UAVs and UCAVs

[Patriot]

China's Armed UAV Ambitions

If there is one dominant theme from the Zhuhai air show in terms of defense, it is the focus not just on unmanned aircraft, but on arming those systems.

It is driving a host of industrial activities in China, not just in the unmanned aircraft area itself, but also in terms of weapons developments. We explore those issues in this week's issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology here (subscription required).

One of the armed unmanned aircraft now in flight testing is the CH-3. Here's the screen shot from trials shown during Airshow China last week:

And of course the Pterodactyl

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3ad83d4700-0f15-4453-95b9-77642f36e3b1&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

 

[wild goose]

Boeing Phantom Ray Completes Low-speed Taxi Tests



The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system successfully completed low-speed taxi tests on Nov. 18 at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

"Phantom Ray did exactly what it was supposed to do," said Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing. "It communicated with the ground control station, received its orders and made its way down the runway multiple times, allowing us to assess its performance and monitor the advanced systems on board."

The tests were the first for the Phantom Ray following its rollout ceremony in May. Boeing now will prepare Phantom Ray to travel to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on top of one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. At Edwards, Phantom Ray will undergo high-speed taxi tests before making its first flight. The flight-test program will last approximately six months.

"The autonomous nature of this system is unique, so achieving this milestone speaks volumes about the technology and expertise of Boeing, the Phantom Works organization and the Phantom Ray team," said Dave Koopersmith, vice president, Advanced Boeing Military Aircraft.

Phantom Ray is designed to support potential missions that may include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; electronic attack; strike; and autonomous aerial refueling.

Boeing's portfolio of unmanned airborne systems solutions includes the A160T Hummingbird, Integrator, ScanEagle, SolarEagle, Phantom Eye and Phantom Ray.


http://dailyairforce.com/451/Boeing-Phantom-Ray-Completes-Lowspeed-Taxi-Tests.html

 

[RAM]

Kadet Defence Systems to develop India's first tactical UAV


Indian unmanned air vehicle manufacturer, Kadet Defence Systems is developing a Tactical UAV with an eye on mining and prospecting uses and military and homeland security applications. The company says negotiations are under way with an undisclosed country for using the UAV in its mineral exploration program.

Christened "UAV Garuda", Avdhesh Khaitan, CEO of Kadet, says we were keen on exploring civilian applications with our products and this development gave us the impetus to develop Garuda. "India should be in the market soon for a tactical UAV in which case we would be able to offer a mature market ready product," he says.
Consolidating from the contract win for its JX2 Aerial Target to be used by the Army Air Defence, this development would aid our efforts to lead in the Indian market with indigenously developed products and would offer a Brigade Commander his personal "eye in the sky", says Khaitan. We are expecting to perform airframe test flights in early December.


The Kolkata based company has selected the popular twin boom design over a large blended wing body design as payload integration is easier. Sea variants of the UAV Garuda shall also be developed with launch and sea recovery capabilities.UAV Garuda will have an endurance of over 6 hours with a range of 200 Km. Khaitan says the aircraft will be equipped for ISR and also be used as a Primary UAV for its other smaller in development air launched UAV's.
http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/uvon...s-to-develop-india-s-first-tactical-uav/7784/

 

[Patriot]

China Developing Armed/Recon UAVs

ZHUHAI, China - China is making inroads in the development of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as was evident at last week's 8th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (2010 Zhuhai Airshow).

The biennial air show and defense exhibition coincided with the release of a critical report on China's military to the U.S. Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The annual report indicates China is developing a "variety of medium- and high-altitude long-endurance" UAVs that will include "options for long-range reconnaissance and strike" missions.

The Zhuhai Airshow provided plenty of examples of China's efforts in developing combat UAVs.

AVIC

The China Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC) displayed a model of the new Pterodactyl I UAV. Similar in configuration to as the U.S.-built Raptor, the model was equipped with an unidentified air-to-ground missile under each wing. The 9nine-meter-long UAV has a wingspan of 13 meters and a fuselage width of 1 meter. Performance capabilities include a range of 4,000 kilometers, an endurance of 20 hours, maximum speed of 280 kilometers per hour and a maximum altitude of 5,000 meters. It was also outfitted with a sensor turret under the nose.

