Latest news with #UAS
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Operation Sindoor fallout: Chinese-made surveillance gear banned, aerial monitoring boosted for Independence Day
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, this year's Independence Day celebrations will feature enhanced aerial monitoring and a complete ban on the usage of 'Made In China' surveillance equipment in and around the Red Fort in the national capital. With Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi set to make his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, the venue was taken over by the Ministry of Defence from July 15. This year, more guests are being invited to attended the Independence Day celebrations in comparison to previous years, sources said. Security agencies, intelligence agencies, and Defence Ministry officials who attended a recent high-level meeting regarding security at Red Fort held a detailed discussion on possible security breaches through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Anti-drone systems 'Installation of anti-drone devices and radar systems near the Red Fort and possible threats were discussed in detail with defence forces. Ministry of Defence will be deploying anti-drone systems to stop any aerial breach and the Indian Air Force will be on high alert. Drones are among the key security concerns. We have also given clear instructions to the vendors installing CCTVs in and around the venue to not install any 'Made in China' equipment for surveillance purposes,' said an official. The Indian government has banned Chinese surveillance equipment, including CCTV cameras, citing potential data leakage risks. Another official said that aerial security is a major concern this Independence Day. Teams of experts have visited the Red Fort and surrounding areas to assess the minute details of all possible security threats. Another high-level meeting has been called on Friday to discuss the preparations for the event in detail, including the security aspect. Operation Sindoor was a drone-centric war, with Pakistan using loitering munitions and swarm drones. These attempts, however, were effectively neutralised by India's comprehensive and multilayered air defence architecture. Smart video surveillance Security agencies said that they will be installing intelligent video surveillance systems, including features such as a vehicle number plate recognition system, face detection, people movement counting, tripwires, audio detection, defocus, and spotting intrusions and abandoned or missing objects. The advanced facial recognition system facility on live cameras as well as on recorded videos will help to detect any matches with faces on the government's watch list database and provide alerts to the control room.
Mid East Info
6 hours ago
- General
- Mid East Info
Universal American School in Dubai celebrates record AP Results and Strong Bilingual IBDP Success - Middle East Business News and Information
The top IBDP scorer at the Universal American School earned 43 points, with the average score of 33 points well above global averages • The school also saw its strongest AP results to date; among 92 students, 74% scored 3 or higher, including 100% in AP Pre-calculus and 70% in Human Geography Dubai, United Arab Emirates;July 2025: Universal American School (UAS), operated by the Al Futtaim Education Foundation, is celebrating another strong academic year as the Class of 2025 delivers standout results in both the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and Advanced Placement (AP) exams. This year, the school registered 44 students for the IBDP, double the number from 2024, and achieved results that outperformed global averages across key areas. 5% of students achieved over 40 points, with the top scorer earning 43 points. The average score of 33 points was well above global averages. While 58% of students earned A or B grades in Theory of Knowledge, 42% earned A or B grades in the Extended Essay and 66% gained two additional points from the Core. Notably, 37% of diploma recipients earned a bilingual diploma through Arabic A Language and Literature, English A Language and Literature, and the School-Supported Self-Taught (SSST) programme, one of the highest bilingual diploma achievement rates in school history. In parallel, UAS students also delivered the school's strongest AP results to date. A record 92 students sat 194 AP exams, the highest number in school history. Of those, 74% scored 3 or higher, including 100% in AP Pre-Calculus and 70% in Human Geography. UAS celebrated 18 exams earning the top score of 5, achieved by 13 different students, including several who earned a 5 in all three of their AP subjects. AP Computer Science A stood out, with 43% of students earning a 5, reflecting their readiness for university-level study. These results highlight the continued growth and academic strength of the AP programme at UAS. With these impressive outcomes, graduates are now heading to top universities around the world, prepared to take on the next chapter of their academic and personal journeys. Kevin Loft, School Director of Universal American School, described the results as the culmination of years of effort, intellectual curiosity, and personal growth. He said: 'It's a collective accomplishment and a moment of real pride for the entire school.' Tracey Cummins, Assistant Principal of Universal American School, highlighted the consistency and determination that shaped this year's results: 'These outcomes reflect more than just academic strength, they show how sustained effort, day in and day out, leads to success. Behind every result is a network of people teachers who guided, families who supported, and peers who encouraged one another. Achievements like these come from working together.' Rachel Bartlett, IB Diploma Coordinator at Universal American School, praised the students for their maturity and dedication: 'I'm so proud of this group. For two years, they've shown commitment, stayed