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Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze on Creating a UAV and eVTOL Ecosystem
FROM THE MEDIA: At Amsterdam Drone Week, DRONELIFE had the opportunity for an exclusive interview with Jan-Eric Putze, CEO of German UTM company Droniq. Started in 2016 as Connected Drones, a research project of Deutsche Telecom and DFS, Germany’s air navigation service provider, Droniq offers a combination of hardware and software solutions designed to help integrate commercial drones into the airspace. Droniq CEO Putze has a background in manned aviation which has fed his passion for the unmanned industry. “I’ve been a pilot since 1995 – I’m a commercial pilot and a flight instructor,” says Putze. “I see the need to integrate drones in the airspace: and to have the opportunity to do that in a new market is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Putze is also the President of the Alliance for New Mobility Europe (AME): formed just last month to bring together stakeholders in the European UAV and eVTOL market to drive work on standardization and integration forward. While global airspace authorities have made significant progress on U-Space and UTM projects, standards still lag – and regulation still has a long way to go. That’s just the nature of the business, says Putze, but stakeholders can collaborate to move the process forward. “We have a highly regulated air environment and a highly unregulated drone world,” Putze comments. “We’re trying to come together.” “The drone economy innovates using trial and error – and that’s why it develops so fast, but manned aviation doesn’t work that way. Manned aviation has a proven approach: you don’t get safety for free. We cannot make manned aviation insecure, and it can be hard to combine those approaches.”
READ THE STORY: DroneLife
Turkish drones won’t give Ukraine the edge it needs
FROM THE MEDIA: In addition to the ground invasion and airstrikes by Russia that are straining both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries in and around Kyiv, there is another layer of combat occurring in the air, an unmanned form of combat that is proving to be lethal. Drones have become a tool of both the invaders and the resistance in Ukraine, for both intelligence collection and attacks. In the run up to the invasion, Ukraine allegedly sent hand-launched reconnaissance UAVs into Belarus to gather information on the preparations and movements of Russian troops staged there. While this is better than no information at all, its usefulness was limited because reconnaissance alone could not analyze the patterns of troop movements to create an understanding of how Russia’s plans were developing. Before the invasion, Russian-backed separatists reportedly used drones to conduct “military deception” operations intended to make the world believe that Ukraine was the aggressor. Russia allegedly staged several drone attacks using unmanned quadcopters that they alleged were carried out by Ukraine. These drones were almost always marked with Nazi symbols to bolster Russia’s messaging about the fascist threat emanating from Ukraine. Ukraine has claimed its drones have destroyed several hundred Russian armored vehicles. That number seems high, given the limited size of Ukraine’s drone arsenal prior to the invasion. If Ukraine possessed a large and formidable drone force, it is unlikely that the Russians would send in a 40-mile-long armored convoy.
READ THE STORY: Defense News
Switchblade 300: The Drone-Like Vehicle Viewed as a Direct Fire Weapon
FROM THE MEDIA: The Switchblade 300 is a small loitering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by numerous branches of the US military. Classified more as a direct fire munition than a drone, its compact size makes it ideal for use by smaller units. The UAV made headlines in 2022, after the US government announced it was sending 1,000 Switchblades to Ukraine. The concept for a new UAV was conceived by the US Air Force Special Operations Command and developed by the US Army, with the intent of aiding American troops during enemy ambushes in Afghanistan. In July 2011, the Army awarded a $4.9 million contract to AeroVironment, for “rapid fielding” of an unspecified number of Switchblade 300s. An additional $5.1 million was added the following year, creating an overall contract total of $10 million. The Switchblade 300 is a UAV developed for platoon-sized infantry units and intended to be small enough to fit within a Marine’s ALICE pack. Weighing only 5.5 pounds, it launches from a tube, flies toward its target and crashes into it while detonating its warhead. It uses GPS, daytime and infrared cameras, and an “aided target tracker” to identify, track and engage with both stationary and moving targets. It has an operational range of 10 KM (10 to 15 minutes of use) and can travel between 63 and 100 MPH. While this makes it impractical for scouting missions, it’s ideal for engaging with long-range targets and relieving units pinned down by enemy fire.
