Surrogate tests are under way by the US Navy s precision strike weapons programme office to prepare the service s aerial refuelling pod for integration on its future MQ-25 carrier-based aerial refuelling (CBARS) unmanned air vehicle.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 21 June finalised a new set of regulations to allow small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) weighing less than 24.9kg (55lb) access after late August to a terrain-hugging pocket of the national airspace.

Alabama-based Dynetics has unveiled a design for a 27kg-class guided bomb with a warhead significantly larger than even heavier munitions, such as the 50kg-class Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire.

The US Army has proven in a recent live-fire test that a MQ-1 Gray Eagle with a Lockheed Martin joint air to ground missile (JAGM) can beat the capability offered today by the AGM-114 Hellfire against moving targets.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicle has made a rare appearance at ILA, as the manufacturer hopes the German government will reconsider the ubiquitous type despite the selection of a rival system this year.

Despite having performed a maiden sortie some three years ago, details remain sketchy on the flight-test campaign of the BAE Systems Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator.