How unmanned helicopters are aiming to save pilots’ lives in US
An unmanned helicopter, which its creator claims will revolutionize everything from spraying crops to fighting fires all while saving lives, is taking flight. As revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 19, the so-called Sprayhawk needs no pilot. Developed by the U.S. startup Rotor, the helicopter relies on AI, sensors and communications systems, allowing a user to operate remotely from the ground.
“The most urgent need for our helicopters are places where there are lots of fatalities already, and that’s agriculture, that’s aerial firefighting, that’s offshore transport,” Hector Xu, Rotor Technologies founder and CEO, said. “What we’re able to do is to offer the same payload and capabilities that people are getting from manned aircraft with an unmanned solution, and that’s never happened before.”
Crop dusting and firefighting operations are reportedly some of the most dangerous flights for pilots. The U.S. National Transportation Board reports that 13 pilots were killed in agricultural operations from April to September 2024.
Xu says the 2,500-pound drone can “carry more than 1,000 pounds of payload.”
“We think this is going to change the world and we’re proud to be building it right here in Nashua, New Hampshire,” he said.
Rotor hopes to have as many as 20 choppers ready for the market in 2025. The company is currently working through the Federal Aviation Administration process to launch its helicopter to a larger market. The firm says it has already received federal approval to begin agricultural operations in the Midwest.
According to Rotor, technology still needs to be perfected, noting that the semi-autonomous aircraft could potentially pose a danger to pilots in areas with heavy air traffic, but the company said the initial plan is to stay in rural areas, minimizing that danger.
The company also has safeguards, including a button that shuts off the helicopter’s engine and initiates a controlled landing in case of an emergency.
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Rotor reportedly plans to perform its first public flight tests with the Sprayhawk at an aviation trade show in Texas.
New helmet aims to give pilots high-tech display: Weapon of the week
For this week’s Weapon of the Week, the team takes a closer look at the helmets used by the U.S. Army that contain integrated heads-up displays. Host Ryan Robertson talked with Marcus Gengler, director for rotary wing applications at Gentex, to discuss the company’s latest developments.
Robertson: So Marcus, talk to me about these helmets. Obviously, you’ve been making helmets since the ’40s. You have the ground helmets that most soldiers are familiar with, but you guys also have other helmets.
Gengler: We do. That’s right, that’s right, as you can see. You know, we have a very big segment now in the special operations helmet, but my segment happens to be Army aviation and aviation in general.
We’ve made the HGU-56/P now for about 30-plus years.
Robertson: And this is something that every helicopter pilot is familiar with.
Gengler: Every helicopter pilot that flies for the DoD is familiar with this helmet. You know, the Army’s had it now for 30 years. The Navy is fielding it for their younger aviators, the Marines and the Air Force, have had this as well.
You’ll notice that the Block III Apache Helmet is now very similar to the HGU-56/P. There was a unique helmet for this when the Apache was first fielded. When they fielded the ECHO model Apache, we went to a standardized helmet. So, the common design is the same.
However, the uniqueness of this helmet is the fact that their integrated heads-up display connects to this helmet in a unique way, very different than the standard 56/P. So, that monocle comes up here, sits at the eye of the aviator so that he can fly from that.
The HGU-56/P has been around for many years and we’re finally giving it a tech refresh, we’re calling it the lockdown liner. What that is, for those that are of your audience that are familiar with these helmets, many times these teeth, the impact liner that’s been inside has been a one-piece liner, many times are a little uncomfortable.
So, we’ve now broken it up into three different distinct pieces that allow for some breathability and comfort, as well as an octa-dial that allows for a more stable fit for the back of the nape strap. This should allow for those that fly with goggles or other head-born devices to have a little bit more stable and more comfortable feel.
We’re looking forward to fielding that sometime in 2025 and we’re really excited to show it here at the show.
Robertson: So, helicopter pilots have some more comfort to look forward to. Last little thing I want to talk to you about, you mentioned the heads-up display on the Apache helicopter. What kind of information are they able to see that you’re able to put up in that heads-up display?
Gengler: So, AH-64 pilots today are able to take this, the image that’s being produced from their forward-looking infrared as well as their day TV cameras, and they’re able to portray that information into their helmets. They use it for targeting purposes. Many of the gun footage that we’re familiar with is taken from the image that’s produced for that heads-up display. So, we’re very familiar with what it looks like.
