armada 2005-3 - from sceoticism to sine qua non

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From Scepticism toSine Qua Non

The military drone arena is progressing rapidly, in terms of both technologicalcapability and the dollar value of the business. According to the US Departmentof Defense "UAV Roadmap 2002-2027", about now we should expect to see(for example) a diesel-powered tactical drone fielded, and one that is inaudiblebeyond 150 metres. Its sensor payload should be capable of identifying indi-viduals at 7.5 km, and within two years it should be able to detect targets hid-den under trees. Its datalink should be able to relay the entire comint spectrumin real time. The following report summarises recent developments in eachdrone category.

Hunter II automatic landing

Roy Braybrook, inputs from Eric H. Biass

T he first drones were targets for airdefence systems, and this categoryremains a significant part of the

aerospace business. At the lower end,lightweight piston-engined drones suchas the Eads-Cac Fox TS1 and TS3 stillserve in the development of short-rangeair defences and in the training of opera-tors (although they no longer seem to bestrongly promoted by Eads).

The latest propeller-driven target pro-duced by Meggitt Defence Systems is the210 kg Voodoo, powered by a 108 kWengine. However, sales continue with the17-year old, 95 kg Banshee, equippedwith a 18.6 or 37 kW engine, as evidencedby an order in 2004 by the Finnish ArmedForces. Over 5000 Banshees have beensold to 40 countries. In 2001 it wasannounced that Meggitt and Cobham(which includes FR Aviation) were form-ing a joint venture, Integrated Target Ser-vices, to provide a complete solution toaerial target needs.

The mother of all jet-powered targetdrones was the Ryan (later TeledyneRyan Aeronautical, now part ofNorthrop Grumman Integrated Systems)Model 147, which in 1948 won a contest

that resulted in the AQM/BQM-34 Fire-bee and led to the production of over7000 units. For the 2003 invasion of Iraq,five Firebees (two were ground-launchedand three air-launched from the sole sur-viving US Navy DC-130A) wereequipped with GPS navigation and usedto drop chaff over Baghdad. Interesting-ly, this project is reported to have been aby-product of a Special Operations Com-mand investigation into the use of dronesto resupply otherwise inaccessibleground units.

From the 1960s the Firebee was supple-mented in US Navy service by the samecompany's BQM/MQM-74, named Chukarin the export market. Over 7500 have beenproduced. The BQM-74E version wasintroduced into service by the Navy in 1993is currently being produced at a rate of tenper month and a further contract for anadditional 60 have been awarded in April2005 to the tune of $48.2 million with anoption for another 60 for delivery in 2007.In December 2003 the service awardedNorthrop Grumman a contract to upgradeits BQM-34 Firebee fleet with the controland guidance system of the BQM-74EChukar. The BQM-74F is an extensivelyredesigned development, with longer rangeand an increased speed (Mach 0.92) andmanoeuvrability. Its maiden flight isplanned for the latter half of 2005.

The US Army's equivalent of the Fire-bee and the Chukar is the Raytheon/Composite Engineering MQM-107AStreaker, a 664-kg ground-launcheddrone with a 4.43 kN Microturbo Tri-60engine. Since 1977 the service has used itin the development, testing and trainingof crews for the Patriot, Pac-3, ImprovedHawk and Stinger air defence systems.Since 1984 the US Air Force has used theMQM-107B in air-to-air firings of theSidewinder, Sparrow and Amraam mis-siles. The latest version is the MQM-107E, for which a contract was placed in1994 with Tracor, which is now part ofBAE Systems.

In July 2002 the Composite Engineer-ing Skeeter was selected by the US AirForce as the basis for its next generation

«The first drones weretargets for air defence

systems, and this categoryremains a significant part of

the aerospace business.»

BQM-167A Air Force Subscale AerialTarget (Afsat), to replace the BQM-34Aand MQM-107D/E. The Skeeter hadflown in 2001, and the BQM-167A had itsmaiden flight on 8 December 2004. It willprovide a maximum speed of Mach 0.91and cruise at an altitude between 20 ftand 50,000 ft. CEi is producing 50 peryear under a seven-year US Air Forcecontract. Boeing is reported to be study-ing a BGM-167 multi-role derivative,weighing around 900 kg in ground-launched form, and carrying (for exam-ple) two Hellfire missiles or an electronicattack payload.

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The latest European subsonic targetsinclude the Dornier-Eads single-enginedDo-DT25 and twin-jet Do-DT35 drones,both of which completed qualificationtrials in 2004. The German armed forceswill use both types in the training ofStinger, Roland and Patriot units. Mean-while, Galileo Avionica is developing thejet-powered Locusta mini-target to bereleased from a primary target dronesuch as the Meteor Mirach 100.The 20 kgLocusta is proposed as a secondary targetfor use with air defence systems that areintended to destroy with a direct hit.

Supersonic TargetsThe US Navy's standard high altitudesupersonic target is the air-launched, non-reusable, rocket-propelled Raytheon/Composite Engineering AQM-37. Theoriginal AQM-37A weighed 256 kg atlaunch and was capable of climbing to80,000 ft. The AQM-37C weighs 280 kgand reaches 100,000 ft. The latest AQM-37D is capable of Mach 4.6 at 115,000 ft.The series is employed by the US Navy tosimulate supersonic and ballistic missilethreats, and has been exported to France,

Israel, Italy and Britain. Over 5000 AQM-37s have been produced, and the AQM-37C/D is still enjoying limited productionfor the US Navy.

siles.The Moskit has a range of 120 km anda cruise speed of Mach 2.5. In June 2000Orbital Sciences was awarded the EMD(Engineering and Manufacturing Devel-opment) contract for the Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target (SSST) system.

The resulting GQM-163A Coyote islaunched by a tandem rocket boosterfrom a Standard Missile, and powered bya solid-fuel ducted rocket developed byAtlantic Research. It is designed to cruisefor 100 km at Mach 2.5 at a height of 16ft, and then descend to 13 ft for the 20 kmterminal phase, which is flown at Mach2.3. It is capable of 13.9-G manoeuvres.The avionics are derived from those ofthe Raytheon AQM-37D target. The firstflight by one of six test vehicles tookplace on 18 May 2004. The contractincluded options on a further 90 opera-tional systems through 2006.

The project that lost to the Coyote wasa Boeing proposal to develop an extend-ed-range version of the MA-31 targetvariant of the Zvezda-Strela (later Tacti-cal Missiles Corp) Kh-31A air-launchedanti-ship missile. This has been in servicewith the Russian Air Force since 1988,and is capable of Mach 2.5 at sea level.

The Meggitt Defence Systems Banshee is a highly successful small-scale target availablewith an 18.6 or 37-kW engine. Over 5000 sold to 40 nations. (Armada/EHB)

The Ryan (nowNorthropGrumman)AQM/BQM-34Firebee series hasserved as a target,a reconnaissancedrone and as aplatform to dropordnance andchaff. (NorthropGrumman)

South Africa'sDenel AerospaceSystems hasconsiderable droneexperience. Thishalf-scale model ofthe jet-poweredSkua shows it withtwo 70 kg towedtargets.(Armada/RB)

The 600 kg MA-31 target first flew in1996, and Boeing has delivered at least 61to the US Navy. There are reports of afurther 41 being negotiated.

The US Navy is studying target sys-tems for testing the Raytheon SM-6Extended Range Active Missile, emulat-ing the threat posed by the two-stageNovator 3M54E (SS-N-27), which hasalready been exported. This has a rangeof up to 220 km, largely cruising subsoni-cally at low level. For the 20 km terminalphase it pops up to check the target posi-tion, then detaches a rocket-powered'dart', which attacks the ship at Mach 2.9and a height of less than 30 ft.

DecoysThe air-launched decoy drone is animportant element in reducing the effec-tiveness of air defence systems. Theleader in this field was BrunswickDefense, which developed the Samsonswing-wing glide vehicle.This was licensemanufactured by Israel Military Indus-

For several years the US Navy has hada requirement for a target to represent theRaduga 3M80/82 Moskit (SS-N-22 Sun-burn) anti-ship missile in testing theEvolved Sea Sparrow and Standard Mis-


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tries (IMI) in the early 1980s, and around2000 Samsons were supplied to the USNavy by Brunswick. The improvedADM-141A Tald (Tactical Air-LaunchedDecoy) was then produced for the USNavy, entering service in 1987. Brunswicksubsequently left the decoy business,and from 1996 the Tald became theresponsibility of Israel Military Indus-tries.The Tald has a gliding range of up to100 km, and over 100 Talds were used inthe 1991 Gulf War. The United Kingdommay acquire some surplus US Navy Taldsfor use on the Harrier GR7/9.

The ADM-141D Improved Tald (Itald) has a 0.79 kN Teledyne Continen-tal J700-CA-400 turbojet, and a range ofup to 280 km. It first flew in 1996, and theF/A-18 can carry up to 20 units.The chaff-dispensing version weighs 172 kg and thejammer 181 kg. IMI is upgrading USNavy stocks of around 6000 Talds to Itald standard and has recently teamedwith Northrop Grumman to furtherdevelop the concept.

In 2003 the US Air Force selectedRaytheon for its low-cost Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (Mald), which is cur-rently in the SDD (System Development

and Demonstration) phase. It is due to flyin 2006 and will be used initially on the F-16 and B-52. The Mald is a swing-wing115-kg air vehicle with a 0.67 kN Hamil-ton Sundstrand TJ-150 engine, which wasmade possible by Darpa's Sengap (SmallEngine Advanced Program). It is tocruise at Mach 0.91 at 40,000 ft and pro-voke 'double-digit' air defence systems(i.e., SA-10 and above) into disclosingtheir positions. Unit cost is required to beless than $ 125,000. Low-rate initial pro-duction is to start in 2007 and deliveriesshould be completed by 2011. In 2004 theUS Air Force decided to support an elec-tronic attack version, the Mald-J,equipped with a jammer.

