Droner

 

FAA and FBI Announce Strict ‘No Drone Zones’ for Super Bowl LX

By The Editor on Feb 03, 2026 07:50 am

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has established a ‘No Drone Zone’ for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with additional drone restrictions in downtown San Francisco during the days leading up to the event. The FBI is working with the FAA to enforce […]

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AeroVironment Launches BVLOS Airspace Facility for US Air Force

By The Editor on Feb 03, 2026 07:30 am

– AeroVironment, Inc. (AV), a global defence technology company delivering software-enabled autonomous systems, and CAL Analytics, an innovator in advanced airspace management technologies, announced the completed installation and initial operation of a new Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) airspace management facility at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) at Springfield-Beckley Municipal […]

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UK Royal Navy Helicopters Control Drones in Flight in UK First

By The Editor on Feb 03, 2026 07:20 am

The crew of a Wildcat from 815 Naval Air Squadron received information almost instantaneously from two small surveillance drones (a Puma and a Providence), and data from other ground-based sensors to target a moving vehicle via a multi-node mesh network, at times over the horizon and beyond line of sight. The trials, conducted out of […]

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Lockheed Martin, PG&E Corporation, Salesforce and Wells Fargo Team to Transform America’s Wildfire Detection

By The Editor on Feb 03, 2026 07:15 am

– Lockheed Martin, PG&E Corporation, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo have launched EMBERPOINT LLC, a purpose-built venture to integrate next-generation wildfire solutions that help first responders detect, prevent, and fight catastrophic fires. The partnership aims to set a new standard in wildfire safety by combining capabilities no single company could deliver alone. EMBERPOINT will apply artificial […]

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The French Navy to become first operator of Airbus' Aliaca vertical uncrewed aerial system Marignane, France, 03 February 2026 – The French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has ordered a new version of the SMDM ("Onboard Mini Aerial Drone Systems for the Navy") from Airbus Helicopters (via its subsidiary Survey Copter). This UAS will now be delivered in the new vertical take-off and landing configuration (VTOL). The DGA has ordered a total of 34 Aliaca systems for the French Navy since 2022. Deliveries of this new version will begin in May 2026, following a qualification campaign. "We are proud to be able to deliver the VTOL version of the Aliaca to the French Navy for the first time," said Christophe Canguilhem, Aliaca programme director at Airbus Helicopters. "The French Navy has successfully operated the Aliaca from its ships and from land for several years. The SMDM, as it is named in the French Navy, has demonstrated its full potential in operation," he added. "With the VTOL version, the French Navy will be able to operate the Aliaca with even more flexibility. This amendment to the initial contract demonstrates that our solution is now mature and available for our customers worldwide." The Aliaca VTOL was tested on land and at sea at the end of 2024 and throughout 2025. Unveiled in April 2025, the Aliaca VTOL was developed in less than a year from a version already proven in operations within the French Navy. This tactical mini-drone is equipped with four propellers, allowing for vertical take-off and landing while maintaining its fixed-wing propulsion mode during the mission. It has a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg, a wingspan of 3.5 m, and a length of 2.1 m. With an  endurance of two hours, a range of 50 km, Aliaca  is equipped with a camera, a high-performance gyro-stabilised electro-optical/infrared system, and an Automatic Identification System that is capable of identifying a ship within a radius of several hundred kilometres. This evolution of the SMDM maintains the performance and architecture of the existing system while offering faster deployment and a reduced logistical footprint due to the absence of launch-and-recovery systems. Operators retain the same ground station, which is already proven and recognised for its ease of use. Qualified by the DGA and operational since 2022 as the "remote binoculars" of the French Navy, the SMDM currently equips patrol vessels (PHM - high-sea patrol vessels and POM - overseas patrol vessels) and surveillance frigates. Since the summer of 2023, it has also been deployed from the French coast for search and rescue missions in the English Channel. The vertical take-off and landing version will equip other types of French Navy vessels to perform various missions: maintaining tactical situational awareness, combating illegal activities, traffic and coastal surveillance, search and rescue, and detection of suspicious behaviour. In the long term, the system is also expected to be operated from land to support the coastal surveillance network. This new configuration of the SMDM will enter a qualification phase by the DGA in early 2026 for land and sea trials before being declared operational. The SMDM, in its "fixed-wing" version, will continue to be implemented on equipped ships and maintained in operational condition for a period of at least seven years.