Engineers at the Air Force Research Lab’s Air Vehicles Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, are working on a new unmanned aerial vehicle called SkyTote, which will take off and land vertically while being able to transition into horizontal flight. The primary mission of the aircraft would be to deliver a payload to a specific tactical point, becoming a safe and inexpensive choice for tasks such as assessing bomb damage and conducting resupply missions. The project is currently a concept demonstrator and researchers have been working on various forms of the aircraft since 1998. The next test for the vehicle is scheduled for June at Camp Roberts, Calif.
The U.S. military is carrying out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions along the southern border and off the coast of Mexico using U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint and U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft as part of the Pentagon’s effort to secure the southern border at the direction of President…