U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System Achieving It's First Flight (Video)

Video: Navy’s Triton UAS Achieves First Flight -- Defense Tech

The U.S. Navy successfully conducted a first test-flight of its MQ-4C Triton aircraft, a wide-spanning 47-foot long surveillance drone equipped with high-tech, next-generation sensors able to conduct surveillance, reconnaissance and communications-relay missions over thousands of miles ocean, service officials said.

During the 80-minute flight in restricted airspace in Palmdale, Calif., the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, controlled by ground-based Navy and Northrop Grumman personnel, reached 20,000 feet, according to a Navy statement.

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More News On Today's Successful U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System Flight

Navy’s High-Flying Spy Drone Completes Its First Flight -- Danger Room
U.S. Navy Kicks Off Triton Flight Trials -- Aviation Week
U.S. Navy Triton UAV Completes First Flight -- Ottawa Citizen
US Navy's Triton UAS Completes First Flight -- Avionics Today
Navy's unmanned ocean recon craft makes 1st flight -- Mercury News/AP
Navy Completes First Flight Of Game-Changing MQ-4C Triton Spy Drone [Video] -- Popular Science

Darpa`s Drone Project Is Going Under The Sea

The U.S. military aims to hide drones deep beneath the ocean waves. CREDIT: DARPA.

U.S. Military Wants To Hide Drones Under The Sea -- CBS

Hollywood films often show alien ships or giant monsters rising from the ocean depths to threaten humanity's existence. The U.S. military envisions a more realistic scenario of hiding robotic drones, sensors or decoys on the ocean floor so that they can rise to the occasion when needed.

The idea of hiding sneaky spy technologies beneath the waves comes from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency described its Upward Falling Payloads program as an effort to hide underwater capsules that could be triggered remotely to activate, float to the surface and release their payloads of sensor buoys or even flying drones.

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More News On Darpa`s "Under The Sea" Drone Program

The Pentagon Wants To Scatter Weapons Under The World's Oceans To Activate On Demand -- Business Insider
US Military Wants to Hide Drones Under the Sea -- Live Science
DARPA Considers Deploying Technology On Ocean Floor -- Information Week
DARPA’s New Program: Robots From The Deep Blue Sea -- Red Orbit
DARPA wants to stash drones on the bottom of the ocean -- Slash Gear

The British Navy Wants A Fleet Of Underwater Drones

Ministry Of Defence Plans New Wave Of Unmanned Marine Drones -- The Guardian

Nato's success with airborne drones inspires focus on unmanned maritime vehicles for surveillance and combat.

The Ministry of Defence is seeking to develop a new generation of unmanned maritime "drones" that would be used for anti-submarine warfare and possible missile attacks on enemy ships, the Guardian has learned.

A fleet of Royal Navy unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is already being used in the Gulf to help prevent Iran laying mines in important sea lanes, and ministers are now considering whether similar devices could be used to tackle pirates off the coast of Somalia.

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My Comment: It looks like they are going to develop their own naval drones, independent from the U.S.. I call this a positive development .... the Americans need some competition.

Underwater Drones Deployed By The US Navy To Hunt For Iranian Mines

SeaFox I Mine Hunter. Photos: Royal Navy

US Deploys Underwater Drones To Hunt For Iranian Mines -- The Telegraph

The United States is to intensify its military build up in the Persian Gulf by deploying miniature underwater drones to hunt for Iranian mines.

The four-foot-long, remotely guided "SeaFox" submersibles are expected to form a key element of US military strategy in the region amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear programme.

Tehran has repeatedly threatened to respond to Western sanctions by mounting a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy waterway.

With the failure of diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, the United States has gradually begun to reinforce its military assets in the Gulf.