MicroIn 1995 Darpa began funding studies ofmicro air vehicles (dubbed Mavs),defined as having a wingspan of less than15 cm and a weight of less than 100 gram.One of the main beneficiaries wasAeroVironment, which in August 2000demonstrated the 80 gram Black Widow,which was powered by a lithium batteryand capable of downlinking real-time

colour video. The company subsequentlydemonstrated its Microbat ornithopterweighing less than 15 gram, and in August2003 achieved a duration of 107 minuteswith its Wasp drone powered by a lithium-ion battery. It has a span of 33 cm and aweight of 170 gram. In March 2003AeroVironment flew its 38 cm, 170 gramHornet, the first powered solely by ahydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is carried inthe form of pellets, which produce the gaswhen in contact with water, and oxygen iscollected from the airflow over the wing.

America leads in the micro field, butseveral other countries are also involved.At the start of 2003 Israel Aircraft Indus-tries made its first flight with the Mosqui-to 1, which has a span of 34 cm and aweight of 250 gram. It has since flown upto 40 min with a video camera.The largerMosquito 1.5 weighs close to 400 gramand has improved avionics and anendurance of about 60 min.

Eads-Dornier has developed the Do-DT25 and Do-DT35 jet-powereddrones for use by the German armedforces in the training of Stinger, Rolandand Patriot units. (Eads)

The NorthropGrumman BQM/MQM-74 can inprinciple be air-launched. It isshown heremounted on aspecial adaptor ona DC-130 Firebeepylon. (NorthropGrumman)

Darpa's Mav programme usefullyencouraged development of very lightequipment components, but it is still notclear if micros have any practical militaryrole, bearing in mind their sensitivity towind and their invisibility.

One way to achieve a useful time-on-station (e.g. 20 min) is to develop a ’perch-and-stare‘ design, which suggests a heli-copter, a ducted fan or an entomopter(insect-like winged device). Innovativework in the rotary-wing field includes theUS Naval Research Laboratory Samara,which employs two single-blade contra-rotating rotors that are stopped to form afixed wing in forward flight. For ento-mopters, work has been done by the Geor-gia Tech Research Institute on a recipro-cating chemical muscle (RCM).

In discussing Raytheon's Mav work,company representatives at Farnboroughin 2004 spoke of a back-packable flyingwing design of 30 to 40 cm span (i.e., overtwice the span in the Darpa definition),requiring at least a year of further devel-opment work. Eight to ten would be usedsimultaneously by a platoon. Europeaninterest in this area is evidenced by the .53kg, 49-cm span Carolo, being developed byMavionics under Rheinmetall funding.

In late 2004 the US Army announceda Mav competition with cash prizes, spec-

The mother of all decoys is the swing-wing Brunswick Defense Samson, which wasproduced under licence by IMI and also supplied to the US Navy. (Armada/RB)


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ifying a maximum dimension of 20 cm, amaximum weight of 150 grams, and a 30-minute endurance at 500 metres radius.The drone is required to be capable of a1000 ft ceiling, autonomous operationbeyond line-of-sight and to be quieterthan 60 dB. It must also survive 37 km/hrgusts and use a launch device weighingless than two kg.

MiniWhatever the future for micros, thereappear to be better short-term prospectsfor somewhat larger (though man-portable) mini-drones that are eitherground-launched, or deployed in-flightfrom larger drones or manned aircraft.

The air-launched category is exempli-fied by the NRL-developed 26.8-kg, pis-ton-engined, folding-wing Finder (Flight-Inserted Detector Expendable forReconnaissance), which has been releasedfrom a General Atomics Predator-A. It isenvisaged that a drone such as the Findercould be used for atmospheric sampling inan area contaminated by chemical agents,either passing sensor data back to Preda-tor for onward transmission or takingsamples for later analysis by ground

forces. The Finder has an endurance oftwo hours at 90 km radius.

The Raytheon SilentEyes is anunpowered mini-drone, designed to per-form bomb damage assessment (BDA)

ting near real-time (NRT) video.Raytheon has built about 20, and it wasfirst released from a light aircraft overNellis AFB, Nevada, in September 1999.The US Air Force has funded trials of therelease from a Predator-B, and the firsttook place over Edwards AFB, Califor-nia, in July 2004.

In larger categories, there is a tenden-cy to overlap with air-to-surface missiles.The Boeing Dominator project envisagesan expendable drone weighing less than50 kg, with an unfolded span of 3.7metres, launched from a stealth aircraft.Dominators would be released in salvoesof three or four at high altitude, merginginto swarms of up to 24 vehicles. Eachwould carry three warheads, initially inthe form of Skeet anti-armour devices.Two warheads would be released in flightand the third used in a terminal dive.

Hand-LaunchedThe operational leader in the field ofhand-launched reconnaissance droneswas the battery-powered, 4.5 kg AeroVi-

The turbojet-powered Israel Military Industries Improved Tald or Itald is the latestderivative of the Samson concept, but IMI has teamed with Northrop Grumman onfuture developments. (Armada/RB)

One of the moreinteresting débutsat Farnborough2004 was that ofRaytheon'sSilentEyes glidevehicle, designedto be ejected froman ALE-50countermeasuresdispenser.(Armada/RB)

after being ejected rearwards from anALE-50 countermeasures dispenser. TheSilentEyes has an unfolded span of 0.7metres, and a glide ratio of nine-to-one. Itdescends at around 1000 ft/min, transmit-

ronment FQM-151 Pointer, which has awingspan of 2.74 metres and anendurance of 60 minutes. It first flew in1986 and has been used by the US Armyand Marine Corps since 1989. The Point-er was employed in the 1991 Gulf Warand has subsequently seen service withthe US Navy. The AeroVironment Raven is described as a smaller cousin,weighing only 2.3 kg, although maximumendurance is 90 minutes. It first flew in2001, and 185 have been produced for USSpecial Forces and the US Army forassessment in Afghanistan and Iraq.Based on this experience, the US Armynow plans to competitively purchase 600to 1100 small drones for wider use.

Israeli interest in drones of aroundPointer size is demonstrated by a series ofrecent projects. Elbit Systems is now mar-keting the hand-launched Skylark IV,which weighs 4.5 kg, and has a 2.0 metrewingspan and an endurance of 90 min-utes. The Skylark has been chosen by theIsraeli Defense Force (IDF) to fulfil itsmini-drone requirement (deliveriesbegan on 31 March 2005). It was report-edly the only contender capable of rou-

A soldier of the US Army's 101st Military Intelligence Battalion prepares for flight anAAI RQ-7 Shadow 200 at Forward Operating Base Baqubah in Iraq. (US Army)


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tinely landing within five metres of theoperator, a feat that is achieved by meansof a deep-stall terminal descent, impact-ing on its ventral airbag.

Israel's Aeronautics Defense SystemsOrbiter is a flying wing design with alaunch weight of 6.5 kg, a span of 2.2metres and an endurance of 90 minutes.The IAI Malat division has recentlyunveiled its Bird Eye 500, which has aweight of 5.0 kg, a span of 2.0 metres anda 60-minute endurance. It may be hand- orbungee-launched. IAI's I-See appears tobe a rival to the Skylark IV and Orbiter,with a reported weight of 7.5 kg and a spanof 2.9 metres.Aimed more at law-enforce-ment, the IAI Bird Eye 100 is a low-cost1.3 kg air vehicle with a span of 85 cm andan endurance of 60 minutes.

In Germany, EMT (which also manu-factures the Luna that has seen extensiveuse in Kosovo) has recently received anorder for 115 Aladin electrically poweredmini systems with deliveries to start inAugust 2005. Each system comprises twoaircraft for one portable station.

South Korea's Remo Eye 006 has alaunch weight of 6.0 kg and an enduranceof over 90 minutes. It is marketed byUcon Systems, which also owns the rightsto the Korea Aerospace Research Insti-tute Durumi or Remo Eye 015, reported-

has a span of only 1.15 metres. It is bungeelaunched, powered by two electric motorsand has a maximum endurance of onehour. Recovery is by means of an autopi-lot-commanded deep stall, leading to asteep descent.A version with an extendedspan of 1.6 metres has an endurance of 90minutes. The Dragon Eye first flew in2000, and AeroVironment is now undercontract to produce 342 systems (with1026 air vehicles) in a five-year pro-gramme for the US Marine Corps. A pos-sible US Navy version has been referredto as Sea All (Airborne Lead Line).

In broadly the same weight category,the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk wasdeveloped by the US Air Force Electron-ic Systems Center to meet a 1999 USCentral Command requirement. Thisaimed to improve base security in over-seas deployments, patrolling not onlyperimeters but also runway approach and

departure paths. Formally designatedForce Protection Aerial Surveillance Sys-tem, the Desert Hawk is battery poweredand bungee launched, and can be operat-ed from a 100-metre square clearing. Thesystem has six air vehicles. The drone,developed from the Lockheed MartinSentryOwl, weighs 2.26 kg and has a spanof 1.22 metres.

US Army PlansCurrent US Army thinking on the small-est practical mini-drone to providereconnaissance, surveillance and targetacquisition is illustrated by its Class IUAV requirement. This describes a“backpackable vtol” drone weighing lessthan 6.8 kg, with an endurance of 60 min-utes. A complete system with two airvehicles and a control unit is to weigh18.15 kg or less. In the Army's FutureCombat System, each of 48 planned Unitof Action will have 69 Class I systems,each with two air vehicles representing atotal of 6624 drones.

In January 2005 Honeywell (with AAIas airframe subcontractor) announcedthat it had begun testing a 33 cm ducted-

ly based on the Aerosonde.The Durumi’smaximum fly-off weight is 15 kg.

