Browse Biass, Eric H.

1-92 out of 92 article(s)

Title	Date	Words
European combat drone shaping up.	Apr 1, 2009	1363
Steyr v. powerful v. sturdy soon v. shaped!	Apr 1, 2009	1223
Do you have a computer?	Apr 1, 2009	486
Focus on sensors: since our last drone update, activities seem to have been more predominant in the field of payloads than in that of new airframe developments. Nat that this should surprise anyone, really: when reading through our past issues, some sort of pause had to be expected in that department.	Feb 1, 2009	924
Defendory's 30th: back in 1978, Defendory was the first defence exhibition of its kind--in other words tri-service and international--and set an example for a number of similar defence shows that have since sprung out of the ground in the four corners of the world.	Dec 1, 2008	2140
Choppers on the trend: like helicopters many years ago, rotary-wing drones went through their own period of suspicion in terms of reliability and safety issues and are now definitely being regarded as serious 'grown-up' options, particularly onboard ships.	Dec 1, 2008	1255
Still a steep learning curve: as seen from a wide-angle lens, the drone world is reaching a turning point, probably one that will lead to many others. One thing is clear, though, Europe is finally trying to hammer its own niche in a discipline that has been hitherto led by Israel and the United States.	Oct 1, 2008	1189
Forgotten ... and new: drones have become an inescapable subject at all defence exhibitions whether of aviation, land or naval nature and the recent Eurosatory exhibition was no exception. This is the reason why this Drone Update is very much an extension of our Eurosatory Show Report featured in the previous pages of this issue.	Aug 1, 2008	1135
French taxi for Kabul: Nexter has recently opened the doors of its Roanne facilities in central France to unveil the production line of the new and very first production French Army armoured personnel carriers and command vehicles.	Jun 1, 2008	669
Juan Carlos I launch: once she had completed her unbelievably quiet and gentle slide down the Navantia shipyard slipway and entered the waters of Ria de Ferrol, near Coruna on the northwest coast of Spain on 10 March 2008, the Juan Carlos I effectively became the Spanish Armada's largest aircraft carrier.	Jun 1, 2008	452
Premonition or logical assumption?	Jun 1, 2008	445
Drone eye capability and cost: there are basically three categories of electro-optical payloads made available for drones: fixed, small gimballed (down to about six inches in diameter) and large gimballed (six to nine inches). The types used very much depend on the type of data one expects from them, and this in turn dictates the choice of platform.	Apr 1, 2008	1201
Goodbye Dubai: the Dubai Air Show held its past promises to become a high-quality leading international aviation exhibition whilst retaining an atmosphere of what used to be termed an 'air fair'. Between 11 and 15 November 2007 it was all business in the halls and chalets--and superb displays in the skies.	Apr 1, 2008	2418
Mortar bombs: hail them or fry them? Means to counter ballistic missiles or anti-ship missiles have been found several years ago--although these solutions continue to mature. Strangely, anti-rocket and anti-mortar systems appear to have remained out of reach. Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, however, have dealt a fresh hand.	Feb 1, 2008	3293
Not only Le Bourget: given the number of new events in the field of unmanned aircraft announced at the Paris Air Show (see our report in this issue), one could have expected that little else had not been specifically 'earmarked' for this French grand aerospace meeting. What follows proves the contrary.	Oct 1, 2007	1382
A frightful perspective.	Oct 1, 2007	591
They keep flying in: one could have expected that the development of new drones and their related systems and payloads would have reached a point at which their manufacturers or users would turn towards upgrades, but the truth is that new models keep turning up at an amazing rate.	Aug 1, 2007	1173
The drones ears and eyes.	Apr 1, 2007	2631
Legally stepping into civilian airspace: what may at first sight seem to be a contradiction, putting a pilot into an unmanned aircraft can make sense if an explanation is given. This is what Rheinmetall and Diamond aircraft have done at the recent Idex exhibition in Abu Dhabi.	Apr 1, 2007	1073
Developing, testing--and ranges to do that: unveiled without much fanfare in mid-2006, the Polecat drone (also code-named P-175) was nevertheless given the <<2006 Best for What's New>> award by Popular Science. The design may look unusual for an unmanned vehicle, but the pattern is quite logical.	Feb 1, 2007	1213
Big guns, small platforms: developments are underway to provide light vehicles, both wheeled and tracked, with firepower similar to existing main battle tanks.	Dec 1, 2006	2656
Curtiss-Wright's command of motors: hitherto known in the defence world for its electromechanical drives developed with a view to eliminating hydraulics in armoured vehicle production and upgrades, Curtiss-Wright in Switzerland has embarked on a new activity with two aims.	Dec 1, 2006	779
The drone, that smart animal: it is comforting to see, in our brutal world of defence where often-confusing acronyms have become a plague, that several publications--including and American one--have reverted to the good old fashioned word << drone >>.	Dec 1, 2006	1181