It also has data that allows the pilots to fly, so basically a rate of descent, rate of climb, whether they’re in trim, airspeed, altitude, those sorts of information is also available for them as well. One of the biggest pushes for the Army and in Army aviation is to improve upon the heads-up displays that are available for aviators.
So, we partner a lot with our industry partners when it comes to heads-up displays and heads-up display technology. Because much like an aircraft is a platform, we believe our helmet system is a platform with which other industry partners will use to put their kit and capability on. So, we’re excited to work with them.
General Dynamic’s vision for a mobile command center: Weapons and Warfare
This week on Weapons and Warfare, the team spoke to a group seeking to make mission command more mobile. Host Ryan Robertson visited General Dynamics Land Systems to see its vision for the future of ground combat with its suite of purpose-built vehicles.
Also featured in this episode:
Army & Bell press forward with Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
Navy tests combat resupply of missile system at sea.
Marines take to the skies with XQ-58A Valkyrie.
Weapon of the Week: An up-close look at GENTEX’s next generation of helicopter helmets.
You can subscribe to the Weapons and Warfare podcast on the platform of your choosing here.
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Deadly terror attack targets major defense company in Turkey
A major defense company has been apparently targeted in a deadly terror attack in Turkey. At least four people are dead, and more than a dozen others are injured in Ankara, Turkish officials said.
Government officials confirmed that the attack occurred at the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ headquarters. Turkish Aerospace Industries employs nearly 10,000 people and produces drones, fighter jets, and combat and civilian helicopters. It is owned by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation.
Videos from the scene on Wednesday, Oct. 23, showed explosions and the sound of gunfire erupting. It is currently unclear who is responsible for the attack, as no group has come forward to accept responsibility.
Reuters reports that broadcasters showed images of the assailants carrying rifles and backpacks as they entered the building. Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said two of the terrorists were neutralized.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the attack in a post on X, stating, “NATO stands with our ally Turkey. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and are monitoring developments closely.”
Deeply concerning reports of dead and wounded in Ankara. #NATO stands with our Ally #Turkey. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and are monitoring developments closely.
Rutte noted that he has spoken to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is currently attending the BRICS summit in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences during his opening remarks while visiting with Erdoğan.
The planes act like a helicopter during takeoff then change modes to be more like an airplane during flight, before switching back for the landing.
“For the last 80 years, we’ve had two types – rotor and fixed wing,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Las Vegas . “We now have a third type.”
The FAA calls it the introduction to “a new category of aircraft.” The first electric air taxi could be operational by sometime next year.
Harris, Trump speak on importance of election with 13 days to go
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris got some help on the campaign trail from a former president and a famous rapper, while former President Donald Trump targeted a certain voting block. And one of McDonald’s famous burgers has been linked to a deadly E. coli outbreak. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.
Harris, Trump speak on importance of election with 13 days to go
With less than two weeks to go until the next U.S. president is chosen, both candidates are highlighting the importance of this year’s election as they make their final pushes to sway undecided voters on the campaign trail.
During an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Oct. 22, Vice President Kamala Harris once again addressed how her presidency would be different than that of President Joe Biden.
“Let me be very clear, mine will not be a continuation of the Biden administration,” she said. “I bring my own experiences, my own ideas to it, and it has informed a number of my areas of focus, most of which are on to your point, lowering costs. The voters know it, I know it.”
During the interview, Harris was asked about why she is reluctant to talk about the historic nature of her candidacy. If she were to win, she would become the first female U.S. president.
“Well, I’m clearly a woman, I don’t need to point that out to anyone. The point that most people really care about is, can you do the job, and do you have a plan to actually focus on them?” she said. “My challenge is the challenge of making sure I can talk with and listen to as many voters as possible and earn their vote. And I will never assume that anyone in our country should elect a leader based on their gender or their race. Instead, that that leader needs to earn the vote based on substance and what they will do to address challenges.”
In Detroit, a rally was held in support of the vice president featuring rapper Eminem and former President Barack Obama.
“I also think that people shouldn’t be afraid to express their opinions, and I don’t think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution, or what people will do if you make your opinion known,” Eminem told rallygoers. “I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.”