AVIC also displayed a model of the TL-8 training drone capable of simulating second- and third-generation fighter aircraft and cruise missiles. According to an AVIC brochure, the drone can operate at 0.85 Mach with a maximum flight time of 40 minutes.

The company also displayed models of two short-range fixed winged reconnaissance UAVs - Night Eagle and SW-1. Both have an operational flight time of three hours. AVIC also provided information on the new ducted-fan Whirlwind Scout. Capable of vertical takeoff and landing, the Scout has a 20-40 minute operational endurance.

AVIC also displayed four examples of its YY Series multipurpose electro-optical and multisensor turrets. The stabilized turrets allow for a variety of surveillance and reconnaissance missions, including tracking, identification, observation, range measurement, and aiming and target designation of marine, ground and air targets. The YY Series brochure showed turrets outfitted on two different unidentified UAVs and one manned helicopter.

CASC

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) displayed a full-scale model of an armed CH-3 UAV with air-to-ground missiles. The model was also outfitted with a sensor turret. According to a CASC brochure, the multipurpose UAV is capable of battlefield reconnaissance, fire adjustment, data relay, intelligence collection, ground-strike missions and electronic warfare (EW) missions.

"It can be modified as an unmanned attack platform to carry small precision guided weapons for performing reconnaissance/strike missions." The CH-3 has a cruising speed of 220 kilometers per hour, 12-hour maximum endurance and a 200 kilometer communications radius.

A model of the CASC CH-803 multipurpose UAV was also on display. The aircraft can perform battlefield reconnaissance, fire adjustment, intelligence collection and EW. Parameters include a cruising speed of 80-110 kilometers per hour, five-hour endurance and a communications radius of 50 kilometers.

CASC also provided new data on UAV-related products, including the "TH Mini Precise Attack Missile" for air-to-ground strike missions and the new CP-04 motor for the SK-200 turbofan-propelled UAV booster.

The "TH Mini" can be outfitted on light UAVs and be used to target stationary or low-velocity moving ground targets. The missile, armed with a 5-kilogram blast fragmentation warhead, has a maximum range of 3.2 kilometers at 277 meters per second. Guidance modes include an inertial navigation system and charge coupled-device system.

The 13 kilogram CP-04 motor "gives a boost for the UAV during take-off" then separates and falls to the ground. The motor design has been completed and batch production will soon begin, said a CASC brochure.

CASIC

No armed reconnaissance UAV received more attention than the WJ-600. Produced by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC), the jet-powered, multimission UAV was shown in a CASIC video locating a U.S. aircraft carrier and sending targeting information for a follow-on anti-ship cruise missile attack.

The WJ-600 can conduct "informationized warfare," said a CASIC display. It can be outfitted with a synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and multisensor turret, information relay and a variety of weapons. Weapons on display included the air-to-ground KD-2 missile and two weapons with the designation "TBI" and "ZD1," which were not clearly described. Operational parameters were not provided.

Another CASIC UAV on exhibit was a stealthy tailless flying wing configuration, the SH-1. The aircraft, outfitted with a sensor turret, can perform battlefield reconnaissance, target identification and positioning, and "strike effect assessments." The SH-1 appears to be a short-range UAV with limited capabilities, though no operational parameters were provided.

ASN

The largest exhibit of UAVs was by ASN Technology Group, a company solely dedicated to UAV development and production. ASN provided new details about the ASN-229A "Reconnaissance and Precise Attack" UAV. A display of a model of the aircraft indicates it can perform reconnaissance and has a "mini precise guidance weapon system."

However, the maximum mission payload is only 100 kilograms and it is unlikely to be able to carry a weapon. The ASN-229A will have a take-off weight of 800 kilograms and a cruising speed of 160-180 kilometers per hour with an endurance of 20 hours.





http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5101322&c=ASI&s=TOP

 

[Patriot]

US Spec Ops Wants Hybrid Small UAS

US Special Operations Command is looking for a hybrid propulsion system to extend the endurance of small hand- and air-launched unmanned aircraft, and the Air Force Research Laboratory will brief industry on Dec 1-2 on its new Small Unmanned Renewable Energy Long Endurance Vehicle (Surge-V) program.

