Personal eVTOL, Navy and Marines resupply drones, an Army UAS, drones on construction sites, UAS support for hypersonic missile testing, weaponized drones, a contraband-carrying drone, and drone video evidence in a high-profile criminal case.

UAV NewsPersonal eVTOL Vehicles: AIR CEO Believes in the Flying Cars of the Future

AIR is a Tel Aviv-based company that has unveiled its first product offering, the AIR One two-seat personal eVTOL. Designed for recreation and short commutes, the AIR One is powered by a 60 Kw-hour lithium-ion battery and offers a range of up to 110 miles on a single charge at a speed up to 155 miles per hour.

AIR CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut believes that UAM composed of commercial eVTOL vehicles like air taxis has certification and regulatory challenges that will cause the industry to move forward very slowly. Instead, personal eVTOL products based on the automotive model will be more successful short-term. The company has flown unmanned test missions of its prototypes using its Fly by Intent software.

US Navy Trials Logistics Drones for Sea, Land Missions

UAS are being tested for front-line warfighter re-supply. Trials were held by the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). The Marine-focused UAS is the TRUAS (Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System) for on-shore tactical resupply up to 150 pounds. The Navy-focused UAS is the BWUAS (Blue Water logistics UAS) with longer range but lower payload capacity (30-50 pounds).

The Army is testing drones that can deliver life-saving blood to the battlefield

Army researchers are working with Near Earth Autonomy and L3Harris Technologies to develop autonomous unmanned aircraft that can deliver blood to the battlefield. A demonstration flight of the L3Harris FVR-90 drone was conducted in Fort Pickett, Virginia. The drone maps the landing zone to identify a safe landing point. See: Near Earth Autonomy, L3Harris Demonstrate Blood Delivery via Drones.

Video: Project Crimson – Long Endurance Precision Delivery 8/21

Drones becoming ever more common on construction sites

The article provides general background information on drones and the industry, but contains some inaccuracies, as pointed out in a comment by a reader with MKE Drones, an aerial service provider in Milwaukee offering drone imagery.

Sky Range: Faster, Cheaper, Better

The military will use the Sky Range in North Dakota to test hypersonic vehicles. Range Hawk drones are repurposed Global Hawks that the Department of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) modifies with sensors. These then record test data from the hypersonic vehicle.

Weaponized Drones Are Likely Coming To The U.S.

Recently, three drones carrying explosives attempted to assassinate Iraq’s prime minister and drones have been used on U.S. forces in Syria. This has been mostly a threat in the Middle East but some say it’s only a matter of time until we see weaponized drones used in the U.S. for terrorism purposes.

Drones, catapults used to smuggle contraband into SC prisons

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) reported that a drone and catapult were recently used in attempts to smuggle contraband into prisons. The smartphones, tobacco, marijuana, and other items were confiscated by corrections officers. The drone operator hasn’t been identified.

Kyle Rittenhouse defense asks for mistrial over drone video evidence

This widely-watched trial involves Rittenhouse who shot and killed several people at a demonstration and riot. The prosecution obtained some drone video of the incident and provided a copy to the defense. After the evidence window had closed, it was determined that the prosecution provided a low-resolution version of the video to the defense.