focused, and supported one another. They've handled every challenge with maturity.' Philip Berry, Secondary School Principal of Universal American School, added: 'These results reflect the long hours, deep thinking, and personal commitment that defined this cohort's approach to their studies. Parents, guardians, and teachers provided ongoing support and encouragement every step of the way. Their dedication helped create the foundation these results now stand on.' Universal American School continues to provide a rigorous and supportive academic environment where students thrive and are well prepared for future challenges. The Class of 2025 has demonstrated not only academic excellence but also the values and character that define UAS graduates. About Universal American School: Universal American School (UAS) is a leading American international school in Dubai offering a dynamic, inclusive education from PreK to Grade 12. Known for its rigorous academic programmes, including the IB Diploma and American curriculum pathways, UAS cultivates global citizens through personalised learning and a strong sense of community. About Al-Futtaim: Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Operating across 18 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, the Group spans key sectors including automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health. Al-Futtaim's work is driven by a clear purpose: to enrich lives and elevate communities through practical, forward-looking solutions. Employing a workforce of nearly 33,000 people, Al-Futtaim represents a portfolio of over 200 of the world's most recognised and trusted brands, including Toyota, Lexus, IKEA, ACE, Marks & Spencer, and many more. With a strong focus on digital innovation and artificial intelligence, sustainable growth, strategic partnerships, and empowering its people, Al-Futtaim's approach is anchored in long-term value creation. Its integrated business model positions the Group as a reliable partner to stakeholders—supporting customers, communities, and collaborators alike in navigating the needs of today while planning for tomorrow. Underpinned by the values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim continues to build a legacy that reflects its responsibility to people, progress, and the planet.
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Newsweek
iPhone-Sized Radar Saving Lives, Helping Drones Catch Crooks
Nestled in a valley in the desert, where high winds, an in-town airport and a consistent influx of travelers make policing a challenge, the City of Palm Springs, California, is taking advantage of new drone technology to protect residents and visitors. The Palm Springs Police Department's implementation of drones as first responder technology builds on the lessons learned from the City of Chula Vista, California's Police Department's Drone Program, which started using Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), also known as drones, to respond to calls for service in 2018. "Many years ago, we were looking at helicopters for the city of Palm Springs, and bringing a helicopter unit here, and we just couldn't make that happen, primarily because people didn't want to see the city that they often like to refer to as a village become a big city, in terms of having helicopters flying all over the place and waking them up all hours of the night," Lt. William Hutchinson, head of the Palm Springs Police Department's Operations Division, told Newsweek. In the years since, drone technology has evolved and now allows UAS docking stations with remote deployment. But, Hutchinson wasn't sure that was even an option for Palm Springs. A view of Palm Springs, California, December 27, 2017. A view of Palm Springs, California, December 27, 2017. miroslav_1/Getty Images "[The city] is in Class D airspace, and we have an international airport in the middle of the city. We started saying, 'Is this even possible for us?' And they said, 'You know, maybe not.' And so, I started looking at the different solutions. Matrix Space was one of the first [companies] I looked at," he said. Worried about implementation cost, Hutchinson, Palm Springs City Manager Scott Stiles and Chief of Police Andrew Mills put their heads together to find a solution. Hutchinson remembers that it was Mills who found that the state's Corrections department was offering grants for combating retail, auto and catalytic converter theft. This opportunity, Hutchinson said, is what spurred the agency to begin thinking of the possibility of being an innovator in the space, "using technology to reduce response times, increase apprehension rates," he shared. The city sent representatives on fact-finding missions to surrounding jurisdictions, including Beverly Hills, to find out if technology like a real-time crime center and drone technology would make sense for Palm Springs. Hutchinson recalls Mills positing to him: "Is this just a shiny new toy? Everybody's using these real-time crime centers and these drones. Are they really effective? And what's the data tell us, and how are we going to measure the impact?" Hutchinson was keen not to "overthink" the potential. "If we're talking about improving response times, our average response time to an emergency is anywhere from five to seven minutes, and agencies are getting on scene with drones and real-time crime centers in less than a minute. That's just one value that we can look at," he said. Hutchinson said that the question then became: "We've got about 40 square miles that we need covered, and I want to be able to put a drone anywhere in the city and be able to fly day and night without any restrictions. Can we make that happen?" With MatrixSpace solutions, it was possible. The company sells MatrixSpace 360 Radar, an advanced radar technology that uses a radar system mounted to a pole-based array to capture telemetry of objects over a large area. And, MatrixSpace has a partnership with DroneSense, a drone management and collaboration platform that combines