Armada 2007-3 - Drones

Complete Guide

Drones

by

issue 3/2007 Supplement to

INT

ER

NA

TIO

NA

L:

Th

e a

ir, s

ea,

lan

d d

efe

nce d

ecis

ion

-maker’s t

ech

no

log

y r

efe

ren

ce m

on

ito

r. E

sta

blis

hed

1976

Launching a new era of capability

for Navy aviation.

As the leader in the development of unmanned systems and in carrier integration,

Northrop Grumman is the logical choice to bring UCAS-D safely to the carrier.

Today we are using our experience and resources to demonstrate and bring this

formidable new capability to the U.S. Navy.

©20

07 N

orth

rop

Gru

mm

an C

orpo

ratio

n

www.northropgrumman.com

1armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2007

Com

plete G

uid

eCom

plete G

uid

eWhat a Range!

Unmanned aircraft have come a long way from the camera-carrying radio-con-trolled model aeroplanes of 30 years ago. Every aerospace manufacturer isafter a piece of this booming business, and every military service is trying togain experience of operating today’s drones in order to formulate sensiblerequirements for the next generation.

Artist’s impression of a Predator-Aunleashing Lockheed Martin laser spot-homing direct attack guided rockets

Roy Braybrook

T he Teal Group placed the globalvalue of the drone market at approx-imately $ 2.7 billion in 2006, includ-

ing $ 1.4 billion in production, the restrepresenting RDT&E, operations andmaintenance funding. The United Statescurrently accounts for about 80% ofworldwide drone spending, with Europein second place.

By 2015 Teal forecasts that the totalwill have grown to about $ 8.3 billion (in2006 values), including $ 4.0 billion in

production, with the US share easing offto around 70%. These figures representan annual rate of increase of more than13% above inflation, which is higher thanTeal predicts for any manned aircraft sec-tor over the same period.

TechnologiesAlthough the use of drones is expandingrapidly, it is still constrained by the rate ofprogress in the underlying technologies,which, in some cases, depends on commer-cial funding. In the case of electrically pow-ered drones, battery development is driven

by the computer and cell phone sectors,fuel cells by the car industry and solar cellsby the civil satellite business.

One major objective in drone devel-opment is an autonomous system of in-flight refuelling, to further exploit theirendurance potential. In August 2006 thefirst ‘hands-off’ probe-and-drogue in-flight refuelling was performed in a jointDarpa-Nasa Dryden programme, usingan F/A-18 and an Omega Air B707tanker. This Autonomous Airborne Refuelling Demonstration (AARD)employed GPS-based relative navigationby Sierra Nevada and an optical trackerby Octec.

On a similar timescale, and as a pre-cursor to automated refuelling, Boeingcompleted flight trials under its Automat-ed Aerial Refuelling (AAR) programmeto show that a specially equipped Learjetcould autonomously hold station relativeto a KC-135R tanker.

G reece-based Eads 3 Sigma hasdeveloped the 830 km/hr IrisJet target, which is shown here

on a Roboniclauncher at theVidsel range inSweden. However,the launcher man-ufacturer is alsoactively promot-ing the Ratufcdrone testing andtraining range inFinland, whichoffers a flying air space that is as largeas the surface of Belgium

CoverThe AV Raven is basically a re-designed light-weight Pointer andit exploits recentadvances inbatteries andmotors. It is used by the US Army,Marine Corps, Air Force and theSpecial OperationsCommand. (AV)

2 armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2007

Com

ple

te G

uid

e

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) hascompleted the preliminary design of anautonomous aerial refuelling system.TheMaryland-based UAV Refuelling hasunveiled its design for a refuelling unit tobe mounted in a weapons bay. It includesa patented drogue equipped with an opti-cal guidance sensor and compressed airjets for position control.

As in the case of manned aircraft, asubstantial part of drone attrition occursin the take-off and recovery phases. Sev-eral existing systems feature automatictake-off and landing (Atol), but workcontinues in this area. For example, theUS Air Force is supporting developmentof the Proxy Aviation SkyForce system,which provides Atol without ground-based equipment and is thus at an advan-tage in operations from austere sites.

The US Air Force Research Laborato-ry (AFRL) is to study automated groundhandling and departure manoeuvre sys-tems to facilitate drones operating ‘inter-leaved’ with manned aircraft.

Turning to more radical developments,both Lockheed Martin and NorthropGrumman have interests in drones that

A ground control station may range insize from a hand-held computer and dis-play unit to a complex system (as forGlobal Hawk) that requires two room-size containers with their own power gen-erators and a satellite dish, but theground control station (GCS) invariablyhas one facility to control the flight of thedrone and another to receive the infor-mation that it generates.

Whereas in the Vietnam War, Ryan(now Northrop Grumman) Firebeedrones were hand-flown by professionalpilots, technological developments havemade it possible for modern drones to beprogrammed to operate autonomouslyfrom launch to landing. The role of theGCS may thus be reduced to inserting(and updating in flight) mission plans forthe aircraft and its sensors, and down-loading and transmitting imagery. How-ever, in the case of expensive drones,there is still a need for pilot inputs in theevent of system failures.

The increased autonomy of drones ismaking it possible for a single pilot tocontrol several drones simultaneously.Another important trend is toward thestandardisation of ground control sta-

can be operated from (and possibly recov-er to) submerged submarines. The formerhas already demonstrated the feasibilityof recovering its Cormorant drone, simu-lating splashdown and its retrieval by aremotely operated vehicle.

Northrop Grumman’s StealthyAffordable Capsule System (Sacs) isdesigned to allow ‘non-marinised’ dronesand weapons to be deployed from theTomahawk or torpedo launch tubes ofsubmerged submarines using low-costdisposable capsules. Following recentbudget cuts, however, Darpa has now ter-minated its work on submarine-baseddrones.

Ground Control StationsGround stations will pose an interoper-ability problem, not only on an interna-tional scene but also (and even) within asingle nation, as manufacturers have sofar developed their own standards andproprietary software, meaning that adrone operated by company B will notnecessarily speak to a company B groundcontrol station.

The pilot (left) andsensor operator(right) of thisLaunch andRecovery GroundControl Station(LRGCS) at Ali AlSalem (formerlyTallil) AB in Iraq arecontrolling aPredator take-off.(US Air Force)

The multiplicity of drone types calls for standardisation of ground control stations. ThisAAI One Station can control not only the AAI Shadow but also the General AtomicsWarrior. (AAI)

Raytheon has taken ideas from thevideo games industry to develop thisfuturistic Universal Control System(UCS) with gaming-type controls andwrap-around imagery. (Raytheon)

tions, so that one design can control different types of drones. For example,the AAI One System GCS will beemployed by the US Army to control notonly the AAI Shadow but also the Gen-eral Atomics Warrior. It has been used forthe Northrop Grumman Hunter.

Ground control stations were dis-cussed in detail by Ian Kemp in Armada1/2006. Subsequent developmentsinclude Lockheed Martin’s trials of a cen-tralised controller, consisting of a cus-tomised hand controller and a touch-screen laptop computer. Meanwhile,Raytheon has adopted ideas developedby the video-gaming industry to design a‘virtual cockpit’ GCS. This UniversalControl System (UCS) features hand andfinger controls in place of the normalkeyboard, and a 270° wrap-around display of the point-of-view from thedrone, combining a synthetic image froma terrain database with actual imageryfrom the aircraft.

a bird’s eye view

Honeywell’s Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)provides unprecedented situational awarenessfor the modern war fighter.

Featuring vertical takeoff and landing, the lightweight and portable

MAV unit can be quickly deployed to provide advanced reconnaissance

along with security and surveillance functions for troops on the ground

in a variety of operational terrains. Day or night, the all-weather units feature persistent hover

and stare capability to deliver more accurate, real-time information to increase awareness and

put soldiers at less risk. MAV is available for both military and civilian end-use.

Please visit us at AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems North America 2007 Event, Booth 615.

Visit us online at www.honeywell.com/mavInternational Sales: 49 (6181) 401 681

U.S. Sales: 505.828.5374

Technical information: 505.828.7895

© 2007 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved

Photo courtesy of U.S. Army


Com

ple

te G

uid

e control stations) has forced the manufac-turer to publish its own figures for pro-duction cost.

The unequipped Block 20 RQ-4Bcosts approximately $ 29.4 million; a mis-sion payload of $ 16.5 million brings unitcost to $ 45.9 million. The Block 30 costs$ 60 million with a $ 32.5 million payload.The Block 40 will cost $ 66.3 million,including a $ 39.0 million load. Operatingcost is given as approximately $ 13,000per hour.

The long-span RQ-4B takes the pay-load from 910 to 1360 kg and increasesgross take-off weight from 12,110 to14,628 kg.Unsurprisingly, there is interestin increasing the thrust of the Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan above the cur-rent 36.9 kN.

Global Hawks are being delivered tothe US Air Force 12th ReconnaissanceSquadron of the 9th ReconnaissanceWing at Beale AFB, California, where itoperates alongside the Lockheed MartinU-2S that it is scheduled to replace.Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota is to bethe second Conus (Continental US)operating location for the drone. The USAir Force plans to base three RQ-4s atAndersen AFB, Guam, from 2009, laterincreasing the number to nine.

Export sales of the Global Hawk willbe restricted to America’s closest allies.

wide/Joint FY2008 budget request for theGlobal Hawk is for $ 577.8 million toproduce five RQ-4Bs, plus $ 298.5 millionfor RDT&E. Congressional concern overa General Accountability Office reportgiving a programme unit cost of $ 130.5million (including RDT&E and ground

D espite cost concerns the NorthropGrumman RQ-4 Global Hawkcontinues to lead the High-Alti-

tude, Long Endurance category. The firstof seven YRQ-4A developmental air-craft flew in 1998. Four are still flying, ofwhich two have been handed to Nasa-Dryden and one is based in Qatar(together with two of the seven US AirForce Block 10 RQ-4As) for operationsover Southeast Asia. Following six Block20 RQ-4Bs, the US Air Force plans 26Block 30s with Asip (Advanced SignalsIntelligence Payload) and up to 15 Block40s with the Northrop Grumman/Raytheon MP-Rtip (Multi-PlatformRadar Technology Insertion Program)sensor, giving the service a total buy of upto 54 production aircraft.

The Department of Defense-wide/Joint FY2007 budget included $ 448 mil-lion for four RQ-4B Block 30s and oneBlock 40, plus $ 247.7 million forRDT&E. The Department of Defense-

Britain’s RAF envisages operating the General Atomics Predator-B with a long-rangereconnaissance pod such as the Goodrich DB110, shown here in the 2005 FalconProwl trials. (Goodrich)

The stretched Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 20 Global Hawk has a wingspanextended from 35.4 to 39.9 metres, and length increased from 13.5 to 14.5 metres.(Northrop Grumman)

Fixed Wings

In the fixed-wing range of unmanned aircraft there are four main sub-cate-gories: the Hales (High Altitude Long Endurance), the Males (Medium AltitudeLong Endurance), followed by the tactical drones and the electrically poweredlightweights/microlights. However, a new variety is now emerging: the option-ally manned.

This RQ-4 Block 20 is one of four low-rate initial productionGlowbal Hawks under Lot Three FY2004

Australia, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia,Singapore, South Korea and the UnitedKingdom – all have some interest in theGlobal Hawk. However, as in the case ofthe much smaller Predator, exporting itwould break Missile Technology ControlRegime (MTCR) rules, under which aCategory I vehicle is defined as beingable to carry a 500-kg payload over a 300-km range. In January 2007 Washingtonformally declined to sell Global Hawks toSouth Korea unless MTCR regulationsare changed.

The RQ-4 has been selected (along-side the Airbus A321) as a preferred plat-form for the Nato Alliance Ground Sur-veillance (AGS) programme. In July 2006AGS Industries announced that (to keepprogramme cost below € 3.3 billion) thenumber of drones proposed had beenreduced from five to four, while theA321s were reduced from six to four, andthe Tcar (Transatlantic Cooperative Air-borne Radar) ground surveillance sensor

6

Com

ple

te G

uid

e

armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2007

would be produced in only one versionfor both aircraft types. AGS Industriesmade its formal proposal to Nato inOctober 2006.

In February 2007 the German Min-istry of Defence awarded a € 430 millioncontract to EuroHawk, a 50-50 joint ven-ture company formed by Eads andNorthrop Grumman, for the develop-ment, testing and support of the EuroHawk sigint, surveillance and reconnais-sance system. One RQ-4B Block 20 isincluded in this first contract and will bedelivered in 2010. The remaining four airvehicles planned are to be deliveredbetween 2011 and 2014.

The Euro Hawk will replace the Ger-man Navy’s Breguet Atlantics, whichhave been in service since 1972. The sig-int system is being developed by Eads tointercept both communications andradar emissions, and will be free of UStrade restrictions. A prototype systemwas tested in six sorties by a US Air ForceRQ-4 operated from Nordholtz in north-ern Germany in late 2003.

