military aviation

 #45: Robot coyote prototype blends engineering with natural world expertise

Bird strikes are a persistent and costly threat to aviation safety. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 13,000 strikes are reported in the U.S. each year, costing hundreds of millions in damages and endangering both civilian and military aircraft. We are joined by ERDC’s Dr. Jake Jung and Dr. Brian Washburn with the…

Read More

#45: Robot coyote prototype blends engineering with natural world expertise

Bird strikes are a persistent and costly threat to aviation safety. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 13,000 strikes are reported in the U.S. each year, costing hundreds of millions in damages and endangering both civilian and military aircraft. We are joined by ERDC’s Dr. Jake Jung and Dr. Brian Washburn with the…

Read More

Video: #45: Robot Coyote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZyYytdaVMw Bird strikes are a persistent and costly threat to aviation safety. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 13,000 strikes are reported in the U.S. each year, costing hundreds of millions in damages and endangering both civilian and military aircraft. We are joined by ERDC’s Dr. Jake Jung and Dr. Brian Washburn with…

Read More

Podcast Resources: #45: Robot Coyote

To address the threat of wildlife strikes in aviation, ERDC and USDA are developing and testing an innovative solution called the “robot coyote.” This ground-based drone can patrol airfields to deter wildlife and prevent aircraft collisions. Since May 2025, word of the “robot coyotes” has gone viral, generating more than 500 million views across hundreds…

Read More

#37: A Fresh (water) Runway: ERDC’s ice and snow expertise enables historic LC-130 landing

When the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing needed to find a suitable location to land its massive LC-130 Hercules cargo plane during an Arctic exercise in March 2025, it turned to ERDC for help. Although the nearby sea ice was not thick enough to support the maneuver, ERDC devised a plan to land…

Read More

Video: #37: LC-130 landing

When the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing needed to find a suitable location to land its massive LC-130 Hercules cargo plane during an Arctic exercise in March 2025, it turned to ERDC for help. Although the nearby sea ice was not thick enough to support the maneuver, ERDC devised a plan to land…

Read More