Looking Back at 2018: Unmanned Aircraft

AeroVironment in January formed a joint venture with Japanese telecommunications provider SoftBank to develop solar-powered unmanned aircraft as high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS). Japan-based HAPSMobile is 95% funded and owned by SoftBank and 5% by AeroVironment.

Boeing’s HorizonX innovation unit flew the rapidly developed prototype Cargo Air Vehicle in January. The eight-rotor unmanned aircraft, intended to carry up to 500 lb., was designed and built in less than three months by a cross-company team led by HorizonX and Boeing Research & Technology.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works unveiled a never-before-seen tailless unmanned aircraft dubbed the X-44A at the Los Angeles County Air Show in California on March 24. The company says the aircraft first flew in 2001 as part of a “family” of vehicles but declined to offer further details.

Dynetics in April won a $32.5 million DARPA contract to demonstrate airborne launch and recovery of volleys of cooperating low-cost unmanned aircraft carrying advanced payloads. Airborne launch and recovery of multiple purpose-designed jet-powered UAS onto a C-130 is planned for late 2019. 

The German defense ministry in June signed a long-awaited, €1 billion ($1.2 billion) leasing contract with Airbus Defense and Space to operate the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS for seven years, bridging the gap to the European-developed EuroMALE UAS.

After almost 15 years of trying, the U.S. Coast Guard is to equip its National Security Cutters with UAS to extend their surveillance capabilities. Insitu in June won a contract potentially worth $117 million over eight years to deploy contractor-owned and -operated ScanEagles on the cutters.

Australia in June committed to buying six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime-surveillance UAS, making an initial investment of A$1.4 billion ($1 billion) for delivery of the first in 2023. In November, Australia selected the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper to meet its armed UAS requirement.

General Atomics’ MQ-9B SkyGuardian prototype touched down at RAF Fairford, England, on July 11 after a 24 hr. 2-min. flight from Grand Forks, North Dakota—the first transatlantic crossing by a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft. The UK is launch customer for the SkyGuardian, with plans to buy 16. In November, Belgium became the second customer, with plans to buy four aircraft.

Airbus’ first production Zephyr S solar-powered high-altitude unmanned aircraft set a new endurance record on its maiden flight, touching down at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona on Aug. 8 just 3 min. short of having been airborne for 26 days—almost twice the previous 14-day record set by Zephyr 7 in 2010.

Boeing won the competition to produce the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based unmanned aerial-refueling aircraft on Aug. 30, defeating General Atomics and Lockheed Martin. The initial $805 million contract covers four development aircraft. Plans for a total of 72 MQ-25s are expected to cost $13 billion, with initial operational capability scheduled for 2024.

Now owned by Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences on Nov. 14 rolled out the 243-ft.-span Odysseus solar-powered unmanned aircraft, which is designed to stay aloft in the stratosphere for up to three months. Designed for scientific and other missions, Odysseus is scheduled to make its first flight from Puerto Rico in April 2019.

The European medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS, or EuroMALE, passed its system preliminary design review on Nov. 22. Airbus Defense and Space in Germany has been invited to lead the program, with a contract to be awarded in 2019. Plans call for first flight in 2023 and initial deliveries in 2025.

Airbus completed the first autonomous flights of its VSR700 unmanned maritime helicopter demonstrator on Dec. 20. A converted Guimbal Cabri G2 piston-engine light helicopter, the 700-kg (1,500 lb.) VSR700 is being developed to meet a French Navy requirement for a UAS able to operate off warships.