drones

Airbus' latest high-endurance stratosphere drone, the Zephyr S, has set a new altitude record for an Unmanned Aerial System in its class, soaring to 76,100 ft in the skies over Arizona during two flights totaling 36 days aloft.

Better known for its work developing 18-rotor flying taxis, Volocopter is adapting its expertise in electric aviation for the purposes of moving heavy cargo, and its giant VoloDrone has now completed its very first public flight.

Earlier this year, Saildrone joined forces with NOAA to launch sensor-packed unmanned surface vehicles into paths of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean to gather data. Now one of those drones has captured footage from inside a Category 4 hurricane.

Boeing's MQ-25 T1 Stingray drone has successfully aerially refueled a US Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, demonstrating that the robotic aircraft can support the 5th-generation fighter during carrier operations.

The UK's Samad Aerospace is making progress with half-scale prototypes of its E-Starling eVTOL aircraft, and has now started taking pre-orders for a smaller cargo drone using a similar design and semi-vectored thrust propulsion system.

Northrop Grumman and Martin UAV have completed flight tests of an enhanced V-BAT unmanned aircraft system as part of the US Army's competition to replace the aging RQ-7B Shadow drone for Army Brigade Combat Teams, Special Forces, and Ranger battalions.

UAV Factory has rolled out its Penguin C Mk2 VTOL pilot-less rotorcraft, which increases flight efficiency with automatic hoods that stow away the lift rotors. The new technology reduces drag in horizontal flight, increasing endurance by 20 percent.

Amazon is understandably keen to make the job of deliveries easier. The latest idea is a new patent for a system where delivery vans would carry items almost to their destination, then send out and direct ground drones to do the final drop-off.

The Royal Navy's NavyX autonomy accelerator team and private companies Malloy Aeronautics and Planck Aerosystems have been testing the potential for heavy-lift Minerva drones to locate and aid sailors that have fallen overboard until help can arrive.

DARPA's Mobile Force Protection (MFP) program has developed a system designed to counter unauthorized drone intrusions over populated areas. The program sought a non-explosive approach and hit upon the idea of using drones that fire stringy streamers.

Though some folks chase storms for thrills or curiosity, there are also those who do so for scientific purposes. And it's the lattermost pursuit that will see a small fleet of unmanned surface vehicles deliberately head into hurricane territory.

The US Air Force has flight tested the Skyborg combat drone's Autonomy Core System for the first time. The "brain" of the autonomous Skyborg was installed in a Kratos UTAP-22 tactical uncrewed vehicle, and carried out a two-hour-and-10-minute flight.