-underwatervehicles-uuv-artificial-intelligence?oly_enc_id=2872A0273056D7W
 

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