Bungee-LaunchThe Dragon Eye was designed to meet aUS Navy/Marine Corps requirementnamed Interim Small Unit Remote Sens-ing System (I-Surss). It weighs 2.04 kg and

The leader in the hand-launched category is certainly the 4.5-kg AeroVironmentPointer. This easy-to-use little drone has been in service with both the US Army and USMarine Corps since 1989. (Armada/RB)

The hand-launchedAladin carries aday camera (aninfrared option willbe availabletowards the end of2005) and has arange of fivekilometres. (EMT)

The NorthropGrumman RQ-8BFire Scout is seenhere in mock-upform atFarborough 2004.It differs from theRQ-8A in having afour-blade rotorand modifiedfuselage.(Armada/RB)


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fan Mav under Darpa funding and thatprototype systems would be delivered tothe US Army three months later for eval-uation in Class I. A heavy fuel engine ver-sion will be available from 2006.The Hon-eywell micro has a gross weight of 5.7 kg,giving a system weight of less than 18 kg.It is inaudible (60 dB) at 100 metres.

It may be useful at this point to digressand outline the remainder of the FutureCombat System family of drones. The fol-

The initial six-month contracts are tobe followed by a nine-month phase for"up to two" contractors, and a third of 33months for one contractor, leading to theSDD phase. As the Future Combat Sys-tem lead integrator, Boeing will managethe Class II programme.

The battalion-level Class IIIs will havea six-hour endurance and a 40 km radiusof action. In addition to the RSTA facili-ties of Class I and II, they will provide

posing a Prospector derivative of the 161kg Rheinmetall Defence ElectronicsKZO (previously Brevel) with a heavyfuel engine. The KZO entered servicewith the German Army in late 2004.Tele-dyne is also reported to be interested inRheinmetall's Taifun attack drone, to berenamed Thunder in US marketing.

The improved RQ-7B began rolling offthe AAI production line in August 2004,using the same 28.3 kW engine as the RQ-7A (the US Army's current standardTuav), but with an increased span (4.27metres) and gross weight (170.5 kg). Max-

The ScanEagle will soon be releasedfrom ships – for the first timeoperationally – by the US Navy.Launched by catapult, it is retrieved byflying into a cable hanging from aspecial arm on the side of the ship.(Boeing)

The Elbit Systems Skylark is positioned to become a new rival for the Pointer, offeringthe advantage of precision recovery by descending steeply in a stalled condition toland on an airbag. (Armada/EHB)

The new Shadow 200 B (RQ-7B) on the left has an improved aerofoil design and awider span (4.27 metres) compared with its brethren on the right. It is slightly longertoo and has a larger air intake but the same engine. Its take-off weight is increased to170.5 kg (vs. 154.5) and endurance to over 7 hours instead of 5+. (AAI)

The AAI RQ-7 Shadow 200 is a lighter derivative of the Pioneer that AAI producedunder agreement with IAI. It will be the US Army's Class III baseline. (Armada/RB)

lowing stage is the Class II, a company-level, vehicle-mounted vtol air vehiclethat can be carried by two soldiers andthat has an endurance of 120 minutes anda radius of 16 km.With 36 two-vehicle sys-tems per Unit of Action, the US Army pre-sumably envisages 3456 Class II drones. InDecember 2004 Darpa awarded contractsto develop prototype Class II ducted-fanair vehicles to Aurora Flight Sciences,BAE Systems and Honeywell Interna-tional.Aurora's GoldenEye team includesNorthrop Grumman and GeneralDynamics Robotic Systems.

Each Class II prototype is required tohave a "dry weight" (a term normallyreferring to an engine without acces-sories) of less than 50.8 kg, an enduranceof two hours and a range of "tens of kilo-metres". It is to use advanced heavy fuelpropulsion and acoustic signature-reduc-tion.Advanced sensors are to provide sit-uational awareness and target designa-tion. It will have non-line-of-sightnetworked communications and a colli-sion-avoidance system.

communications relay, NBC detectionand meteorological data. They must beable to operate without a conventionalairfield.With a single four-vehicle systemper Unit of Action the Army must expectto buy 192 Class III drones.

The AAI RQ-7B Shadow 200 hasbeen selected as the baseline Class III,but Teledyne Brown Engineering is pro-

imum endurance is extended from five tomore than seven hours. The RQ-7 islaunched from a rail and makes a para-chute-arrested landing. AAI also marketsthe 201 kg (RQ-2B Pioneer-size) Shadow400, reportedly sold to the South KoreanNavy, and the 265 kg Shadow 600 whichhas an endurance of 12 to 14 hours and hasbeen sold to Romania and Turkey.


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The brigade-level Class IV UAV willlikewise operate without an airfield,but itwill have much longer endurance (18 to24 hours) and radius (75 km). With eightsystems per Unit and four air vehicles persystem, the US Army market potential isfor 1152 Class IV drones. The NorthropGrumman RQ-8B Fire Scout has beenselected to fulfil this role.

However, Boeing is promoting – atleast as an interim Class IV – anUnmanned Little Bird (ULB) based onthe MD Helicopters MD530F, whichoffers commonality with the AH-6J andMH-6J used by US Special OperationsCommand. The ULB first flew on 8 Sep-tember 2004. Boeing entered theunmanned helicopter field only monthsearlier in taking over Frontier Systems,which had developed the Maverickunmanned version of the Robinson R22.Boeing now provides product support forMavericks operated by the US SpecialOperations Command.

In a similar category, the US Army isusing the Science Applications Internation-

al (Saic) Vigilante 502, an unmanned ver-sion of the two-seat Light's AmericanSportsCopter Ultrasport 496.The Vigilantehas fired Hydra 70 rockets, but it has now

been equipped with nuclear/chemical agentdetection sensors for service in Iraq.

Precision RecoveryLaunching a drone by hand or bungee isa simple and reliable procedure, butappropriate only in the context of slow-flying lightweight vehicles that arelaunched horizontally. There is clearlyscope for launching a somewhat heavier,faster drone using the energy stored in achemical propellant, but one without thevehicular demands of a launch rail.

Rafael has now developed its Skylite(formerly Skylark) system in which adrone with folding aerofoil surfaces isshoulder-launched from a reusable canis-ter, somewhat like a lightweight surface-to-air missile. In a crowded urban envi-ronment it can be launched vertically.

It is recovered by flying it into a net,the procedure used in shipboard opera-tions with the IAI/AAI Pioneer, whichwas given an automatic take-off andlanding capability in 1997.

The current Israeli emphasis on preci-sion recovery is also evident in the case of

the much larger IAI Malat I-View, whichwas designed for battlefield operation, islaunched by catapult and recovered auto-matically by means of a guided parafoil.It has a span of 5.7 metres, a maximumtake-off weight of 125 to 165 kg and anendurance of up to six hours and a rangeof up to 80 km.

An improved I-View has been pro-posed by IAI, teamed with Boeing Aus-tralia, to meet the Australian Army'sJP149 requirement. This would have a6.7-metre wing and a 250 kg gross weight,allowing payload to be increased fromthe standard 30 kg to 80 kg. Other JP149contenders include the AAI Shadow,Elbit Hermes 180 and the ATE Vulture,deliveries of which began to the SouthAfrican National Defence Force in Feb-ruary 2005.

One of the principal examples of fullyautomated recovery is the RangerAutoland Precision Sensor (Raps), whichcontinuously monitors drone position by

Shown being recovered after a winter flight test, the Rheinmetall KZO, formerly knownas Brevel, was developed under joint Franco-German funding. (Rheinmetall)

South Africa's Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE) developed the Vulturespecifically for artillery targeting for the South African National Defence Force.Deliveries began in February 2005. (Armada/RB)

The electrically powered Skylite from Israel’s Rafael has a weight of 6.5 kg, a bodydiameter of twelve cm and an unfolded span of 150 cm. The Skylite can fly for up to60 minutes and boasts a radius of ten km. (Armada/EHB)


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means of a TV camera and laser rangerand transmits the data to the ground con-trol station.The Ruag Aerospace Rangerlands on skids, eliminating the need for arunway. It has a maximum weight of 275kg with a 45 kg payload.Wingspan is 5.71metres.The Ranger has a 31.5 kW engine,which gives it an endurance of six hours.The maximum operating range is rated at150 km.The responsibility for the Rangerproduct support has now been trans-ferred from Oerlikon Contraves (former-ly the prime contractor) over to Rhein-metall-Detec.

Small But PersistentDrones have the potential to providemore persistent surveillance than amanned aircraft. Of the tactical designsso far discussed only the 26.8 kg NRLFinder, with a flight time of ten hours,falls into this category.

Lightweight designs providing a highendurance/weight ratio include the 25 kgDara Aviation D-1 with an endurance of20 hours and the 18 kg Boeing/InsituScanEagle; capable of over 15 hours. The

ScanEagle has been assessed in the con-text of road convoy protection with theFirst Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq,logging some 2400 flight hours in theprocess. In April 2005, the Navy placed a$ 14.5 million contract for an undisclosednumber of systems that will be deployedfrom ships. The ScanEagle is being fur-ther developed toward a 30-hourendurance target.

In broadly the same class, the 9.0 kg Sil-ver Fox manufactured by AdvancedCeramics Research has already per-formed flights of 17.5 hours and is nowbeing developed toward reaching 24hours. It was known earlier as the SmartWarfighter Array of Reconfigurable Mod-ules (Swarm), the concept being to fuzesensor data from multiple drones. It hasbeen used by the US Marine Corps in Iraqas a larger complement for Dragon Eye.The longest endurance so far achieved inthe small drone category is the 40 hours ofthe 15 kg Aerosonde Mk III.

Recognising the shortage of drones inthe small payload, long endurance classNorthrop Grumman is working withSwift Engineering to develop the Killer

be highly stable and to survive launchesat relative airspeeds up to 550 km/hr,allowing it to be tossed out of the back ofa transport, or pylon-mounted (invertedfor positive separation) under the wing ofa turboprop trainer.