READ THE STORY: War History Online
‘Punishment from above’: Underground hobby pilots build deadly drones for Ukraine
FROM THE MEDIA: At a secret location in the Ukraine city of Lviv, the windows taped up to ward off unwanted attention, underground hobbyists improvise deadly drones bound for the front line of the war against Russia. On a cluttered table the x-shaped frame of one drone stands among bundles of plastic propellers and bags of minuscule screws. Soon it will take flight with its payload — a wine bottle-sized anti-tank grenade designed to plunge on Russian vehicles. Two other drones are already affixed with quad propellers, their squat bodies gaping with miniature bomb bays to rain explosives on Russian infantry challenging Ukrainian defenders to the north and east. One more — the shape of a stealth bomber, the size of a bird of prey — will conduct reconnaissance missions for artillery squads, spotting targets and marking them for incoming fire. Since Russia invaded, the Nebesna Kara (“Punishment from Above”) collective has made around 40 such specialist drones for the Ukrainian military. Before February 24, its six members were friends in the drone racing community. “Unfortunately everything changed,” said Alex, a member who declined to share his full name for security reasons.
READ THE STORY: Times of Israel
Ukraine War Is Being Watched From the Sky
FROM THE MEDIA: As a Ukrainian soldier’s consumer drone watches from above, Russian soldiers appear to shoot a civilian point-blank after he emerges from his car with his hands in the air, and he slumps down to the ground. A drone flown by a BBC reporter hovers over the bombed-out Irpin bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, as it films refugees navigate tangled metal and cement over rushing water. Just hours before, Ukrainian forces were filmed shooting at a similar consumer drone in the same area, which they feared Russia was using to direct artillery fire toward civilians. Later, in Ukraine’s stricken city of Mariupol, a consumer drone flown by Ukrainian forces captures a high-definition aerial perspective of a direct hit on a Russian tank. After the initial flash, the smoke clears to reveal a dead man and another crawling away from the wreckage, and then a second later, the body of yet another Russian soldier blasts into the frame from the right, apparently propelled by another hit on a tank just off screen. This drone footage—just one of many similar drone-collected clips coming out of the war—is raw, harrowing, and unforgettable. It’s an angle on war the world has barely seen before. Although Ukraine isn’t the first social media war or the first conflict where small, cheap consumer drones have come into play, it’s the first conflict to be so comprehensively documented by small drones—aircraft piloted by everyone from soldiers on both sides (albeit, more so by Ukrainians) to reporters and curious civilians.
READ THE STORY: Foreign Policy
Cal Poly Awards Grants for Student Research Projects
FROM THE MEDIA: Cal Poly awarded grants to support 33 student-led research projects through the university’s Baker and Koob endowments, according to a March 29 press release. The endowments, which support hands-on learning opportunities for students, will fund $108,000 for a variety of projects that are focused on issues ranging from a broad spectrum of topics, including space exploration, machine learning and climate change. Students from four of Cal Poly’s six colleges were awarded funding. These projects will serve as senior projects or master’s theses for many of the students, according to the press release. Aerospace engineering senior Carolyn Flitsch and a team of six other students were among the recipients of the grant for their project. Their student-led project, called Project Mobius, is a solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle with the goal of a 24-hour sustained flight. Along with the seven students, there are five alumni who act as consultants if the team needs technical help. Aerospace engineering professor Dr. Paulo Iscold serves as their faculty advisor. The Project Mobius team was awarded the grant last year, but they felt they could improve the project after receiving the grant again this year. “It was exciting to get [the award] this year because that meant that we could continue the project and learn from where we went wrong last year,” Flitsch said.
