Counter-UAS News from Around the World
WRAL: New laws limit where drones can fly in NC
“Two laws passed in July take effect on Friday to add limits to where drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), can fly in North Carolina. House Bill 128 bans drones from the airspace 250 feet over or 500 feet outside any prisons, jails or other correctional facility. House Bill 337 adds model aircraft as UAS and subjects them to the same laws as drones. Model aircraft users are still exempt from the state’s permitting requirements.”
ASSURE: ASSURE UAS Airborne Collision Severity Evaluation Final Report
Defense Blog: China successfully tests laser weapons system
“Chinese GuoRong Technology company has recently conducted trials of the new truck-mounted laser weapon system that able to blast drones out of the sky.The company released video of successful tests of new laser cannon systems mounted on truck chassis. In the video, released by GuoRong Technology, a laser cannon destroyed drones that seem to be the model Phantom 3 of the Chinese manufacturer DJI flying nearly a kilometer of the anti-drone system.”
AIN Online: FAA Urges Small Drone Pilots To Wear Vests
“Seeking to boost “public awareness” of legal small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operations, the U.S. FAA is urging sUAS pilots to wear reflective safety vests when flying their aircraft. “By taking this simple action, sUAS [pilots] can demonstrate that they are accepting responsibility for the activity and that they are intending to operate in a safe and compliant manner,” the FAA said in a newly released safety information for operators bulletin.”
The Hill: Drone sightings near airplanes on the rise
“Pilots are reporting seeing more drones flying near airplanes and other aircraft, representing a potentially dangerous trend as federal regulators wrestle with how to safely integrate the emerging technology into the nation’s skies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has received over 2,000 drone-sighting complaints alone this year, for an average of almost 200 reports from pilots each month. The agency received approximately 1,800 complaints in 2016 and 1,200 complaints in 2015.”
New York Times: EU Agrees Registration Rules for Drones, Downloads of Flight Recordings
“Drone owners in Europe will have to register their devices if “dangerous” and aircraft makers ensure that black box recordings can be downloaded in real-time if a plane is in distress under a sweeping reform of Europe’s aviation safety agency.”
U.S. News & World Report: Chinese Drone Maker Denies Giving Data to Government
“The Chinese company that is the world’s biggest maker of commercial drones is denying claims in a U.S. government document circulated online that it gives Beijing information about American law enforcement and utility companies. DJI Ltd. denied suggestions in the document, posted on technology news websites, that it shared information about U.S. utility companies and other “critical infrastructure” with the Chinese government. A company statement said it doesn’t look at flight logs, photos or video “unless customers actively upload and share them with us.””
ExecutiveGov: Lawmakers Urge FAA to Address UAS Security Risks
“House lawmakers have called on the Federal Aviation Administration to implement measures to help mitigate security risks from unmanned aircraft systems, FCW reported Wednesday. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) said at a Wednesday hearing of the House Transportation Committee’s aviation subcommittee that UAS platforms should be installed with remote detection and identification systems.”
Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: Hundreds of drones are in Williamsburg’s skies, what are your rights from the ground?
“It was 5:30 in the morning when a distant sound like a bee allegedly spooked two horses at a James City County farm. The horses had injured themselves on a fence; 17 minutes later, police were called. A drone, or an unmanned aircraft system, flew over the horse farm at a height of 350 feet near the James River to capture video of the 6:11 a.m. sunrise on July 31, 2017, according to a Police Report on Drones. The manager of the horse farm, alleged to police that the drone had frightened the horses “and caused them to break through a fence,” the report states. After the police left and the horses were calmed, the manager of the farm, Kayleigh Hirsh, decided to take matters into her own hands.”
Wood TV 8: Michigan task force suggests drone use limits to lawmakers
“A new report by a Michigan task force says the state Legislature should limit the operation of drones around areas such as correctional facilities, tourist destinations and prominent bridges. The 27-member Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force was created earlier this year to form statewide policy on the operation and regulation of unmanned aircraft systems. Gov. Rick Snyder and the Legislature will review the recommendations in the panel’s report, which was released last month.”
Discover Magazine: Artificial Intelligence Gives Drones Abilities We’ve Only Dreamed About
“George Matus was still in high school when he began raising millions for his startup, Teal. The former quad drone racer’s pitch to investors was a wish list of what he thought a drone should be. More than just an aerial camera, his quad would be freaky fast and easy to use — even fly in the rain. And, most challenging of all, Teal would think and learn. It would be a platform that developers might use for all kinds of complex applications, from counting a farmer’s cows to following a target without using GPS.”
Popular Mechanics: Military-Grade Killer Drones Are Starting to Hit the Market
“The recent explosion of the consumer drone market has had far-reaching effects, the deadliest being their adaptation to weapons of war. Now, military-grade killer drones operable by a crew of one or two and capable of carrying precision-guided microbombs are starting to make their way into the global defense market. One of the first is Velvet Wasp, the drone that can carry anything from bombs to first aid supplies.”
Machine Design: Navy Tests Nomad, an Expendable Electronic Warfare Drone
“Engineers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory successfully completed testing of their Nomad drone from a Navy ship, demonstrating its improved launch and control capabilities. The Navy also launched several Nomads in quick succession, conducted formation flying, and recovered all the drones sequentially onboard ship.”