Other Tactical Developments In addition to the AAI Shadow 200 dis-cussed earlier, the US Army still operatesthe much heavier (725.7 kg) twin-enginedNorthrop Grumman RQ-5A Hunter,which is due to be replaced by theExtended-Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) drone.The ER/MP is a division-levelasset providing surveillance (twelvehours on station at 300 km) and satcomrelay, with some ground attack capability.A minimum warload of 180 kg isrequired, which would be ample for twoHellfire missiles. Reports suggest that atleast 60 air vehicles will be required, withIOC around 2009.

In January 2005 the Army gave twoteams the go-ahead to start comparativetrials with a view to the SDD contract forER/MP being awarded the following

April. One team is led by NorthropGrumman Integrated Systems andincludes IAI and Aurora Flight Sciences.The resulting Model 397 Hunter II isbased on the IAI Heron, but would usethe ground control station of the existingHunter. The Hunter II, characterised as aMedium Altitude, Medium Endurance(Mame) drone, made its first flight on 27December 2004. By mid-March 2005 thebird had logged 50 flight hours in 14flights. It also demonstrated its automatictake-off and landing capabilities by dayand night (see Northrop Grumman’s pho-tograph in title picture) as well as its abil-ity to perform missions at a range of over300 km and remain aloft for more thantwelve hours. The second team, led byGeneral Atomics and including AAI andSparta, has already demonstrated theWarrior, which is basically a Predator witha heavy fuel engine.The US Army is eval-uating the General Atomics I-Gnat-ER asa potential Hunter replacement.

One of the principal lessons learned informulating requirements for drones isthat there is no substitute for operationalexperience.Around 450 drones of at leasttwelve different types have been

Designed by IAI, and distinguished by its push-pull engine arrangement, the NorthropGrumman RQ-5A Hunter complements the much lighter Shadow 200 in US Armyservice. It is seen here with Bat anti-armour launchers. (Northrop Grumman)

One of Europe'sprincipal tacticalreconnaissancedrones isSwitzerland’s RuagAerospace Ranger,which has a preciseautoland facilityusing TV trackingand laser ranging.(OerlikonContraves)

Bee, a flying wing with a two-metre spanand a 3.2 kg payload, capable of flights of30 hours. Rather than having foldingwings the Killer Bee is designed to bestackable and bungee-launched from theback of a Humvee. It is also designed to

Originally developed by OerlikonContraves (now part of Rheinmetall)the Opats allows the Ranger toautomatically land with a high degreeof precision. (Oerlikon Contraves)

Changhong IC

People’s Republic of China acft/para

2450

na

0.75

1xWP6

R/C (NAI)

CL-289 Piver

Bombardier/Eads rato/para

240

2.00

125

1xBMW

RR T117+s/b

Infrared linescanner

CL-327 Guardian

Bombardier vtol

349

18

6.5

1xWilliams

WTS117-5

Various(FSI,various)

Crecerelle

Sagem cat/para

120

15.0

3.00

1xrecip.engine

Flir (Sagem)

D-1A SR

Dara Aviation car-top/conv

25.0

na

4.00

QA400,37cc2.5h

-1A recon orweather sample

-1D geophys.survey

Dragon Warrior

Sikorsky/United Technologies VTOL113

7.00

1.00

38h

Day colour TV,others notdecided

(10 to 15 kg)pgm

suspended

Eagle 1

Eads/IAI Malat conv/conv

1150

25.0

24.0

1. Rotax914

250 kg EO or EW

Eagle 2

Eads/IAI Malat conv/conv

3600

45.0

24.0

1xP+WCPT6A tp

600 kg EO,EW or Sar

E-Hunter

IAI Malat conv/conv

953

20.0

25.0

2x 64hdual

TV & IR, custom

(IAI Tamam)

Exdrone

BAI Aerosystems cat/skid-para

41.3

na

2.50

1x 8h2-stroke

RangefinderTV,

IR (variousmanufacturers)

Eyeview 1/2

IAI Malat conv/conv

104

5.00

6+

1x 25h

Day/nightimager (various

manufacturers)

Eagle Eye

Bell Helicopter Textron stovl

1021

20.0

8.00

1 model250-C20B

Mine detectection

EO/IR (variousmanufacturers)

A160 Hummingbird

Frontier Systems/Boeing vtol

1814

30

~36

Piston engine+300h

Sar, EO/IR

Aerosky

Israel Aircraft Industries conv/conv

70.31

15

5.0+ Cots EO(manufacturer

not determined)

Aerosonde Mk 1

Aerosonde hand/belly

13.61

21

30

1.2hH-Type

Various(FSI,various)

Aladin

EMT hand/belly

~3.0

low

0.75

1xelectric

Day or IR

Altair

General Atomics conv/conv

3175

52

32

1 x AseTPE331-

10T

880 lbvariousEM/EO

Altus 2


816

65

n/a

1x Rxtwinturbo

Scientific (various manu-

facturers)

ASN-206

Catic cat/para

222

5.50

8.00

1 x37.3kwHS-700

Day/nightTV/IR

Bateleur

Denel conv/conv

1000

25.0

24.0

1x Rotax914 orsubaruEA-82T

Denel Argos orGoshawk/

Avitronics elintor Sar, 200 kg

Camcopter

Schiebel vtol

68

10

6.00

1x 2-stroke

15h

CCD cameraor mine detectors(various

manufacturers)

Camcopter S-100

Schiebel vtol

200

18.0

6.00

1x 55hDiamond

rotary

Day/IR/elint/comint

Carolo P50

Mavionics/Eads hand/belly

0.53

na

0.30

1xelectric

Day

20 21armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2005

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

19

Complete Guide 2005


armada©

Drone specifications

turbineor t-propengine

n/a4.48n/a

1.712.90n/a

0.601.46n/a

11.0319.511.13

7.1916.860.76

3.346.04

-

~10.015.0~0.80

n/a2.68n/a

3.093.40~0.80

0.470.49n/a

3.511.370.40

8.477.530.58

1.834.050.88

2.753.29n/a

1.753.283.05

2.752.75n/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 2-s 2-Stroke

8h 8 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, eitherthe information was not made avail-able or it has not been decided forthat specific portion of the system.

BQM-145A

Northrop Grumman/Ryan Aero cat/para

980

40

2.00

1x tele-dyneCAEF480-CA

100tf

Programmable(TRA)

Pointer

AeroVironment hand/belly

3.60

0.6+

1.00

1xelectric

CCD cameraor IR 0.9 kg

Predator A


862

20.0

40+

1x Rx914

EO, IR, Sar(NorthropGrumman,Wescam)

Predator B


4536

50.0

30+

1x AseTPE331-

10Ttp

Eo, IR, Sar(GeneralAtomics,Wescam)

Prowler II


340

20.0

18.0

1x 65hRx 582

Eo/IR or Sar50 kg

R90

Enics rocket/expend

0.50

1x EnicsM44D

pulse jet

Day/IR

Ranger

Oerlikon Contraves/IAI cat/conv

274

14.8

5.00

1xGoebler-

Hirth42h 2-x

EO/IR sensor(IAI Tamam)

Raven

AeroVironment hand/belly

2.00

10.0

1.30

1x 200kw elec-

tric

IR/EO

RemoEye 006

Ucon hand/belly

6.00

na

1.5+

1x electric

Day or IR

ScanEagle A-15

Boeing cat/cable

18.0

16.0

15.0

1x 1-5h2-stroke

Stabilised dayor IR

Scarab (Model 324)

Northrop Grumman rato/para

1077

na

na

1xTeledyneCAE373

-8C

Program command

(TRA)

SDTI

Sagem cat/para

na

17.0

8.50

1x 70h2-stroke

Sagem 410 TV+ IR

RemoEye 015

Ucon conv/conv

15.0

na

4.00

1x electric

Day or IR

Luna X-2000

EMT cat/para

29.9

10.0

4.00

2-cyl 2-sengine6.70h

CCD camera(various

manufacturers)

Mariner


4763

52.0

49+

1x AseTPE331-

10Ttp

internal 363kg, external

1361 kgvarious

Micro-V

Silver Arrow cat/para

49.9

8.00

5.00

2x 4h,2-stroke

CCD camera,flir

(various manufacturers)

Mirach 150

Finmeccanica, Meteor rato/para

345

30.0

1.30

1xMicro-turbo

TRS 18-1 tj

TV, IR, EW, Sar(various

manufacturers)

Mirach 20


170

12.0

4+

1x 26 h

TV or flir/elint(Meteor)

Mirach 26


200

13.0

7.00

1x 28h

TV, LLTV, flir,elint


Model 395

Northrop Grumman/Scaled Composites conv/conv

5670

40.0

16.0

2xWilliamsFJ 44-2E

tj

Weapons orSar/elint 1360 kg

Muas

Irkut conv/conv

200

20.0

14.0

n/a

50 kg IR and TV

Nibbio

Galileo cat/para

740

40

0.90

Micro-turbo

TRS18-1tf

Flir, ESM, IR,TV, ECM 60 kg

Pchela 1

Yakovlev Design Bureau cat/conv

130

8.20

2.00

1xSamana/Trud P-

03232h

TV or LLTV orelint

Pioneer

IAI/AAI conv, rato/conv

210

15.0

6.50

1xSachs

SF2-350

TV and flir (IAITamam,

Versatron)

Neptune

DRS Technologies cat/belly, para

36.3

8.00

4.00

1x 15h2-stroke

IR or TV or 9 kg

droppable

Hermes 180

Silver Arrowconv, cat/

para,ab,conv

195

15.0

10.0

1x UEL38h

rotary

EO, IR, laserdesignator,

GMTI

Hermes 450

Silver Arrow conv/conv

449

20.0

20.0

1x UELAR-80-101052 hrotary

Tesar Sar, DSPEO, compassflir and CCD

Heron

IAI Malat conv/conv

1098

30.0

50.0

1x 100h

TV and IR, cus-tom (IAITamam)

