Science & Defence Technology

SA joins BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation

-
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the State Space Corporation "Roscosmos" (ROSCOSMOS), the Indian Space Research...

Malawi, UNICEF launch Africa’s first humanitarian drone testing corridor

-
Malawi and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) launched an air corridor on Thursday to test the effectiveness of drones in humanitarian...

Airbus to fit ejectable black boxes to A350 from 2019

-
European planemaker Airbus will fit ejectable flight recorders to its long-range A350 jets from 2019, meaning they could float in the event...

SA scientists develop next-gen digital ID tech

-
South African scientists at the University of Johannesburg's aiThenticate Computervision Labs have developed what they call a world-first next-generation digital identification technology...

Robocop joins Dubai police to fight real life crime

-
A robotic policeman which can help identify wanted criminals and collect evidence has joined Dubai's police force and will patrol busy areas...

CSIR showcases innovative security technology

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has displayed a number of innovative technologies at the Securex fire and security exhibition...

US Army’s heads-up display improves soldiers’ situational awareness

-
A novel technology called "Tactical Augmented Reality," or TAR, is now helping US soldiers precisely locate their positions, as well as the...

South Africa’s first privately owned nanosatellite ready for release

-
The nSight1 nanosatellite designed and built in South Africa is due to be released from the International Space Station (ISS) into low-Earth...

Flying cars back in the race

-
A flying car race has been launched but it is unsure which contestant will win this fight, or if there will be...

CSIR upgrades crash test dummies

-
The CSIR's capability to test performance of military vehicles when detonating a landmine has been significantly enhanced by updating of the organisation's...

AeroVironment unveils palm-sized surveillance drone for U.S. military

-
Drone-maker AeroVironment Inc unveiled a small four-rotor surveillance helicopter on Tuesday that can be carried in a small pouch and launched from...

Unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane lands after secret, two-year mission

-
The U.S. military's experimental X-37B space plane landed on Sunday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing a classified mission that...

Milestone for SA’s satellite industry

-
The South African satellite industry is taking another step forward as a player in the international arena with the launch of two...

Connecticut may become first U.S. state to allow deadly police drones

-
Connecticut would become the first U.S. state to allow law enforcement agencies to use drones equipped with deadly weapons if a bill...

SpaceX successfully launches first recycled rocket booster

-
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket recovered at sea from its maiden flight last year blasted off again from Florida on Thursday in...

US Army test fires 3D printed grenade, grenade launcher

-
Researchers at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Centre (ARDEC) have successfully fired the first grenade created with a 3D...

US Air Force uses drone for C-17 post flight inspection

-
The US Air Force 412th Test Wing's Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force (CTF) used a quadcopter to conduct a maintenance inspection of...

NRL Develops Lighter, Field-Repairable Transparent Armor

-
Research chemists at U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have developed and patented a transparent thermoplastic elastomer armor to reduce weight, inherent in...

CSIR develops active aerostat

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a novel active aerostat, which although tethered, has control surfaces to allow...

SA in talks with Airbus, Boeing to print 3D parts

-
South African researchers developing the world's largest machine for producing aircraft parts using lasers to melt powdered titanium are in talks with...

SpaceX to send first paying tourists around moon next year

-
SpaceX plans to launch two paying passengers on a tourist trip around the moon next year using a spaceship under development for...

Middle Eastern country buys DroneGun to combat UAVs

-
The ministry of defence of an undisclosed country in the Middle East has bought the DroneGun tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) jammer...

Airbus and Namibia to set up virtual space data centre

-
Airbus and the Namibia University of Science & Technology (NUST) have agreed to collaborate in establishing a Virtual Space Data Centre in...

India launches record 104 satellites at one go

-
India successfully launched 104 satellites in a single mission on Wednesday, setting what its space agency says is a world record of...

BAE Systems pursuing advanced laser technology

-
In the next fifty years, scientists at BAE Systems believe that battlefield commanders could deploy a new type of directed energy laser...

US Army flies ‘Hoverbike’ prototype

-
The US Army Research Laboratory and industry partners have demonstrated the flying capabilities of a unique rectangular-shaped quadcopter also called the hoverbike. Dr....

