Also: Terra Drone, senseFly partners with MicaSense, Quadcopter Topology Optimization

 

The Heron 1 UAV has attained Full Operational Capability (FOC), allowing two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) squadrons to operate, maintain, and deploy the UAV. The UAV will be operated by a team that is compiled of UAV Pilots, Air Imagery Intelligence Experts and Air Force Engineers. The Heron 1 UAV, which Singapore received in 2012, will provide Singapore’s Armed Forces with stronger situational awareness and enhanced mission effectiveness on the battlefield. The UAV is capable of performing a plethora of missions thanks to a multi-mission sensor installed upon it. Regular Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations saw significant advancement, recently, as Canadian UAVs and Lockheed Martin CDL Systems completed their first BVLOS pipeline, well site and power line inspections using the Transport Canada Compliant Lockheed Martin Indago 2 at the Foremost Testing Range. At their UAV Testing Facility in Foremost, Alberta, Canadian UAVs successfully performed multiple BVLOS operations to inspect several pipelines, wellheads and powerlines. The 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force used a quadcopter to conduct a maintenance inspection of the exterior of a C-17 Globemaster III. The C-17 was on loan from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and was the first time they flew a small UAS on the flightline and the second time the CTF has used a sUAS in a new application. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unmanned!!!