layers of radar system and drone operation data for law enforcement purposes. Today, Palm Springs is covered by 10 radar monitors with two more coming later this year. Those are a necessary add-on that other cities don't have to install because of the airport's proximity to the city, ensuring the drones are not in the pathway of outgoing or incoming flights. Cathedral City, the town next to Palm Springs, is cooperating with Palm Springs, installing a drone dock there and adding five to six square miles of operational airspace to the UAS as a first responder program. "We can get anywhere on a call for service in under a minute with these drones positioned the way they are," Hutchinson said. Those drones are dispatched to calls by officers seated at desks at the Palm Springs Police Department's headquarters. They monitor the airspace, the city's Flock Safety camera system (license plate reader technology), police dispatches and incoming 911 calls in concert. This allows them to get a jump on deploying the drones, often before officers are dispatched to the call. "The drone pilots are listening to that 911 call in real time from their computer, and if it's a traffic accident or a burglary or robbery or a violent crime in progress, they're getting that information before it's being put into the CAD system, and before it's being given to the officers, and they're launching a drone immediately to that location," Hutchinson said. The drones autonomously pilot themselves to the incident site. Using DroneSense, dispatched officers are able to receive real-time updates while they are on their way to the scene. "They point and click, and they autonomously launch the drone to that location, and they start looking for the suspect or the vehicle or the accident, or whatever the incident may be, and at the same time that information is being transmitted to the officers via Drone Sense, to their cell phones and to the their mobile data computers. If they're not monitoring because they're driving or they're not on the scene, then the drone pilot is communicating with the officers on the ground what they're seeing," Hutchinson said. Recently, the police department had a great success using the drone system in tandem with officer intervention. The city received a 911 call that told of a dine and dash situation, where a customer leaves a restaurant without paying. "We sent [the drone] and the drone pilot sees the guy matching the description at a hotel down the street, talking to another guy in the parking lot. And then, finds that that guy is walking around, doesn't even see the drone, walks up and goes into one of the hotel rooms and is using the bathroom," Hutchinson said. The drone gave all this information to officers, allowing them to quickly and easily find the suspect. "Sure enough, officers get there, contact this guy in the hotel room, and they identify him as the suspect in the dine and dash... If that drone wasn't up in that quick amount of time, it would have seen a suspect; the officers likely wouldn't have never found that suspect down the street at that hotel in the parking lot," Hutchinson said. Wind-powered electricity generators near Palm Springs, California. Wind-powered electricity generators near Palm Springs, California. Jon G. Fuller / VWPics via AP Images The city has also used the MatrixSpace and DroneSense systems in more serious circumstances. Hutchinson personally flew a drone at the site of the May 17 bombing at the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic. "I did that from my home. I was able to log on, watch the airspace, fly that drone and get eyes on and to recognize [that we had] some type of an explosion that's pretty catastrophic, [and that] we need[ed] a lot of resources on scene. The drone has really proved to be an invaluable asset to law enforcement for situational awareness and helping officers have that information in real time so they can make better decisions when they get on scene," he said. The police department frequently interacts with calls for service that involve the fire department as well. Palm Springs PD is able to use the drone system to assist with those calls as well. "If we're launching a drone on a call, what we're finding is that [using] the drone, the fire department's able to get a good visual before they're even on scene. It helps them make a determination about exactly how many assets they need to roll on fires," Hutchinson said. The drone is able to scan rooftops and use thermal imaging to direct the fire department to where hot spots are upon arrival, saving precious minutes. "Our fire department is just starting to realize the value in it and being able to really use it more and more frequently on calls for service. While it's new to them, it's definitely an exciting add-on as an asset to their responses as well," he said. The MatrixSpace system is also helping to keep the city safe in a way residents and festival-going visitors may never have thought of. The city and surrounding area are home to numerous large-scale annual events including the Palm Springs International Film Festival, BNP Paribas Open, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, The Galleri Classic and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Hutchinson explained: "The radar system helps us detect moving objects in the sky. Because the city is in a zero grid, we have close communication with the [Palm Springs International Airport control] tower. We're able to find out if anybody submitted a flight plan or a LAANC [Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability] or requested permission to fly. "Our radar system is able to detect drones in an airspace. We can see where it took off from. We can track it and then eventually identify where the pilot was when it goes back to land... It's not only helping us identify the aircraft in the airspace so we can fly safely, but it's helping us identify threats that are in the airspace that could potentially be a problem for our events."
