Israeli drone helicopter clears key U.S. flight hurdle

Israeli manufacturer Steadicopter completed a U.S. airworthiness-validation process for its Black Eagle 50E uncrewed helicopter through the Nevada UAS Test Site at the University of Nevada, Reno. The milestone supports expanded flight operations and customer demonstrations in the United States but is not a military procurement award or blanket certification for unrestricted national-airspace use. Black Eagle 50E is a runway-independent vertical-take-off platform designed to carry sensor payloads for missions lasting about two hours. Further regulatory approvals and customer-specific testing may still be required for particular operations.