BAE Systems says it achieved the first autonomous and untethered flight of its 3rd generation ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle recently. The company’s vertical take-off and landing craft went through a programmed flight plan that included automatic takeoff, waypoint navigation, loitering, and automatic landing. The UAV, says BAE, will be ideal for smaller scale operations. According to company spokesman Terry Kanakri, the work has gotten the attention of Pentagon officials. “We are discussing this capability with several services,” Kanakri said. UAVs continue to proliferate the defense landscape, leading many to wonder who’s in charge. Read our report here.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.