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More News On The US Navy Deploying Underwater Drones To Counter Iranian Mine Threats

U.S. deploys sea drones to Persian Gulf to clear Iranian mines -- L.A. Times
U.S. deploys sea drones to Persian Gulf to clear Iranian mines -- Boston Herald/Tribune
Report: US Navy deploys drones to the Persian Gulf -- Jerusalem Post
Navy Beginning To Implement Underwater Drones In Gulf -- CBS
Underwater kamikaze drones rushed to the Gulf to deal with Iranian mines -- Global Post
US launches operation SeaFox, Persian Gulf minesweeping mission, amid Hormuz tensions -- report -- Global Post

US Navy’s New Drone Is A Mine Hunter

Photo from Defense Tech

US Navy’s New Drone Hunts Mines Wherever They Hide -- Gizmodo

The US Navy is building a fleet of mine-hunting ships that investigators say aren’t all that hot at finding mines. So in the coming years, those ships are going to get drone supplements to dive deep below the sea to spot the underwater weapons. Think of ‘em as pairs of robotic glasses.

This is a scale model of the Navy’s newest drone sub, called the Knifefish. Manufactured by General Dynamics, the Navy unveiled it for the first time on Monday at its annual Sea Air Space convention just outside Washington DC.

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More News On The US Navy's Newest Drone

U.S. Navy and General Dynamics Unveil Model of Minehunting, Heavyweight UUV -- Defpro
General Dynamics and U.S. Navy introduce model of unmanned, minehunting, undersea vehicle -- Military & Aerospace
Navy Will Give Nearsighted Minehunter Robotic Glasses -- Danger Room
Navy unveils unmanned undersea mine hunter for the littoral combat ship -- al.com
Meet the Navy’s Knifefish Mine-Hunting Robot -- Defense Tech

Here Comes The Robot Subs

The Navy will send a robotic sub -- shown here as a model -- to hunt buried mines. Photo: Spencer Ackerman/Wired

Navy Will Give Nearsighted Minehunter Robotic Glasses -- Danger Room

The Navy is building a fleet of mine-hunting ships that investigators say aren’t all that hot at finding mines. So in the coming years, those ships are going to get drone supplements to dive deep below the sea to spot the underwater weapons. Think of ‘em as pairs of robotic glasses.

This is a scale model of the Navy’s newest drone sub, called the Knifefish. Manufactured by General Dynamics, the Navy unveiled it for the first time on Monday at its annual Sea Air Space convention just outside Washington, D.C.

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My Comment: The US Navy is bit late in the drone revolution ... but it appears that they are catching up very quickly.

Using Drones To Counter The Rise Of China's Naval/Military Power

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo released by the U.S. Navy and Northrup Grumman, the navy X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) aircraft successfully completing its historic first flight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. to mark a critical step in the program, moving the team forward to meet the demonstration objectives of a tailless fighter-sized unmanned aircraft to safely take off from and land on the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. (AP Photo/Alan Radecki, Northrup Grumman, Navy, FILE)

U.S. Eyes Drones In Asia To Counter China's Rise -- CBS News

WASHINGTON - Of the many planned stops on a U.S. tour this week by a top-level Chinese military delegation, one — the iconic Grand Canyon — is an especially apt metaphor for the wide divide between Washington and Beijing over explosive issues like U.S. support for Taiwan.

Pentagon officials hope the visit, which begins Monday in Washington, will mark a fresh beginning for a prickly, start-and-stop relationship between the two military behemoths. The Chinese delegation is led by Gen. Chen Bingde, the counterpart to the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. It is the first visit of its kind in seven years.

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More News On Using Drones To Counter The Rise Of China's Naval/Military Power

US Navy drones: Coming to a carrier near China? -- Seattle PI
Navy Drones May be Deployed to Counteract China’s Might -- The Epoch Times
US trying to counter China's military rise by developing aircraft carrier-based drones -- Economic Times
Coming to a US aircraft carrier near China? Navy has big plans for killer drones -- Newser
US eyes drones to counter China's rise -- Press TV
US Navy drones: Coming to a carrier near China? -- NDTV

Navy Reveals Details of Submarine-Based Drones

SeaStalker USV via General Dynamics Robotic Systems

From Popsci.com:

Between scientists warning of autonomous killer robots and a Predator drone killing Osama bin Laden's son, news about killer robots has been eating up a lot of bandwidth lately. But most of that press has focused on the Air Force's Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Well, the Air Force needs to make some room in the spotlight, because the Navy's getting in on the act, too.

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My Comment: We always hear about air force drones, but tit is now obvious that the navy is also involved in this act.