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Redwire (RDW) Falls 10.5% on Profit-Taking Ahead of Q2
We recently published . Redwire Corporation (NYSE:RDW) is one of the biggest losers on Monday. Redwire Corporation ended three consecutive days of gains on Monday, dropping 10.51 percent to close at $17.37 apiece as investors resorted to profit-taking while repositioning portfolios ahead of its second quarter earnings results. Based on its historical reporting dates, Redwire Corporation (NYSE:RDW) is set to announce its financial and operating highlights in the first week of August 2025. Redwire Corporation (NYSE:RDW) announced that its Stalker uncrewed aerial system, developed by its wholly owned subsidiary Edge Autonomy, officially secured the Authority to Operate and is now on the Defense Innovation Unit Blue UAS List. The Blue List selection was an important milestone as it meant meeting stringent cybersecurity, NDAA-compliance, and operational requirements. A close-up of an antenna, its intricate designs a testament to the company's expertise in space infrastructure. 'As the White House looks to advance the domestic commercialization of UAS technologies at scale and ramp up domestic production, Redwire is positioned at the forefront of strengthening our nation's drone industrial base and delivering unmatched capabilities to the US warfighter,' Redwire Corporation (NYSE:RDW) Chairman and CEO Peter Cannito said. While we acknowledge the potential of RDW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Star
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia targets defence tech transfer from Turkiye by year-end, says Mohamed Khaled
ISTANBUL: Malaysia is targeting the transfer of defence technology from Turkiye in several identified areas by the end of this year, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. He said technology transfer is crucial for developing the country's defence industry, led by local companies, particularly in areas such as management systems, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of naval weaponry, and the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). "We have identified Malaysian companies that will meet with companies from Turkiye to work out suitable forms of collaboration and cooperation," he told reporters here on Wednesday (July 23). Earlier, Mohamed Khaled held a meeting with the president of the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB), Prof Dr Haluk Gorgun, in conjunction with the ongoing International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025. The SSB is the agency responsible for managing Turkiye's defence industry and military technology. Mohamed Khaled also held a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, to discuss defence cooperation between the two countries, including the sending of Malaysian officers and personnel for training, including pilot training. "We also discussed defence diplomacy approaches that both countries can leverage to foster understanding with other nations and avoid any conflicts," he said. Additionally, Mohamed Khaled held bilateral talks with Azerbaijan's Minister of Defence Industry, Vugar Mustafayev, during which they discussed challenges faced by Islamic countries in defence and military matters. He also met Sudan's Defence Minister, Hassan Daoud Kayan, and expressed Malaysia's readiness to offer defence and military training to the country. Mohamed Khaled also took time to visit several booths of defence industry companies showcasing their assets at IDEF 2025, accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar and Army Chief Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan. He also witnessed the exchange of agreement documents by Turkish companies that will participate in the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Asia (NATSEC) 2026 exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur. In addition, he witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding between Malaysian and Turkish companies in various defence and military-related fields. - Bernama
