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Oct 1

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Zipline

Zipline Taught Its Drones to Dive for Speed, and They Got Quieter

A Zipline software update has its drones dive to build speed and climb to brake. Here is why gravity makes them faster, quieter and cooler.

Haye KestelooSep 11

Pilot Institute's Greg presents the DroneXL weekly drone news update, week 382

DJI

Zipline Drone Comes Down Under Parachute Near Houston, TSA Delays Part 108 Security Talks, and FCC Proposal Draws 3,829 Comments

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week: a Zipline drone has a mishap near Houston, a Part 108 progress update from the TSA and OIRA, and the FCC gets over 3,800 comments on its military-grade drone proposal. Let's get to it.

Greg ReverdiauSep 11

Four Swarmer engineers in black company shirts assemble quadcopter drones on a crowded workbench in a small blue-walled workshop

Ukraine

Erik Prince's Swarmer Buys Ukraine's Ratel Robotics for Up to $224M

Nasdaq-listed Swarmer, chaired by Blackwater founder Erik Prince, is buying Ukraine's Ratel Robotics for up to $224 million, mostly in stock.

Haye KestelooSep 10

Amazon

Amazon Says Quieter Than a Truck. Its FAA Filing Says 92 Decibels

Amazon told Baton Rouge its delivery drones beat an idling truck. Its own FAA noise filing puts the delivery hover at 92.1 decibels.

Haye KestelooSep 9

A brilliant point of light with cross-shaped flare burns above a nighttime city skyline as an Army high-energy laser engages a small drone.

Counter-Drone

Army's $3-a-Shot Laser Cuts Cartel Drone Flights 75%, Military Says

Military officials say cartel drone flights over the Rio Grande Valley fell about 75% after an Army laser began downing them. The baseline is undisclosed.

Haye KestelooSep 7

Zipline

Zipline Drone Ends Flight On Houston Highway The Way Amazon's Can't

A Zipline delivery drone came down under its parachute onto Highway 6 in Cypress on Friday. No injuries, no damage, no calls to police, and no cause yet.

Haye KestelooSep 5

Jason Day of DRONERESPONDERS in a white cowboy hat and dark suit speaking at a podium marked Commercial UAV Expo, lit by blue stage lighting

ERIC TALLEY AWARD

DRONERESPONDERS Honors The Texas Program Behind 100,000 Sorties

Greg Whiting took the Eric Talley Public Safety UAS Excellence Award at Commercial UAV Expo, days after his Texas program logged its 100,000th sortie.

Haye KestelooSep 1

Counter-Drone

Pentagon Downs 3 Cartel Drones With Laser, Won't Say Whose Airspace

The Army's AMP-HEL laser destroyed three cartel drones at the Texas border, but USNORTHCOM won't say whether the shots crossed into Mexican airspace.

Haye KestelooAug 28

Texas

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