READ THE STORY: Mustang News
GA-ASI’s SkyGuardian UAS Completes Detect-and-Avoid Flights for the FAA
FROM THE MEDIA: At the end of March, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) announced completion of multiple test flights of its unmanned SkyGuardian aircraft that were performed for the Federal Aviation Administration and served to demonstrate GA-ASI's detect-and-avoid technology. The FAA uses data from test flights like these to support and enable future integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). GA-ASI partnered with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to conduct the test flights in January, which occurred shortly after the company received a $1.5 million grant from the FAA to collaborate with the UAS Test Site and research detect-and-avoid (DAA) capabilities. The Northern Plains location provides infrastructure and services for UAS development in North Dakota. A manned aircraft flew numerous flight paths in coordination with the SkyGuardian's, and GPS receivers and data recorders were carried on both aircraft for determining the accuracy of the DAA system's sensors.
READ THE STORY: Aviation Today
Huge DJI Mini 3 Pro leak reveals all about exciting beginner drone
FROM THE MEDIA: The DJI Mini 3 Pro has finally broken cover after months of rumors and appeared in a leaked a video that gives us our first clear look at the exciting beginner drone. The video below, published up by @DealsDrone on Twitter, shows what looks like a Mini 3 Pro, and helps answer a few questions about the long-awaited flying camera. Just like the DJI Mini 2 it's expected to succeed, a label on the base of the Mini 3 Pro shows it will tip the scales at just under 250g. That's important because in many regions you're allowed you to fly sub-250g drones without needing to register them with local aviation authorities. But while it only weighs a few grams more than the 242g Mini 2, the DJI Mini 3 Pro appears to have plenty of new features to justify that new 'Pro' moniker. On the front, there's a redesigned three-axis gimbal to keep footage smooth, which puts to bed rumors that it might instead switch to a more electronic-based form of stabilization. This gimbal design looks unusual in the videos, with an attachment on only one side, but this will likely allow it to support vertical video. This gimbal holds a camera that has a far brighter f//1.7 lens than the f/2.8 Mini 2, which should help improve its low-light performance. Judging by the markings on the front of the lens, it seems to have the same 24mm focal length, though. One of the main drawbacks of super-compact drones are their battery lives, but the DJI Mini 3 Pro should offer a big improvement here. The leaked video shows it'll have a 2,453mAh battery, which has around 10% more capacity than the one on the Mini 2. This means we can expect an official flight time of around 35 minutes.
READ THE STORY: Techradar
TrainND Northwest takes to the skies with unmanned aerial drone testing
FROM THE MEDIA: With spring in the air, aviation officials are back to work testing and developing the potential of unmanned aerial systems in northwest North Dakota. There has never been a better time to take to the skies. With warmer temperatures returning, facilities like TrainND Northwest are eager to get their unmanned drones in the air. “In the field of drones right now, it’s manned aviation in the 1920′s. With the new technology, the future is unlimited for that,” said Jim Agre, Aviation Course Developer for TrainND Northwest. On Friday, they held a demo using the Censys Sentaero, a drone capable of many different applications. This year, TrainND Northwest will be starting the “Ascent Unmanned Aeronautical Academy,” giving students a chance to earn their wings and join this new field. “We connect to jobs. We’re connecting to actual jobs that exist and that are waiting for people to be trained so they can fill those jobs,” said Kenley Nebeker, Regional Director for Technical Programs and Training for Williston State College. Through development of Vantis, a statewide drone network that will allow pilots to fly beyond visual line of sight, North Dakota is becoming a frontrunner for the industry, and officials want to take advantage. “When you see what you saw today and you see the Ascent Training Academy, it’s all part of the full package of our next efforts of diversification and emerging technologies,” said Shawn Wenko, Williston Economic Development Executive Director.
READ THE STORY: KFYRTV
RI&S’ HELWS taps NASAMS air defense system to destroy drones
FROM THE MEDIA: Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has conducted a capability demonstration of its High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) at White Sands, in the US. The live-fire exercise demonstrated that HELWS can be paired with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to destroy a swarm of drone targets. The laser weapon system obtained cues from the NASAMS Fire Distribution Centre, and then leveraged an array of sensors to track, identify, and engage drones at tactically relevant distances. The HELWS destroyed nine Group one and Group two drones over the White Sands Missile Range. Multiple US military and civilian agencies, as well as defense ministry officials of allied countries, attended the demonstration. RI&S Electronic Warfare Systems president Annabel Flores said: “Drone threats are particularly dangerous in any environment, from soccer stadiums to battlefields, because they’re not easy to spot and take down. “We’re showing the world that our defensive laser weapons can plug into existing air defenses to find and drop drones in the blink of an eye.” Jointly developed by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, the NASAMS medium-range air defense solution includes the Sentinel radar, Fire Distribution Centre, and a suite of effectors.
