UAVs and UCAVs

[bhramos]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

US hypersonic glider launched

CROSS POSTED

US hypersonic glider launched - Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An experimental unmanned hypersonic glider has been launched from an air base on the central California coast.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency used Twitter to announce the launch Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
A rocket carried the agency's Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 to the edge of space, where it separated from the booster to maneuver through the atmosphere at 13,000 mph. Minutes into the flight, the agency said the mission was on track in its glide phase. The mission will end with a plunge into the ocean.
A similar vehicle was launched last year and returned nine minutes of data before contact was prematurely lost.
The U.S. military is trying to develop technology to respond to threats around the globe at speeds of Mach 20 or greater.

 

[nitesh]

well, it seems diwali will bring one more happiness:

India's first pvt plane nears test, may cost Rs 1.8 cr - Hindustan Times

 

[Parthy]

Israel, India to advance work on unmanned Chetak

Progress has been made toward a defined programme to develop an unmanned version of the Chetak helicopter for the Indian navy.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) have been performing preliminary work on a prototype of an unmanned helicopter for the Indian navy, based on the locally-made Chetak.

This uses a flight control system developed by IAI using a Bell Helicopter 206.

The Malat unmanned air systems (UAS) division of IAI is working with HAL under a wider cooperation agreement, and a series of flight tests is scheduled to begin after a contract is signed.



Read more - Israel, India to advance work on unmanned Chetak

 

[Parthy]

Inspiring Innovation..... :clap:

Drone that flies like maple seed being unveiled

The seeds that drop from maple trees each fall, whirring softly to the ground like silent one-winged helicopters, are the inspiration for a new kind of flying machine that could be useful for military information-gathering.

Lockheed Martin's Intelligent Robotics Laboratories, based in Cherry Hill, has spent the last five years developing an unmanned craft to replicate the motion.

The device, dubbed the Samarai, is scheduled to make its public debut next week at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington, D.C.

Its engineers gave The Associated Press a preview Wednesday at an indoor soccer field in Southampton, N.J.

The Samarai is about a foot long, and has just two moving parts plus a camera. It can be controlled by a remote control or by an app on a tablet computer.

On Wednesday, engineers Dave Sharp and Craig Stoneking piloted a Samarai, which in flight looked like a translucent blur around a pair of blue and red lights. They moved it from the soccer field to the ceiling some 30 feet above and across the field.

By remote control, the flight was steady. With the easier-to-use app, it twirled around a bit, not unlike a maple seed. That, Stoneking said, will be fixed in the future.

The idea isn't brand new. Students at the University of Maryland built a smaller maple seed-inspired flyer a few years ago.

Bill Borgia, director of the Lockheed Martin lab, said it could be useful for the military and police — as well as his lab's work on other devises.

Soldiers could carry the devices in their backpacks, launch them by throwing them like boomerangs and use real-time images from cameras to find out what might be around the next corner.

They could be dropped from plane to collect ground-level images instead of just the aerial images used now.

Soldiers or police officers could use them even to get a look inside buildings.

Unlike most drones used by the military, these can hover in place like a helicopter and take off vertically in tight spaces.

Borgia said they could come in a variety of sizes and be produced cheaply by 3D printing, which uses layers of plastic to create objects.

Putting a motor on a piece of plastic that shaped like a maple seed and getting it to fly was relatively easy, Borgia said. Learning to control the natural movements was the challenge.

Borgia said the lessons learned trying to harness and mimic a natural design have already been used in some of his lab's other projects — robots that behave like human hands or move about like insects.

Lockheed officials wouldn't say how much it cost to develop or which government agencies helped fund the research.





Drone that flies like maple seed being unveiled - Local News - Delaware Valley, PA/NJ - msnbc.com

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Israel seeks to boost UAV strike power - UPI.com

Israel seeks to boost UAV strike power

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Strategy Analytics: US and Israel Dominate UAV Landscape - MarketWatch

US and Israel Dominate UAV Landscape-India and China on the Horizon

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India's DRDO targets solar-powered UAV

India's DRDO targets solar-powered UAV

India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking to develop a solar-powered unmanned air vehicle that would be capable of remaining airborne for at least a month.

The DRDO said the new system would be capable of performing long-range sorties and delivering real-time information via secure data links.
Meanwhile, sources within the same organisation have revealed that the Gas Turbine Research Establishment's indigenous Kaveri engine was deemed suitable to power a future unmanned combat air vehicle, which is currently the subject of concept studies.
The Kaveri was originally intended to power the Aeronautical Development Agency's Tejas light combat aircraft.