The US Navy has been flying two RQ-4As under its Global Hawk MaritimeDemonstration programme. This isaimed at providing background for itsBroad Area Maritime Surveillance(Bams) requirement for a drone systemto augment operations by the mannedBoeing P-8A Poseidon. Basically Block10s, these two RQ-4As have additionalradar modes, including a limited airsearch capability with an effective range

of 160 km, and a Northrop GrummanLR100 sigint package.

The Bams requirement is for a systemto provide 24-hour cover for a period ofseven days at 3700 km radius from base

capability (IOC) with a single round-the-clock ’orbit’ available by 2013 or 2014.Final operational capability will providefive orbits, one for each of the US Navy’sdeployed fleets. Reports refer to currentUS Navy procurement demands of up to50 drones.

The principal Bams contenders arebelieved to be a modified RQ-4B Block20, with a cruise altitude of over 60,000 ftand an endurance of up to 36 hours, andthe Mariner version of the turboprop Gen-eral Atomics MQ-9 Predator-B, patrollingat over 50,000 ft for up to 49 hours.

Lockheed Martin is supporting theMariner proposal but is expected to sub-mit its own stealthy Polecat if low observ-ability is required. Other possibilities in-clude the AV (formerly AeroVironment)Global Observer and an optionally-manned Gulfstream G550 (proposed byBoeing and/or General Dynamics).

The Pentagon is hoping that some ofits allies will join in the Bams SDD phase,but so far only Australia has signed up.The RAAF has an Air 7000 Phase One

The first Shovalversion of the IAIHeron was formallyaccepted by theIsraeli Air Force on7 March 2007. Itserves with No 200Squadron atPalmachim airbase. (IsraelDefense Force)

The first General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, serial 04-0010, was delivered to the 42ndAttack Squadron (ATKS) of the US Air Force 57th Wing (tail code WA) at Creech AFB,Nevada in March. (US Air Force)

The second series of Israel Aircraft Industries’ Herons purchased by the Israel DefenseForce, as illustrated here, was given the name ‘Shoval’ (Trail), rather than the‘Machatz’ (Strike) of the first. (IAI)

and with 85% availability. In late 2006there was an additional demand to posi-tively identify the target vessel and tocheck on deck activity. This may call forimproved sensors, or for the drone todescend to carry out these checks andthen climb back to patrol altitude.

The RFP for Bams was released inFebruary 2007, and it is anticipated thatin September a single contractor will beselected for the SDD (System Develop-ment and Demonstration) phase. Thisshould lead to contract signature beforethe end of 2007 and initial operational

requirement for a drone to complementits P-3Cs.

Of the Hale drones that may be pro-posed for the US Navy Bams contest the most revolutionary is the AV GlobalObserver.This is based on the company’sexperience with the Nasa-funded Heliosand will be fuelled with liquid hydrogen.The company flew a sub-scale GlobalObserver with a hydrogen fuel cell inMay 2005, and has successfully demon-strated a hydrogen-fuelled internal com-bustion engine of its own design in an altitude chamber, simulating a five-daymission above 65,000 ft.

An expected Joint Capability Technol-ogy Demonstration funded by the USGovernment will develop a full-scaleGlobal Observer, which is to demon-strate a mission of five to seven days at55,000 to 65,000 ft. The GO-1 optionwould weigh 1800 kg and carry a 160-kgpayload, while the GO-2 would increasethese figures to 4100 and 450 kg respec-tively.

The Lockheed Martin P-175 Polecat isa 4080-kg flying wing, with two 13.3-kNWilliams International FJ44-3E turbo-fans. It was designed to carry a 450-kgpayload and cruise at around 65,000 ft,and was intended to explore various new


Com

ple

te G

uid

e

technologies for the US Air Force LongRange Strike Program. These includelow-cost composite production, eliminat-ing the need for curing in autoclaves.Despite reports of a stealthy drone beingused during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, theP-175 first flew only in late 2005.

The real joker in the Hale pack is thejet-powered Predator-C, a project thathas been on the back burner at GeneralAtomics for literally years,while the com-pany maximises sales of the piston-engined Gnat/Predator-A series.

Developing a Hale airframe-enginecombination is well within the capabilityof several nations, if finance is available.Grob has proposed a G 600 Hale option-ally-manned derivative of its G 180 busi-ness jet, powered by two Williams FJ44s.Gross weight would be around 7750 kg,allowing it to carry a 1200-kg payload for18.6 hours at up to 60,000 ft. There havebeen rumours that Elbit is co-operatingwith Grob to produce a joint proposal forthe Israel Defense Force to compete witha new Hale project from IAI.

Singapore Technologies Aerospacehas reportedly been working with someFrench assistance on an optionally-pilot-ed Lalee project aimed at both AEW andground/sea surveillance missions, with acruise altitude of around 65,000 ft.

At Air Show China in late 2006,Chengdu showed a model of a Haledesign very similar to the Global Hawk.Chengdu was reported to be also workingon a Soar Dragon Hale design withGuizhou, who in 2000 showed a model ofits WuZhen-2000 (WZ-2000). Althoughlooking rather like an RQ-4 and designedto cruise at 59,000 ft, the WZ-2000 is rel-

atively small, reportedly grossing only1700 kg, and carrying a payload of 80 kgfor a flight of three hours. It is powered bya single WS-11 engine, a Chinese copy ofthe Ukraine’s Progress AI-25TLK(developed for the JL-8 basic trainer),presumably derated.

Boeing was a pioneer of Hale drones,its 9000-kg Condor establishing in 1989 an(unbroken) altitude record of 66,980 ft forpiston-engined aircraft. Powered by two130-kW Continental engines and with anairframe of carbon composites the Con-dor had an endurance of 80 hours.

of the Condor, would be able to stay aloftfor ten days.

Northrop Grumman is studying con-cepts for an Ultra-Hale (or U-Hale)drone that could loiter for a month. Theonly image released indicates a thick fly-ing wing design of a rectangular planform,with two tractor propellers. No informa-tion on the powerplant has been revealed,other than that solar power and hydrogenfuel cells have not been proposed.

The long-term work that AV, Boeingand Northrop Grumman are doing todevelop drones of extremely long en-durance is important, but the US AirForce urgently needs (and might alreadyhave) a stealthy ISR vehicle capable ofpenetrating the most advanced airdefence systems.

In 2003 the US Air Force ScientificAdvisory Board reported that the servicecould develop a 20,000-kg low-observabledrone that would carry an 1800-kg pay-load and loiter for 18 hours at 3700 kmradius. Some such project may well be oneof the ‘black’ programmes hidden in thePentagon’s annual budget requests.

The use of solar power in conjunctionwith an advanced energy storage system,giving extreme endurance, has beendemonstrated by the AV Pathfinder/

Promoted as a long-endurance radar platform, the 1650-kg Maritime Hermes 1500 isthe heaviest of Israeli drones, but is evidently not yet in IAF service. (Elbit Systems)

The Elbit Systems/Silver Arrow Hermes 450 is in service in Israel and Botswana, andalso forms the basis for Britain’s Thales Watchkeeper system, involving the purchase ofup to 94 ‘WK450s’. (Elbit)

Shown in mock-up form at AAD 2004, the Denel Bateleur Male drone could exploitrestrictions on American exports in this category, but funding limitations currently slowdevelopment. (Denel)

Boeing is reportedly working withAurora Flight Sciences on the 2360-kgOrion, which is scheduled to fly in 2008.It is described as a high-altitude long-loiter (Hall) drone, designed for a four-day endurance at 65,000 ft. It will burnhydrogen in a modified, supercharged carengine. A proposed twin-engined devel-opment, possibly using the 61-metre wing

Helios drone series. In the case of Helios,excess solar power was used to split waterinto hydrogen and oxygen. During thenight the gases, stored in high-pressuretanks, were fed to a fuel cell to generateelectrical power.

Further research is being conductedby Qinetiq with its Zephyr air vehicles,using solar power and a rechargeable bat-tery that is still under development.France’s Onera is collaborating withSagem on a Hale demonstrator namedBusard, which would lay the foundationfor a High Altitude Platform Station(Haps) to serve as a communicationsrelay for military and civil users.

Darpa has recently announced adrone programme that has been namedVulture and is aimed at demonstrating the drone’s endurance of several monthsat very high altitude through the use ofsolar energy. A more revolutionaryapproach is used by the agency’s forth-coming Rapid Eye drone, which would bedeployed ballistically from Conus tobegin a Hale surveillance and communi-

Global Hawk flies higher and longer than any other

unmanned vehicle. At 60,000 feet its persistence on station is unmatched. It

can fly autonomously with a full complement of sensors for up to 42 hours. Which

means it sees farther, hears more, and presents a complete picture of the battlefield.

It carries robust sensors and delivers vital information to the ground instantly. That

equals survival. Northrop Grumman and Global Hawk. Looking out for today’s warrior.

©20

07N

orth

rop

Gru

mm

anC

orpo

ratio

n

www.northropgrumman.com

Electro-optical image of a palace looting in northern Iraq taken by Global Hawk from above 60,000 feet.

10

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


cation mission at two hours’ notice, any-where in the world.

In late 2006 Alenia Aeronauticaunveiled a model of its Molynx Hale proj-ect, a 3000-kg drone with a 25-metrewingspan and an 800-kg payload. Pow-ered by two wing-mounted 186-kW carengines, the Molynx is aimed at anendurance of 30 hours and a ceiling of45,000 ft. It is intended for both militaryand civil applications.

MalesThe Global Hawk currently leads in alti-tude and endurance, but the more afford-able General Atomics Gnat/Predatorseries has higher production numbersand accumulated flight hours.The Gener-al Atomics Gnat-750 entered service withthe CIA in 1989, followed by the I-Gnatin 1998. The I-Gnat was exported toTurkey and possibly the UK. The Preda-tor passed from Darpa to the US AirForce in 1997, and IOC was declared inMarch 2005 after it had been in use forseveral years.

The Predator has also been the lead-ing drone in the use of air-ground guidedmissiles. The first Lockheed MartinAGM-114 Hellfire was launched from anMQ-1L in 2001, and by early 2006 theoperational usage rate from Predatorshad reached almost 60 per year.

The current baseline version is theMQ-1L Predator-A, a 1022-kg aircraftwith a 78-kW Rotax 914F engine and awingspan of 14.84 metres. It is capable of40 hours endurance and a ceiling of25,000 ft.

Over 150 MQ-1s have been deliveredto the US Air Force, and at least a further158 are planned, consisting of 24 inFY2008 (for $ 352.7 million), and 43, 49and 42 in the following years. The fleethas well over 200,000 flight hours and isadding around 6000 each month. Individ-ual MQ-1s have already topped 4000hours. Future developments include anoptical sense-and-avoid system, in view ofgrowing air traffic control problems.

The US Air Force has three MQ-1Predator-A reconnaissance squadrons(the 11th, 15th and 17th RS, componentsof Air Combat Command’s 57th Wing)all based at Creech AFB, Nevada. Thesewere joined in late 2006 by the 19th

Attack Squadron. In addition, the 30thRS is a trials unit, formed in 2005 at theTonopah Test Range in Nevada. Afsoc(Air Force Special Operations Com-mand) currently has MQ-1s (scheduledto be replaced by MQ-9s) with the 3rdSpecial Operations Squadron, which isbased at Creech but under the commandof the 1st Special Operations Group atHurlburt Field, Florida.

The US Air Force active MQ-1 inven-tory at the start of 2007 was given as only57 aircraft.Aside from normal peacetimeand wartime attrition, an undeclarednumber of early RQ-1s were used asexpendable radar decoys during the 2003invasion of Iraq.

There are plans to form an Air Nation-al Guard MQ-1 unit at March AFB, Cali-fornia. Other Air National Guard and USAir Force Reserve units at Davis-Mon-than and Fort Huachuca in Arizona,Hancock Field in New York, Grand Forksin North Dakota and Ellington Field inTexas are later to receive Predators.

There are two operational MQ-1detachments from the 15th RS: the 46thExpeditionary RS, forming part of the332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at BaladAB in Iraq, and the 62nd ERS at Kanda-har in Afghanistan. In-theatre Predatorsare controlled only in the launch andrecovery phases by on-site ground con-

trol stations. In flight they are controlledvia secure surface lines to a classifiedlocation in Europe, and thence via satel-lite links to the drones. For these ‘remotesplit operations’, the in-flight operatorssit in the Predator Operations Center atNellis AFB, Nevada (Poc-N).A deployedPredator system consists of four air vehi-cles, a ground control station, a satellitelink and around 55 personnel.

Five MQ-1s have been sold to Italyand a further five are on order. Three ofthe Italian Air Force Predators aredeployed with the 28° Gruppo VelovoliTeleguidati at what is now Ali (formerlyTallil) AB in southern Iraq. Britain hasnot purchased the MQ-1, but around 44RAF personnel forming No 1115 Flightare attached to Nellis AFB to assist in USAir Force Predator operations overAfghanistan and Iraq.

WarriorSince March 2004 the US Army has usedthree General Atomics I-Gnat drones(similar to the unarmed RQ-1) in Iraq,primarily for convoy protection. Thesehave recently been supplemented by twoI-Gnat ERs.