READ THE STORY: Army Technology
Drones, drugs and bullet-proof vests: life as a war courier in Ukraine
FROM THE MEDIA: Ask what Ukraine is like, five weeks after Russia invaded, and Mirek doesn’t hesitate. “It’s very dark there,” he says. “No light in apartments after certain hours. They turn off street lights and even on roads and highways. It’s dangerous to drive fast.” Mirek has driven lots – and fast – all over Ukraine lately. As others hold benefit concerts, agonies over arms deliveries or offload worn-out clothes, Mirek has discovered other dark talents to battle the wartime darkness that has fallen over Ukraine. “We basically smuggle,” he says matter-of-factly, taking a small sip of wine. The Warsaw resident is in his mid-30s and is not really called Mirek, but to protect his privacy and his improvised aid effort, he asks that his name, appearance and other identifying details be withheld. He is just back from delivering drones and other supplies to Irpin, just as the town near Kyiv was taken back – in ruins – by Ukrainian defense forces. In the last years Mirek made lots of Ukrainian friends and was a regular visitor across the border. On February 23rd he boarded a night train home in the southern port of Mariupol, now another city shattered by war. He was in the western city of Lviv when Russia invaded Ukraine, hurried home to Warsaw, began making phone calls and launched his career as a war courier. As he describes it, his work sounds simple. He has secured the necessary travel papers from his Ukrainian friends, now in the military. He asks them what they need, finds it, buys it and delivers it. Sometimes he spends his own money, sometimes it’s donated money, but the aim is always the same: to get what’s needed, where it’s needed, when it’s needed.
READ THE STORY: Irish Times
Items of interest
How military drone technology is changing the face of conventional warfare (Video)
Mighty Armenia's defeat at the hands of a less powerful Azerbaijan, was the first major war in which drones were used to defeat a superior opponent. Similarly, the July 2021 drone attack on J&K's IAF station seems to have shaken India out of its slumber. How prepared is India in the coming age of military drone technology? Can DRDO's anti-drone shield handle swarm drones? And what are the new technologies in anti-drone warfare that are being developed all over the world.
The future of modern warfare: How technology is transforming conflict (Video)
FROM THE MEDIA: The world is entering a new era of warfare, with cyber and autonomous weapons taking center stage. These technologies are making militaries faster, smarter, more efficient. But if unchecked, they threaten to destabilize the world. DW takes a deep dive into the future of conflict, uncovering an even more volatile world. Where a cyber intrusion against a nuclear early warning system can unleash a terrifying spiral of escalation; where “flash wars” can erupt from autonomous weapons interacting so fast that no human could keep up. Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tells DW that we have already entered the technological arms race that is propelling us towards this future. “We’re right in the middle of it. That’s the reality we have to deal with.” And yet the world is failing to meet the challenge. Talks on controlling autonomous weapons have repeatedly been stalled by major powers seeking to carve out their own advantage. And cyber conflict has become not just a fear of the future but a permanent state of affairs. DW finds out what must happen to steer the world in a safer direction, with leading voices from the fields of politics, diplomacy, intelligence, academia, and activism speaking out.
About this Product
These open source products are reviewed from analysts at InfoDom Securities and provide possible context about current media trends in regard to the realm of cyber security. The stories selected cover a broad array of cyber threats and are intended to aid readers in framing key publicly discussed threats and overall situational awareness. InfoDom Securities does not specifically endorse any third-party claims made in their original material or related links on their sites, and the opinions expressed by third parties are theirs alone. Contact InfoDom Securities at dominanceinformation@gmail.com