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Department of the Air Force releases memorandum on Barrier Analysis Working Groups
Jan. 31, 2025
Today, the Department of the Air Force released a memorandum on the disestablishment of DAF Barrier Analysis Working Groups in compliance with executive orders Ending Radical and Wasteful Governments DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4049452/department-of-the-air-force-releases-memorandum-on-barrier-analysis-working-gro/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/Portals/2/Documents/SAF%202025/Barrier_Analysis_Working_Group_EOs_memo.pdf
Boeing names Space Station exec as new head of Starliner program
January 30, 20253:23 PM PST
The vice president leading Boeing's (BA.N), opens new tab Starliner spacecraft unit, Mark Nappi, has left his role in the program and been replaced by the company's International Space Station program manager, John Mulholland, a Boeing spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday.
Nappi, who led Boeing's Starliner program from 2022 through major engineering issues and testing mishaps, is currently in a new role "focused on identifying opportunities for streamlining improvement across the division's space programs until he retires next month," the company said.
Mulholland previously led Boeing's Starliner program from 2011 before switching in 2020 to the company's International Space Station program, which works closely with NASA under a multibillion-dollar station operations contract.
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, in development under a $4.5 billion NASA contract to ferry astronauts to the ISS, has faced an array of engineering challenges since 2019.
In its first test mission last summer flying astronauts, Starliner was forced by NASA to leave its crew aboard the ISS and return empty in September over problems with its propulsion system.
A panel of senior NASA officials in August had voted to have a Crew Dragon capsule from Elon Musk's SpaceX bring them back instead, deeming Starliner too risky for the astronauts.
Paul Hill, a veteran NASA flight director and member of the agency's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, said during a quarterly panel meeting on Thursday that NASA and Boeing continue to investigate Starliner's propulsion system.
A Boeing spokesperson said on Thursday that the company and NASA have not yet determined what Starliner's next mission will look like, such as whether it will need to repeat its crewed flight test before receiving NASA certification for routine flights.
NASA's decision in August to have Starliner come back empty and leave its astronauts on the ISS for months longer than planned was a bruising moment for Boeing's space unit, as SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule dominates the private spaceflight business.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-replaces-chief-its-starliner-spacecraft-unit-2025-01-30/
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY16/20150227/103096/HHRG-114-SY16-Bio-MulhollandJ-20150227.pdf
South Africa’s border drones deliver big results
31 January 2025
Government’s recent deployment of drones at five high-priority border crossings, including Beitbridge between Zimbabwe and South Africa, has already prevented more than 2 000 illegal border crossings.
This is according to home affairs minister Leon Schreiber, who in a statement on Friday lauded the use of drones to combat illegal border crossings.
He said that during the festive season, the number of illegal border crossing that were prevented increased by 215% compared to a year ago, and this was in part the result of the deployment of new technology, including drones and bodycams.
“The use of drones at just five ports of entry on a pilot basis made an immediate and visible impact,” Schreiber said.
“The department of agriculture, land reform & rural development generously assisted with the deployment of drones at Beitbridge, Maseru Bridge, Lebombo, Kopfontein and Oshoek.”
According to the minister, 42 pilots were assigned to fly the drones at these five ports of entry.
This, he said, resulted in enhanced real-time monitoring of border movement, especially in high-risk areas, and real-time responses to attempted illegal crossings and smuggling activities.
Integrated coordination between the Border Management Authority, the defence force, the police and the South African Revenue Service ensured quick deployment of ground teams.
‘Digital transformation’
“The use of these drones on a pilot basis at just five ports led to the detection of 2 188 additional people who attempted to enter our country illegally.
That is 2 188 people who would be walking among us illegally now if it was not for the use of this technology,” Schreiber said in the statement.
“The piloting of new technologies like drones and body cameras has demonstrated the power of digital transformation to secure and enhance border management,” he said.
The use of the drones also led to 2 326 breaches in the border fence being identified and sealed, the minister said.
“This is clear evidence of the impact this technology can have in improving border management, and we must now work to make this a permanent tool in the arsenal of the BMA.”
https://techcentral.co.za/south-africas-border-drones-big-results/258588/
Increased drone activity raises concerns near Avian Influenza quarantine areas in Indiana
January 31, 2025
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, along with local and federal agencies, has reported a surge in drone activity near sites affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
Residents in Adams, Allen, Jackson, and Jay counties, as well as areas in Ohio, are urged to report any drone sightings to local law enforcement.
