UAV Annual Survey
Written by Dennis McCafferty
SOTECH 2010 Volume: 8 Issue: 6 (August)
As the Demand for Unmanned Aircraft Increases,
So Does the Technology to Support It.
In rough weather or fair, above a bustling city or a sprawling mountain range, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a mission-critical component of special operations strategies every day. These systems are now depended upon to conduct surveillance, patrol borders, record images and complete reconnaissance/targeting missions. Given that these UAVs are able to do what special ops men and women often once did in person, there’s an inherent safety value in deploying them more than ever. And these systems are getting increasingly sophisticated, providing even greater value to those in combat. Here are the latest details and specs on a number of UAVs that are currently in demand:
The Maveric
Capable of being transported and operated by a single person, the Maveric from Prioria Robotics Inc. uses a patented technology to enable it to fly in 25 knot-sustained winds with gusts of up to 35 knots. Its bendable wings allow it to be stored fully in a 6-inch diameter tube. With what Prioria has named its Merlin platform, the Maveric allows images and vision-based control to be processed onboard the UAV to reduce reliance on ground-station communication. Merlin enables image stabilization and recording, digital zoom and collision detection.
The operator can pilot the Maveric with software that supports mission planning, real-time video display, image stabilization, flight plan changes, and launch and landing control. It has six flight modes: navigation, altitude, loiter, rally, home and manuallydirected flight from the operator. Other specs include a wingspan of just under 75 centimeters; a length of just over 67 centimeters; and a weight of 1.16 kilograms. Altitude ranges from 30 to 152 meters with a maximum operating altitude of 7.62 kilometers. The stall speed is 18 knots and the cruise speed is 26 knots. It dashes at 55 knots and its endurance is 45 to 90 minutes, depending upon configuration.
ScanEagle
The ScanEagle has emerged as quite the “go to” UAV for special operations and other DoD needs. This year, it’s accounted for 22 percent of the total 550,000 hours that the Office of the Secretary of Defense estimates unmanned aircraft fly annually to support combat missions for U.S.armed forces. In one high-profile incident, it assisted with the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips last year on the USS Bainbridge.
From Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boeing, the ScanEagle is a low-altitude, longendurance, autonomous aircraft. It’s mounted with either an electro-optic or infrared camera onboard, with a gyro-stabilized turret that allows the operator to track stationary or moving targets without re-maneuvering the aircraft. It can fly stealth missions undetected, and adverse weather is no problem. In 2009, Boeing received a contract with a potential value of $250 million from USSOCOM to use the ScanEagle, with Boeing/ Insitu operating, maintaining and supporting the ScanEagle’s systems for the Special Operations Forces Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System for five years.
At 4.5 feet long with a 10-foot wingspan, it can be launched, operated and retrieved from close-support locations, mobile vehicles and small ships. More recent versions of the ScanEagle have included higher resolution cameras, a heavy fuel engine to meet system safety/logistics requirements aboard maritime vessel, improved video-transmitter systems and other enhancements. Other specs include a 28.8 pound empty-structure weight; horizontal speed of 80 knots; cruising speed of 48 knots; a surface ceiling of 19,500 feet and endurance of more than 24 hours. Also from Insitu: NightEagle, which is a modified ScanEagle unmanned aircraft with a cooled mid-wave infrared imager for night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as situational awareness in dust storms and rain. NightEagle is available as an upgrade to ScanEagle.
Global Hawk
Northrop Grumman’s high-altitude Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy, giving military decision-makers realtime information regarding enemy location, resources and personnel. Talk about Hawk-eye vision: The system currently carries an integrated sensor suite consisting of an electro-optical and infrared sensor and a synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator—with cloud-penetrating capability (in day or night) to image an area the size of the state of Illinois (that’s 40,000 nautical square miles) in just 24 hours. Through satellite and ground systems, the imagery can be relayed in near real-time to battlefield commanders.