In 2005 the US Army chose a deriva-tive of Predator-A to be its new Extend-ed Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP)drone, to replace the Northrop Grum-man RQ-5 Hunter.

The US Army’s resulting Warrior(referred to informally as Sky Warrior orMQ-12A) has a span of 17 metres, a 100-kW Thielert Centurion 2.0 dual-fuelengine burning JP-8 or diesel and a grossweight of 1360 kg, making possible anincrease in external load from 136 to 227kg. The new engine first flew in a Preda-tor in October 2004.

The Warrior can be armed with fourHellfires and equipped with a lightweight(38 kg) General Atomics Lynx II synthet-ic aperture radar (Sar) in addition to itsRaytheon AAS-52 EO sensor. It willhave an endurance of 30 hours at up to29,000 ft.

The Canadian Land Force Command CU-161 Sagem Sperwer was operated in theKandahar region of Afghanistan between 2003 and 2004. A second deploymentbegan in March 2006. (Canadian Forces)

Designed as a stol replacement for the Italian Army’s Mirach 26, the Falco wasunveiled at Eurosatory 2002 and first flew in December 2003. (Galileo Avionica)

At home on any terrainSpecific knowledge, reliable empirical data and RUAG quality combine to create solutions

that satisfy the most stringent requirements and which will be as effective tomorrow as they

are today – in the defence technology sector as well as in the civilian market. We embrace

challenges with flexibility and commitment to create benefits for our customers. RUAG's inno-

vative capability and reliability make it the partner of choice for aerospace, defence and tech-

nology projects. www.ruag.com

AVIATION& SPACE

DEFENCE& SECURITY

AMMUNITION& PRODUCTS

EXCELLENCE IN QUALITY – FOR YOUR SAFETY AND SECURITY

Please visit us at the Paris Air Show 07,

from 18 to 24 June 2007,hall 4, booth B6


Com

ple

te G

uid

e

In August 2005 General Atomics wasawarded the Warrior SDD contract,which included the manufacture of 17drones and seven ground control stations.Reports indicate that a preliminary batchof six so-called Warrior Alphas (modifiedI-Gnat ERs with the big wing and newengine) was delivered to Iraq in late 2006,cleared to a weight of 1070 kg. Theremaining SDD Warriors are evidentlyreferred to as Block 0s, with a grossweight of 1360 kg and capable of carryingfour Hellfires.

The US Army hopes to eventually fielda 1630-kg Warrior,able to carry eight Hell-fires and equipped with a 120-kW dual-fuel engine. However, the next more pow-erful engine (above 100 kW) from eitherThielert or SMA produces 170 kW.

The US Army plans to acquire elevenWarrior squadrons, each with twelve airvehicles, five ground control stations and115 personnel. Under congressional pres-sure, the US Air Force is to buy two War-rior systems to assess possible common-ality with its later Predators.

The gap between the US Air Force’sone-tonne MQ-1 Predator-A, typicallyoperating at 22,000 ft, and the 14-tonneRQ-4B at 60,000 ft has long been evident.General Atomics has now bridged thatgap by developing the 4.8-tonne turbo-prop-powered MQ-9A Predator-B,recently named Reaper by the US AirForce. Most of the early development(reportedly including the manufacture often airframes) was company funded.Twoair vehicles were ordered by the US AirForce in late 2002 but the initial SDDcontract (for $ 68.2 million) was signedonly in March 2005.

Powered by a 670-kW HoneywellTPE331-10T engine and with its

wingspan increased from 14.9 to 20.1metres, the first YMQ-9A flew in Febru-ary 2001. Relative to the MQ-1, maxi-mum speed is doubled, from 222 to 445km/hr, and operational ceiling jumpsfrom 25,000 to 50,000 ft, necessitatingmore advanced sensors. Internal payloadis increased from 204 to 363 kg. Despitean increase in fuel capacity from 272 to1814 kg, endurance is reduced from 40 to30 hours.More significantly,external pay-load is increased tenfold, from 136 to

The first US Air Force MQ-9A produc-tion order appears as a request for $ 79 mil-lion for four aircraft in the FY2008 budget,associated with $ 61.1 million for RDT&E.The US Air Force plans to acquire a totalof 50 to 70 MQ-9s by 2012. These are toequip nine operational systems, each withfour air vehicles, the remainder of the totalrepresenting trials, training and attritionaircraft. The first operational unit is the42nd Attack Squadron, established atCreech AFB in November 2006.

The $ 41.4 million order announced inJanuary 2006 for five Predator-Bs mayrepresent aircraft for US Customs andBorder Protection (which has so farordered four and crashed one), Nasa andthe US Navy.

Britain has requested two Predator-Bsfor use in Afghanistan and expects to signa $ 77 million contract shortly. The RAFanticipates using the drone with a dual-band (day/night) long-range obliquephotography camera such as theGoodrich DB-110 in an underwing pod(like the Raptor, developed for the RAFTornado), sending target images via satel-lite link to a ground station.

The Elbit Hermes180 first flew in2002 and wasoriginally to haveserved as a lightercomplement to theHermes 450 informing Britain’sThalesWatchkeeperprogramme. (Elbit)

The AAI Shadow600 is a heavierdevelopment of theShadow 200/400series, with a 14-hour enduranceand slightly sweptwing extensions. Ithas been sold toRomania andTurkey. (AAI)

1360 kg, making the 4772-kg MQ-9AReaper a true ‘hunter-killer’ drone.

Two YMQ-9A developmental aircraftare reportedly operational in Iraq, armedwith 227-kg GBU-12 LGBs. These haverecently been joined by four pre-produc-tion aircraft, which can additionallyemploy the 227-kg GBU-38 Jdam. Clear-ance is also to be provided for the AGM-114P Hellfire, the GPS-assisted EGBU-12 bomb and (reportedly) the ‘SpecialProject A’. General Atomics’ advertisingillustrates the Predator-B with two Jdamson the inboard pylons, eight Hellfires onthe mid-span pylons and two Aim-9Sidewinders outboard.

MarinerAs mentioned earlier, the Mariner ver-sion of the Predator-B is being proposedby a Lockheed Martin-led team as analternative to the Global Hawk in the USNavy Bams contest. Originally referredto as the Predator-B ER (ExtendedRange), the Mariner’s wingspan isstretched to 26.2 metres and its fuelcapacity is further increased to 2720 kg by means of conformal tanks over thewing roots; this raises its endurance to 49 hours.

Another external difference from thePredator-B is that the Mariner has apylon-mounted ventral radome. Ceilingis upped to 52,000 ft, internal payload isincreased to 522 kg, but external payloadis reduced to 900 kg. Maximum take-offweight is 4990 kg.

The Mariner first flew in March 2004in the form of a modified Altair, a one-offNasa-owned research aircraft, which hadits maiden flight one year earlier. A totalof three aircraft have now been modifiedto Mariner standard. Like the GlobalHawk, the Mariner has been demonstrat-ed in Australia in trials to assess the fea-sibility of using sensor-equipped dronesto complement manned patrol aircraftand surface vessels.

The CanadianSagem Sperwer israil-launched froma Heavy LogisticsVehicle, Wheeled(HLVW), built byUTDC in Canadaand based on theSteyr Percheronchassis. (CanadianForces)

Shadow and Innovation That Works are registered trademarks of AAI Corporation. One System is a trademark of the U.S. Army.

aaicorp.com

14

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


EuromaleIf their efforts in the Male category are anyguide, European armed services are nobetter than their American counterparts inregard to ‘joint’ planning. In June 2004 theFrench Defence Minister announced (con-ditional on multinational support) the‘launch’ of the Euromale programme, inwhich Eads was to be prime contractorwith Dassault supplying the drone andThales the operational system.

The ‘Eagle Two’ Euromale air vehiclewas to be based on the 3500-kg IAIHeron TP, which has a 900-kW turbopropengine. It was hoped to roll out the firstEuromale in 2008 and to reach full oper-ational capability with a European mis-sion system (free from US export con-trols) by 2011.

By mid-2006 work on the Euromalehad virtually ground to a halt, althoughdevelopment of the IAI Heron TPappears to be continuing with IsraeliMinistry of Defense funding, under thedesignation Eitan (Strength). Its maidenflight occurred on 15 July 2006.

Euromale simply lacks the essentialsupport from European defence ministries.The French Army is preoccupied with theEads Sidm (Système Intérimaire de DroneMale), based on the piston-engined IAIHeron (discussed below). As its designa-tion suggests, Sidm is intended only as aninterim system to replace the Eads CL-289and the Sagem Sperwer, which are due tobe retired in 2011 or 2012. Designated‘Eagle One’, the prototype Sidm drone(evidently the first of an IAI-built batch ofat least four) had its maiden flight at Istresin France on 2 June 2006.

Beyond Sidm, Dassault would like todevelop its Neuron stealthy Ucav project,but that does not have a long-enduranceconfiguration. Eads would likewise wishto further develop its Barracuda technol-ogy demonstrator, which first flew in April2006 and crashed five months later.

Britain already has its Thales-ledWatchkeeper programme based on the550-kg Elbit Hermes 450, but Francefeels that this does not meet its require-ments and may prefer (as an interim

engine, which almost certainly will haveto be fuel injected.As a European manu-facturer, Sagem has scored reasonablywell having sold its Sperwer to Canada,France, the Netherlands and Greece.Canada has been making heavy use of itsSperwers in Afghanistan, while theNetherlands has recently deployed theirsin that region. Denmark had also orderedthe Sperwer but realised shortly afterdelivery that the system did not actuallymeet the nation’s requirements. Theyhave since been returned to Sagem.

IsraelTight restrictions on the exporting ofAmerican drones, coupled with the smallnumber of significant drone developmentsin Europe, have left the field virtually clearfor Israel. In the Male category, the 1200-kg IAI Heron 1, powered by an 85-kWRotax piston engine, has an endurance of45 hours and a ceiling of 30,000 ft. In 2004Washington pressured Israel into endingnegotiations with China on the supply ofHerons (following the successful sale ofHarpy attack drones).

The Heron was first purchased by theIsraeli Air Force under the name

The Rheinmetall Defence Systems KZO is now in service with the German Army. Theproduction version first flew in 2004. It is currently being deployed to Afghanistan.(Rheinmetall)

The US Army’s RQ-7 AAI Shadow200 serial 1026,dubbed «Screamn’Demon», under-goes preflightchecks in Iraq,where the seriesentered service atthe start of 2004.(AAI)

In June 2006Australia’sAerosonde wasacquired byAmerica’s AAI. TheAerosonde Mk 4was subsequentlyunveiled and set anunofficialendurance recordof 38 hr 44 min.(AAI)

Machatz (Strike), although a small ($ 50million) batch was later ordered underthe designation Shoval (Trail). The latterwas formally accepted by the IAF inMarch 2007. In 2006 operations againstLebanon the Heron was operated by acombined team of IAI and IAF person-nel and carried a variety of payloads.

Heron production may well have beenlaunched on the basis of an order from theIndian Navy, which received its first in2002. The Heron is also operated by theIndian Air Force. In 2005 Sipri reported anIndian order total of 42 units. In March2007 the Indian Defence Minister statedthat the Air Force had so far received 30IAI-built drones, and more were undercontract. In January 2006 the Indian Armyordered 16 Herons for $ 220 million

In May 2005 Turkey placed a $ 150 mil-lion order for Herons. The Heron is alsothe basis for the Eads ‘Eagle One’ for theFrench Army Sidm (as noted earlier).The wing and other Heron components

measure) a Male derivative of the SagemSperwer. For the time being, Sagem isdeveloping the Sperwer B (formerlyknown as the LE for long endurance),which basically retains the current fuse-lage but adopts a wider-span wing.According to latest news, Sagem has notyet made a firm choice regarding the

Actionable information in real time

www.raytheon.com

© 2007 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved. “Customer Success Is Our Mission” is a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Actionable Information +

Actionable Intelligence =

Knowledge to act. Warfighters need access to accurate information and intelligence to gain operational advantage. Raytheon’s extensive domain expertise and technical innovation combine to deliver complete situational awareness. Our fully integrated persistent surveillance solutions gather and disseminate actionable information globally, in real time. Without delay. Without compromise.