Heron TP

IAI Malat conv/conv

3502

45.0

24.0

1x1200h

TV and IR, custom

(IAI Tamam,various)245 kg

Hunter

IAI Malat conv/conv

726

15.0

12.0

2x 64hdual

TV and IR (IAI Tamam)

I-Gnat


635

40.0

23.0

1x Rx914

EO, IR or Sar(Wescam)

I-See

IAI Malat cat/belly

7.50

10.0

1.00

1xelectric

Camera 0.8 kg

I-View

IAI Malat cat/para

165

22.0

~5

Piston undis-closed

Pop day plusIR, 30 kg

KZO

Rheinmetall Defence Electronics rato/para

161

13.0

4.50

1x 30hrecipro-cating

Flir(Rheinmetall

DefenceElectronics)

KA-137

Kamov Design Bureau vtol279

16.4

4.00

1x Hirth2706

P05 65h

Various types (various manu-

facturers)

Falco

Galileo conv-cat/conv

350

na

14.0

75hAR682

Flir, colour TVlaser

rangefinder

Fantail

ST Dynamics stovl

3.00

na

na

n/a

Day/nightcamera, chemical sensors

Fire Scout (RQ-8A)

Northrop Grumman vtol

1156

20.0

6.00

1x R-R250-

C20Wtp

EO/IR, laserdesignator,Sar, GMTI

Fire Scout (RQ-8B)

Northrop Grumman vtol

na

na

8.00

1x R-R250-

C20W(4 blade)

EO/IR, laserdesignator,Sar, GMTI

Global Hawk (RQ-4A Tier II plus)

Northrop Grumman conv/conv

11612

65.0

42.0

1x All.AE3007

H tf

Sar/MTI, EO,IR (Raytheon)

Global Hawk RQ-4B

Northrop Grumman/Eads conv/conv

na

65.0

na

1x All.AE3007

Sigint, MP Rtipplus extrapower unit

Gnat-750 (Tier I)


513

20.0

40.0

1x Rotax582

Day TV, flir(Wescam)

GoldenEye 100

Aurora Flight Sciences vtol

70.0

10.0

4.00

n/a

Comint, elint

Hermes 1500

Silver Arrow conv/conv

1496

25.0

24.0

2x Rx914,100hrotary

EM, TV, Sar(various

manufacturers)

Drone Name

Manufacturer launch/recovery

***

**

*

***

**

*

Piston engine

Sensor packages, inmany casesmaximum

sensor payloadweight

10.6710.97n/a

5.493.20n/a

GoldenEye 50

Aurora Flight Sciences vtol

11.0

5.00

1.00

n/a

Day/IR 1 kg

0.76n/a0.29

5.207.200.74

7.018.22n/a

7.018.22n/a

13.4135.351.46

14.5339.621.46

5.4910.670.76

1.682.74n/a

0.701.40n/a

9.3915.02.40

Lengthwingspandiameter

all sizesin meters

6.1010.520.52

4.436.005.08

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

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

4.072.304.00

2.773.260.30

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

6.163.35n/a

3.514.21n/a

endurance

max altitude

take-off weight

Sky-X

Alenia conv/conv

1100

30.0

na

1 tur-bine

200 kg notdefined

Sniper

Silver Arrow cat/para

155

15.0

6+

1x 38h

TV, flir (variousmanufacturers)

Sojka

VTULaSTV cat/pata

145

7.00

2.00

2-cyl 2-stroke29.5h

CCD camera,IR


Sperwer LE

Sagem cat/para

350

20.0

12.0

1x 70h2-stroke

EO/IR, SarSamir MWR

Sperwer/Ugglan

Sagem cat/para250

17

8.00

1x 70h2-stroke

Flir, EW, Sar(Sagem)

Taifun

Rheinmetall Defence Technologies rocket/dive

160

13.0

~10

1-piston30h

Sar +warhead

Traker

Eads hand/belly

7.50

6.50

2.00

1x electric

Day or IR, 1.8 kg

Tu-243 (VR-3 Reys-D)

Tupolev ANTK rato/para

1397

17.0

na

1xIzotovTR-3-

117 tj

TV, IR, radiationdetection

Vulture

ATE cat/para

125

16.0

3.00

1x TTL-Wae342

Optronic daysight (M-Tek)

Warrior


~4536

25.0

na

ThielertCenturion

piston

In development

Yabhon-M

ATS conv/conv

330

na

30.0

1x 60hME 684

Day/IR

Tucan

Atlas Elektronik rato/para

160

13.0

10.0

1x 30hrecip.

IR/TV

Seamos

Eads vtol

1120

15.0

4.50

1x All.250-C20

Radar, EO, flir(Eads-Dornier)

Searcher II

IAI Malat conv/conv

426

19.0

16.0

1x 73hrotary

TV and flir (IAI Tamam)

Seeker II

Denel conv/conv + arrestor

280

18.0

10.0

1x 4-cyl2-stroke

50h

colour camera,multi-sensor,electronic

survey

Sentry

DRS Technologies conv/conv-para

na

10.0

6.00

1x 2-stroke

28h

Video

Shadow 200 (RQ-7A)

AAI conv-cat-rato/para

138

15.0

6+

1x UELAR 741

Various (various

manufacturers)

Shadow 400

AAI conv/conv

203

12.0

5.00

1x UELAR 741

30 kg various

Shadow 600

AAI conv-cat-rato/para

264

17.0

12+

1x UELAR 801

Micro-flir,CCTV (variousmanufacturers)

Shadow (RQ-7B)

AAI rail/conv

171

15.0

7+

1x UELAR 74-100,38h

EO/IR, Tamam,27.3 kg

Silver Fox

ACR cat/para

9.00

1.00

4.00

4-cycleJP5 orFP8

Colour/CCDcameras, flir

Skylark

Elbit Systems hand/belly

na

6.00

2.00

1x electric

Day or IR

Skylite

Rafael tube/belly

6.00

low

1.0+

1x electric

CCD camera

Shmel Yak-61 (Bumblebee)

Yakovlev Design Bureau cat/conv

129

10.0

2.00

Rotary

Day/nightimager (various

manufacturers)

5.858.56n/a

2.936.10n/a

n/a7.00n/a

2.571.90n/a

3.754.270.34

5.003.82n/a

5.187.470.46

3.404.270.34

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

2.102.30n/a

1.403.60~0.10

8.212.26n/a

2.263.41n/a

3.115.210.70

10.3620.12

variable

4.305.70~0.30

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employed by the US services in Iraq andAfghanistan. Recent additions includethe BAI Aerosystems Tern, a 65 kg vehi-cle with a 3.45-metre span and anendurance of five hours. The Tern hasbeen tested by US Navy Special Forces inAfghanistan.This experience is hopefullyproviding some basis for future rationali-sation via the Pentagon Joint UAV Plan-ning Task Force.

Some European services also haveoperational experience with drones;beginning with Kosovo in 1999 when the Bombardier/Dornier CL-289 wasdeployed by France and Germany, theBAE Systems Phoenix by Britain and theSagem Crecerelle by France.The Phoenixis due to be replaced from late 2006 bythe Thales Defence Watchkeeper system,based on the WK180 and WK450 drones,a.k.a. the Elbit/Silver Arrow Hermes 180and 450.Recent reports indicate that onlythe Hermes 450 will be employed.

The Crecerelle was further developedinto the 250 kg Sperwer, which has beenordered by Canada, France, Denmark,Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden (as the Ugglan). The German Army

deployed the EMT Luna in 2000 toKosovo and later to Afghanistan. TheItalian Air Force has deployed its Preda-tors to Iraq, and British (RAF) personnel

The Canadian Army purchased theSperwer through Oerlikon ContravesCanada, signing the contract for an initialfour aircraft (with an option on two more)in September 2003. The CU-161 Sperwerwas deployed to Afghanistan from the fol-lowing November until July 2004, whenthe ground equipment and the survivingfour drones were returned to Canada (twowere lost in landing accidents). Althoughthe Canadians appear to have been satis-fied with their night-time imagery, thestandard Sperwer was not designed for thehot/high operational environments inAfghanistan. Sagem has since switchedproduction to the 350 kg Sperwer-B (for-merly Sperwer-LE), with span increasedfrom 4.2 to 6.2 metres and endurance upfrom eight to twelve hours.

The 138 kg Yakovlev Pchela-1T (TVcamera only) is believed to have beenused operationally in Chechnya in theKulon Stroy-P reconnaissance system.One system with twelve drones was soldto North Korea before the systementered Russian service in mid-1997. Theall-weather Pchela-1K with flir and low-

light TV (Stroy-PD system) has recentlybeen certificated, and has been offered toIndia with the Smerch-M artillery rocketsystem. The Kulon Stroy-PB is a short-range system based on the lightweight(25 kg) Osa drone. Filling the nichebetween the 20 km normal operatingradius of the Osa and the 60 to 70 km ofthe Pchela, the 50 kg Lutch 9M62 Tipchakhas a nominal radius of 40 km, which isadequate for conventional artillery.

The Russian Air Force makes moreuse of high-performance jet-poweredreconnaissance drones than its Westerncounterparts.The Tupolev Tu-143 Reis hasbeen exported to Syria, and the 1400 kgReis-D is now being marketed in ground-launched form, weighing 1600 kg withbooster.Tupolev has reportedly complet-ed trials of the 3000 kg Tu-300 Korshun,which is basically a reconnaissance dronebut can carry an external warload of 1000 kg.