“We’re not going to play games because we’re going to lose our country, our country is failing,” Trump said. “We don’t know what we’re doing. We’re laughed at all over the world. [Chinese] President Xi [Xinping] thinks we’re stupid. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin thinks we’re stupid. That would have never happened if I were president. Putin would have never ever got into Ukraine.”
Then the former president returned to North Carolina for a rally where he criticized the vice president for not having any campaign events so close to Election Day.
THANK YOU, NORTH CAROLINA! This election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of incompetence, failure, and disaster—or whether we will begin the FOUR GREATEST YEARS in the HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! pic.twitter.com/JJhJsJcOHk
“You know what she did?” he said. “She took a day off. How do you take a day off 14 days — you don’t take days off, right? I’ve gone 52 days, now, I got 14 more. We don’t take days off we got to win this thing if we don’t win it our country is in big trouble.”
Next up on the campaign trail, Vice President Harris will visit Pennsylvania Wednesday and then on Thursday, Oct. 24, hold a rally in Atlanta alongside Bruce Springsteen. Former President Trump will visit Georgia Wednesday and will record an interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Friday, Oct. 25.
The Georgia Supreme Court said it will not step in to reinstate Republican-backed new election rules ahead of Election Day. Seven of the rules, put in place by the State Election Board after the 2020 election, were declared “illegal, unconstitutional, and void,” by a lower-level judge last week.
On Tuesday, Georgia’s supreme court rejected the Republican-led effort to put the rules, which include one requiring ballots be hand-counted and two related to certifying results, back in place and declined to consider an expedited appeal.
Israel says it killed man next in line to lead Hezbollah
Israel said it has killed the man who was next in line to take over as the leader of the militant group Hezbollah. Israeli officials say an air strike in Beiruit, Lebanon killed Hashem Safieddine a few weeks ago, along with other commanders of the Iran-backed militant group.
Hezbollah has not confirmed Israel’s claim that Safeiddine is dead.
🔴 Hashem Safieddine, Head of the Hezbollah Executive Council and Ali Hussein Hazima, Commander of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters, were eliminated during a strike on Hezbollah’s main intelligence HQ in Dahieh approx. 3 weeks ago.
This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East looking to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in the wake of the the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and bring more humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Israeli leaders told Blinken it’s not Israel’s policy to isolate northern Gaza, despite recent United Nations claims that Israeli authorities have denied efforts to bring more aid to the area, according to an NBC News report.
In a letter this month, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave Israel 30 days to increase basic humanitarian aid to Gaza or risk restrictions on U.S. military assistance, as required under U.S. law. Israeli officials said they have taken actions in response to the letter, and while Blinken acknowledged progress has been made, he said it is not sufficient.
McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to multi-state E. coli outbreak
The CDC has issued a safety alert over a McDonald’s staple: the fast-food chain’s iconic Quarter Pounder. Health officials say McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to E. coli outbreaks in at least ten states.
E. COLI OUTBREAK: CDC is investigating 49 illnesses in 10 states linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. If you ate a Quarter Pounder hamburger from McDonald’s and have severe symptoms of E. coli, contact your healthcare provider. https://t.co/g87itkupCQpic.twitter.com/gHzUKCnTi9
The CDC says, so far, it appears the onions used as a topping on the burgers are the likeliest source of the outbreak. McDonald’s has now stopped using the onions and is not serving the Quarter Pounder in affected states.
In a statement, the company said it believes the onions came from a single supplier.
Denny’s closing 150 restaurants, including 50 by end of 2024
It seems Denny’s hasn’t been such a grand slam for Americans lately. The diner chain, known for its Grand Slam breakfast, is closing 150 of its restaurants.
Denny’s, which has been in business for more than 70 years, says the focus is on closing locations that are too old to remodel, as well as some in unprofitable areas. It has not yet specified which locations are shutting down.
FAA finalizes rule for electric air taxis to enter service
We might soon be riding around in flying vehicles called electric air taxis after the Federal Aviation Administration released what its say is the “final piece of the puzzle.”
An extraordinary moment for aviation! Our rule for training and certificating pilots to fly powered lift is the final piece of the puzzle to get these revolutionary aircraft flying safely in our skies. https://t.co/96Q7TQZfkMpic.twitter.com/7RvSqbdGT8
The FAA issued its new rules Tuesday regarding the planes — 880 pages of special regulations including training protocols for pilots and operational requirements for the half-airplane, half-helicopter air taxis. The planes act like a helicopter during takeoff then change modes to be more like an airplane during flight, before switching back for the landing.
