In the wake of the deadly drone attack targeting Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday 17 January, the UAE’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) announced new directives banning all drone and light sports aircraft flights across the country, starting Saturday 22 January. Unlawful practices The new directives were issued in coordination with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) after several cases of non-compliance and unlawful trespassing were reported. The ministry urged the public to comply with the recent guidelines to ensure the safety of lives and property, and avoid unsafe pract ..read more

By Ulrich Amberg From California to Turkey to Australia, wildfires, also known as bushfires, are everywhere, and they are increasing in both frequency and intensity. In 2020, over 10.2 million acres of land were affected by wildfires in the U.S. alone, compared to just 3.4 million acres lost in 2010, a staggering 200 per cent increase over the last decade. Equally alarming, Australia’s 2020 bushfire season destroyed an estimated 46 million acres, causing a record $4.5 billion in damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and business interruptions, compared to $1.6 billion during the previous ye ..read more

Undoubtedly, the rapid growth of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), robotics and automation sectors has left a significant impact across several industries, including defence, logistics, aviation, supply chain and beyond; reshaping their day-to-day operations and revolutionising the world’s business prospects. Nevertheless, with new technologies arise new challenges. Cybersecurity has been a key challenge to almost every new high-tech application, calling for innovative, secure and risk-free solutions to proof technologies against cyber-attacks without compromising their functionality and co ..read more

The Middle East’s largest media house, ITP Media Group announced on Thursday a new Monday to Friday working week in line with the UAE’s public sector and the group’s overseas offices. Starting 3 January, all ITP Media Group’s UAE operations will adopt the new trade days, as part of the latest decision by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources to shift the country’s weekend to Saturday and Sunday. “As a media house with operations and partners around the world, we welcome this decision to better align with the global market,” ITP Media Group CEO, Ali Akawi said. The post ITP Me ..read more

A group of US lawmakers proposed a new bill on Wednesday to hinder Iran’s drone programme, following recent attacks on U.S. troops and military bases across the Middle East region. The bill was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Gregory Meeks; House Member Michael McCaul; Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism, Ted Deutch; and Joe Wilson to further extend the current sanctions to include individuals contributing to Iran’s programme by supplying, transferring or selling military drones to or from the country. The bill com ..read more

Egypt’s Defence Expo (EDEX), held in Cairo on 29 November – 2 December featured two locally produced drones marking the Arab world’s most populated country’s debut to the UAV industry. Neuth The Neuth drone, named after the Egyptian sky goddess was co-produced by the Military Technical College and the Arab Organisation for Industrialization, to perform strategic reconnaissance missions using electro-optical technologies, with a maximum payload reaching 50 Kilograms and 10 hours of endurance time, as well as satellite integration capabilities. EJune-30 SW Additionally, the Egyptian pavilion s ..read more

DJI, the global leader in civilian drone and camera technology announced the long-awaited release of its newest models, Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine. Camera Upgrades The Mavic 3 Cine, retailed at $5000 offers unrivalled videography capabilities of Apple ProRes 422 HQ footage at 5.1K up to 50FPS, with a built-in 1TB SSD. On the other hand, the $2200 Mavic 3 model does not offer ProRes filming or a built-in SSD but it has the same dual-camera system powered by a 4/3 CMOS sensor. Both models offer 4K filming at up to 120fps with a 24mm lens and an additional hybrid zoom lens capable of 28x digital ..read more

Russia’s navy ships will be armed with kamikaze drones to strike enemy vessels and ground targets, the Russian daily newspaper, Izvestia reported. The navy is weighing whether to use its existing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) already in service or develop new ones specifically designed for the task, Izvestia added.  “It is possible to arm ships with kamikaze drones in a short time. The new weaponry does not require special hangars, or catapults to launch. UAVs can take off directly from the deck with minimal alterations,” the newspaper explained. Supporting Marine Landings Th ..read more

Britain’s Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) published on Monday a report on how the UK could support the rapid and safe commercialisation of drones as the technology progresses. The RHC is an independent expert committee that aims to identify the regulations needed to foster technological novelty and provide the government with expert guidance on how to efficiently apply them. The report showcases how an innovation-oriented regulation could expand drones’ potentials, from the delivery of medical supplies, search and rescue services to infrastructure inspection. The report suggested testing t ..read more

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) signed a contract on Monday with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to develop and manufacture the unmanned aerial vehicle, ‘SkyGuard’. The two agencies announced they aim to establish a base for technological innovation, both regionally and internationally. In line with the kingdom’s strategy to localize over 50% of expenditure on defense equipment and services by 2030, SAMI also signed an agreement with Prince Sultan Defense Studies and Research Centre (PSDSARC) to further develop “SkyGuard.” “The agreement is expected t ..read more