Drone development is also proceed-ing apace in areas of the world not tradi-tionally associated with this type work.Agood example is provided by Advanced

The TV-equipped Yakovlev Pchela-1T has been used operationally in Chechnya. The laterPchela-1K has day/night sensors and lacks the turned-down wingtips. (Armada/RB)

Seeing the Sagem Crecerelle housing an infrared linescan (IRLS) system for day/nightreconnaissance is an unusual occurrance. The Crecerelle provided the foundation forSagem’s now widely used Sperwer family. (Armada/RB)

The Northrop Grumman RQ-8 was first rejected by the US Navy, then adopted by theArmy as its Class IV drone, and then retrospectively chosen by the Navy for the LittoralCombat Ship. (Northrop Grumman)

form part of the US-led Joint PredatorTask Force operating these drones inAfghanistan and Iraq.


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Target Systems in Abu Dhabi thatunveiled its Yabhon-M observationdrone (also refer to the ground stationand engine section of this survey). Thecompany’s experience so far has beenlimited to targets drones, but with theYabhon-M. The focus was on sophistica-tion, with ample use of composites and abiplane (canard) configuration for addedstability. It is tail-less with winglets at thetip of a high-aspect delta wing blendedinto a lift-contributing fuselage. Thisobservation drone should take to the airby the time these lines are read. Theengine initially was to be a Limbach, butthis has since changed.

With a 25 kg payload, the S-100 cancarry out six-hour missions. Like its pred-ecessor, the aircraft takes off and landsautonomously and has a redundant iner-tial and satellite navigation system. It hasa maximum take-off weight of 200 kg foran empty weight of 97 and a dash speedof 220 km/hr, although cruise speed forbest endurance is around 100 km/hr.

Schiebel in Austria was hitherto betterknown for its mine detection systemsbefore developing its autonomous flightCamcopter with a view to providing aplatform for, amongst other more classi-cal missions, minefield and ordnance sur-vey. Since its appearance in the late 1990s,the Camcopter has made a tremendoustechnological leap and was also high-lighted at Idex, by the United Arab Emi-rates Armed Forces.The current develop-

ment is known as the Camcopter S-100and boasts a neatly streamlined carbon-fibre fuselage and structure (mono-coque). Modern materials are also foundin the rotor hub which is made of titani-um. Power, like the designers of the air-craft, comes from Austria in the form of asingle rotor 55 hp Diamond AE50Rrotary engine (used in powered gliders)and so does the transmission, made byPankl.

Schiebel has already chalked uporders for about 100 units. Production isnow starting for deliveries to the Emi-rates and other customers.

New roles for drones are also beingexplored. The US Army has tested theuse of the Shadow 200 to deliver emer-gency medical supplies to high-threatareas, using a streamlined container withlattice-type stabilising fins, a brakingparachute and a crushable nose. The sys-tem is known as Quick-Meds (medicalemergency delivery system) and a laterversion will have GPS guidance operat-ing the fins for semi-precise delivery. Thebaseline version weighs only 9.0 kg, butcan be scaled up to 90 kg.

Shipboard OperationsThe use of drones from ships began in the1960s with the Gyrodyne QH-50 torpe-do-platform,of which some 780 were pro-duced. The system was withdrawn due tooperational problems, including a highaccident rate. More recently Eads-Dornier proposed to develop the QH-50as a radar platform for German Navycorvettes, but this Seamos programmewas terminated in 2002.

Suddenly it appears that all the lead-ing navies need shipboard drones, andthe only serious contenders are theNorthrop Grumman RQ-8B Fire Scouthelicopter and the Bell Eagle Eye tilt-rotor vehicle. The RQ-8A first flew inMay 2002. The Fire Scout was originallyturned down by the US Navy, then select-ed by the US Army in 1428 kg RQ-8Bform as its Class IV vehicle. Seven havebeen ordered for evaluation. However, in2003 the US Navy selected the RQ-8B forits Littoral Combat ship (LCS), of which30 to 50 are planned, with three dronesper ship. The Fire Scout is powered by a313 kW Rolls-Royce 25C20W.

Also in 2003, the US Coast Guardselected the 1360 kg Eagle Eye for itsDeepwater programme, citing its high

The 330 kg (take-off) Yabhon-M is designed to offer a 25 kg payload and anendurance of 30 hours with 190 kg of fuel. (Armada/EHB)

The Schiebel Camcopter S-100 has a maximum payload capacity of 50 kg around itscentre of gravity but alternatively can make use of lateral hardpoints each “worth” tenkg while another ten kg can be housed in the nose. (Armada/EHB)

The Bell Eagle Eye tilt-rotor drone offers a substantial increase in forward speed,compared to a helicopter, but the high disc loading requires more power for a givenweight. (Bell Helicopter Textron)


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dash speed (370 km/hr, compared to 230km/hr for the RQ-8B) and anticipated bet-ter deck handling. The resulting HV-911Dis due to fly in early 2006. The US MarineCorps decided to buy eight Eagle Eyes forevaluation, its high speed offering theprospect of it acting as armed escort for theV-22. Bell is now teamed with LockheedMartin, AAI and Textron Systems ondeveloping and marketing the Eagle Eye,and with Sagem and Rheinmetall on aEuropean version. The Eagle Eye is pow-ered by a single P&WC PW200/55.

MalesThe Medium Altitude, Long Endurance(Male) category is dominated by GeneralAtomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)products, but other companies are strivingto gain a foothold in this sector, which com-bines effectiveness with affordability.

The lower end is represented by the748 kg GA-ASI I-Gnat with a 60 kWRotax engine, a 40-hour endurance and aceiling of 30 000 ft. A new rival (recentlyexhibited in India) is Israel's 800 kgAeronautics Defense Systems Domina-tor with a 120 kW engine, which affords ita higher transit speed.

As sold to the US Army for evaluationin the ER/MP context, the GA-ASI

gen diesel in place of the standard 73.5kW Rotax. The Heron has been sold tothe Indian Army and forms the basis forthe Eads Eagle 1, which was selected foruse by a joint French/Dutch unit. TheEagle I is seen as an interim system,pending the availability of a new Euro-male around 2011. At the upper end ofthis class, the 1650 kg Elbit Hermes 1500is the subject of a turnkey services con-tract with the Israeli defence ministry,reportedly involving the use of highlyclassified sensors.

Turboprop engines make possiblemuch higher weights and altitudes. TheIAI Heron TP flew in late 2004, but at3500 kg is still much lighter than the 4536kg GA-ASI Predator-B. The latter hasnow been developed into the 4990 kgPredator-B-ER, with additional fuel,increased span and a ventral 360-degreeradar. Earlier known as the Mariner, thelatter first flew in March 2004, and is nowbeing promoted jointly with LockheedMartin in the context of the US NavyBroad Area Maritime Surveillance(Bams) programme.

The latest study in the context ofMales is the Northrop Grumman Model

395 (see our cover) based on the Rutan-designed Scaled Composites Proteusaeroplane. The latter has been used inrecent tests at Nellis Air Force Base toverify the behaviour of the platformwhilst carrying and releasing 500-poundinert general-purpose bombs. The idea isto turn the very stable Proteus into theModel 395 with as little airframe alter-ations as possible. With an external pay-load of two tandem underbelly weaponsthe aircraft would be able to fly at 40,000feet on a 16-hour mission. With no crewon board, the cabin offers ample spacefor missions other than bombing, andaccommodate synthetic aperture radar aswell as elint and sigint gear.

HalesThe leader in the High Altitude, LongEndurance (Hale) category is theNorthrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk.Production is now switching from the

The Cyclope 2000line-scanner ismanufactured bySagem, who alsoproduces theaircraft in which itflies – the Sperwer.(Sagem)

Various reports indicate that Britain will probably eliminate the WK180, and operateonly the larger WK450 as the air vehicle for the new Thales Watchkeeperreconnaissance system. (Armada/EHB)

The Sagem Sperwer has so far been adopted by six nations, including Sweden, whoseAir Force operates a cold weather version designated Ugglan. (Armada/RB)

Army I-Gnat has been given the 73.5Rotax 914 of the Predator-A and a simi-lar gross weight of 1043 kg.The Predator-A finally achieved IOC with the US AirForce on March 1, 2005. In 2004 Denelunveiled its 1000 kg Bateleur, which may

use the Rotax 914 or the Subaru EA-82T.So far the principal rival to the Predator-A has been the 1100 kg IAI Heron, whichhas been tested with a 134 kW Volkswa-


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12,111-kg RQ-4A to the stretched 14,628-kg RQ-4B, which will form around half ofthe US Air Force fleet. The RQ-4B hasalso been selected, alongside the A321, forthe Nato AGS (Alliance Ground Surveil-lance) programme. It is anticipated thatfive RQ-4Bs will be converted to Euro-hawk standard by Eads to meet a GermanNavy requirement for sigint aircraft toreplace the Atlantic in that role. Thereappears to be a ready market for theGlobal Hawk, especially in ocean surveil-lance, despite its high price.

In US Air Force service, the RQ-4 hasbeen complemented in high threat areasby one or two examples of a stealthyLockheed Martin drone. In the interna-tional market the RQ-4B may face com-petition from a less expensive jet-pow-ered GA-ASI Predator, and from aprojected Gulfstream RQ-37 develop-ment of the G550 business jet.

Combat DronesIn October 2003 the Darpa/US Air ForceUcav and Darpa/USN Ucav-N pro-grammes were combined in Jucas (JointUnmanned Combat Air System) todemonstrate the feasibility of using dronesin the Sead, electronic attack, surveillanceand strike roles. Responsibility for Jucaswas assigned to Darpa, which within a year

had placed five-year contracts with Boeing($ 767 million) and Northrop Grumman ($ 1.0 billion) to each produce threedemonstrators and conduct a two-yearoperational assessment.

single 64.9 kN Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220U. Both are due to fly in 2007, and aredesigned to achieve an endurance of 50hours with multiple in-flight refuelings.