Actionable Knowledge

Changhong IC

People’s Republic of China acft/para2450

na

0.75

1x WP6

CL-289 Piver

Bombardier-Eads rato/para

240

2.00

125

1xBMW

RR T117+s/b

Aerostar

Aeronautics conv/conv

200

18.0

14.0

Zanzottera2-piston490ia38 hp

D-1A SR

Dara Aviation25.0

na

4.00

QA400,37cc

2.5 hp

Apid 55

Cybaero105

9.00

6.00

2-stroke2-piston55 hp

Eagle 1

Eads-IAI Malat conv/conv

1150

25.0

24.0

1x Rotax914

Eagle 2

Eads-IAI Malat conv/conv

3600

45.0

24.0

1x 1200 hpP&WC

PT6A-67A

E-Hunter

IAI Malat conv/conv

953

20.0

25.0

2x 64 hpdual

Exdrone

L-3 BAI Aerosystems cat/skid-para41.3

na

2.50

1x 8 hp2-stroke

Eyeview 1/2

IAI Malat conv/conv104

5.00

6.00+

1x 25 hp

Eagle Eye

Bell Helicopter Textron1290

20.0

8.00

1xP&WC200-55

A160 Hummingbird

Frontier Systems-Boeing1950

30.0

24.0+

1x 572 hpP&WC

PW207D

Aerosky

Israel Aircraft Industries conv/conv

70.31

15.0

5.00+

(typeundis-closed)

Aerosonde Mk 4

Aerosonde hand/belly

15.20

15.0

30.0

H-Type24 cc

EFI

Aladin

EMT hand/belly

~3.0

low

0.75

1xelectric

Altus 2

General Atomics conv/conv816

65.0

n/a

1x Rotaxtwinturbo

ASN-206

Catic cat/para

222

5.50

8.00

1x37.3kwHS-700

Bateleur

Denel conv/conv

1000

25.0

24.0

1x Rotax914 orSubaruEA-82T

Aerolight

Aeronautics cat/parafoil

40

10.0

4.00

8 hp(typeundis-closed)

Camcopter S-100

Schiebel200

18.0

6.00

1x 55 hpDiamond

Carolo P50

Mavionics-Eads hand/belly0.53

na

0.30

1xelectric

Complete Guide 2007


n/a4.48n/a

2.102.90n/a

0.601.46n/a

7.1916.860.76

3.346.04

-

~10.015.0~0.80

2.564.00

~0.50

3.093.40~0.80

0.470.49n/a

3.511.370.40

8.477.530.58

4.506.50~0.50

1.753.28n/a

3.203.3 dia

n/a

4.0016.3n/a

13.022.0n/a

5.464.630.76

7.5315.39n/a

1.862.47n/a

2.933.96n/a

Falco

Galileo conv-cat/conv350

na

14.0

75 hpAR682

Bekas

Granit-NPO Mash. conv/conv+para~250

~15.0

5.00

not yetdefined

10.6710.97n/a

5.207.200.74

2.973.20n/a

vtol

Carapas

Eads-Galileo cat+rato/para

750

40.0

0.90

16 daNMicroturboTRS 18-1

tf

4.072.300.40

300 kgSar,

EO/IR

8 kg hi-resolution

CCD ornight camera

Cots EO(manufacturer

not determined)

5 kg various stabilised EO/IRBLOS imagerymeteo sensors

200 kgstabilised

EO

Day or IR

Scientific (various

manufacturers)

Stabilisedelectro-optical

Day/nightTV/IR

200 kgDenel Argos or

Goshawk/Avitronics elint

or Sar

Project for target recce

(imaginginfrared) andRF jamming

Day/IR/elint/comint

60 kg

Eads passiveesm-elint,

stabilised e-oand infrared

Day

R/C (NAI)

Infrared linescanner

-1A recon orweather sample

-1D geophys.survey

250 kg EO or EW

~500 kg EO,EW or Sar(based onHeron TP,

development on back-burner)

Flir Safire III +TelephonicsRDR-1700B

radar

TV & IR, custom

(IAI Tamam)

RangefinderTV,

IR (variousmanufacturers)

Day/nightimager (various

manufacturers)

Flir, colour TVlaser

rangefinder

car-top/conv

vtol

vtol

stovl

19

Drone specifications

turbineor t-propengine

pistonengine

Wankelengine

2-s 2-strokehp horsepowertp turbopropRx Rotax engine

elec electric enginegas gasoline engines/b solid booster-cyl -cylinder

tf turbo fantj turbo jetpj pulse jet

Launch/Recovery abbreviationsPowerplant abbreviationsconv conventionalcat catapultpara parachutebelly belly landing

rato rocket-assisted take offhand hand launchedvtol vertical take-off and landingstovl short T/O vertical landing

Where no information is given,either the information was notmade available or it has not beendecided for that specific portionof the system. Dem signifies thedrone is a demonstrator.

Luna X-2000

EMT cat/para29.9

10.0

4.00

2-cyl 2-s6.70 hp

Mariner

General Atomics conv/conv

4763

52.0

49.0+

1x AseTPE331-

10Ttp

Hermes 180

Elbit195

15.0

10.0

1x UEL38 hp

Hermes 450

Elbit conv/conv

449

20.0

20.0

1x UELAR-80-101052 hp

Heron

IAI Malat conv/conv

1100

30.0

50.0

1x Rotax914

115 hp

Heron TP

IAI Malat conv/conv

3502

45.0

24.0

1x 1200 hpP&WC

PT6-67A

Hunter

IAI Malat conv/conv726

15.0

12.0

2x 64 hpdual

I-Gnat

General Atomics conv/conv635

40.0

23.0

1x Rotax914

I-See

IAI Malat cat/belly

7.50

10.0

1.00

1xelectric

I-View

IAI Malat cat/para

165

22.0

~5

(type undis-closed)

KZO

Rheinmetall rato/para

161

11.5

3.50

1x 30 hpSchrick

SF2-350S

Ka-137

Kamov Design Bureau279

16.4

4.00

1x Hirth2706P05

65 hp

Fantail

ST Aerospace5.50

na

na

3.5 hp

Fire Scout (RQ-8B)

Northrop Grumman vtol

1430

20.0

8.00

1x R-R250-

C20W

Global Hawk (RQ-4A Tier II plus)

Northrop Grumman conv/conv

65.0

36.0

1x R-RAE3007

H tf

Global Hawk RQ-4B

Northrop Grumman-Eads conv/conv14628

65.0

28.0

1x R-RAE3007

Gnat-750 (Tier I)


513

20.0

40.0

1x Rotax582

GoldenEye 100

Aurora Flight Sciences vtol

70.0

10.0

4.00

n/a

Hermes 1500

Elbit conv/conv

1496

25.0

24.0

2x Rotax914,

100 hp

Drone Name

Manufacturer launch/recovery

***

**

*

Electric engine

Sensor packages, inmany casesmaximum

sensor payloadweight

GoldenEye 50

Aurora Flight Sciences11.0

5.00

1.00

n/a

0.76n/a0.29

7.018.22n/a

13.4135.351.46

14.5339.901.46

5.4910.670.76

1.682.74n/a

0.701.40n/a

9.3915.0~1.00

Lengthwingspan

payloadbay

all sizes in meters

6.1010.520.52

4.436.00

~0.50

8.6016.610.85

12.0123.01n/a

6.898.90n/a

6.3412.860.76

1.822.90n/a

4.105.70~0.25

5.30n/a1.19

2.263.410.37

10.9726.21n/a

2.264.24n/a

endurance

max altitude

take-off weight

[hours]

[feet x 1000]

[kilograms]


Dem

Day/nightcamera, chemical sensors

EO/IR, laserdesignator,Sar, GMTI

Satcom + Sar, EO, IR

12111

Sigint, MP Rtipplus extra

powerunit/Sar, EO,

IR, Satcom

Day TV, flir(Wescam)

Comint, elintAthena

GuideStar 111m

nav. & ref.system

Day/IR 1 kgAthena

GuideStar111m

nav. & ref.system

EO, IR, laserdesignator,

GMTI UK: Athena

GuideStar 411nav. & ref.

systemconv, cat/

para,ab,conv

Tesar Sar, DSPEO, compassflir and CCD

EM, TV, Sar(various

manufacturers)

TV and IR, custom

(IAI Tamam)

TV and IR, custom

(IAI Tamam,various)245 kg

TV and IR (IAI Tamam)

EO, IR or Sar(Wescam)

Camera 0.8 kg

30 kgMosp EO

or EL/M-2055B

Sar

Various types (various

manufacturers)

Flir(Rheinmetall

DefenceElectronics)

CCD camera(various

manufacturers)Athena Guide-

Star 311nav. & ref.

system

Internal 363kg, external

1361 kgvarious

vtol

vtol

stovl

Mav

Honeywell vtol7.70

n/a

0.83

2-stroke3W

engine4 hp

20

Unmanned Aircraft0.400.33n/a

Pointer

AV (AeroVironment) hand/belly3.60

0.6+

1.00

1xelectric

Predator A


1043

25.0

40.0+

1x Rotax914

100 hp

Predator B


4536

50.0

30.0+

1x AseTPE331-

10Ttp

Prowler II


340

20.0

18.0

1x 65 hpRotax582

R90

Enics rato/expend

0.50

1x EnicsM44D

pulse jet

Ranger

Ruag cat/conv274

14.8

5.00

1xGoebler-

Hirth 38 hp

Raven

AV (AeroVironment) hand/belly

2.00

10.0

1.30

1x Aveox 27

RemoEye 006

Ucon hand/belly

6.00

na

1.50+

1x electric

ScanEagle A-15

Boeing cat/cable

18.0

16.0

15.0

1x 1.5 hp2-stroke

RemoEye 015

Ucon conv/conv

15.0

na

4.00

1x electric

Micro-V

Elbit49.9

8.00

5.00

2x 4 hp2-stroke

Mirach 150

Galileo rato/para

345

30.0

1.30

1xMicro-turbo

TRS 18-1 tj

Mirach 20

Galileo rato/para170

12.0

4.00+

1x 26 hp

Mirach 26

Galileo rato/para200

13.0

7.00

1x 28 hp

Model 395

Northrop Grumman-Scaled Composites conv/conv

5670

40.0

16.0

2xWilliamsFJ 44-2E

tj

Muas

Irkut conv/conv

200

20.0

14.0

n/a

Nibbio

Galileo cat/para

740

40

0.90

Micro-turbo

TRS18-1tf

Pchela 1

Yakovlev Design Bureau cat/conv130

8.20

2.00

1xSamana/Trud P-032 32 hp

Pioneer

IAI-AAI conv, rato/conv

210

15.0

6.50

1x 27 hpSachs

SF2-350

Neptune RQ-15

DRS Technologies cat/belly, para

36.3

8.00

4.00

1x 15 hp2-stroke

2.743.660.70

4.692.100.37

3.604.150.34

3.784.720.37

17.5223.77

variable

4.006.00n/a

2.131.83n/a

4.072.300.40

2.773.260.30

Orbiter

Aeronautics hand/belly650

2.00

1.50

brushless

1.002.20

~0.35

4.245.120.37

8.2314.841.22

1.802.70~0.10

10.3620.12n/a

4.247.31n/a

1.422.56~0.25

4.605.70n/a

0.921.340.01

1.552.72~0.12

1.803.20~0.20

1.193.050.18

Mini-UAV

Patria hand/belly

3-4

low

1.00+

1x300W

type n/a

1.051.50n/a


Neuron

Neuron conv/conv

~6000

35.0

n/a

1x Adour

9.3012.5n/a

0.45 kgSony FCB-IX11A E/O

DRS E3500 IRcameras

CCD camera,flir

(various manufacturers)

TV or flir/elint(Meteor)

TV, LLTV, flir,elint


TV, IR, EW, Sar(various

manufacturers)

Weapons orSar/elint 1360 kg

50 kg IR and TV

IR or TV or 9 kg

droppable

Radar, IR+

guided bombsin 2 internal

bays

Flir, ESM, IR,TV, ECM 60 kg

cat/para

Day or IR

Day or IR

EO/IR sensor(IAI Tamam)

IR/EO

Day/IR

EO/IR or Sar50 kg

EO, IR, Sar(NorthropGrumman,Wescam)

Eo, IR, Sar(GeneralAtomics,Wescam)

0.9 kgCCD camera

or IR

TV and flir (IAI Tamam,Versatron)

Max. 1.2 kg

hi-resolutionCCD fromControp

TV or LLTV orelint

Stabilised dayor IR

0.50 kgTV or

flir Photon,gas sensors

Dem

Skeldar V-150

Saab vtol

150

11.0

n/a

2-stroke2-piston55 hp


armada©

4.003.30n/a

Skylark II

Elbit Systems

35

15.0

5.00

classi-fied

Scarab (Model 324)

Northrop Grumman rato/para1077

na

na

1xTeledyneCAE373

-8C

Voyeur

Lite Machines vtol

1.80

7.00

0.50

1x 70 hp2-stroke

n/a4.2n/a

6.163.35n/a

0.6860.760.064

Sky-X

Alenia conv/conv1100

30.0

na

1 turbine

Sniper

Elbit cat/para

155

15.0

6.00+

1x UELAR 74138 hp

Sojka

VTULaSTV cat/pata

145

7.00

2.00

2-cyl 2-stroke29.5 hp

Sperwer B

Sagem cat/para

350

20.0

12.0

1x 70 hp2-stroke

Sperwer/Ugglan

Sagem250

17.0

8.00

1x 70 hp2-stroke

Tracker (Drac)

Eads hand/belly

7.50

6.50

2.00

1x electric

Tu-243 (VR-3 Reys-D)

