Exail to supply Caméléon unmanned demining robots to Belgium Armed Forces
The Caméléon LG UGV includes remote operational capabilities and real-time hazard detection.
Black Swift Technologies (BST) has received a contract from NASA to develop a UAS to perform upper atmospheric observations of Venus, the company announced on 18 June.
The company is proposing a planetary UAS based on dynamic soaring technology, a proven method to extract energy from atmospheric shear. The surface temperature of Venus is extremely hot at 467°C but the atmospheric pressure and temperature at about 50km to 65km above the surface of the planet is nearly the same as of the Earth, making its upper atmosphere the most Earth-like area in the solar system.
The atmosphere of Venus is composed primarily of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The upper layer of the planet’s atmosphere exhibits a phenomenon of super-rotation, where the atmosphere circles the planet in just four Earth days. The resulting winds blow at speeds up to 360km/h. On the other hand, the wind speed becomes increasingly slower as the elevation from the surface decreases, with the breeze barely reaching the speed of 10 km/h on the surface.
Jack Elston, CEO of Black Swift Technologies, said: ‘While there have been a variety of systems proposed for upper atmospheric observations of Venus, the planet’s high wind speeds pose a significant design challenge.
‘Our solution will be designed to not only survive in the harsh wind environment, but also simultaneously perform targeted sampling of the atmosphere while continuously extracting energy, even on the dark side of the planet.’
The Caméléon LG UGV includes remote operational capabilities and real-time hazard detection.
The UAS, which detects and tracks drone swarms, will be demonstrated to the US Air Force Global Strike team in January 2025.
Despite claiming there was no need for a drone corps, Army Aviation remains ready to address UAS and CUAS warfighter requirements, as it focuses on adaptability and rapid deployment across all levels of warfare.
Kiev and Moscow have been competing over who can better harness the ongoing revolution in military affairs caused by AI-controlled and human-operated robots and drones.
This time, the UAS flew into NATO airspace, though there is no evidence that they did so deliberately.
South Korea is rapidly advancing its UAV programmes and counter-drone capabilities in response to increasing threats from North Korea’s unmanned aerial systems.