The goal is to extend the endurance of Group 1 (less than 20lb) small tactical UAVs beyond 4 hours to enable "loiter-search-loiter" missions carrying a 2lb-plus plug-and-play payload. Although small UAVs are switching from battery to fuel-cell power to extend endurance - AeroVironment's 13lb Puma AE flying for 9hr on a Protonex fuel cell - AFRL specifies "hybrid" power.

One possible solution could be a system developed by the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder and recently licensed to start-up Tigon Enertec. CU-Boulder developed and flight-tested a method of switching between an internal-combustion engine and electric motor powered by batteries, fuel cell, solar cells or a combination.

The "dual torque" hybrid system, called Helios, features a gearbox which allows the internal-combustion engine to provide high power for take off and climb while seamlessy introducing electric power to reduce cruise fuel consumption. The combination reduces the size of engine and weight of batteries needed.

Tigon has received $40,250 in proof-of-concept funding from the CU-Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute to further develop the hybrid propulsion technology. The unversity, meanwhile, has begun work on the Hyperion project to develop a second-generation hybrid engine that could be integrated into NASA's Boeing X-48B subscale blended wing-body demonstrator.







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[Patriot]

High-Flying Spy Drone, Powered By Liquid Coal

No unmanned aircraft in the American arsenal flies higher or longer than the Global Hawk. On Tuesday, it soared high and long, powered by a blend of synthetic fuel. The Northrop-built drone touched down late Tuesday night at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California after spending more than a day aloft.

Both the Navy and Air Force have flown numerous other aircraft using other non-traditional jet fuels, but this is both the first for an unmanned aircraft, and the first time any type of aircraft has flown with this type of fuel. JP-8 jet fuel (the kind typically used in the Air Force) was combined with a synthetic paraffinic kerosene derived from liqufied coal, and another derived from natural gas, to make up the blend.

Along with other branches of the military, the Air Force is busy developing and implementing alternatives to the petroleum-based jet fuels that have powered its turbine powered aircraft since the late 1940s. The plan is to have 50 percent of domestic aviation fuel for the Air Force come from an alternative fuel blend by 2016. The synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK for those acronym loving people in the Pentagon) is the latest fuel to be tested.

Three Air Force aircraft, the A-10, F-15 and C-17, have all been flown using a blend of JP-8 and a renewable fuel made from plant oils and animal fats. The F-22 stealth fighter and Global Hawk are expected to fly on this hydro-processed renewable jet fuel, or HRJ, fuel next year.







http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/11/high-flying-spy-drone-powered-by-liquid-coal/

 

[Patriot]

Aurora's Orion UAV

Aurora Flight Sciences is in talks with potential system integrators to help put its Orion five-day-endurance unmanned aircraft into production if a U.S. Air Force-funded technology demonstration proves successful.

The small Manassas, Va.-based company rolled out the first of three planned Orion demonstrators at its Columbus, Miss., plant on Nov. 22, barely three months after being selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory for the first phase of the Medium-Altitude Global ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and Communications (Magic) program.

For Aurora, which has yet to see any of its previous UAV designs reach production, winning the nearly $100-million joint capability technology demonstration (JCTD) is significant because both the MQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global Hawk began life as similar projects and went on to become lucrative production programs.

"This is very important for Aurora as it's our first JCTD," says CEO John Langford. "We are very focused on how to transition to production and we do not expect to do that alone. We will need to work with a system integrator," he adds. "The JCTD's focus is primarily on airframe development and performance, and Aurora can do that, but we are looking for the right strategic partner to carry this through to a program of record."

Sponsored by U.S. Central Command, the three-year Magic JCTD covers three aircraft, their payloads and an overseas deployment to assess the military utility of a UAV that can stay aloft for five days.

Orion is designed to fly for 120 hr. at 20,000 ft., carrying a 1,000-lb. multi-sensor payload. This compares with 24 hr. for the MQ-1B Predator with a 450-lb. payload.

"The revolutionary part of the Magic JCTD is the cost of time on station, not the ISR product," says Langford. "The cost of an observing hour on combat air patrol is planned to be 20% of the cost of currently deployed systems like the MQ-1, MQ-9 and MC-12W."

