Industry News
Look here to find articles and citings in the press about AV, our people, our products and topics that relate to us. If you find something elsewhere that we have not posted, then let us know by sending us an email at info@avinc.com.US Army Eyes STUAS Drones For Battalions
October 15, 2009
US Army officials have identified a gap for a battalion-level unmanned aircraft system that could be addressed by platforms such as the Boeing/Insitu Scan Eagle or AAI Aerosonde.
In the interim, the army is fielding a family of Wasp, Puma and Raven micro-unmanned systems - all made by Aerovironment - for platoon- and company-level operations and an extended-range version of the AAI RQ-7C Shadow for brigades.
More Unmanned Aircraft Striving To Eliminate IEDs
October 08, 2009
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 7, 2009) -- The Army trained more than 1,400 Soldiers, Marines and civilians to fly unmanned aircraft systems in 2009, and expects to train more than 2,300 in 2010. A group of aviators at the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting Tuesday discussed the use of unmanned aircraft systems for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Human-Powered Helicopters Get a Bigger Carrot
September 02, 2009
Inventors and engineers love a prize. Dangle a big enough carrot in front of them and you’re likely to get results. This has been especially true in aviation. In the early days there was the $25,000 Orteig Prize, which Charles Lindbergh claimed when he flew the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris in 33-1/2 hours. More recently, the $10 million Ansari X-Prize spurred a private space race.
Firms Vie For Share Of Growing Unmanned Plane Market
August 12, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq may slow sales of some unmanned aerial vehicles after years of exponential growth, but demand from civilian agencies and foreign countries will underpin the market for years to come, industry and defense officials said on Tuesday.
Drone Aircraft Market Surges In U.S.
July 30, 2009
The U.S. Air Force on July 23 released a report detailing the potential future use of unmanned drones as bombers, cargo transports and in attacking "swarms." The market for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has surged over the last decade, driven by proven operational successes in Iraq and Afghanistan and by Israel's extensive usage. The total UAS market (air vehicles, ground control equipment and payloads) is expected to be worth $55 billion through 2020.
How Robot Drones Revolutionized The Face Of Warfare
July 23, 2009
Barely an hour's drive from the casinos of Las Vegas, a group of unassuming buildings have become as important as the trenches were to WWI. The big difference? Today's warriors are fighting without getting in harm's way, using drones to attack targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Fleet Of Spy Planes Gives U.S. ‘An Edge’ In Afghan Mission
July 22, 2009
U.S. forces in Afghanistan are relying more than ever on surveillance aircraft as they seek out insurgents, from cutting-edge drone technology to the venerable U-2 spy plane, according to interviews and information released at USA TODAY's request.
Betting Big - And Small - On Electric Cars
July 14, 2009
The cars of the future will run on electricity, most major automakers agree on that. What they don't agree on is how soon drivers will be ready to fully embrace electric power and how aggressively to push electric cars.
Vancouver Council Considers Mandatory Installation of Electric Car Chargers
July 08, 2009
City could require 10 per cent of new condo parking spots to include electric car chargers.
New Satellite Co. Seeks to Address U.S. Military's Unmet Demand for Communications & Data Relay Capacity
July 02, 2009
A clutch of former Pentagon brass is helping to start a company that offers a new service: satellites intended solely for military communications that would be built, launched and owned by private investors.
Inside the Pentagon's New Plans for Lethal Drones
June 18, 2009
Esquire.com gets an advanced look at the Air Force roadmap to better robots – flying multi-missile hitmen, floating multi-target guidance systems, flapping suicide bombers – and how they can zero in on Al Qaeda without costing Hillary her job.
UAS Market Challenges Traditional Aerospace
June 15, 2009
With armed forces taking unmanned aircraft more seriously, is the aerospace industrial base ready to meet the emerging requirements? The answer is yes, and no.
Gates says Next-Generation Bomber Might Fly Without Pilot
May 27, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told lawmakers Thursday he is considering making the Air Force's next-generation long-range bomber a pilotless aircraft -- an ambitious undertaking that would put unmanned technologies at the forefront of U.S. offensive military capabilities.