It’s not only a depended upon unmanned system for the warfighter, but an asset for domestic needs, including homeland security, border/ coastal patrols and disaster relief. It began supporting overseas contingency operations immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and has provided Air Force and joint war fighting commanders with more than 17,000 hours of near real-time, highresolution intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance images to support Operation Enduring Freedom, during which it flew more than 60 combat missions and logged more than 1,200 combat hours. Since then, the system has continued its operational support by logging more than 30,000 combat flight hours with 95 percent mission effectiveness. The Block 20 version of the Global Hawk can carry up 3,000 pounds of internal payload and operate with two-and-a-half times the power of its predecessor, the Block 10. Its opensystem architecture—a ‘plug and play’ setup—can accommodate new sensors and communication systems as they are developed to help military customers quickly evaluate and adopt new technologies. Specs for the Block 20 include a wingspan of 130.9 feet and 47.6 feet in length, and a maximum gross takeoff weight of 32,250 pounds. Payload is 3,000 pounds and maximum altitude is 60,000 feet, with a maximum endurance of more than 32 hours.
Block 30 aircraft will be able to carry the advanced signals intelligence payload (ASIP) for high and low-band electronic signals collection. Plans for Block 40 aircraft include integrating the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP), which is an advanced air-to-surface/air-to-air radar currently under contract for the U.S. Air Force.
Shadow 200
The Shadow 200, from AAI Corp., is used for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition for special forces groups and other Army and Marine customers. Recently announced as the winner of a $31.4 million award to provide the Shadow 200 for Swedish armed forces, AAI’s UAV comes with an interoperable One System ground control station (OSGCS) to receive and disseminate battlefield video. The OSGCS allows for interoperability among international military forces by supporting the operation of numerous different unmanned aircraft systems used by allied forces. A single Shadow system includes four aircraft; two OSGCS systems and ground data terminals; four One System remote video terminals (OSRVTs); a One System portable ground control station; and associated components and support equipment. Specs include a 20-foot wingspan, 11.8 feet in length, a maximum gross weight of 460 pounds, payload capacity of 45 to 80 pounds, and flight endurance of nine hours.
In May, it exceeded 500,000 flight hours, more than 90 percent of which have been in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But such a milestone doesn’t speak to the Shadow’s real value, said Colonel Gregory Gonzalez, project manager of Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office, based at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. “The real significance is what those flight hours represent to the men and women in the Army,” he said. “Those hours represent time flying above our Army formations keeping our soldiers safe as they convoy through perilous environments, time preventing insurgents from emplacing IEDs, time spent finding weapons caches or other high-value targets, or even time spent training unmanned aircraft system operators.”
Bird Eye
IAI’s Bird Eye, now with a 650 version, is so named for its 360-degree point of view, offering operators a continuous targettracking capability even when flying directly above it. The Bird Eye is man-portable and can be deployed by no more than two or three operators. The ground control station is also portable and lightweight, and allows automatic operation of the Birds Eye and its payload. Because it’s so easy to use, operators don’t need any aviation background—they just need to take a two-week course. It’s made for silent operations as well, with an electrical engine with a low-noise signature.
The system requires no runway, and needs a landing distance of just 100 meters in diameter. It also has a unique way of protecting the payload as well: It “flips over” before landing via parachute on its back to utilize absorbing rods. Specs for the 650 were not available, but the 400 comes with a takeoff mass at 4.1 kilograms, a payload at 1.2 kilograms, a wingspan that stretches 2 meters and a minimum length of .8 meters. Endurance is 80 minutes and range is 15 kilometers.
Integrator
Also from Insitu/Boeing, the Integrator is in the final stages of flight testing, and four Integrator air vehicles are scheduled for delivery in 2010. With an 8 horsepower and advanced reciprocating engine, it can carry a 37.5-pound payload for 24 hours. The NanoSAR payload provides high-resolution imagery that can penetrate adverse weather conditions, battlefield obscurants, camouflage and light foliage, allowing radar-enabled area searches over land and sea.