The FAA calls it the introduction to “a new category of aircraft.” The first electric air taxi could be operational by sometime next year.
The V-22 Osprey’s return to service: Weapons and Warfare
This week, Weapons and Warfare has an update on one of the Department of Defense’s most controversial aircraft: the V-22 Osprey. Host Ryan Robertson connected with the new boss of Air Force Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, for a progress report on how soon the tiltrotor transport might return to full operational status.
Also featured in this episode:
Russia takes down its own drone in the skies over Ukraine.
The U.S. Army is set to start Robotic Combat Vehicle competition.
A long-forgotten WWII bomb is triggered at a Japanese airport.
Weapon of the Week: Lockheed Martin unveils its new extreme-range missile.
You can subscribe to the Weapons and Warfare podcast on the platform of your choosing here.
Drones forced firefighting aircraft to stop efforts 10 times in 2024: Report
Crews fighting intense wildfires are sometimes having to put life-saving firefighting operations on hold because of civilian drone operators. The National Interagency Fire Center revealed on Sunday, Sept. 15, that drone incursions forced firefighting aircraft to ground operations at least 10 times so far in 2024.
There have been 21 incursions so far this year, which is below the yearly average of 23 incursions, and much lower than the all-time record in 2016 of 41 drone incursions.
However, according to those fighting the fires, one drone disruption is one too many. For instance, in 2022, when a wildfire tore through 18 acres of Mt. Helena in Montana, an unauthorized civilian drone reportedly flew through the area, stopping water and fire retardant drops on the fire. Although officials found the drone operator just 15 minutes later, a city park burned during the air stop.
Interfering with firefighting efforts on public land is a federal crime and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can levy fines of up to $20,000. However, fire officials maintain the best way to prevent disruptions caused by civilian drones is through education. Some fire officials want to add labels that advise drone buyers not to “fly over a wildfire or emergency area.”
Sikorsky’s King Stallion gives USMC added muscle: Weapon of the week
The Sikorsky CH-53-K King Stallion helicopter upgrade is already living up to the hype as one of the most versatile tools available to the U.S. military. New video shows the helicopter refueling in mid-air while carrying an F-35 jet. That new skill is just the beginning for this weapon of the week.
The U.S. Marine Corps currently has 14 in its fleet with 79 more on the way over the next few years. Sikorsky built the first version in 1966. Since then, each evolution of the CH-53 has delivered a more powerful aircraft than the one that preceded it.
The King Stallion is three times more powerful than its predecessor when it comes to lift, and its rotor blades are made of a lighter composite material. That power, combined with a larger cabin, makes it easier to transport more troops and supplies. It can also fly up to 230 miles per hour, and can carry more than 27,000 pounds over 100 miles.
The Marine Corps’ fleet manager said the CH-53 lifted another large helicopter over mountains more than 12,000 feet high after it crashed. That rescue would have been extremely challenging for previous iterations of the aircraft.
Other material upgrades make the King Stallion helicopter significantly lighter, making it easier to make heavy lifts at altitude. Replacing metal with equally-strong composite material reduces weight. So does a new all-glass cockpit, which makes it easier to see the terrain around the aircraft.
The new technology is not cheap, however. The $122 million CH-53K costs as much as a new F-35 jet. The helicopter is expected to fly for around 50 years, which could help justify the large price tag.
Boat builders looking for new mission: Weapons and Warfare
In this episode of Weapons and Warfare, head out on the Potomac River with host Ryan Robertson as he visits a longtime boat maker. Ghostworks Marine is a maritime company hoping to turn its yacht racing background into a winning formula for special operations forces.
Also featured in this episode:
The United States is planning to pull out from a West African nation, but that could be cause for concern if the country turns to Russia or Iran for help.
A German manufacturer is setting up shop in the Baltics, bringing more security to the region.
The Army axed its plans for a new helicopter program, saying its mission has changed, leaving hundreds looking for new work.
Plus, this episode’s weapon of the week is an unmanned assault aircraft from Bell, which could be a big player in the future of America’s national defense.
You can subscribe to the Weapons and Warfare podcast on the platform of your choosing here.