The 120-hr. endurance targeted by the JCTD translates into a time-on-station capability ranging from 113 hr. at 550-nm. range to 47 hr. at 3,000 nm. That goal is to be achieved through a combination of efficient aerodynamics and propulsion, lightweight airframe, reliable systems and autonomous operation, as well as changes in how the UAV is flown that are enabled by its long range and endurance.

Staying five days aloft reduces the number of takeoffs and landings required to maintain an orbit, reducing the accident risk and associated costs, says Langford. A mission range of more than 9,500 nm., compared with 675 nm. for the Predator, allows the Orion to be positioned farther from its patrol area, at a main operating base where fuel costs less than when transported to a forward operating location. "It all plays into the cost of time of station," he says.

Affordability is also a requirement, and Aurora is aiming for unit price significantly under the original $10-million target for the Global Hawk. Orion will be more expensive than a Predator, which the Air Force says costs $20 million for a four-aircraft system, but Langford believes it will be cheaper than the MQ-9 Reaper, which the Air Force says costs $53.5 million for a four-aircraft system. The RQ-4B version of the Global Hawk, by comparison, has a unit cost of $55-81 million, according to Air Force figures.







http://dailyairforce.com/458/Auroras-Orion-UAV.html

 

[nitesh]

Great info about our projects

Teach focus Dec 2010

 

[Patriot]

India's indigenous UCAV 'Aura' taking shape in DRDO labs

NEW DELHI (BNS): India's premier defence agency DRDO is developing an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), which it has named 'Aura'.

Three DRDO laboratories – the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the Aeronautical Development Establishments (ADE) and the Defence Avionics and Research Establishment (DARE) – have joined hands to design and develop Aura.

The flight control system and data link packages of Aura will be designed and developed jointly by ADE and Defence Electronic Application Laboratory, Dehradun, according to Technology Focus, a bi-monthly journal published by DRDO.

The unmanned aircraft will fly at altitudes of 3,000 feet with payloads. It will have short take-off and landing capability on prepared runway, the journal said, elaborating on the combat drone's key features.

Earlier in September, P S Subramanyam, project director and chief of ADA, had said that all technologies
required for the UCAV had been identified, and the most important of them were its flying wing and stealth technology.

The combat drone, which will be able to detect and identify targets, and even fire weapons at them, will be controlled with command and control centres (CCC) spread across the country, DRDO Chief, V K Saraswat had revealed last year.

Meanwhile, the capability of the advanced Laser Guidance Bomb kit 'Sudarshan', which has been designed to improve the accuracy of air-to-ground bombing by Indian Air Force, has been enhanced.

"The development of the (LGB) kit has matured to the level of guiding the bomb within 10 m CEB (Circular Error Probability) from its otherwise 400 m to 1000 m fall-off the target.

"Indian Air Force has shown keen interest in buying hundreds of these kits. The extension of kit's capability to further increase its range using global positioning system (GPS) INS is going on," the Technology Focus reports.







http://www.brahmand.com/news/Indias-indigenous-UCAV-%E2%80%98Aura%E2%80%99-taking-shape-in-DRDO-labs/5638/1/10.html

 

[Patriot]

US Army flies new unmanned aircraft in Iraq

CAMP TAJI, IRAG (BNS): The US Army's newest 'eyes in the sky' - the MQ-1C Gray Eagle - is being tested by a unit known as the Quick Reaction Capability 1-Reaction 1, in Iraq.

The unmanned aircraft is being used in combat in Irag before the army fields the aircraft to all of its aviation brigades in the next few years, a DoD report said.

The Gray Eagle is the US Army's newest 'eyes in the sky'

The Gray Eagle is an extended-range, multipurpose unmanned aircraft designed primarily to provide ground commanders a set of "eyes in the sky."

The aircraft is built on the same platform as the Air Force's Predator drone, and will provide the Army access to the type of support usually provided by Predator-type aircraft, the report said.

"The Army needed more UAS support; there was a gap in coverage," Capt. Michael Goodwin, the unit's commander, was quoted as saying.