Tupolev ANTK rato/para

1397

17.0

na

1xIzotovTR-3-

117 tj

Vulture

ATE cat/para

125

16.0

3.00

1x TTL-Wae342

Warrior


1360

29.0

30.0

ThielertCenturion

Yabhon-M

ATS conv/conv

330

na

30.0

1x 60 hpME 684

Searcher II

IAI Malat conv/conv

426

19.0

16.0

1x 73 hp

Seeker II

Denel conv/conv + arrestor

280

18.0

10.0

1x 4-cyl2-stroke50 hp

Sentry

DRS Technologies conv/conv-para

150

10.0

6.00

1x 2-stroke28 hp

Shadow 200 RQ-7B

AAI conv-cat-rato/para

170

15.0

6.00+

1x UELAR 74138 hp

Shadow 400

AAI conv/conv

201

12.0

5.00

1x UELAR 74138 hp

Shadow 600

AAI conv-cat-rato/para

265

17.0

12.0+

1x UELAR 80150 hp

Silver Fox

ACR cat/para12.2

1.00

4.00

4-cycleJP5 orFP8

Skylark

Elbit Systems hand/belly

na

6.00

2.00

1x electric

Skylite

Rafael tube/belly

6.00

low

1.00+

1x electric

Shmel Yak-61 (Bumblebee)

Yakovlev Design Bureau cat/conv

129

10.0

2.00

(typeundis-closed)

5.858.56n/a

n/a7.00n/a

2.571.90n/a

3.754.270.34

5.003.82n/a

5.187.470.46

2.773.26n/a

1.802.40n/a

2.205.50~0.15

1.101.700.12

3.785.210.52

~7.00~6.00n/a

3.814.08n/a

3.506.20n/a

3.514.21n/a

1.403.60~0.10

8.212.26n/a

3.115.210.70

10.3620.12

variable

4.305.70~0.30

8 kgstabilised EOnot defined

25 kg, types not yet

defined

Program command

(TRA)

0.45 kgEO or IR

TV and flir (IAI Tamam)

Colour camera,multi-sensor,electronic

survey

35 kgVarious

27.3 kgTamam EO/IR

AthenaGuideStar

211enav. & ref.

system

30 kgEO/IR (variousmanufacturers)

Micro-flir,CCTV (variousmanufacturers)

Day/nightimager (various

manufacturers)

2.7 kgcolour/CCDcameras, flir

Day or IR

CCD camera

200 kg notdefinedAthena


system

TV, flir (variousmanufacturers)

CCD camera,IR


50 kg Sagem410 TV,

Sagem Matis(3-5µ) or Iris(-12µ)

+ weapons(Spike)

50 kgSagem Olosp

cat/para

Day or IR, 1.8 kg

TV, IR, radiationdetection

Optronic daysight (M-Tek)

In developmentLynx Sar, 8 Hellfire,Athena


system

Day/IR

cat


Com

ple

te G

uid

e

were used in developing the NorthropGrumman RQ-5C Hunter II.

In late 2006 it was revealed that IAI islooking for a US partner to assist in sell-ing its later drones to the Pentagon. TheIsraeli Air Force meanwhile hopes to useUS financial aid to Israel to purchaseIAI-designed drones manufactured byUS companies.

The Elbit Systems Hermes 1500,which is powered by two 75-kW Rotaxengines, is the heaviest example in theknown Israeli drone range. It was devel-oped with assistance from the IsraeliMinistry of Defense to provide a long-endurance platform for heavy sensors.The first example flew in 1998 with a1500-kg gross weight (now increased to1650 kg) and an 18-metre span. It has an endurance of 26 hours and a ceiling of 33,000 ft.

In June 2003 the Israeli Ministry ofDefense awarded Elbit a $ 47 millioncontract believed to relate to providing aturnkey operation (possibly sigint) usingthe Hermes 1500. In 2005 Elbit flew a pri-vate-ventured maritime patrol versionwith an increased gross weight (around1750 kg) and wing-mounted fuel tanks toboost endurance to 50 hours.

In a much lighter category, the Aero-nautics Defense Systems Dominator is an800-kg tailless configuration, powered bya 120-kW Lycoming engine. Ceiling isgiven as 25,000 ft but endurance informa-tion is not released.

Rest of the WorldDeveloping a Male drone is within thecapability of several other nations, giventhe necessary finance and motivation. Forexample, the Abu Dhabi-based AdvancedCommunications Systems Group (Adcom)has a Male project designated Yabhon RX-

200-kg payload, the all-compositeBateleur will probably be powered by aDenel-modified Subaru EA-82T carengine. Ceiling is estimated as over 25,000ft and endurance up to 24 hours.The proj-ect currently appears to be progressingonly slowly, perhaps in the hope thatanother nation will join the programme.South Africa has a clear need for addi-tional maritime patrol assets, as do nationssuch as Brazil and Canada.

At Farnborough in 2006 Turkey’sTusas Aerospace Industries announcedits intention to fly its Tiha Male projectbefore the end of 2008. The 1500-kg Tihawas credited with a 200-kg payload, a30,000-ft ceiling and an endurance of 24hours. Nothing was said of the power-plant, but a fuel fraction of only 17% indi-cates a piston engine.

Optionally MannedIf the best possible performance is to beachieved, then designing a drone fromscratch is probably the optimumapproach. However, it is clearly lessexpensive to convert an existing mannedaircraft into an optionally manned form,which benefits the flight test programme

Although operated in large numbers by the US Marine Corps, the AV Dragon Eye is inferior to the Raven in endurance and radius. Procurement has now switched to the Raven-B. (AV)

The Vulture wasdeveloped byAdvancedTechnologies andEngineering (ATE)specifically to meetthe needs of theSouth AfricanNational DefenceForce artillery.(Armada/RB)

18, which could win orders from severalArab air forces if such products are notmade available by the US and Europe.

In 2003 South Africa’s Denel (benefit-ing from experience with the Seekerdrone and Skua jet-powered target)announced the start of work on a Maleproject dubbed Bateleur, after a local birdof prey. Grossing around 1000 kg with a

and simplifies ferrying the aircraftthrough civil airspace.

In 2005 the Maryland-based ProxyAviation Systems unveiled its optionally-piloted SkyWatcher/SkyRaider project,based on the Velocity Aircraft kit planeseries. The proposal is for a self-co-ordi-nated ‘constellation’ of up to a dozen sen-sor-equipped aircraft to provide area sur-veillance to a network of up to 20 groundstations.The baseline 1350-kg SkyWatch-er has a 150-kW engine, a ceiling of20,000 ft, and an endurance of 15 hourswith a 150-kg payload. The 1815-kgSkyRaider has a 195-kW engine, a ceilingof 24,000 ft and an endurance of 30 hourswith a 150-kg payload. Proxy has pro-posed taking four SkyRaiders to Iraq forservice evaluation.

In a similar weight category, the Rhein-metall Defence Systems/Diamond Air-craft Opale (Optionally-Piloted AerialLong Endurance) platform is based on theDA42 Twin Star, which has a gross weightof 1785 kg with a 525-kg payload and ispowered by two 100-kW Thielert Centuri-

The Elbit SystemsSkylark I is now inservice with thearmies of Israel andAustralia, the latterhaving deployed itto Afghanistan andIraq. It has alsobeen ordered byother countries.(Elbit Systems)

24

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


on or 134 kW Lycoming engines. TheOpale has additional fuel tanks, giving anendurance of 14 hours. It was demonstrat-ed in flight at Idex 2007, and the launchcustomer is expected to be Libya.

Below One TonneAlthough its replacement (the Warrior)is already planned, the 735/885-kgNorthrop Grumman RQ-5A/MQ-5BHunter (based on an IAI design) willremain an important part of the US Armyinventory until at least 2009. Powered bytwo 42.5-kW Moto Guzzi or Mercedes-Benz heavy fuel engines in a push-pullarrangement, the Hunter was first oper-ated over the Balkans in 1999 and subse-quently over Iraq. It is typically employedto provide real-time video on the groundvia a second Hunter, using a C-band line-of-sight datalink.

The US Army purchased sevenHunter systems, each with eight RQ-5As,and then a batch of 18 MQ-5Bs, the latterwith provisions for GBU-44 Viper Strikemissiles and BLU-108 munitions. It hasalso been tested with Textron’s new Uni-versal Aerial Delivery Dispenser. TheRQ-5A has a ceiling of 15,000 ft and anendurance of 11.6 hours. These figuresincrease to 18,000 ft and 18 hours in thecase of the MQ-5B.

The 550-kg Elbit Hermes 450 has beenin service with the Israel Defense Forcesince 2000 and played a major role(reportedly including ground attacks) inthe 2006 operations against Lebanon.However, its main marketing distinctionis that it was selected for the BritishArmy’s Thales Watchkeeper system. Theprime contractor is to be UAV TacticalSystems (U-Tacs), a joint venture byElbit Systems and Thales UK.

Up to 94 re-designated ‘WK450’drones will be purchased by Britain, andthe system will be marketed globally.Israel has already sold Hermes 450s toBotswana, and the drone has been exhib-ited with a new Tadiran Elint payload.The drone is powered by a 39-kW UELengine, giving an endurance of 20 hoursand a ceiling of 18,000 ft.

The 425-kg IAI Searcher II, capable ofcarrying the Elta EL/M-2055 radar, is inservice with the Israeli Air Force,although older Searchers are being

replaced by the Heron. It has anendurance of up to 15 hours and a ceilingof 20,000 ft. A large number (possibly ashigh as 100) have been purchased for theIndian Air Force and Army. Indonesiahas bought a small number and it alsoserves with the Singaporean Navy.

The majority of tactical drones are rel-atively crude old designs, with emphasison low production cost. The larger exam-ples were intended for runway operation,although some use catapult take-offs. In2002 Galileo Avionica unveiled its 420-kgFalco, which was designed for stol per-formance. It first flew in December 2003.The Falco was aimed at replacing the Ital-ian Army’s Galileo Mirach 26 system, andin 2006 a carrier-based version was pro-posed. Although the manufacturer is stillexpecting a home order, it has scoredabroad and is producing some 20 units fora customer believed to be Pakistan. Stud-ies of a pneumatic catapult-launch systembegan with Robonic of Finland in 2006.

Another user of the Robonic catapult isthe 350-kg Sagem Sperwer-B, which firstflew in February 2004. A long-span deriva-tive of the very successful 300-kg Sperwer,which is operated by the armies of Canada,Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlandsand Sweden, the Sperwer-B differs in hav-ing a compound-delta wing and a satcomantenna in the upper front fuselage.

The 280-kg Denel Seeker has been inservice with the South African Air Force

since 1991 and was certificated for use inSouth African civil airspace in 1994. Thisallowed SAAF drones to support policeoperations against illegal immigration,marine and game poaching and the steal-ing of high-value vehicles. Seekers havebeen sold to Algeria with one batch includ-ing a Saab-Grintek ESM payload.

The Seeker is in the same size catego-ry as Switzerland’s 275-kg Oerlikon-Con-traves/Ruag Aerospace Ranger, which isbased on an IAI design and is a derivativeof the 205 kg RQ-2B Pioneer. The

The twin-boom Eads Defense and Security Systems Tracker (or Drac, as it is known inFrance) was unveiled at a conference in Berlin in 2004, and 160 two-drone systemswere ordered by the French Army in 2005. (Eads)

The shoulder patchof this soldier withthe AV Raven inIraq is of the USArmy 1st ArmoredDivision ‘OldIronsides’, which in March 2007returned toGermany. (AV)

The development of the water-landingAqua Puma version of the AV (Terra)Puma was funded by US SpecialOperations Command in the FY2006budget. (AV)

Ranger achieved initial operational capa-bility with the Swiss Army in 1999, and aversion with increased fuel capacity wassubsequently exported to Finland.

The 200-kg class includes Israel’sAeronautics Defense Systems’ Aerostar,which is produced by General Dynamicsand has been sold in small batches to theIsrael Defence Force, US Navy, Angolaand Nigeria. It has also been selected byIrkut as the drone component of theemergency response system based on theBe-200 water bomber.

The 195-kg Elbit Hermes 180 flew in2002 and was originally to have been the‘low’ element of the hi-lo drone mix forBritain’s Thales Watchkeeper system.However, the Watchkeeper was reducedto a single type, keeping the Hermes 450but eliminating the Hermes 180.


Com

ple

te G

uid

e

The US Army employs the 170-kg AAIRQ-7B Shadow 200 as a lighter comple-ment for the RQ-5A/MQ-5B Hunter.Theservice plans to acquire 88 systems (ofwhich 70 are already under contract),each with four drones. Poland is negotiat-ing for two RQ-7B systems with a total offour ground control stations and tendrones (including two as spares). Totalcost will be up to $ 73 million.

The 200 kg Shadow 400 was reported-ly sold to the South Korean Navy, and the265 kg Shadow 600 (with an endurance ofup to 14 hours) has been sold to Romaniaand Turkey. Romanian Shadow droneshave been deployed to Iraq.

The 160-kg Rheinmetall Defence Sys-tems KZO is to be deployed toAfghanistan by the German Army, whichhas ordered six systems each with ten air-craft. It is being marketed in Norway.

One of the most significant of recentmarketing events was the AustralianArmy’s selection of the 250 kg IAI I-View 250A, which was backed by BoeingAustralia. A major factor was its fullyautomated take-off and landing systemeffected by a catapult launch and guidedparafoil recovery.The 250A is a stretchedversion of the 165-kg I-View 250 with thelong-span wing of the Searcher II. Pay-load is increased to 80 kg. Deliveriesbegin in mid-2009. In Australian service itwill complement the 5.5-kg Elbit SkylarkI and the (leased) 18-kg Boeing/InsituScanEagle.