Place to be in the next decade: should all the acquisition programmes announced by the Greek Minister of Defence, Mr Enangelos Meimarakis, at the opening ceremony of the 14th Athens defence exhibition in October 2006 materialise over the forthcoming ten years, there is every reason to believe that Defendory will be a busy place over that period of time.	Dec 1, 2006	1919
Sagem's spare wares.	Apr 1, 2006	565
Success story.	Feb 1, 2006	175
A new series: Armada International is now introducing a new regular series of articles on ground robots to cater to this emerging discipline. Three reports will be devoted to this technology for 2006. Interestingly enough, Armada International started to look into robots as early as 1989, issue 6 of that year to be precise.	Feb 1, 2006	1090
Season's presents: the end of the year presents are part of a time immemorial tradition around the western world and the unmanned aircraft community seemed to have followed it very closely as 2005 drew to an end.	Feb 1, 2006	1115
The trend: the contest for export orders remains a fierce baffle between the 'usual suspects'--the Pandur and Piranha, bath produced by European subsidiaries of General Dynamics Land Systems--and the 'new kid on the block', the armoured modular vehicle from Patria.	Feb 1, 2006	1072
Fischer connects the defence world; who would have ever believed that the vineyards overlooking the quiet shores of lake Geneva served as a privileged nest to a firm that manufactures some of the highest-quality electric connectors in the world?	Dec 1, 2005	563
New Milan ER on the way: ironically, when in very recent years fire-and-forget missiles had become all the rage, it now seems that second thoughts are predominating due to the very different battle scenarios that have been taking place since the obliteration of the Cold War.	Dec 1, 2005	542
A light tail wind on the European scene: as the year draws to an end the Neuron picture increasingly appears to be coming into focus. The French defence procurement agency, DGA, is expected to have, by the time these lines are read, awarded Neuron a contract for the launch of the development of the European unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator.	Dec 1, 2005	917
Getting it done.	Dec 1, 2005	363
120 mm pop-&-scoot mortars: while the idea of mounting mortars on vehicles is not new, the current trend is to develop systems that increase their efficiency by providing a higher degree of automation both in terms of loading and laying. Munitions, for their part are not trailing far behind development and increased effectiveness, with some today being guide.	Oct 1, 2005	3075
Europe carries the tail light again: taking an eagle eye's view across the world map of unmanned aircraft, it only takes a few seconds to realise that in spite of its technological capabilities, Europe is the slow coach in terms of drone development and new operational ideas.	Oct 1, 2005	846
Hell on tip-toe: gone are the days when steamrolling heavy artillery was primarily intended to indiscriminately pour fire and steel over the enemy lines before one's own mechanized cavalry and infantry could roll in--at least in the Western World. A new trend has since developed.	Aug 1, 2005	3017
Up'n stable: after a somewhat hesitant debut, the unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft now appears to have come of age. This is for a major part due to innovative techniques, miniaturized autopilots and navigation suites as well as restored credibility amongst potential users.	Aug 1, 2005	1885
Heavyweights on the wring: in the Western World, the number of heavy torpedoes can be reckoned on one hand, yet amongst these few only a couple can be regarded as using state-of-the-art technology.	Jun 1, 2005	1088
Ground stations: ground control stations are part and parcel of a drone system. Their size is almost proportional with the size, and therefore performance, of the aircraft used, while their configuration largely depends on the mission required by the end user.	Jun 1, 2005	709
The powers that are: with a few exceptions in the higher-flying types that are powered by adapted aviation-extraction turbo engines, almost all drones are driven by piston engines that often find their origin in recreational ultralight aviation. But even this segment is now maturing in its new role.	Jun 1, 2005	517
Proteus, the shape changer: Northrop Grumman, through Burt Rutan's unconventional aircraft design approach, has recently explored the unmanned bomber path with a weapon drop test from Scaled Composites Proteus on 24 February, although in this instance the aircraft was crewed.	Apr 1, 2005	1202
Unthought-of roles: there is no <>, said Brigadier General Jeffrey Sorenson, the Deputy for Acquisition Systems Management in the Office of the Secretary of the Army, on 13 December 2004.	Apr 1, 2005	515
Steroids for drones.	Feb 1, 2005	1868
Dracstic moves.	Feb 1, 2005	1287
The new gate crashers.	Feb 1, 2005	3066
Eyes and ears for drones.	Feb 1, 2005	2640
Denel's newborn--it's a male! Compared to the many other types of equipment reviewed in every issue of Armada International, the drone sector is unquestionably the one that yields the largest number of new developments. This time novelties cover the full spectrum from minis all the way up to combat types via males and hales.	Dec 1, 2004	958
Lord of heavy rings to bear.	Dec 1, 2004	2841
Eads in info-centric warfare.	Dec 1, 2004	741