"Predator-based platforms are spread too thin to meet all of the Army's needs"¦we're the Army's answer to finding a quick solution to that problem."

The first batch of Gray Eagles was purchased from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems while the aircraft was still in the developmental stage.

Forming the QRC units allowed the Army to get a head-start on introducing the aircraft to combat, it said.

According to Goodwin, Quick Reaction Capability 1-Reaction 1 has not identified any significant flaws in the aircraft, which has yielded impressive results during the first six months of deployment.

The unit has flown nearly 7,000 accident-free hours, more than 350 combat missions, produced more than 16,000 surveillance-type images, and maintained systems operational readiness rate of about 93 percent, according to unit reports.

The unit is also working to prepare the aircraft to carry hellfire missiles, and is scheduled to conduct a live test of the missiles in January.





http://www.brahmand.com/news/US-Army-flies-new-unmanned-aircraft-in-Iraq/5642/1/14.html

 

[youngindian]

Boeing to offer ScanEagle UAV to India

http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?id=5292&h=Boeing to offer ScanEagle UAV to India

 

[utubekhiladi]

In case if you haven't seen netra uav in action


And they did the unimaginable. NETRA is a completely autonomous hovering Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ideal for short range missions and requires very short training time. Its intuitive point and click graphical user interface requires minimal user assistance allowing the user to concentrate on the mission objective rather than the flying of the vehicle. Its quick deployment time and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) ability expand its usage to confined areas of operation. It finds application in Anti-terrorist operations, Counter-insurgency in forested areas, Hostage situations, Border infiltration monitoring, Local law enforcement operations, Search and Rescue operations, Disaster management, Aerial Photography and more.

As a 50-member consortium, instead of small isolated units, they built an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called Vihang Netra for the Armed Forces. They pooled their resources in domains, going all the way from aerospace, avionics, navigation, sensors, radars, fuses, smart weapons, radio networks, thermal imaging, image processing, safety equipment, ground support equipment for missiles and quality assurance equipment.

The UAV has been accepted by the Indian Army since units have flown at an altitude of 1,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL), requiring smaller crew and ground support operations against imported variety. So, to explore the potential of this indigenous development, DEMA has formed a strategic partnership through an MoU with Larsen & Toubro.

A collaborative development between ideaForge and DRDO (R&DE)

(c) ideaForge Technology Pvt. Ltd.
www.ideaforge.co.in

 

[neo29]

Aura details from livefist

 

[utubekhiladi]

based on the discription i can assume that aura uav will be able to fire some kind of rockets. i think aura uav will be more or like 'counter-uav'.

it will perform all the task of uav from artillary fire correction to painting the target to providing recon day and night. Aura uav will automatically fight off enemy uav's or attack enemy helicopters(or why would aura uav needs IFF system onboard?).

 

[Patriot]

USMC splits unmanned cargo resupply contract

Rivals Lockheed Martin and Boeing will both provide unmanned cargo resupply services to the US Marine Corps under a split $75 million fixed-price contract award, the Pentagon announced on 2 December.

Under the deal, Lockheed, together with manufacturer Kaman Aerospace, will get $45.8 million to operate the K-Max unmanned helicopter, while Boeing will receive $29.2 million to use its A160T Hummingbird to deliver cargo to Marines in Afghanistan.

The systems will be government-owned and contractor-operated, says the US Navy, which handles USMC contracts. Both contracts include development of two air vehicles, three remote ground control stations and a Quick Reaction Assessment (QRA). Each contract also includes a separate fixed-price option for a six-month deployment.

"By evaluating two different systems, we have the ability to accelerate development of technology and use it immediately to support the warfighter while maintaining competition," says said Rear Adm. Bill Shannon, programme executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons.

The Navy plans to conduct the QRA next summer to prove the systems' ability to sustain cargo-carrying capability in an operational environment. Immediately following a successful QRA, one contractor's in-country service option will be exercised and their system will deploy to Afghanistan.

"While we only plan on deploying one system after a successful QRA, we will explore options for using the second system for future operational missions and/or science and technology development, should it also meet performance requirements," says Capt. Tim Dunigan, programme manger for navy and Marine Corps multi-mission tactical unmanned air systems.