Visualizing the Grid
April 27, 2009
The U.S. electric grid is a complex network of independently owned and operated power plants and transmission lines. Aging infrastructure, combined with a rise in domestic electricity consumption, has forced experts to critically examine the status and health of the nation's electrical systems.
An Aged Electric Grid Looks to a Brighter Future
April 27, 2009
The nation's electricity grid is facing some huge challenges — it's outdated and unprepared for increasing demand and a future that includes more renewable sources of energy. In a weeklong series, NPR is examining the state of the nation's electricity infrastructure.
Military Embraces Green Energy
April 26, 2009
Reporting from Ft. Irwin, Calif. -- Inside a futuristic-looking dome that rises from the sandy wasteland of the high Mojave Desert, soldiers in plywood cubicles work at computers powered by solar panels and a towering wind turbine.
The ‘Eye in the Sky’ Keeps Soldiers Out of Harm’s Way
April 25, 2009
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Kirkuk, Iraq – A group of insurgents wait in the dark to ambush a convoy. They sit patiently, eager, having planned the attack and thinking they know what to expect. A few minutes pass and then –suddenly – they are inexplicably blinded by spotlights as Soldiers seemingly from nowhere take advantage of their disorientation and safely disarm them. There was one thing that the attackers did not consider; the "eye in sky" that can see in the dark.
Learning green: Manufacturers go eco?
April 16, 2009
When we look out across the business landscape today, we can see a number of things looming that might make profitability difficult. A contracting economy is right up top as a primary concern, and that makes every new decision increasingly important. A wrong step is magnified when times are tough. So what are we to make of "Green Business"? It's a concept bouncing around the media and the internet that purports to improve the efficiency of workplace operations while minimizing the impact of productivity on the local (and some say "global") environment.
Unmanned Plane to Inspect Inland Powerlines - ABC Online (Australia)
April 15, 2009
Ergon Energy and the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace (ARCA) are studying the feasibility of using UAS instead of manned helicopters to inspect Queensland's inland electricity network. ARCA Director Rod Walker says his organization has already used UAS in the past to check powerlines between Wondai and Murgon in the South Burnett. "It all comes down to cost benefit-what UAVs can do is fly for extremely long periods of time...They can fly at quite low altitudes-lower than you want to routinely fly in a fixed-wing aeroplane."
San Francisco’s hybrid taxis prove their worth
March 30, 2009
Reporting from San Francisco - Even here, in the capital of true believers in one thing or another, Paul Gillespie stands out. The veteran cabby and former president of the San Francisco Taxicab Commission is one of the reasons this city's taxi fleet is vying to be the most environmentally correct in the country. After years of advocating for hybrid taxis, Gillespie, who says he has "the carbon footprint of an Ethiopian child," now has proof that they are green in more ways than one.
ISR Operations: ‘Eye in the Sky’
March 23, 2009
"Clearly, airborne ISR capability has become indispensible to successful ground and air combat operations, and the U.S. Air Force brings the lion's share to the battle," said Col. Eric Holdaway, director of intelligence for Air Force forces in the Middle East and Central Asia. With respect to combat operations, the ISR mission provides a level of planning, analysis and targeting support never seen before in the history of warfare.
Demand Grows for More Remote-Controlled Drones on the Front Line
May 23, 2008
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are behind a new push by the Pentagon to increase the ranks of one of its most tireless fighting machines: remote-controlled attack aircraft called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs.
Secretary of Defense Gates Calls for More Unmanned Aircraft
May 23, 2008
Unmanned aerial vehicles, Defense Secretary Gates said, can give ground commanders instantaneous information about what they're facing - such as a live look at someone planting an improvised explosive device miles down the road a convoy is using - without putting pilots or ground-based scouts at risk.
Some Defense Companies Could Benefit from Obama Presidency
May 14, 2008
Goldman Sachs said Tuesday they expect a Barack Obama presidency would cut into earnings for many military contractors by reducing funding for large weapon platforms in favor of increasing soldier recruitment.
