Loitering Munitions In Focus

[gview file=”http://dronecenter.bard.edu/files/2017/02/CSD-Loitering-Munitions.pdf”] In the early history of unmanned aviation, the distinction between a drone and guided missile was not always well defined. The World War One-era Kettering Bug, regarded to be one of the first drones, was designed to deliver an explosive charge by crashing into its targets, more like …

The Drone Database

For an expanded database of drones, please see our September 2019 publication, The Drone Databook.   A growing number of countries are developing or acquiring unmanned aircraft systems. These drones are playing an ever-larger role in conflicts around the world. For example, we identified 38 drones made in six countries that …

Drone Smuggling: Inside Illegal Exports

By Dan Gettinger On November 1, 2015, Pei Qi “Paul” Ma, the owner and manager of an import/export business based in Xi’an, China, was arrested by police at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Las Vegas, where he was planning on attending a trade show. …

What You Need to Know About Underwater Drones

For an update on underwater drones, click here.  By Dan Gettinger Late last month, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus appointed Brig. Gen. Frank Kelley to become the first deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for unmanned systems, a position that was created in April. “The change to the organization …

What You Need to Know About Helicopter Drones

By Dan Gettinger When it comes to unmanned flight today, fixed-wing drones like the Predator and Reaper have captured much of the public imagination and debate, particular in the military realm. Less mentioned, however, is the fact that helicopter drones—which are known as Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAVs—are a …