Cyber Security Bill heads to Parliament

-
The Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security Bill will soon be tabled in Parliament. This is according to a media advisory on the...

Hamas sets ‘honey traps’ to hack Israeli soldiers’ phones

-
Using photos of young women and Hebrew slang, the Palestinian militant group Hamas chatted up dozens of Israeli soldiers online, gaining control...

Three key trends hitting the defence industry in 2017

-
A new wave of technologies and an increase in cyber-based attacks are forcing the defence industry to adapt. While defence budgets are...

Afghan brothers who had ‘minefield as playground’ develop drone to clear mines

-
As young boys growing up on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, Mahmud Hassani and his brother Massoud saw firsthand the damage...

Feature: Research for better protection against landmines and IEDs

-
A direct hit immobilises faster than anything else in a war zone, making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), land mines, grenade launchers and...

CSIR partnering with US-based company to produce long endurance UAV

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is currently in discussions with US company ArgenTech Solutions over the certification and production...

Armscor’s Ergotech – ensuring soldiers are properly kitted out

-
The science concerned with the fit between people and their work, specifically soldiers in the case of Armscor's Ergotech, means seeking solutions...

CSIR unveils demonstrator vehicle

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a light tactical vehicle demonstrator to test weapons and equipment. The Landward Technology...

Denel and Thales reveal new armoured vehicle sight

-
Denel Vehicle Systems (DVS) has joined forces with Thales Optronique France to produce the Above Armour Panoramic Gunnery Sight (AAGPS), which has...

CSIR introduces new-generation fingerprint sensing technology

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) today launched a new-generation fingerprinting sensing technology. The new technology uses high-speed, large-volume optical coherence...

Denel Dynamics unveils Cheetah C-RAM system

-
Denel Dynamics has unveiled a system it is developing to protect deployed forces against rocket, artillery and mortar attacks. The Counter-Rocket, Artillery and...

Denel Dynamics unveils Cheetah C-RAM system

-
Denel Dynamics has unveiled a system it is developing to protect deployed forces against rocket, artillery and mortar attacks. The Counter-Rocket, Artillery and...

CSIR and Denel working together to protect South Africa and its assets

-
Real time situational awareness in the defence, safety and security environments is set to become more effective following local development of a...

Denel forms cyber security division

-
Denel has established a dedicated business unit to counter the growing global threat to the country's security and economic interests. The Denel Tactical...

CSIR showcasing gunshot detection system at AAD

-
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is showcasing its recently developed prototype acoustic gunshot detection system at the Africa Aerospace...

Rocket explodes on launch pad in blow to Elon Musk’s SpaceX

-
An explosion destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX and its cargo during preparations for a routine test firing...

SpaceX signs first customer for used Falcon rocket

-
Elon Musk's SpaceX has signed its first customer to use a previously flown rocket, with launch planned for later this year, the...

SA satellite heads to International Space Station

-
A nanosatellite developed by Stellenbosch University (SU) and CubeSpace, an Innovus incubation company in the Nedbank SU LaunchLab business incubator, is to...

Unmanned ground vehicles protecting US UAV base in Djibouti

-
The United States military is using Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) unmanned ground vehicles to protect Chabelley airfield in Djibouti, which...

China launches ‘hack-proof’ communications satellite

-
China on Tuesday launched the world's first quantum satellite, which will help it establish "hack-proof" communications between space and the ground, state...

Private company wins U.S. clearance to fly to the moon

-
A Florida-based company won U.S. government permission on Wednesday to send a robotic lander to the moon next year, the firm's founder...

BAE Systems develops laser airspeed sensor

-
BAE Systems says its new laser airspeed sensor means more accurate data and a safer, more comfortable flight. Until now measurements of air...

Tech for jihad on the rise

-
Jihadist groups like ISIS have stepped up their use of more secure technologies to accomplish their goals – ranging from propaganda dissemination...

Solar plane takes off from Egypt on final leg of world tour

-
An aircraft powered by solar energy left Egypt on Sunday on the last leg of the first ever fuel-free flight around the...