However, hopes of a truly joint pro-gramme have been hit by a Pentagon deci-sion in December 2004 to reassign Jucasresponsibility from Darpa to the US AirForce, which has taken over the fundingfor FY2006. In addition, the US Air Forceis now pressing for a much heavier opera-tional aircraft, weighing around 45 tonneswith a bomb load of at least 4.5 tonnes,compared to the two tonnes specified forJucas. In essence, the US Air Force is say-ing it needs an aircraft that is too heavy tooperate from a carrier (which is limited toaround 33 tonnes).

Predictably, Britain hopes to join theJucas programme, while the other leadingEuropean nations (France, Germany, Italy,Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) plan toco-operate on the French-led five-tonneNeuron demonstrator, which is hoped tofly in 2009. This programme has notstopped interim national projects, such as

The Alenia Sky-X was rolled out in early April 2005. It is an 800 km/hour-capabledemonstrator drone the provisional and approximate parameters of which are: alength of seven metres, wingspan of six metres, a take-off weight of 1100 kg, and apayload capability of 200 kg, its cruise speed is 480 km/hour at a maximum altitudeof 10,000 metres. (Alenia)

The German Army deployed the EMT Luna to Kosovo in April 2000, and more recentlyto Afghanistan. EMT also produces the electrically powered Aladin. (Armada/RB)

Italy's Alenia Sky-X Ucav and Sweden's55 kg Saab Aerosystems Filur stealthdemonstrator, both of which are due to flybefore the end of 2005. The Sky-X is pow-ered by a 4.23-kN Microturbo Tri 60-5/268,and the diminutive Filur by a 0.23-kNAMT Olympus-HP. Its flight data will beexploited as part of the European Neuronthink-tank led by Dassault Aviation.

SensorsA recent report by the US GovernmentAccountability Office (GAO-05-395T,published 9 March 2005) states that theoperational capability of some drones isnow out of step with that of their sensors.There are lightweight radars that can seethrough the worst atmospheric conditions,including sandstorms, although cross-winds, icing and other unfavourable con-dition may ground their platforms.

The most effective sensors are natural-ly at the heavy end of the spectrum, andcarried by the larger drones.The current fitfor the RQ-4A Global Hawk is the respon-

The AES-120V elintsuite for drones hasthe ability to detectsea, land and air-borne radars from lowbands all the way upto high bands. It isself-cooled, weighs just22 kg and has aLan/Ethernet interfacefor the ground station(Elisra)

The Boeing X-45C is a 16,555-kg dronewith a single 48.9 kN General ElectricF404-GE-102D engine. The NorthropGrumman X-47B is much heavier, gross-ing around 19,000 kg, and powered by a


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e sibility of Raytheon and is known as theIntegrated Sensor Suite (ISS). It consists ofa synthetic aperture radar (Sar), a Kodakdigital CCD camera and a third-genera-tion infrared sensor. The unnamed long-range, all-weather, high-resolution Sar issimilar to the Asars-2 used in the U-2. Inthe wide area search mode it covers a ten-kilometre-wide swath parallel to the flightpath and offset by 20 to 200 km, with a res-olution of one metre. In the spot mode, itcovers a two-kilometre square with a reso-lution of 0.3 metres.

The ISS radar also has an MTI (Mov-ing Target Indicator) facility, which wasfirst developed for ground use, and onlylater for maritime operations, at the time

Whereas the current ISS-Sar is mechan-ically scanned in elevation, the MP-Rtip(Multi-Platform Radar Technology Inser-tion Program) being introduced with theRQ-4 Spiral Four has an active, electroni-cally scanned array (Aesa), scanning elec-tronically in both azimuth and elevation. Itwill also be capable of simultaneous opera-tion in multiple modes,and the antenna willbe rolled through 180 degrees to switchfrom scanning one side to the other. MP-Rtip will also provide improvements inrange and resolution, and an MTI function

of the Australian demonstration. Thresh-old speed for MTI is four knots (9.25km/hr). The radar normally operates inan interleaved MTI/Sar mode. InverseSar operation can be employed to gener-ate an image of a target, a ship for exam-

against air targets for use in cruise missiledefence. It currently appears that the RQ-4B with the new radar will lose the EO andinfrared sensors.

Northrop Grumman is the prime con-tractor for MP-Rtip, but Raytheon is pro-viding hardware and software for the pro-gramme, which will also include radars forthe E-10A.The MP-Rtip radar is modular,being 1.5 metres long and costing $ six mil-lion as applied to the RQ-4B, and 6.1metres and $ 54 million for the E-10A.

The three-year Phase I risk-reductionprogramme for MP-Rtip began inDecember 2000, and all modes had beendemonstrated in laboratory tests with aprototype by the end of July 2004. Thesix-year, $ 888 million Phase II (SDD)contract was awarded in April 2004,requiring the production of six radars,including three for the RQ-4B.The Glob-

Extensive operational experience has been incorporated into the development of thisDenel Aerospace Systems Seeker II through the earlier Seeker. This latest version iscertificated for operation in South African civil airspace. (Armada/EHB)

The General Atomics Gnat was launched by the CIA in the late 1980s and has beenused in several theatres. The I-Gnat shown here has an uprated Rotax engine.(General Atomics Aeronautical Systems)

The Predator-B-ER, previously designated Mariner, has extra fuel, an increasedwingspan and a belly-mounted radome. It is being promoted jointly with LockheedMartin. (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems)

The IAI Heron, shown with ventralradar and dorsal satcom radome, isthe main Male rival to the Predator-Aand forms the basis for the Eads Eagle.(Armada/RB)

ple, by virtue of its rolling and pitchingmotion. The antenna looks to only oneside of the aircraft at a time, scanning a 90-degree arc. It can cover more than 100,000 square kilometres in a singleRQ-4 sortie.


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al Hawk radar is due to be flown below aNorthrop Grumman-owned Scaled Com-posites Proteus in October 2006 and itwill fly on an RQ-4 in late 2007 or early2008. Production deliveries of the MP-Rtip radar will begin in 2010, includingtwelve for Global Hawk.

In the Nato AGS programme, GlobalHawks will initially have the MP-Rtipradar as fitted to US Air Force aircraft, butthey will later be equipped with theTransatlantic Collaboration AGS Radar(Tcar), combining US and European tech-nology. Tcar is the responsibility of theNorthrop Grumman-led Tips (Transat-lantic Industrial Proposed Solution) team,which includes Eads, Galileo Avionica,General Dynamics Canada, Indra andThales, and has workshare agreementswith the Czech Republic and Hungary.TheTips was selected by Nato in April 2004 toprovide the radar for AGS.The first Tcar isdue to be delivered in late 2007.

Several other types of Sar havealready been applied to drones. Forexample, Northrop Gruman has its own75 kg Tesar (Tactical Endurance Sar),which is produced for the Predator. The82-kg Telephonics APS-143B OceanEyewas developed for detecting, tracking andidentifying small targets in severe mar-itime environments. It has been fitted tothe GA-ASI Altair demonstrator thatwas used to represent the company's projected Mariner in over-water trialsfrom US, Canadian and Australian bases.Maximum range is over 370 km. Operat-ing modes for the OceanEye includeinverse synthetic aperture radar, mari-time MTI and air-to-air MTI.

The IAI/Elta EL/M-2055 is capable of both Sar and ground MTI. It is cur-rently available in lightweight (36 kg)form for tactical drones such as the IAI

The turboprop-powered General Atomics Predator-B is a very different design from the-A model, as it has had its gross weight quadrupled and is sporting a completely newtail configuration. (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems)

Searcher II and Elbit/Silver Arrow Her-mes 450, and in a heavier (66 kg) variantfor Male drones such as the IAI Heronand Eads Eagle 1.

One of the lightweight Sars is the 52-kg General Atomics APY-8 Lynx, whichwas developed by the US Department ofEnergy's Sandia National Laboratories andis now operational on the I-Gnat. Instripmap mode it covers a swath ten kilo-metres wide, with a maximum range of 87km at three metres resolution in dry air, or54 km at 30 cm resolution. In rain, the max-imum range is reduced to 33 km at 30 cmresolution. In spotlight mode with ten cen-timetres resolution it has a maximum rangeof 39 km in dry air and 28 km in rain.

The Lynx is a payload growth optionfor the RQ-8B, as is the even lighter (26 kg) Northrop Grumman Tuavr (Tac-tical UAV Radar); derived from theTesar. The Tuavr has been tested on theHunter but was designed primarily for the Shadow 200.

Turning to other types of sensor, the stan-dard fit for the Predator is Raytheon’s AAS-52 multi-spectral targeting system. Its 46-cm-diameter turret weighs 59 kg and isdesigned for an airspeed of 650 km/hr. The

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk seen here is thus far the principal Haledrone on the market, and it may eventually replace the manned U-2 surveillanceaircraft, even though it is not a stealthy aircraft. (Northrop Grumman)

The Northrop Grumman X-47B contender for the Jucas programme is aimed primarilyat the US Navy, hence the wing fold on this mock-up, which features the landing gearfrom an A-6. (Armada/RB)


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Eric H. Biass

W hatever the size of the system, aground control station alwaysincludes two basic, essential ele-

ments: the control of the aircraft per se,andthe data retrieval unit.Their degree of com-plexity depends, of course, on the complex-ity of the aircraft used and its mission.

For the lighter and very short-rangetypes, a ground station can boil down to aportable laptop computer and a transmit-ter/receiver. The mission (flight pattern) isplotted in advance using digital maps andthe co-ordinates fed into the aircraft’sflight computer via radio on the groundbefore launch. The computer then merelybecomes a display to observe what the

When the mission is relatively simple,a single-post ground station maysuffice. For more complex tasks, thisstation developed by Advanced TargetSystems in the United Arab Emiratesfor the Yabhon-M multiple-missiondrone can be twinned to offer a seatfor the operator and one for theobserver. (Armada/EHB)

Ground Stations

Ground control stations are part and parcel of a drone system. Their size is almostproportional with the size, and therefore performance, of the aircraft used, whiletheir configuration largely depends on the mission required by the end user.