What is so special? In the past, "Special Operations" really referred to covert operations. The teams involved were specially trained in terms of endurance, discretion and cold-blooded efficiency. While this remains true in some countries, special force operations now tend to become the norm.	Dec 1, 2004	700
Roving rovers.	Dec 1, 2004	960
Drilling the darkness.	Dec 1, 2004	1127
Moving from A to B.	Oct 1, 2004	9051
Dron't collide.	Oct 1, 2004	682
Warheads at a turning point.	Aug 1, 2004	2807
No droning about!	Aug 1, 2004	980
Keeping the skies clear.	Apr 1, 2004	9277
Eyes in Sky in Dubai.	Apr 1, 2004	1792
Over 60 per cent of all combat flight hours.	Apr 1, 2004	978
The eyes and ears of the battlefield.	Apr 1, 2004	3507
Mowag lands Eagle IV: Mowag has unveiled a new, more capable and powerful scout vehicle, which, it is worthy of notice, will actually be cheaper to acquire than the current Hummer-based Eagle III it intends to replace.	Feb 1, 2004	583
Drones crash borders: this is the first of a series of articles that will regularly appear in Armada International, with a view to keeping readers up to speed with events in the fast-moving world of drones and combat drones, also respectively known as UAV's and Ucavs.	Feb 1, 2004	442
Ruag Munition spare heads.	Dec 1, 2003	1134
Moving on land. Military fly-and-drive?	Oct 1, 2003	3857
Military aircraft market: who, why, when? As the commercial transport market remains depressed, aircraft manufacturers are looking urgently for growth in the military sector to maintain sales volumes and profit margins. However, current military operations will in the short-term boost spending on guided missiles and bombs, rather than on aircraft replacements. (Complete Guide).	Jun 1, 2003	8958
Thrust Roxel: after the merger of the bulk of Europe's tactical missiles activities into MBDA, it became somewhat obvious that a similar walk to the altar would sooner or later take place with those concerned with the tail end of the weapons, in this instance Celerg and the Rocket Motors Division of Royal Ordnance. (What's Up).	Jun 1, 2003	406
A fast moving drone world: unquestionably, the drone world is one of the fastest moving sectors of the defence industry. This page provides a brief account of the events that have taken place since Armada began this series of articles at the beginning of 2003. (UAV Update).	Jun 1, 2003	560
POF aims at Nato Std with a bang: Pakistan Ordnance Factories had a comprehensive display at the recent Idex exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The curious eye, though, could not avoid being amazed by the wide range of calibres this single company can cater to. (What's Up?).	Jun 1, 2003	372
The Ruag golden rule. (Special Report).	Feb 1, 2003	3697
New armour solutions. (Ground Warfare).	Oct 1, 2002	3350
Is it German or Swiss, mate? (Defence Industry Report).	Oct 1, 2002	3573
PC-21--cheaper than one eurofighter simulator hour. (What's Up?).	Oct 1, 2002	548
Scientia potestas est * true of Ruag. (What's Up?).	Aug 1, 2002	1480
Russian defence industry--a force to be reckoned with. (Defence Industry Report).	Jun 1, 2002	2193
The Asian Aerospace beehive. (Shows & Exhibition).	Jun 1, 2002	1758
Born out of necessity; Israel's defence industry is somewhat unique in that its development did not benefit from a long historical process, unlike that of other countries. Indeed its roots cannot be found in traditional age-old arsenals or shipyards. In fact one can say that it was born with the nation, in 1948. (Defence Industry Report).	Apr 1, 2002	3119
Helisim, the way to go to school; our What's Up feature in this issue looks at a helicopter system that is not intended to go up anywhere except in business terms. With a strong collective thrust from Eurocopter, Thales and Defence Conseil International the new Helisim company of Marignane in southern France was born almost with a silver spoon on 21 February 2002. (What's Up?).	Apr 1, 2002	647
Perhaps a new educational role for the defence industry? (Complete Guide).	Feb 1, 2002	716
Safe fuzing of submunitions is possible; to render a submunition as harmless as a piece of dead wood is feasible, as Instalaza has proved it with its new Mat 120 cargo bomb. In fact, Armada's Editor discovered that this Spanish company has several aces up its sleeve. (What's Up?).	Feb 1, 2002	1081
A wolf in sheep's clothing: although lacking the speed, manoeuvrability and small target area of a dedicated attack helicopter, a utility or light/medium transport helicopter can carry a useful load of weapons and sensors. Its operational flexibility makes it particularly attractive to smaller forces, and its capability may be enhanced by upgrades. (Air Warfare).	Dec 1, 2001	2703
Views of Maks, near Moscow. (Shows & Exhibitions).	Dec 1, 2001	1281
How thick is a string? (Complete Guide).	Dec 1, 2001	380
Seen and heard at DSEi, London. (Shows & Exhibitions).	Dec 1, 2001	1862
Time to break the current thinking pattern II. (Complete Guide).	Oct 1, 2001	522
Long Haul Heavies -- Logistic Trucks.	Aug 1, 2001	3275
Time to Break the Current Thinking Pattern.	Aug 1, 2001	459
A Chat with Missile Industry Leaders.	Jun 1, 2001	3769
Trigat/(GB+NL) x Milan = Trigan.	Dec 1, 2000	961
AAD 2000, the African Mix.	Dec 1, 2000	1722
Tomorrow's fighters: aircraft or integrated weapon systems?	Aug 1, 1990	5391
Conventional short take-off and landing aircraft; could they be really on their way out?	Oct 1, 1989	4391
The rotary-wing aircraft and modern materials.	Jun 1, 1989	3973