The department says some individuals have attempted to shoot down drones, but this action is illegal and can result in felony charges, including severe penalties.
"It is a crime to shoot down a drone. It is a felony to 'damage, destroy, disable or wreck any aircraft," punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison," IDOH said in a press release.
Authorities caution against engaging with drone operators and stress that all reports should be directed to the local county Emergency Management Agency.
IDOH also stresses the public safety risk of flying drones in quarantined areas.
"Agricultural areas and farms affected by the avian influenza are quarantined, and any unlawful entry (by drones or citizens) could spread the virus.
Some reports have surfaced to indicate drones have landed on barns in these areas, and there is legitimate concern the drones could transmit disease from one location to the next," they said.
Drone operators should avoid these bird farms and remember some standard rules:
These areas are quarantined for safety reasons.
The FAA requires certain standards for a pilot to fly at night.
All pilots or their visual observers must be able to always see the drone while in flight.
Flying drones above people is permissible only in certain circumstances.
Drones must fly no higher than 400 feet above the ground or operator.
All operators must have proper certifications and registration paperwork.
https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/increased-drone-activity-raises-concerns-near-avian-influenza-quarantine-areas-in-indiana
https://fox59.com/indiana-news/homeland-security-reminds-hoosiers-not-to-shoot-down-drones-after-sightings-near-bird-flu-farms/
FAA announces 'No Drone Zone' over Superdome, New Orleans during, leading up to Super Bowl
January 31, 2025 10:47 AM
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday announced a "No Drone Zone" in New Orleans as security precautions ahead of Super Bowl LIX ramp up in the shadow of a New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14.
The FAA said Caesars Superdome will be the primary restricted airspace for drone operators.
The administration noted that the skies above downtown New Orleans will also be prohibited airspace leading up to the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Enhanced security zones will also be set up by the state during the week around the Superdome and the French Quarter.
Drone operators who enter the restricted areas without permission could face drone confiscation, fines up to $75,000 and criminal prosecution.
The "No Drone Zone" will restrict drones within 1.5 nautical miles of the stadium up to 2,000 feet into the air on Feb. 9, game day, starting at 1:30 p.m.
This extends to a 30-nautical-mile radius and up to 18,000 feet in altitude from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Before the Eagles and the Chiefs face off in New Orleans, other restrictions will start on Monday, Feb. 3, that prevent drones from flying within 1.5 nautical miles of Lafayette Square and up to 2,000 feet in the air.
https://www.wbrz.com/news/faa-announces-no-drone-zone-over-superdome-new-orleans-during-leading-up-to-super-bowl/
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-designates-new-orleans-area-no-drone-zone-super-bowl-lix
Ukrainian drones escalate tactics with new pipeline strike
January 31, 2025
Ukrainian drones attacked a section of the Druzhba pipeline in Russia, causing a fire visible even from space.
This was recorded by NASA satellites, reports the Ukrainian agency Unian. The attack was allegedly carried out by a completely new Ukrainian drone.
Ukrainian drones attacked the pumping station of the Druzhba pipeline near the Russian-Belarusian border in the Bryansk region.
According to Forbes, the attack occurred overnight from Wednesday to Thursday Greenwich Time. The strike resulted in a fire, confirmed by NASA satellite images.
For the past two years, Ukrainian armed forces have regularly attacked Russian oil facilities using kamikaze drones.
However, this time the drones not only struck the station but also dropped bombs, increasing the attack's effectiveness.
Ukrainians have not disclosed which drone was used in the attack, but the information about bomb-dropping suggests that it might have been a small aircraft, such as the Aeroprakt A-22.
Let's recall that the Ukrainian armed forces have recently adapted drones to carry 250-kilogram FAB-250 bombs.
This enhancement in aviation capability is significant because such large bombs are dropped by reusable drones.
This is a considerable improvement over single-use kamikaze drones.
New drones, such as the Aeroprakt A-22, can carry explosive loads up to 100 kilograms, although, as mentioned above, there are designs with a payload of up to 250 kilograms.
This increases their range in one-way missions to about 1,300 kilometres.
The attack on the facility in the Bryansk region, located about 40 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, did not require the full range of their capabilities.