Both competitors have already completed one round of flight demonstrations for the Pentagon, the Kaman/Lockheed under a contract awarded in August 2009 and Boeing in March 2010.

"The K-MAX unmanned aircraft system was specifically designed for the battlefield cargo resupply mission," says Lockheed. The unmanned helicopter boasts a four-hook cargo carousel, which the company says makes K-MAX "capable of delivering more cargo to more locations in one flight than any other unmanned rotorcraft". K-Max can carry 2721.6kg (6,000lbs) of cargo at sea level and more than 1,814.3kg (4,000lbs) at 10,000ft.








http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/12/02/350483/usmc-splits-unmanned-cargo-resupply-contract.html

 

[Patriot]

Fire Scout UAV Operates Across the US

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER: Across the United States, the Navy's Fire Scout Vertical Take-Off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle took the skies, operating in four different locations ashore and afloat, Nov.18.

Over the course of one day, teams from the Navy and industry partner Northrop Grumman tested the aircraft at Webster Field, Md., Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., aboard the USS Halyburton (FFG-40) off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla. and USS Freedom (LCS 1) at the sea range in Point Mugu, Calif.

"Flying in four locations in one day, off two classes of ships which includes our newest [LCS], marks a major milestone for our program and for Naval Aviation," said Rear Adm. Bill Shannon, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. "This success highlights the phenomenal efforts of the entire Fire Scout team, and sets the stage for the introduction of a game-changing capability to our warfighters."

Operations began in the morning at Webster Field when the Navy/industry team conducted a functional check flight. A FCF is a routine part of the test program to determine whether the system is functioning according to established standards.

As the Fire Scout completed its flight at Webster Field, a major milestone was achieved as the unmanned helicopter took off for the first time from the Navy's Freedom class of Littoral Combat Ships. The team conducted phase one of dynamic interface testing aboard the USS Freedom, which defines the launch and recovery wind envelope aboard the ship. This is a critical step to integrating the Fire Scout on both variants of LCS.

Back on the East Coast, a pilot proficiency flight took off from the USS Halyburton. In preparation for the Fire Scout's deployment aboard the frigate early next year, newly trained operators from the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 42 (HSL-42) were able to get additional flight time during this operation.

"Our goal during flight tests is not only to ensure the system operates efficiently, but we also want to ensure all personnel are highly trained and qualified to operate the system when deployed, said Capt. Tim Dunigan, Fire Scout program manager. "The operators are key to successful missions."

The culmination of the day's flights ended in Yuma when a team from Northrop Grumman conducted vibration monitoring system testing. The purpose of this testing is to mature fleet procedures to perform track and balance of the rotor system.

"Extensively testing the system and monitoring its performance, makes us confident that Fire Scout will provide critical situational awareness, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting data to the warfighter," according to Dunigan.

Recently the Fire Scout surpassed more than 1000 flight hours since test program began in December 2006. The program is managed by the Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Systems program office (PMA-266), which is also responsible for the emerging area of Air Launched UAS.

The Fire Scout has two deployments scheduled for 2011. The system will support Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions aboard the USS Halyburton in the Mediterranean Sea and Horn of Africa and ground-based operations in Central Command.







http://www.defencetalk.com/fire-scout-uav-operates-across-the-us-30440/

 

[Patriot]

Navy to Make ScanEagle Lethal?

The US Navy has begun work on a guided-munition version of the ScanEagle small unmanned aircraft - but that's all it is saying for now. The news is contained in a release from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake about development of a miniaturized fire-control system for tactical UAVs.

The next-generation weapon management system (WMS GEN2) has been tested in the lab using the NAWCWD-developed Spike 5lb mini-missile. The release says the development team is now looking at using the WMS GEN2 with two other miniature weapons: the Scan Eagle Guided Munition (SEGM) and GPS-Guided Munition (G2M).

Size matters - GEN2 with Spike (Photos: NAWCWD)

"The next step is to mount WMS GEN2 on a UAV and conduct a flight test series on the China Lake range with miniature weapons such as Spike, SEGM or G2M," the release says. A call to China Lake got the response that work has only just begun on SEGM and G2M, so it's too early to talk about them. It will be interesting to see what NAWCWD's plans are for the ScanEagle.

