Delivery Drones News

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October 2023: DroneDeploy launched its new DroneDeploy platform, which enabled the user to collaborate and manage the data captured from the air to the ground, exterior, and interior.

October 2023: Verge Aero unveiled its new Verge Aero X7 drone and technological advancements in its all-in-one drone show product suite. The new upgrade aims to make it easier for more people to enter the aerial entertainment industry.

• In January 2023, Elbit Systems Ltd. announced a contract with the UK to equip the British Army with Magni-X drones. The Defence Ministry will receive the micro-unmanned aerial system as part of a transaction with the subordinate Defence Equipment and Support agency's Future Capability Group. The deal is part of the United Kingdom's efforts to expand the use of drones in the Army's Human Machine Teaming initiative.
• In May 2022, the French defense innovation agency, L'Agence de l'Innovation de Défense (AID), has issued two proposals for concepts for low-cost small attack drones. The first call is for the Larinae project, which will develop a system to neutralize targets at a range of more than 50 kilometers, and the second is for the complementing Colibri project, which will develop a system to neutralize targets in the region of contact with the enemy at a range of more than 5 kilometers.

July 2023: The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract to develop an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system capable of operating from a moving Navy ship at sea.

May 2023: Xwing was awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Contract (SBIRC) with the US Air Force's AFWE Prime program. Under the agreement, Xwing will carry out independently conducted flight tests using its Superpilot helicopter system to improve the development of remote piloting and optimize technology for future missions. The trials will be conducted on the Cessna 208B to obtain feedback from users as quickly as possible in terms of user convenience, mission planning factors, and functions for future efforts.

July 2023: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) expanded a contract for developing artificial intelligence (AI) driven techniques for drone sensors to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation.

May 2022: Teledyne FLIR Defense was awarded a USD 14 million contract to deliver its Black Hornet 3 Personal Reconnaissance Systems (PRS) to the United States Army. The advanced nano uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to augment squad and small unit-level surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as part of the Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program.

February 2023: BAE Systems Australia unveiled a new unmanned military aircraft that will be designed, manufactured, and armed in Australia. The new STRIX unmanned air system (UAS), launched at the Avalon Air Show, is capable of air-to-ground strikes and surveillance and reconnaissance.

November 2022: Chinese drone companies displayed various tactical drones at the 14th Airshow. Various UAV products were exhibited, such as the WJ-700 “Falcon” large-scale inspection and attack UAV of the Third Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry, AVIC’s Wing Loong-1E medium and low altitude UAV, LoongUAV’s Loong 4 multi-rotor precision surveillance tactical drone as well as the Rainbow-4 medium-range surveillance drone which has been developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology.

• February 2023: Austal USA delivered the US Navy its autonomous capable EPF 13 ship. Austal integrated an automated maintenance, health monitoring, and mission readiness capability into EPF 13. It will enable the vessel to operate for up to 30 days without human intervention in combination with existing highly automated hull, mechanical & electrical systems installed on EPF class vessels.
• August 2022: Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, received an autonomous navigation solution order from SK Shipping and Sinokor Merchant Marine. Under the contract, the Avikus HiNAS 2.0 autonomous navigation solution would be installed on 23 vessels, including container ships and LNG carriers.

• November 2022: Chinese drone companies announced that they would showcase their small military bombing drones at the opening of the 14th China Airshow. These small UAVs will be capable of carrying six 60mm or four 82mm mortars through a simple module installed on shells at a cost of less than USD 10.
• June 2022: DJI launched the DJI RS 3 and DJI RS 3 Pro, which incorporate a range of new features for filmmakers. It has a redesigned axes-locking system that makes the process automated. By simply turning on the gimbal, the automated axis locks release and unfold the gimbal, allowing the operator to get started in seconds.

June 2023: Southern Company, in partnership with Skydio, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a conditions-based waiver enabling remote-based, autonomous BVLOS dock operations across its system. The waiver is one of the first of its kind and will integrate autonomous drone systems in support of remote-based monitoring and inspection. The BVLOS waiver will assist the Southern Company system with remote-based infrastructure monitoring and inspection at plant sites, substations, and other fixed site locations, allowing more efficient inspections, mapping, and monitoring.

May 2023: In a pioneering global initiative, a fleet of 8 autonomous drones commenced daily flights within the confines of the Antwerp port area. This groundbreaking endeavor stands as a testament to innovation, playing a pivotal role in fortifying the overall security measures of the expansive port complex. The recently inaugurated D-Hive drone-in-a-box network represents a collaborative effort involving the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, DroneMatrix, SkeyDrone, and Proximus. Covering an extensive expanse of over 120 square kilometers, the Antwerp port area is set to benefit immensely from the coordination facilitated by the D-hive drone network, streamlining operations with a focus on efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Notably, the operation of the 18 BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone flights will be meticulously overseen from a centralized Command-and-Control Centre, strategically situated at the heart of the bustling port.

• As of June 2022, Amazon's drone delivery service, Prime Air, plans to launch its drone services by the end of this year. Drone deliveries will first launch in Lockeford, California. Prime Air is collaborating with both the Federal Aviation Administration and Lockeford's local officials on an ongoing basis to obtain permission from the appropriate authorities to begin drone delivery operations.
• In May 2022, Walmart announced plans to expand drone deliveries to 4 million potential households. In making the move, Walmart says it plans on broadening its existing drone delivery network to 34 sites in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, allowing it to transport more than a million orders to customers' homes each year. The aerial service will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, and cost USD 3.99 for each package of up to 10lbs.

In April 2022, Wing, an Alphabet-owned startup, announced launching a commercial drone delivery service in Frisco and Little Elm, a pair of towns in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

In November 2021, TCI Express, an express logistics company, announced its plan to begin drone deliveries in 2022. This announcement came following the completion of initial trials of delivering medicines and other urgent/immediate delivery packages in Ahmedabad.