The Unian agency points out that one of the challenges is still safely retrieving the drones after a mission.
Operators can use a double-strike tactic: first dropping bombs and then, if a return is impossible, directing the drones into the target.
Generally, however, the Ukrainian arsenal includes designs that allow bombs to be dropped and the drones to return to the base.
The model of the drone used in the latest attack by the Ukrainians is unknown. Unian reports that it was likely a new design. Therefore, it is difficult to determine its parameters and flight range.
However, considering that the Bryansk region is close to the Ukrainian border, it can be assumed that the new design is not long-range weaponry.
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/ukrainian-drones-escalate-tactics-with-new-pipeline-strike/ar-AA1yb6Fh
AI-powered drone platform to help demine Ukrainian farmlands
31.01.2025 10:14
Artificial intelligence is aiming to drastically reduce the time and costs of manually surveying Ukrainian farmland potentially contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The relevant project will be implemented by Ukraine’s agriholding Nibulon jointly with U.S.-based Safe Pro Group, provider of an AI-powered drone demining ecosystem, BusinessWire reports, according to Ukrinform.
The American operator specializing in drone imagery processing, said it has entered into a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding with Nibulon on addressing Ukraine’s agriculture crisis which has sustained billions in damages and losses due to the ongoing war.
According to NASA Harvest, the war in Ukraine has caused the abandonment of between 5.2 and 6.9 million acres of farmland costing Ukraine around $2 billion in lost crops in 2023 that could have fed upwards of 25 million people for an entire year.
The enormous area of land, located along the front lines of the war and in areas that have recently been retaken by Ukraine, can be potentially surveyed to determine the precise location of mines and UXO.
By incorporating AI capabilities into land surveys, the Ukrainian company’s drone teams are expected to more effectively generate high resolution maps with precise locations of mines and UXO in agricultural areas that would otherwise not be accessible to direct human observation.
Safe Pro’s proprietary AI models have analyzed more than 931,107 drone images in Ukraine, pinpointing over 18,300 explosive remnants of war across 4,255 hectares.
While AI analyzes each drone image in less than 0.2 seconds, traditional human analysis can take several minutes per image – a process that could span decades if done manually.
The company says maps drawn up by the platform can provide a “bird’s-eye view” of the surveyed area, delivering enhanced situational awareness for planning clearing and land release efforts by local governments and humanitarian aid organizations.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Demining Capabilities Coalition will soon make its first procurement in 2025 for the needs of clearing Ukrainian territories of explosives, worth over EUR 30 million.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, sappers have returned 35,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land to use, of which about 17,000 square kilometers were demined in 2024.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3954771-aipowered-drone-platform-to-help-demine-ukrainian-farmlands.html
Netherlands to Buy Anti-Drone Guns to Boost Air Defense for $1B
January 31, 2025
The Netherlands plans to purchase 22 mobile anti-drone gun systems to protect heavy and medium infantry brigades against airborne threats, State Secretary Gijs Tuinman announced.
With a budget of 1.3 billion euros ($1.35 billion), the defense ministry selected Rheinmetall’s Skyranger 30 as it is equipped with surface-to-air missiles and a 30-millimeter rapid-fire cannon that can fire up to 1,250 shots per minute to counter drones, aircraft, and helicopters.
The guns are mounted on a tracked Armoured Combat Support Vehicle from the German firm Flensburger Fahrzeugbau, which the ministry also procured for the military’s medium- and short-range air defense systems.
With the contract for the anti-drone weapon expected to be signed within the first half of 2025, deliveries are anticipated by 2028.
Once the systems arrive, they will be assigned to the Defence Ground-based Air Defence Command stationed at the Lieutenant-General Best Barracks in Vredepeel, which is located in the country’s southeast.
European Defense
These acquisitions enable the Netherlands to develop a comprehensive layered air defense amid the increasing threats posed by drones, as seen on the battlefield between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East.
Purchasing the Skyranger will also increase interoperability with European neighbors operating the system, such as Austria, Denmark, and Germany.
In addition, the move fulfills Amsterdam’s defense commitment to NATO.
“We must be better prepared for enemy drones and other threats from the air, now and in the future.
With the arrival of this new weapon system, we protect our troops and ensure the necessary combat power,” said Tuinman.
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/01/31/netherlands-anti-drone-guns/
https://twitter.com/DefensieStas/status/1884644942246457362
>MOAR COVFEFE STAT!