The WMS GEN2 is designed to bolt onto an RQ-7 Shadow-sized UAV and turn it into an armed reconnaissance platform. The first-generation WMS flew on an SAIC Vigilant unmanned helicopter, says NAWCWD, and fired a Spike missile in June 2009. Where the first prototype weighed about 9lb, the GEN2 weighs 2lb and can connect four weapons and handle two video streams.




http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3aad46e886-2877-41de-99a3-f63f582dc244&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

 

[Ray]

Spacecraft back after secret trip

9 hours 47 mins ago
Press Assoc.



The US military's secretive X-37B unmanned spaceplane slipped out of orbit and landed in early morning darkness at a California airbase after a successful maiden flight that lasted more than seven months, the Air Force said. Skip related content

The stubby-winged, robotic craft fired its engine to begin re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and autonomously landed at coastal Vandenberg Air Force Base, 130 miles north-west of Los Angeles

Range safety officers were on hand to track its descent over the Pacific and activate a destruct mechanism if the landing needed to be aborted.

There were no immediate reports of any sonic booms being heard.

Vandenberg released infrared camera video of the craft rolling to a stop, recovery crews approaching in vehicles and working around it in protective suits, much the way space shuttles are handled upon landing.

The Air Force emphasised that the primary purpose of the flight was to test the craft itself but classified its actual activities in orbit, leading to speculation about whether it carried some type of spying system in its small payload bay.

Programme manager Lieutenant Colonel Troy Giese said in a statement that all objectives were completed and the landing culminated a successful mission.

The Air Force immediately announced that a second X-37B, which had only been revealed last April, is scheduled to be launched next spring.

The first X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, was carried into space atop an Atlas 5 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 22, 2010.

The flight followed the project's long and expensive journey from Nasa to the Pentagon's research and development arm and then on to the secretive Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.

Secret Spacecraft

Now, what will be the effect on warfare

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/US_military_spacecraft_back_on_ground_after_7_months_999.html

US military space UAV back on ground after 7 month mission

An unmanned US Air Force spacecraft with a vaguely defined military mission landed early Friday in California after a seven-month mission, officials said.

The X-37B, the US Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft
, landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:16 am local time (0932 GMT), according to an Air Force statement.

The orbital spacecraft "conducted on-orbit experiments for more than 220 days during its maiden voyage," the statement said.

"It fired its orbital maneuver engine in low-earth orbit to perform an autonomous reentry before landing."

"Today's landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office," said Lieutenant Colonel Troy Giese, the X-37B program manager.

"We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."

The robotic space plane, lifted off from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas V rocket in April.

Resembling a miniature space shuttle, the plane is 8.9 meters (29 feet) long and has a wing-span of 4.5 meters.

The reusable space vehicle has been years in the making and the military has offered only vague explanations as to its purpose or role in the American military's arsenal.

Officials have said the vehicle is designed to "provide an 'on-orbit laboratory' test environment to prove new technology and components."

Pentagon officials have sidestepped questions about specific military missions for the spacecraft, as well as the precise budget for its development -- estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Industry analysts have speculated the Pentagon must have military capabilities in mind for the unmanned spacecraft
or else would not have invested so much time and money in the effort.

 

[Patriot]

Brazil selects Elbit's Hermes 450 UAV

Brazil's air force has selected the Elbit Systems Hermes 450 for an operational requirement for an initial two unmanned air vehicles and one ground control station. A contract is expected to be signed in early 2011 after some remaining details have been finalised.

Last year, the service launched a programme aimed at defining its long-term operational requirements for UAVs. Elbit's Brazilian subsidiary Aeroeletronica was responsible for a demonstration of the Hermes 450 (below).

The programme enabled the Brazilian airforce to develop independent technological capabilities in the operation of an advanced uav system.

Elbit established Porto Alegre-based Aeroeletronica after evaluating the potential market for unmanned systems in Latin America. Its company currently employs 180 people.

Elbit has declined to comment on the reported selection of its tactical UAV design in Brazil.






http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/12/09/350793/brazil-selects-elbits-hermes-450-uav.html