Its electronic fuel injection has been successfully flighttested to accommodate the demands of extreme temperatures and high altitudes, including mountainous terrain. It has reconfigurable payload bays with up to 500 watts for power and still brings to the table the same kind of long-endurance, modular construction and small-system footprint of the ScanEagle. It has a line-of-sight communications range of more than 55 nautical miles, with extended, beyond line-of-sight mission radius of up to 55 nautical miles.
Other specs include a wing span of 16 feet and a maximum takeoff weight of 135 pounds. It commands a maximum horizontal speed of 80 knots, a cruising speed of 55 knots, a ceiling of 15,000 feet and endurance of 24 hours.
Predator
The MQ-1B Predator is a medium altitude, long range, unmanned aircraft. The primary missions are close air support, air interdiction, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR.
The MQ-1B Predator carries the Multispectral Targeting System, or MTS-A, which integrates an infrared sensor, a color/monochrome daylight TV camera, a TV camera with image intensification, a laser designator and a laser illuminator. The full motion video from each of the sensors can be viewed as separate video or fused together. With 115 horsepower and a wingspan of 55 feet, it is capable of flying up to 25,000 feet above the ground. With a range of 770 miles, it can loiter for targets of opportunity to employ two laser-guided AGM- 114 Hellfire missiles which are accurate with low collateral damage, but still provide anti-armor and anti-personnel capability.
The crew for the Predator is a rated pilot to control the aircraft and an enlisted aircrew member to operate sensors and weapons, plus a mission coordinator. The system can be deployed anywhere around the world. The Predator aircraft can be disassembled or flown for travel depending on the needs of the mission. The ground control system and PPSL are transportable in a C-130 Hercules (or larger) transport aircraft. The Predator can operate on a 5,000 by 75 foot (1,524 meters by 23 meters) hard surface runway.
This aircraft has been used extensively in both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operations. It has been used for both surveillance and for direct fire against enemy positions.
The aircraft has an ARC-210 radio, an APX-100 IFF/SIF with Mode 4 and an upgraded turbocharged engine. The latest upgrades, which enhance maintenance and performance, include notched tails, split engine cowlings, braided steel hoses and improved engine blocks.
Bat
Also from Northrop Grumman, the Bat UAS is a multimission family of unmanned air vehicles that can be configured for various tactical missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/ targeting, communications relay, psychological operations and counter-IED. They’re available in 10-foot or 12-foot wingspans, with a larger wingspan variant under development. They include features such as a flexible system of modular payloads, line replaceable units and interchangeable outboard wing sections allowing the UAS mission commander to mix and match payloads, fuel-tank configurations and outboard wings to meet ever-changing mission requirements. The Bat UAS is runway-independent, with a fully autonomous launch and recovery system that travels with the unit to its operational locations. Other specs include a maximum gross takeoff weight of 220 pounds, maximum payload of 75 pounds or of endurance for 20 hours. Performance with a typical 50 pound payload will support up to 13.5 hours of endurance and a top speed during level flight of 89 knots.
AD-150
The AD-150 is American Dynamics Flight Systems high-speed VTOL UAV, developed within the unique requirements of a high-speed maritime-capable VTOL. It has been designed for operations from the flight decks of air capable ships, with the combination of speed, range and endurance to fulfill mission requirements outlined by the USMC, USN and USCG for their respective programs. It’s capable of taking off and landing vertically without a runway, like a helicopter. But unlike a helicopter, the AD-150 is also capable of high-speed forward flight with a maximum speed of 300 knots.
A high torque aerial lift proprietary, key-enabling technology allows the AD-150 to hover, transition to forward flight and maintain a high forward airspeed capability. It can carry a 1,000-pound payload, which allows it to successfully carry out many missions like resupply, maritime patrol, reconnaissance and strike missions. Its specs include a length of 14.5 feet, a wing span of 17.5 feet, maximum takeoff weight of 2,800 pounds and a dual GPS navigation system.