Australia’s Aerosonde has been pur-chased by AAI. In 2006 the 14-kgAerosonde Mk 4 set an unofficial droneendurance record of 38 hr 44 min, com-pared to the official time of 30 hr 24 minfor an RQ-4A.

Russia has made little effort to exploitits undoubted aerospace capability withnew developments in the drone area.Rosoboronexport’s principal offering isstill the 138-kg Yakovlev Pchela-1T,which is launched by means of a rocketbooster from a truck-mounted rail andrecovered by parachute. Equipped onlywith a TV camera, it was exported toNorth Korea before entering Russianservice in 1997. It has been used opera-tionally in Chechnya. The improvedPchelka-1T with a flir and low-light TVhas been offered to India to support theSmerch-M artillery rocket system.

Advanced Technologies and Engi-neering (ATE) developed the 125-kgVulture drone specifically to support the

artillery of the South African NationalDefence Force. It entered service in 2006.The Vulture is unique in using a vacuum-activated catapult to avoid the hazards ofpressure-operated systems. For recoveryit is tracked by laser and guided into a

ufacturers to reveal what batteries andelectric motors they were using. US com-panies say this is ruled by Itar guidelines.Bren-Tronics, a leader in rechargeablemilitary batteries, can say that its BB-2557 and –2590/U lithium-ion batteriesare used in many drones, but is notallowed to say which ones.

In terms of numbers, the most signifi-cant electric (or any other) drone is almostcertainly the 1.9-kg AV RQ-11A Ravenand RQ-11B Raven-B series, of which the US Army requested 300 systems cost-ing $ 20.7 million for FY2008 alone. Thisfollows 60 systems in FY2007 and 300 inFY2006. The 5000th Raven airframe wasrecently delivered (to an American cus-tomer) and approximately 5000 more areplanned for delivery to the US Armyalone over the next five years.

The Raven is a smaller derivative of the 3.76-kg AV FQM-151A Pointer, whichpioneered hand-launched, battery-pow-ered drones and entered service with the US Marine Corps in 1989.

The 2.7-kg, twin-motor, bungee-launched AV Dragon Eye is still used by the US Marine Corps, although in late2006 that service decided to switch theremainder of its planned Dragon Eyeprocurement to Raven-B. A total of 467systems are planned, each with three air-craft and one ground station. Dragon Eyeproduction has consequently been termi-nated, as the line moved over to Raven-B. Whereas Dragon Eye operates fullyautonomously, the 2.8-kg Swift versioncan also be flown manually and it addsthe advanced communications capabili-ties of Raven.

The US Air Force employs the Lock-heed Martin Desert Hawk for airfieldsecurity in both Iraq and Afghanistan.The service has purchased at least 21 sys-tems, each with six drones. The UnitedKindom has ordered 60 drones and tenground stations for deployment toAfghanistan from August 2006. TheDesert Hawk III has a larger fuselagewith a modular payload bay.

At Eurosatory 2006 Finland’s PatriaIndustries unveiled its Modular AirborneSensor System, which is in broadly thesame category as the Desert Hawk. Thedrone employs plastic foam constructionand is to be operated with air samplingsensors.

Dependent on solarenergy, the IAI/Technion SunSailormay well be aresearch vehicle toprovide the basisfor a much largerHale drone with anendurance ofseveral days. (IAI)

Newly revealed atan aerospaceconference in TelAviv, the solar-powered IsraelAerospaceIndustries SunSailoris a joint develop-ment with Technion,Israel’s premiertechnical institution.(IAI)

The EMT Aladin is used in Afghanistanby both the Royal Netherlands Army,illustrated here with serial Z-248, andthe German Army, which first deployedit in 2003. (Netherlands DefenceMinistry)

net, then falls on an airbag. A completesystem with GCS, catapult, recovery sys-tem and two drones fits on three ten-tonne trucks. A modified Vulture intend-ed for marine and coastal protection hasbeen flight tested.

ElectricsLighter, electrically powered droneswere discussed in Armada 2/2007. In ret-rospect, it might be added that it was vir-tually impossible to persuade drone man-

Contact the Group Director MarketingP.O.Box 8322 Centurion 0046 Repuplic of South Africa

Tel: (+27 12) 671-2758, [email protected], www.denel.co.za

28

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


The 5.5-kg AV (Terra) Puma wasdeveloped as a Pointer replacement, andthe 6.5-kg marinised Aqua Puma is inlimited production for the US Navy. Ithas also been evaluated by the RoyalAustralian Navy.

A relatively new electric drone is the3.0-kg EMT Aladin, which has been usedby German (and later Dutch) troops inAfghanistan. Aladin is also being trialledby Norway. South Africa’s 3.0 kg ATEKiwit (Plover) was unveiled at AAD2006.

France’s Tecknisolar Seni is marketingits 3.5-kg Bardon drone with a flexibly-mounted Verney-Carron 44 mm twin-barrel handgun, firing rubber balls, dyeballs or tear powder balls. At a confer-ence in February 2007 IAI revealed thatit is working with Technion on smallsolar-powered drones, including thehand-launched SunSailor.

There are at least two electrically pow-ered vtol drones.Lite Machines promotesits 1.8-kg Voyeur, a cigar-shaped object

with contra-rotating two-blade rotors,but declines to reveal project status. AtIdex 2007 in January, Selex unveiled itsducted-fan Asio, developed with theUnmanned Technologies Research Insti-tute in Rome.

MicroRelatively little news has emergedregarding the micro-drone category sinceour previous survey in Armada 3/2006,perhaps because this is regarded by thePentagon as a particularly important areathat warrants special safeguards.

A guide to minimum drone size foroutdoor operation may be provided bythe award-winning 0.34-kg AV Wasp,which was developed under Darpa fun-ding. Its lithium-ion battery also serves as the wing structure, making possible azero-payload weight of only 170 gm and a gross weight of 340 gm. The Wasp hasthus far demonstrated an endurance of107 minutes.

Such small devices may appear vul-nerable to the slightest wind, but theWasp actually has a higher maximumspeed than AV’s much larger Raven (65vs. 57 km/hr). On the other hand, its oper-ational radius is less than five kilometres;only half when compared to the ten forthe Raven.

In December 2006 the US Air Forceannounced that the Wasp had won itsBatmav (Battlefield Air Targeting MicroAir Vehicle) contest. Production willbegin before the end of 2007 toward aplanned total of 314 Wasp Block III sys-tems for the US Air Force.

The US Marine Corps is evaluatingthe Wasp as a complement to its Tier IRaven-B, using three spiral developmentblocks for a total of 21 systems andaround 80 drones. The Block I of threesystems and eight drones (wingspan 30.5cm) was delivered in September 2005.The six Block II systems (delivered fromlate 2006) have larger motors and a 35.5-cm span. The twelve Block III systemshave a 72-cm span and a flir sensor.

The US Navy has tested a Wasp proto-type in the North Arabian Gulf, presum-ably with the marinisation kit that allows itto land on water but adds 50 gm to take-offweight.The US Army intends to order 100Wasp systems in order to conduct a pre-acquisition assessment. The first exportorder for the Wasp has already beensigned, and AV expects to sign the secondbefore the end of 2007.

For indoor-use only, Darpa is fundingstudies of ten-gram Nano Air Vehicleswith no dimension greater than 75 mm.AV is competing in this programme withDraper Laboratories, Lockheed Martinand Micropropulsion.

The AV Wasp Block III, with overtwice the originalwingspan, is to bethe US Air ForceBatmav and isbeing evaluated bythe Marine Corpsas a complement tothe Raven-B. (AV)

Going Vertically

A drone that can take off and land vertically is preferable not only for navalusers but also for front-line troops. As in the case of manned aircraft, vtol per-formance means above-normal power and thus below-normal fuel, hence pay-load, range and endurance are penalised.

Honeywell’s Class I is derivedfrom the Micro Air Vehicle(Mav)

F our classes were originally plannedfor service by 2014 as elements of theUS Army’s Future Combat System.

However, in January 2007 it was decidedto defer Classes II and III.

In May 2006 Honeywell was awardeda contract by Boeing and Saic (joint FCSlead systems integrator) to develop theplatoon-level Class I UAVS (UnmannedAerial Vehicle System).This followed use

of the AV RQ-11A Raven (also operatedby the British and Italian armies) as aninterim ‘Small UAS’. Honeywell’s back-pack transportable Class I system, de-rived from the company’s 7.8-kg ducted-fan Micro Air Vehicle (Mav), weighs 16 kg with two drones. It will provide the dismounted soldier with reconnais-sance, surveillance and target acquisition(RSTA) facilities.

The Class II was to be a vehicle-mounted RSTA system with two hoursendurance (twice that of Class I). Also aducted-fan, the Class II was to be devel-oped by the GoldenEye team, led byAurora Flight Sciences.

The US Army’s Class III was to havean endurance of six hours. An improved(fixed-wing) AAI Shadow 200 ‘TacticalUAS’ was adopted as an interim Class IIIover the Piasecki Aircraft Air Guard,which is based on the Barnett RotorcraftBRC-500 gyrocopter.

To digress, in 1992 another Piasecki(Michael W) had founded Dragonfly Pic-tures (DPI) to develop drone helicoptersfor use in making movies. The company’sDP-5X was proposed by Darpa for ClassIII. In October 2006 firings were con-ducted from the DP-5X with the MetalStorm GE 40 grenade launcher.

� Cargo aircraft� Utility helicopters� Troop transports� Armoured vehicles� Landing ships

Issue 5/2007

MOBILITYMOBILITYMOBILITYMOBILITY

byComplete Guide

This Complete Guidecovers the art of

quickly moving menand their supplies

The Guide to movingYOUR solutions!

Advertising deadline 24 AugustAd material deadline 29 AugustIssue date 21 September

Special distribution at:AUSA Washington, DCDubai Air Show Dubai, UAELima 2007 Langkawi, Malaysia


Com

ple

te G

uid

e

The Class IV system is intended toprovide continuous operation. The 1430-kg Northrop Grumman MQ-8B FireScout helicopter, with an endurance ofseven hours, has been selected for ClassIV, but a Class IVB has now been creat-ed, specifying an aircraft with anendurance of 24 hours. The Army pro-gramme is worth 560 drones but appearsto be drifting to the right, with first flightdelayed to 2008 and IOC possibly as lateas 2014. There are suggestions that earlyproduction MQ-8Bs should be equippedwith the Northrop Grumman AirborneStandoff Minefield Detection System foruse in Iraq in the counter-IED role.

The MQ-8B has also been selected bythe US Navy for operation from its newLittoral Combat Ships.The first Navy MQ-8B had its maiden flight on 18 December2006. Nine Fire Scouts are under contractfor operational test and evaluation.

MarinesThe US Marine Corps plans a three-tiersystem of drones. In the hand-launchedTier I category, the AV Dragon Eye (ofwhich 53 systems are currently deployedin Iraq and five in Afghanistan) is being

replaced by the same manufacturer’sRQ-11B Raven-B, which is now the offi-cial Small UAS (Suas) not only for theUS Marine Corps but also for the USArmy and Socom.

As indicated earlier, the AV Waspmicro drone may very well be acquiredby the US Marine Corps to appear in a‘Sub-Tier I’ class.

The 18-kg Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle isused as the US Marine Corps’s interimTier II, and was deployed to Iraq in 2004.The ScanEagle is also used by the USNavy for oilrig protection in the Gulf, andby the Australian Army in Iraq.Fitted witha heavy fuel engine it has demonstrated anendurance of over 28 hours.

The US Marine Corps’ new Tier II isreferred to by the US Navy (which willalso operate the type) as the ‘Small Tacti-cal UAS’ (Stuas). The US Marine Corpsis buying two of the Army’s 170-kg AAIRQ-7B Shadow 200 systems to study pos-sible commonality. The 140-kg BAE Sys-tems Skylynx II is no longer aimed at filling the Tier II slot.

The current Tier III is the venerablePioneer, which is due for retirement in2015. It will be replaced by a VerticalUnmanned Aircraft System (Vuas),which may be the 1292-kg tilt-rotor BellEagle Eye as selected by the US CoastGuard, the MQ-8B Fire Scout or the Boe-ing A160 Hummingbird. Boeing has alsoproposed the 1400-kg optionally-pilotedUnmanned Little Bird, based on the MDHelicopters MD530F.