Global Hawk ground segment

drone’s miniature camera sees. Of course,modification to mission parameters canalways be injected manually while the air-craft is in flight. The step ahead from thisconfiguration is to have another data/image receiver in a command postequipped with a larger screen. At the verylower end of the spectrum, companies likeElisra are now offering wrist-worn dis-plays called V-Rambo, which might proveinvaluable in an urban warfare environ-ment.The company also developed a moresubstantial receiver, the Starlink, for real-time battlefield intelligence gathering.

This being said, nothing prevents amini drone operator from using the larg-er and more sophisticated ground stationit employs for more important drones.

AAS-52 combines infrared and EO, laserranging and target designation for laser-guided munitions and Hellfire missiles.

Other leaders in this field include FlirSystems, with the StarSafire III and BriteStar turrets, and the new Ultra8500. L-3Wescam produces the 21-kg Model 12DS(dual sensor) for the RQ-2B, combining athermal imager and a colour daylight TVcamera with a 20x zoom lens. The MX-12turret weighs less than 25 kg but housesfour sensors; typically a colour daylight

The Northrop Grumman Tesar (Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar) is one of aseries of Sar developments leading to the lightweight Tactical UAV Radar. (Armada/RB)

This compatibility was displayed on theUnited Arab Emirates Armed ForcesSurveillance and Reconnaissance Tech-nologies stand at the Idex exhibition inFebruary 2005. Developed by Ucon fromSouth Korea, the same ground stationcan be used by both the Ucon RemoEyefamily of minis and the Schiebel Cam-copter S-100. In ground stations of thiscalibre, one will usually find two controlstations; one used by the pilot and theother by the observer. In addition, thesestations lend themselves to mission

The General Atomics Lynx is one of thelightest synthetic aperture radarsavailable for the drone market. Itprovides a resolution of up to 30 cm.(Armada/RB)

camera, an infrared camera with three-step zoom, a laser illuminator and a laserrangefinder.The new MX-15D houses sixsensors, including a laser designator.

Israel's leaders are Elbit Systems' El-Opand IAI's Tamam division. El-Op's Com-pass IV turret is used (for example) on theHermes 450s flown by the US Departmentof Homeland Security. Tamam makes thePop (Plug-in Optronic Payload) used onthe Shadow 200, and the Mosp and Mokedfamilies of sensor turrets.

35armada INTERNATIONAL 3/2005

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preparation, mission debriefing, missionrehearsal and to training simulation.

The larger drones are not only used tostretch mission range, they are also intend-ed to carry a variety of payloads able to pro-vide a larger amount of information thatrequires various stages of processing. Thismeans larger computers, data recorders,satellite transmitters and, in turn, a powergenerator to run all the gear. This explainswhy we are now stepping into a configura-tion that will occupy the volume of a trans-portable container, which will also requirean environmental control unit. The size ofthis container will grow as other systemssuch as elint and comint are added.

Half-way between this and the laptop-based station mentioned above, however,are clever solutions for missions in whichhigh mobility is at a prime. One example isElbit’s packable system which can be usedby all members of the Hermes family.

Another interesting concept wasrecently unveiled by Denel for its Seeker

The Hermes ground control station is neatly packed in canteen-like containers andquickly unfolded for use. (Elbit Systems)

This Denel control station was devisedto enable control of the Seeker II droneto be taken over for long-rangemissions. (Armada/EHB)

The Powers that Are

With a few exceptions in the higher-flying types that are powered by adapt-ed aviation-extraction turbo engines, almost all drones are driven by pistonengines that often find their origin in recreational ultralight aviation. But eventhis segment is now maturing in its new role.

The Denel Seeker II’s‘Engine Group’

Eric H. Biass

T he exception that confirms the rulein the turbojet engine field notablycomes from the two companies

Microturbo (part of Snecma) and

mission payload control – with a capacity tocontrol three aircraft. To this must beadded a large KU-band satcom dish aerialand a Mist common data link, plus all theother sub-elements. But that is not all:given the range and duration of the mis-sions carried out, the elements justdescribed have to be multiplied in case ofdramatic weather condition changes neces-sitating an alternative landing area.

The Northrop Grumman diagramseen in the title of this section aloneshows that the Global Hawk is in a leagueof its own in terms of deploymentrequirements.

II. The aircraft itself has a range that farexceeds that of its datalink.This is the rea-son for which the South African manufac-turer had the idea to develop an interme-diate cabin that enables a unit in the fieldto take over control of the aircraft as itreaches the range boundaries of its moth-er station. Once the mission is accom-plished it sends the drone back home.

At the top end of the spectrum, walkingin the kingdom of the Global Hawk com-paratively is almost like penetrating Nasa’sHouston base. Here we have not one buttwo containers: the two-station launch andrecovery element, which, in addition tocontrolling the flight parameters, also mon-itors the health of all the systems and sub-systems aboard the aircraft, executes mis-sion profile and modifications, monitorsen-route traffic and so forth; then there isthe even larger four-station mission controlelement that handles communications,data and sensor processing and informa-tion dissemination, as well as aircraft and

Williams whose engines are almost ubiq-uitous in cruise missiles and high-speedtarget drones.

The widest variety comes from the tra-ditional piston engine manufacturers(including rotary piston, if one can now

include this in the traditional category).Clearly the leaders here are UEL (or UAVEngines Limited), followed by Rotax (whoapparently is not too keen on being publi-cised as defence suppliers) with now Zan-zottera, ATS and Denel emerging asengine specialists. The first three wereamply described in a recent issue of thismagazine (see Armada International1/2005). We saw that Denel was workingon the adaptation of a Subaru car tur-bocharged boxer as a possible engine for


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e its new Bateleur Male, but what is littleknown is that the Seeker II also has a heav-ily improved engine, in this case a LimbachL550E base (see the author’s photographin the title picture). Dubbed the ‘EngineGroup’, this power lump only retains theoriginal crankcase and cylinders. Apartfrom a direct-drive alternator and carbu-rettors tossed out in favour of injection,Denel developed its own engine manage-ment and altitude compensation systemsas well as an engine health monitor. Itweighs 39 kg (with propeller),yields 32 kWat 6000 rpm and has a typical specific fuelconsumption of 500 grams/kW-hour

Advanced Target Systems in Abu Dhabihas been manufacturing, as the nameimplies, targets for some time but in asomewhat discreet manner. The companycame totally out of the blue this year by dis-playing a rather sleek observation drone,the Yabhon-M at the Idex exhibition. Inter-estingly, the company also manufactures itsown engines (but has also developed thedrone’s sophisticated autopilot and laserobstacle avoidance systems, see above).Two of these include the 35–hp, two-stroke,

twin-boxer AD 500 and the 80 hp flat-fourAD 1000.The first is already flying in a tar-get drone being developed for the localarmed forces. However, the company isalso actively working on more refined

types such as the two stroke ME684 I B4Twin Spark, which would be used for theYabhon’s maiden flight (at time of writingplaned for May/June 2005). The Yabhonshould ultimately be powered by a 50 hpdouble-overhead camshaft three-in-line.Yet another engine is being developed; thefour-in-line dohc ME998 with 140 hp.

Quite apart from the now commonadoption of supercharging to improve theengines’ lung capacity at higher altitudes,the manufacturers are now faced with twochallenges. The first is the much-desiredgeneral preference for diesel or jet-fuelversus avgas. There is little doubt that thisoption will weigh seriously on future

Volume 29, No. 3, June/July 2005

ARMADA INTERNATIONALis published bimonthly in Zurich, Switzerland.Copyright 2005 by Internationale Armada AG, Aeulestrasse5, FL-9490 Vaduz,Principality of LiechtensteinHead Office: ARMADA INTERNATIONALThurgauerstrasse 39, CH-8050 Zurich/SwitzerlandPhone: (+41 44) 308 50 50, Fax: (+41 44) 308 50 55e-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.armada.ch Publisher: Caroline SchweglerPublishing Director: Peter StierlinEditor-in-Chief: Eric H. BiassEditor/Art Work: Johnny KegglerRegular Contributors: Roy Braybrook,E. R. Hooton,Marc Huntiller, Ian KempAdministration: Thomas Schneider, Marie-Louise HuberAdvertising offices:Austria,Finland,Germany,Scandinavia,Switzerland,SpainHans-Ruedi Fröhlich, Wallenschwil 11, CH-5637 Beinwil,Switzerland. Phone: (+41 41) 760 72 78, Fax: (+41 41) 760 72 79e-mail: [email protected]

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«The widest variety comesfrom the traditional pistonengine manufacturers…»

choices. The second is engine manage-ment. At varying altitudes and tempera-tures the performance and behaviour of anengine can be quite different. Since there isby definition no one aboard an unmannedaircraft to do the constant tweaking, thiscan only be carried out by telemetry. Thisis becoming a sharp requirement as itdetermines the balance between flightduration, fuel capacity requirement andpayload capacity. a

The AdvancedTarget Systems AD-1000 is currently inits final stages ofdevelopment. Thislittle two-strokerproduces 80 hp,weighs a mere 24kg and is designedto offer a time-between-overhaulsof 400 hours.(Armada/EHB)

Zanzottera in Italyproduces drone-specific enginesthat include highredundancy levelaccessories andsophisticatedengine monitoringequipment.(Zazottera)

Index to AdvertisersBell Helicopter Textron 23

C+D 2005 33

DRS Technologies 29

Elbit Systems 31

FLIR Systems 3

General Atomics 7

General Atomics Aeronautical C3

IAI Elta 13

IAI Malat 11

IAI Tamam 13

Northrop Grumman 5

Raytheon 15-17, C4

Ruag Aerospace 33

Sagem 25

Schiebel 27

Textron Systems C2

Welsh Development Agency 9

armada 2005-3 - from sceoticism to sine qua non

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