Skate
The Skate, from Aurora Flight Sciences, specializes in missions amid cluttered environments, able to fit easily within existing rucksacks and deliver long endurance on a quiet source of electric power, with multi-domain autonomous operation. It merges the simplicity and endurance of a fixed wing platform with the maneuverability and mission flexibility of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) asset. Independently articulating motor pods allow the Skate UAS to rapidly transition between vertical and horizontal flight. It can transfer from hovering to wingborne flight with endurance and range, to levels characteristic of a fixed wing platform and far beyond those of a traditional VTOL asset, according to Aurora.
The thrust vectoring provided by the motor pods also enables extreme maneuverability, allowing the Skate UAS to fly both vertically and horizontally indoors, enabling rapid navigation of cluttered environments such as city streets or inside buildings. Skate can be used for IED inspection, perimeter security, and reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions. Skate’s modular airframe provides a substantial sensor payload capability, as well as quick deployment and easy field repair.
Specs include a vehicle weight of 2 pounds and system weight of 6 pounds; .5 pound maximum payload; an endurance of one hour; and maximum speed of 50 knots.
Stalker
From Lockheed Martin, the Stalker UAS is aptly named for being a small, silent system that provides long-endurance imaging through an array of environments. It comes with an image-stabilized pan, tilt and zoom capabilities across electrooptical, infrared, low-light and high-def imagers in both day and night scenarios. A custom droppable payload compartment allows special operations teams to precisely drop a small payload from the air. Specs include a maximum take-off weight of 17.5 pounds and a payload capacity of 3.9 pounds. Endurance is 2 hours and cruise airspeed is 32 mph. The wingspan is 9.5 feet and the length is 5.8 feet.
A160T Hummingbird
Whether at sea, open land or a complex urban area, Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird helicopter can help special operations units direct attack, provide communications relays, enable precision resupply and spearhead remote delivery of unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned ground sensors. It can go higher, hover longer and travel greater distances—all while operating much more quietly than current helicopters, according to Boeing. It features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that enables the Hummingbird to adjust the RPM of its rotor blades to maximize efficiency and performance at different altitudes and cruise speeds. In May 2008, it even set a world record for endurance in its weight class for UAVs, flying 18.7 hours refueled. It also successfully completed a 142-knot speed test while in low gear on the two-speed gearbox. The A160T also has made more than 30 successful flights with the Foresterfoliage penetrating radar.
It’s designed to fly 2,250 nautical miles, with endurance in excess of 20 hours carrying a payload of more than 300 pounds. Since 2002, it’s flown more than 100 times, surpassing 300 flight hours. The A160T is 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter and will fly at an estimated top speed of 165 knots at a ceiling of 30,000 feet (pending engine certification for that altitude), which is several thousand feet higher than conventional helicopters can fly today.
Future missions for the A160T include reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, communications relay and precision resupply. In March 2010, the A160T successfully completed an autonomous cargo demonstration for the Marines, delivering at least 2,500 pounds of cargo from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than 5 hours. The simulated mission carried 1,250 pounds over two 150-nautical-mile round trips, with the A160T operating autonomously on a preprogrammed mission.
GoldenEye 80
Also from Aurora Flight Sciences, the GoldenEye 80 UAS was originally developed under the DARPA’s OAV-II Program, with a low acoustic signature heavy fuel propulsion system and NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG)-compliant portable ground control station. It’s a VTOL designed to support mobile small tactical units and can conduct routine clandestine reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions. The mission equipment package provides two full motion video streams, allowing for simultaneous wide field-of-view situational awareness and high resolution infrared imagery for identification, laser range finding and target designation. It consists of up to three aircraft and payloads, a one-man portable STANAG 4586 compliant ground control station, spares and ground support equipment. It can be transported in theater on tactical air and ground vehicles, and can be launched by a single two-man team in minutes. It’s capable of speeds from hover to 80 knots at mission altitudes.
The GoldenEye 80 can support missions up to three hours over an area of interest. Future upgrades include an optional wing set, which will increase air vehicle mission endurance and time over target. Other specs include an empty weight of 130 pounds and maximum payload of 25 pounds, and with a hovering endurance time of three hours. ♦