Petaluma Police Quickly Apprehend Suspect with Aid of Drone Technology
January 31, 2025
Last Monday, a disturbance call in Petaluma led to the deployment of the city's police drone, a measure the local law enforcement took to locate a suspect that had fled on foot from the 700 block of Lakeville Circle.
The Petaluma Police Department's Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) played a pivotal role in tracking down the suspect as, within a mere fifteen minutes of its mobilization, the individual in question was found attempting to hide within the officers' perimeter, according to the Petaluma Police Department.
The suspect was apprehended without further incident, showcasing the efficiency of drone technology in real-world policing scenarios.
The use of drones, however, is championed by the Petaluma Police Department as a safer, cost-effective alternative to helicopters.
It provides enhanced real-time footage and enables officers to access critical incidents instantaneously, they said in a press release.
Reflecting on the recent incident and subsequent drone-assisted arrest, the Petaluma Police Department expressed gratitude for the progressive integration of such technology into their operations, emphasizing that the "safety of our community is our highest priority," according to the Petaluma Police Department.
https://hoodline.com/2025/01/petaluma-police-quickly-apprehend-suspect-with-aid-of-drone-technology/
‘The size of hot tubs’: Northeast Indiana & northwest Ohio counties report hundreds of drone sightings
Jan 30, 2025 / 03:38 PM EST
Since Friday, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office has received more than 100 calls reporting sightings of large drones flying above private property.
Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman said he saw them for himself on Tuesday night. When asked if they could be planes mistaken for drones, he said absolutely not.
“There [were] obviously some people that were speculating that maybe people weren’t actually seeing drones and [were] seeing something else,” Timmerman said.
“And then I can assure you that last night, what was being reported we did see.”
Timmerman also said the aircraft are no hobby drones. Reports have said they are comparable in size to picnic tables or hot tubs. He also said they’ve been flying as low as 100 feet and at speeds of up to 80 mph. For that reason, Timmerman said to not follow them.
“Sometimes we’re getting some pretty excessive speeds from people trying to track these drones down,” Timmerman said. “We’re asking that you please don’t do that.”
Timmerman also said to not try and bring the drones down. He said you “don’t want to bring down the wrong aircraft.”
Timmerman’s office has been in contact with the FBI and FAA as well as other local law enforcement agencies, but there are limited short term solutions due to federal roadblocks.
He said he’s concerned, frustrated and wants answers.
These midwestern sightings came in the same week the White House said drones spotted in New Jersey in December were authorized to be flown by the FAA “for research and various other reasons.”
“It puts us a little bit maybe more at ease,” Timmerman said. “I guess the people around here still want to know why.
What infrastructure do we have here that’s so important to you that you want to see this? It certainly has got us concerned and it certainly has the farmers concerned.”
Sightings have also been reported in Jay and Adams counties in Indiana and Van Wert County, Ohio.
“While there is currently no indication of any immediate threat to public safety, officials urge the community to remain vigilant and report any additional sightings, including time, location, and any identifiable features of the drones,” said the Van Wert County Emergency Management Agency in a release.
“We take any unusual aerial activity seriously and are actively investigating these reports,” said Rick McCoy, Director of Van Wert County EMA.
“Our priority is ensuring the safety and security of our residents while working with state and federal partners to determine the origin of these drones.”
McCoy said he and Van Wert County Sheriff Tom Riggenbach are communicating and sharing information from the sitings which is then forwarded to Ohio Homeland Security, according to the release.
Residents in the county with relevant information or footage are asked to contact the Van Wert County EMA at 419-238-1300 or the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office at 419-238-3866.
A press release issued by the Jay County Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday said, in part, “In the past few days, multiple drone sightings have been reported near areas recently affected by avian influenza.
These reports have been shared with the FBI and FAA.”
Timmerman said he wants to be clear that there is no evidence of a connection between these drone sightings and the recent rise in bird flu cases in the area. But he can’t help but wonder.
“You have the bird flu, and then you’re fighting the drone problem,” Timmerman said. “Are they just coincidentally happening at the same time?
Or is there some type of correlation between the two of them? Either way, we want answers.”
https://www.wane.com/top-stories/the-size-of-hot-tubs-northeast-indiana-northwest-ohio-counties-report-hundreds-of-drone-sightings/