Other US rotary-wing drone projects ofnote include the 5443-kg Kaman Aero-space ‘Burro’ based on the K-Max (andnow backed by Lockheed Martin), 620-kgBoeing Maverick based on the RobinsonR22 and the optionally-piloted 512-kg SaicVigilante 496, derived from the American

The Boeing A160 isintended to exploitthe advantages ofa variable-speedrigid rotor. With anew engine and ahigh fuel fraction itis hoped to achieve24-hour endurance.(Boeing)

The Schiebel S-100 has chalked up orders for 100 aircraft, the most significant being 60units plus an option on 20 more from the United Arab Emirates where it is known as theAl Saber and which has already been deployed to Afghanistan. (Armada/EHB)

The Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout has been selected for the US Army’s ClassIV system, and has also been chosen to serve on the US Navy’s new Littoral CombatShips. (Northrop Grumman)

Sportscopter Ultrasport 496. AV is devel-oping the AFRL SkyTote tail-sitter cargo-transport concept. In a much lighter category, the California-based TacticalAerospace Group (Tag) offers a range of lightweights and is working with RTI of Australia to develop recoilless weaponinstallations for these drones.

The most successful European dronehelicopter is undoubtedly Austria’sSchiebel Camcopter S-100, of which over100 have been ordered for three coun-tries. In 2006 Saab unveiled its 150-kgSkeldar V-150, and Eurocopterannounced the formation of the jointventure Vertivision with HélicoptèresGuimbal to develop the VSR 700 Orkadrone project.

WAVECOM ELEKTRONIK AGHammerstr. 8, CH-8180 Buelach, Switzerland, �+41-44-872 70 60, Fax +41-44-872 70 66, Email [email protected], www.wavecom.ch

With the ability to decode more than 150 codes (like STANAG, MIL-STD, INMARSAT ...) our professional systems cover a variety of special applications in military, intelligence and governmental environ-ments. To analyze, classify, decode, monitor, store and process suchtransmissions, WAVECOM ELEKTRONIK AG offers the products and the associated services like training, software modules, consulting and source code.

Our strength: the decoding ofintercepted radio data signalsfrom long wave to satellites.

32

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


A t the upper end of the size spec-trum, developments in unmannedlighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles

depend on progress in high-strength fab-rics, energy storage technologies, light-weight electric motors, thin-film solararrays and ‘paint-on’ aerials.

In principle, an LTA vehicle is an idealapplication for drone technology, since itexploits (to the fullest possible extent)freedom from human endurance limita-tions. However, it remains to be seen howlong it will take the Federal AviationAdministration to routinely approveflights through controlled airspace bylarge unmanned airships

In 2006 Sanswire Networks (whoseparent company is GlobeTel Communica-tions) unveiled a 75-metre-long technolo-

gy demonstrator for its Stratellite solar-powered communications platform, whichwas designed to cruise autonomously or as a remotely-piloted system at up to65,000 ft, giving a radar horizon at around300 nm. Sanswire has claimed to be theonly company that is currently building a rigid, composite-framed high-altitude airship.

Another entity in the LTA drone busi-ness is a team consisting of CyberDefense Systems (a subsidiary of Proxi-ty), its own subsidiary Techsphere Sys-tems International and Sierra Nevada.This last company would integrate thepayload systems for government clients.The team plans three variants of CyberDefense’s Mars (Modular AirborneReconnaissance Systems) project, which

was designed for operation at altitudes of15,000, 20,000, and 65,000 ft.

These efforts may well relate to a USDepartment of Homeland Security plan todemonstrate an untethered LTA platformfor use in border patrol that is capable ofoperating at 18,000 ft for 24 hours.

The smaller Cyber Defense SA-80 air-ship has recently been tested with ‘paint-on’ antennas provided by Applied EM andUnitech. The antennas are described as acombination of polymer-based dielectricsand highly conductive paint.

Since 1928 the facility now known asLockheed Martin, Akron has built morethan 300 airships and several thousandground-tethered LTAs. The company isworking under Missile Defense Agencyfunding to produce a solar-powered, non-rigid High Altitude Airship (HAA) thatwill stay aloft at 60,000 ft with a 200-kgpayload for a month. First flight is sched-uled for 2010.

The production HAA, approximately152 metres long, would be operated by the

At the Paris Air Show of 2005 IAI/Elta Systems presented the EL/I-3330 radar,together with a stabilised day/night electro-optical sensor, mounted on a tetheredaerostat, as a border protection solution for homeland security. (Armada/EHB).

Lighter than Air

Military lighter-than-air drones may well eventuate as derivatives of commer-cial vehicles, which (sooner or later) will be developed as a less costly alterna-tive to communication satellites. Military and commercial interests are probablyboth waiting for a free ride, hoping that the other side will bear the main costof development.

The Northrop Grumman APG-66SR isbased on the F-16A/B radar. It is usedin Tcom’s Small Aerostat SurveillanceSystem and South Adriatic AerostatCoastal Surveillance. (Tcom)

US Army. It would be flown at a height of65,000 ft for up to six months at a time,with an 1800-kg radar using an array oftransmitter/receiver modules wrappedaround its envelope.The plan is to acquireup to twelve HAAs, which (in emergency)could self-deploy anywhere in the worldfrom the Continental US.

In parallel with HAA efforts, Darpa isfunding an Isis (Integrated Sensor Is Struc-ture) programme to establish the techno-logical basis for a stratospheric surveillanceairship, the main purpose of which wouldbe to track difficult airborne and groundtargets, including low-flying cruise missiles.It is envisaged that the airship would havean X-band and UHF-band radar with ahull-mounted Active ElectronicallyScanned Array (Aesa). Northrop Grum-man and Raytheon have received contractsto develop the radar technology.

Based on the results of these studies, adecision will be taken in late FY2009 onthe construction of a one-third scale Isistechnology demonstrator to fly at the endof FY2010, paving the way for initial


Com

plete G

uid

e

operational capability of the productionderivative around 2018.

As a former ‘blimp’ operator, the USNavy remains interested in airship devel-opments and is currently funding Ameri-can Blimp to produce an Advanced Air-ship Flying Laboratory (AAFL) to testsuch elements as bow thrusters for low-speed control, heavy fuel engines andautomated flight controls.The AAFL willbe around 60 metres long and will cruisewith a 450-kg payload at 20,000 ft for upto 48 hours.

Yet another American LTA drone tech-nology development programme is theComposite Hull High Altitude PoweredPlatform (Chhapp), a combined effort bythe US Army, US Air Force, the SouthwestResearch Institute and Aerostar Interna-tional.The first product of Chhapp was theAerostar International Hisentinel, whichin 2005 reached an altitude of 74,000 ftwhile carrying a 27-kg payload.The longer-term objective of Chhapp is to take pay-loads of up to 440 kg to ‘near-space’ alti-tudes for as long as a month.

The US appears destined to lead in thefield of unmanned airships, if only

because of its domestic communicationdemands and immense defence budget.However, other countries may well sharein the global business.

For example, South Korea, with seri-ous ambitions in the aerospace sector,hasits own stratospheric airship programme.The first phase employs a sub-scale (50-metre-long) technology demonstrator inwhich the Korea Aerospace Research

might be described as two conventionalairships side-by-side, joined by a centralstructure that houses batteries, fuel cells,propulsion units and avionics.

Tethered DronesAlthough less spectacular than their free-floating counterparts, tethered LTA(aerostat) drones are in widespread useand are being further developed toimprove their operational utility and easeof deployment.

As with their winged counterparts,LTA drones come in all sizes. At thelower end of the scale, the LockheedMartin/ISL-Bosch Aerospace Reap(Rapidly Elevated Aerostat Platform) isonly 9.5 metres long and has a payloadcapacity of only 16 kg. Funded by the USNavy’s Office of Naval Research and USArmy Materiel Command for use in Iraq,it is normally operated at 300 ft, and car-ries day/night sensors that see out to 33km. Reap, designed for rapid (fiveminute) deployment from a Hummer,was first used in Iraq in late 2003. Itsquick deployment from a ground vehicleis illustrated very convincingly in a videoon boschaero.com.

Bosch Aerospace is now marketingthe BA-R5300 version of Reap, withalmost double the volume and payloadcapacity. The company also has a futuris-tic-looking, free-flying BA-71K projectdesigned to carry a 180-kg payload atover 10,000 ft for days at a time.

The next tethered LTA system inincreasing order of size is the Raytheon/Tcom Raid (Rapid Aerostat InitialDeployment). The Tcom aerostat is 17metres long and has a payload capacity of90 kg. The Raid was acquired by the USArmy specifically for use in Afghanistan,where it is providing operational experi-ence for the joint-service Jlens (JointLand Attack Elevated Netted Sensor)programme, which will employ muchlarger aerostats.

The United States of America’s southern approaches are monitored by the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin Tethered Aerostat RadarSystems (Tars) with Northrop Grumman TPS-63 or E-Lass sensors. (Lockheed Martin)

T he current trend towards the use aerostats as bearers of surveillance radars isenhanced by Elta System’s recent announcement that it markets three familiesof aerostat-based surveillance systems:

� Extended Air-defense Aerostat.This aerostat carries only the ELM-2083 phased-array radar to provide long-range early warning of attacks by low-flying aircraft. In2005 Elta announced that the EL/M-2083 radar had been incorporated into theIsrael Air Force Extended Air Defense Aerostat system.� Homeland Security Aerostat for Border Protection, based on the EL/I-3330 radarwith movement-detection facility and a day/night electro-optical sensor. Unveiled atthe 2005 Paris Air Show, this is a relatively short-range system, employed to watchmovements of personnel and vehicles that would otherwise be obscured by walls,buildings, etc. On the Elta website this is referred to as the Multi-Payload AerostatSystem (Mpas), based on a Tcom 32M aerostat.� Sigint Aerostat, equipped with long-range Elint and Comint sensors. As in theabove cases, the size of the aerostat is determined by the application and operationalconsiderations.

IAI Elta Systems – Latest

«...tethered LTA (aerostat)drones are in widespreaduse and are being further

developed...»

Institute is being assisted by WorldwideAeros of California.

The Italian commercial airship manu-facturer Nautilus was scheduled to fly a16-metre-long subscale version of its 26-metre Elettra Twin Flyer in late 2006.This

34

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


The Lockheed Martin PTDS (Persis-tent Threat Detection Systems) aerostathas about six times the capacity of theRaid. Following an initial delivery in 2004,in November 2006 a contract was award-ed by the US Army for the PTDS withmulti-mission sensors to support coalitionforces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Raytheon Jlens is intended pri-marily to protect overseas-deployed USforces against cruise missile attack, but itwill also be able to track ground targetsand tactical ballistic missiles in theirboost phase. It will be interoperable withthe US Army’s Raytheon Patriot and theNavy’s Standard Missile. In 2005Raytheon was awarded a $ 1.4 billion USArmy contract to develop and demon-strate the Jlens.

The Jlens system will consist of twoaerostats, one with a surveillance radarand the other with a precision track illu-mination radar. The Tcom aerostat is 71metres long and will carry a 2270 kg pay-load. It will operate at 10 to 15,000 ft andhave an endurance of 30 days. Systemtesting is to begin in 2010 and be com-pleted in 2012.

Recent figures from the US Naval Sea Systems Command compare thehourly operating cost of various surveil-lance systems, with a 71-metre land-basedaerostat estimated at $ 610, a NorthropGrumman E-2C Hawkeye at $ 18 000,that company’s Global Hawk at $ 26,500,a General Atomics Predator at $ 5000 and

a helicopter platform (unspecified) at the$ 3500 mark.

The US Navy plans to develop a sea-based, weather-hardened 38-metre aero-stat capable of carrying a 230-kg payload.This will pave the way for a barge-teth-ered 71-metre derivative that will oper-ate at 15,000 ft.

The US Marine Corps Marts (MarineAirborne Re-Transmission System) is acommunication relay vehicle 32 metreslong with a 230-kg transponder payload.The contractors are Saic and Tcom. TheMarts is designed for operation in windsup to 90 km/hr and to survive lightningstrikes and small arms punctures.

Although operated by the US AirForce, the Lockheed Martin Tars (Teth-

ered Aerostat Radar System) was devel-oped primarily to provide low-level radarsupport for US federal agencies in inter-dicting drug supplies from the south. Theaerostat is 63 metres long and carries a545-kg payload in the form of NorthropGrumman’s TPS-63 or the Enhanced –Low Altitude Surveillance System (E-Lass) radar at a height of 12 to 15,000ft. Endurance is up to 30 days.

To minimise problems in operatingtethered aerostats in high winds, AllsoppHelikites in Britain has developed theHelikite, which is a combination of bal-loon and kite. Proposed as a communica-tion relay or sensor platform optionallyarmed with two Navair Spike missiles, theHelikite forms the basis of CarolinaUnmanned Vehicles’ Lightweight Aero-stat System.

In terms of export sales of radar-equipped aerostat drones the clear leaderappears to be Tcom, with its 71-metredesign which has been sold to India, Israel,Kuwait and the UAE. Tcom’s small 32-metre aerostat has been purchased byItaly for the South Adriatic AerostatCoastal Surveillance programme.

China has reportedly bought theAugur/RosAeroSystems Au-21 Pumaaerostat with NIIS/Leninets Novella/SeaDragon radar for surveillance of the Tai-wan Strait.The Puma can carry a payloadof 2250 kg (compared to 1600 kg for theTcom 71M) and remain in the air for 25days at up to 16,400 ft.

