Tag Archives: drones

David Bernhardt, secretary at the Department of the Interior, has ordered DOI bureaus and offices to temporarily stop using its fleet of unmanned aircraft systems in operations that are not considered emergencies.

The Department of the Interior plans to stop operations under a large civilian drone program due to security concerns with China-made technology, the Financial Times reported Sunday. The plan addresses a risk of possible espionage from Beijing and may put a stop to the activity of almost 1K drones.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into drones that were spotted flying in Colorado and Nebraska, CNN reported Wednesday.

Mark Bathrik, director of the Interior Department’s Office of Aviation Services, told attendees at a Brookings Institution event that airspace regulations should also involve unmanned aerial systems that fly below 400 feet, Fedscoop reported Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, who leads the U.S. Marine Corps' Combat Development Command, said the service branch seeks more unmanned systems for surface, underwater and air operations, National Defense Magazine reported Wednesday. 

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to implement a vertical take-off feature for an Insitu-made large unmanned aircraft system, Marine Corps Times reported Wednesday. The service branch intends to boost the aircraft's performance for expeditionary missions via VTOL as part of the USMC 2019 aviation plan. 

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and John Thune, R-S.D., are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to publish a proposed rule on remote identification of drones to prevent the entry of unauthorized drones in critical areas. Markey and Thune sent a letter to the Department of Transportation calling for action on the rule that would permit authorities and the public to remotely track unmanned aircraft systems and their operators during flight, Markey’s office said in a statement released Monday.

The U.S. military is expected to increase investment in unmanned aerial systems starting in 2020 with $3.7 billion in funding from President Trump’s latest defense budget, National Defense Magazine reported Monday.

The Department of the Interior saved $14.8 million in 2018 as it expanded its fleet of unmanned aircraft systems to support operations across the U.S. The department released its UAS Program 2018 Use Report Monday that details the agency’s spending and aircraft use during the year.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency completed a demonstration of its new collaborative operations in denied environment system which enables drones to perform tasks in areas without communications systems and GPS.