Elta Systems’ Aerostat ProgrammableRadar (APR) is a derivative of theground-based EL/L-2080 Green Pine,designed specifically for installation onTcom’s 71M aerostat. (Tcom)

The Unmanned Bomber: the Ucav

For a few years now, an entirely new field of unmanned aircraft is beingexplored, with ups and downs. The main problem is to define the requirement,as nobody knows whether or not this category will be able to replace the tra-ditional strike aircraft.

France is supporting the Dassault-ledNeuron demonstrator programme

F ollowing the termination of the USAir Force/Navy J-Ucas (Joint-Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle)

programme in FY2007, the latter servicehas issued an RFP for a $ 1.9 billion, six-year technology demonstration pro-gramme (Ucas-D). Boeing is expected tooffer the X-45N, which is derived from

the X-45C demonstrator, while NorthropGrumman offers the X-47B. The produc-tion N-Ucas might nonetheless eventuateas a derivative of the Lockheed Martin F-35. The US Air Force is planning amuch heavier manned/unmanned Long-Range Strike (LRS) aircraft on a muchlater timescale.

Europe’s principal Ucas effort is stillthe Dassault-led, six-tonne Neuron, forwhich France’s DGA signed a € 405 mil-lion initial development contract in early2006.

Others involved include Alenia Aero-nautica, Eads-Casa, Hellenic AerospaceIndustries, Ruag Aerospace, Saab andThales. The Neuron is scheduled to fly in2011.

If only because of their manned fight-er purchases, none of the associatedcountries has an urgent need for astealthy strike drone, hence it is difficultto envisage such an aircraft entering serv-


Com

plete G

uid

eice before around 2030. Nonetheless, sev-eral European countries are fundingnational Ucas programmes, such as

Britain’s BAE Systems Taranis, Ger-many’s Eads Barrakuda, Italy’s AleniaAeronautica Sky-X, Russia’s Yakovlev

Proryv (Breakthrough) and the light-weight Voron and Sweden’s SaabAerosystems Filur.

While Dassault, Alenia, Eads-Casa, Hellenic Aerospace Industry, Ruag Aerospace, Saab and Thales are focusing their efforts on theNeuron, other companies like BAE Systems with the Taranis and Eads with the Barrakuda (seen here) have decided to proceed withtheir own development programmes. (Eads)

In spite of their involvement in the Neuron programme, both Saab and Alenia continue with the development of their own Filur (left)and Sky-X scaled-down demonstrators. (Saab and Alenia)

Muscles & Brains

Often overlooked when discussing unmanned vehicles are their engines andsensors, although Armada has recently visited these two aspects in past issues(1/2007 for the engines and 2/2002 for the payloads). However, since devel-opments are going apace, this is an update on available systems.

Bental’s motor is small butpacks 1200 Watts

Small turbojet engines in the 4.5 to 23-daN thrust range are available fromcompanies such as JetCat Germany.

Developed for aero modellers, they areused in the Eads/Dornier DT25/35 targetdrones series. Spain’s Artes Jet Microtur-bines and AMT Netherlands are develop-ing military turbojets of 35 and 67 daNthrust respectively.

The Elbit-owned UEL produces mostof the rotary engines used in drones, fromthe 28.3-kW AR731 to the 67.1-kWAR682R.The 40.4-kW Diamond EnginesIAE 50R powers the Schiebel S-100.

There is more variety in piston engines.The 85.5-kW BRP-Rotax 914F hasenjoyed considerable success in the Preda-tor series but has been replaced by the

Thielert Centurion 2.0 heavy fuel engine(HFE) in the Warrior development.

Italy’s Zanzottera Technologies beganwith engines for the Meteor target series;now produces the 29-kW 498ia and isdeveloping a 60-kW HFE. Germany’sHirth is developing a 20 to 80-kW familyof two-stroke HFEs, and a Denel-modi-fied 37-kW Limbach L550E is used in theformer company’s Seeker II drone.

For lightweight drones, hobbyists’ pis-ton engines are available from manufac-turers such as America’s Desert Aircraft.Germany’s 3W Modellmotoren, China’sGMS and JBA, the Czech Republic’sZDZ, Italy’s SuperTigre and Japan’s OSEngines.

In aiming for extreme endurance, AVand Boeing (possibly Northrop Grumman)are working on piston engines that burnliquid hydrogen fuel.

Thanks to advances in brushlessmotors and rechargeable batteries, elec-tric power (giving silent operation) hasbecome a realistic option in both cost andweight terms for small drones.Whether itis a good approach for lightweight Vtoldrones is more controversial.

Lithium polymer (Li-Po) batteries arethe current standard in hobbyists’ modelaircraft, but it is noteworthy that a lithi-um-ion (Li-ion) battery by TelcordiaTechnologies is used in the Wasp microdrone. Near-term battery material devel-opments include bi-polar lithium-ion andlithium sulphur (Li-S).

36

Com

ple

te G

uid

e


The quest for longer sorties is drivingdesigners toward combinations of differ-ent powerplant types. For lighter drones,Bental is developing hybrid units, with aninternal combustion engine of highpower/weight for take-off and cruise,during which it charges the batteries, andan electric motor for quiet operation inthe target area.

Israel’s Bental is to unveil at Idef inAnkara in May its latest propulsion sys-tem for drones up to eight kilograms.Fea-tured in this subtitle picture, it weighsonly about 450 gm but delivers 1200Watts. For large drones with endurancesof days, solar power will in the longerterm be combined with fuel cells.

Radar SensorsDrone sensor types cover a broad spec-trum, from LTA radars with footballfield-size active electronically-scannedarrays (Aesa) to air-sampling ‘sniffers’for mini drones. This subject wasreviewed in our previous issue (Armada2/2007), and the following notes areintended only to recap on a few high-lights.

In the field of aerostat radars, NorthropGrumman took the sensor used in the F-16A/B as the basis for its APG-66SRused in Tcom’s 32-metre aerostats sold toItaly. Northrop Grumman is also responsi-ble for the TPS-63 and the improved E-Lass radars. Some US Air Force Tars(described earlier) are being upgradedfrom the Tcom 71M aerostat with E-Lassto the Lockheed Martin 420K aerostatwith the same company’s L-88(V)3 radar,with an 5.2 � 8.8-metre antenna.

Lockheed Martin is also the contrac-tor for MDA’s HAA airship radar, whileRaytheon is responsible for the USArmy’s Jlens radars.

Israel’s contribution is the Elta SystemsAerostat Programmable Radar (ARP),which was designed specifically for instal-lation on the Tcom 71M. The ARP isderived from the ground-based EL/L-2080Green Pine radar. It is believed that boththe ground-borne and airborne systemshave been purchased by India.

In the Sar (synthetic aperture radar)fixed-wing drone field, the most signifi-

cant developments are the NorthropGrumman/Raytheon MP-Rtip (Multi-Platform – Radar Technology InsertionProgram) for the Global Hawk Block 40,and the Tips (Transatlantic IndustrialPartnership for Surveilance) Tcar for theAGS version of RQ-4, based on MP-Rtipand Sostar-X technology.

However, lighter drones can also beequipped with effective Sars. The GeneralAtomics Lynx radar has been selected bythe US Air Force for the MQ-9A and bythe US Army for the Warrior.The GermanArmy’s 30-kg EMT Luna drone has beentested with a Misar (Miniature Sar) devel-oped by Eads Defence Electronics.

Likewise, the Selex PicoSar, weighingless than ten kg, has been tested on the320-kg Falco drone and the MiniSar devel-oped by Sandia Laboratories and pro-duced by Rockwell Collins has tested onLockheed Martin’s 82-kg SkySpirit.

The turreted sensor systems producedby companies such as Denel, Elbit, FlirSystems and Sagem were reviewed in ourprevious issue. a

Index to AdvertisersAAI 13

Armada International 29

Athena 31

AUVSI C3

AV, Inc. 7

Denel 27

EDO 31

Elbit Systems 23

Honeywell 3

IAI 5

Northrop Grumman C2, 9

Raytheon 15-17, C4

Ruag 11

Schiebel 25

Wavecom Elektronik 31

These beautifullymachinedcomponents arefrom South Africa’s16-daN BairdMicro TurbinesBMT-160-KSturbojet, which isbeing furtherdeveloped for atarget application.(Armada/RB)

One of the most important Sars is the Northrop Grumman/Raytheon MP-Rtip (Multi-Platform– Radar Technology Insertion Program), shown in a flight trials pod. (Northrop Grumman)

Synthetic aperture radar techniqueallows high-resolution to be achievedwith a small antenna, as illustrated bythis Eads Misar (Mini-Sar) sensor on anEMT Luna. (Eads)

Volume 31, Issue No. 3, June/July 2007

INTERNATIONALis published bi-monthly in Zurich, Switzerland.

Copyright 2007 by Internationale Armada AG,Aeulestrasse 5, LI-9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Head Office: Armada International,Thurgauerstrasse 39, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland.Phone: (+41 44) 308 50 50, Fax: (+41 44) 308 50 55,e-mail: [email protected];www.armadainternational.com www.armada.chPublisher: Caroline SchweglerPublishing Director: Peter StierlinEditor-in-Chief: Eric H. BiassEditor/Artwork: Johnny KegglerAdministration: Thomas Schneider, Marie-Louise Huber

Regular Contributors: Roy Braybrook, Mark Huntiller,Ian Kemp, Doug Richardson, Hugh Jameson

Advertising Sales OfficesAustria, Germany, Nordic Countries, SwitzerlandCornelius W. Bontje, Holzwiesstrasse 35, CH-8645 Jona.Phone: (+41 55) 216 17 81,e-mail: [email protected]

FrancePromotion et Motivation, Odile Orbec, 21, Boulevard du Parc,FR-92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine. Phone : (+33 1) 41 43 83 00,e-mail: [email protected]

United KingdomMichael Elmes, Five Oaks, Cansey Lane, Bradfield,GB-Manningtree, Essex CO11 2XE. Phone: (+44 1255) 871 070e-mail: [email protected]

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)Laguk Co. Ltd., Yuri Laskin, Krasnokholmskay nab., 11/15,app. 132, RU-115172 Moscow. Phone: (+7 495) 912 13 46,e-mail: [email protected]

SpainVía Exclusivas, Macarena Fdez. de Grado, Viriato, 69 – Sotano C,ES-28010 Madrid. Phone: (+34 91) 448 76 22,e-mail: [email protected]

Eastern USA – East of the Mississippi RiverMargie Brown, 4775 Mallard Court,Warrenton, VA 20187-2500. Phone: (540) 341 7581,e-mail: [email protected]

Western USA – West of the Mississippi RiverDiane Obright, 810 Val Sereno Drive, Olivenhain, CA 92024.Phone: (858) 759 3557, e-mail: [email protected]

USA – Special ReportsGene Selven, 7291 Coronado Drive, Suite 8,San Jose, CA 95129. Phone: (408) 996 7400,e-mail: [email protected] other countries: contact the Head Office

Annual subscription rates:Europe: CHF 168. + 30. (postage)Overseas: USD 168. + 30. (postage)

Controlled circulation: 22,573, certified by ABC/WEMF, valid from autumn 2006.

Printed by Karl Schwegler AG, 8050 Zurich/SwitzerlandISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:1996 certifiedArmada International, ISSN 0252-9793, is published bi-monthly by Internationale Armada AG and is dis-tributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville PA.Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA.POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Armada International, c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA17318-0437.

ISSN: 0252-9793 USPS 574450

ABC

More exhibition space� Over 230,000 gross square feet

(over 70,000 square meters)

More exhibitors� 265 exhibitors in 2006

More visitors� Over 4,000 visitors expected

in 2007

August 6-9, 2007Washington Convention Center

Washington, DC, USA

THE WORLD’S LEADING

UNMANNED SYSTEMS SHOW

“ All the leading

companies in

unmanned systems

were present.”

“ Good variety of attendees

and exhibitors.”

“ There were so many different

nations represented.”

“ Great event…best ever for

the industry.”

“ Very good opportunity to develop

new teaming opportunities and

review new products.”

Here

’sw

hat a

ttend

eesare saying…

For more information, please call +1 703 845 9671 or visit www.auvsi.org

s i n c e 1 9 7 3

ATTENDEES &EXHIBITORS FROM:

Australia

Austria

Brazil

Canada

China

Columbia

Finland

France

Germany

India

Israel

Italy

Japan

Korea

Mexico

Poland

Philippines

Scotland

Singapore

Spain

Sweden

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

…AND MORE

Directed Energy Solutions

www.raytheon.com

© 2007 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved. “Customer Success Is Our Mission” is a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Innovation. At the speed of light.Innovation. At the speed of light.

Imagine affordable security solutions with an infinite magazine, surgical precision, and speed of light velocity. At Raytheon, we’ve done more than imagine them — we’re actively building and delivering them, harnessing electromagnetic energy to create revolutionary capabilities for customers worldwide. Raytheon has developed, tested, and fielded the widest array of Directed Energy solutions in the world. Our unmatched expertise translatesinto innovative technologies that protect aircraft, defend against missile and mortar attack, and provide a next-generation advantage — yet remain cost-effective and fully interoperable with today’s systems and platforms.

Armada 2007-3 - Drones

Documents

Transcript of Armada 2007-3 - Drones