 

[nrj]

	India Successfully Conducts Two Flight Tests of Homemade 'Lakshya' Pilotless Target Aircraft

​

India has recently concluded successful flight tests of the advanced version of the 'Lakshya' Pilotless Target Aircraft from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Orissa. This latest test of the indigenously built 'Lakshya' aircraft was a developed engine version to be used for aerial reconnaissance in a battlefield as well as target acquisition.


According to Defence officials, two successful flight tests took place in a span of a week which included the developed engine version of the 'Lakshya' as well as a digital version. The six-foot long micro light aircraft is designed for target hitting capabilities and to identify location of the enemy's position. The current test on the 'Lakshya' pilotless aircraft was conducted to identify the precision of this advanced and a fully digitalized control system version of 'Lakshya'.

The micro-light aircraft 'Lakshya' was test flown by the Indian Air Force personnel from the ITR at Chandipur-on-sea in the presence of the officials of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) which has developed the pilotless aircraft. The 'Lakshya' flight was tested at very low altitudes as this was one of the pre-requisites of the users, namely the Armed Forces. Earlier, the users had clearly indicated their requirement of flying the 'Lakshya' pilotless aircraft at 15 to 25 metres above sea level to simulate trajectory of low-level cruise missiles.

As for the flight test, its duration lasted for about 40 minutes and was controlled by Ground Control Station. The low altitude flight of 'Laskhya' was proved over 10 kilometer range and the flight remained stable and within control. The Mobile launcher to launch the 'Lakshya' pilotless target aircraft from anywhere and its global positioning system (GPS) to locate for recovery were used successfully, sources added. The pilot-less aircraft also demonstrated its exceptional manoeuvring capability whilst simultaneously simulating manoeuvring attacking aircrafts. The system has been designed so that two targets can be flown and controlled by the Common Ground Control Station (CGCS).

The 'Lakshya' pilotless target aircraft is already operational in the Indian Armed Forces. The current test was conducted on an advanced and a fully digitalized control system version of 'Lakshya'. It is a low flying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which mimics the flight trajectory of a high subsonic cruise missile.


'Lakshya' was developed to train air Defence gunners to track and shoot down incoming cruise missiles. 'Lakshya' has been used to validate the effectiveness of Akash surface-to-air missiles against low flying cruise missiles as well. Earlier this year, Lakshya-2 target drone completed its first flight test by flying 32 minutes at low altitude. Lakshya-2 is also produced by ADE and can fly down to 49-82 feet (15-25 meters) above sea level, simulating a low-flying cruise missile. The aircraft also demonstrated its manoeuvring capability by simulating attacking aircraft. Officials added that two 'Lakshya' targets can be flown and controlled by a common ground station. The Lakshya-2 will come in two versions, one of which can be recovered on land, the other at sea.

 

[Shaitan]

^^^^

 

[Zebra]

SAAB to Build Talarion Computers .

DATE:22/09/11
SOURCE:Flight International ,
By Zach Rosenberg

EADS company Cassidian has awarded Saab the job of building crucial avionics for the Talarion unmanned air vehicle (UAV).

Saab will build and supply vehicle, payload and communications management computers for the medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2012, and the first order to be completed by 2014.

"The selection of Saab to provide mission and flight critical avionics equipment for this new advanced platform verifies our position as a competitive supplier in the avionics market," said Micael Johansson, senior vice-president and head of Saab's Electronic Defence Systems business area.

The computers are based off a Saab common module, which the company said is easily adaptable to a number of platforms. The details of the order, including the number of systems to be produced, have not been finalised, but Saab plans to deliver prototypes in 2013 and 2014.

Design and construction work will take place at Saab facilities in Jönköping and Järfälla, Sweden.

Despite the more than €500 million ($684 million) and climbing development costs of Talarion, another €300 million is required to build a flying prototype, according to Cassidian chief executive Dr Stefan Zoller. Sales efforts targeted at 10 prospective European customers, particularly France, Germany, Spain and Turkey, have thus far been unsuccessful, and the aircraft has no orders on the books. Falling military budgets have cast doubts upon the programme's ultimate success.

Saab to build Talarion computers

 

[black eagle]

^^^^

The video is not working. Anyone with another link????

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Israeli military eyes AirMule for medevac missions

Israeli military eyes AirMule for medevac missions

 

[LETHALFORCE]

US Army to fly 'kamikaze' drones

US Army to fly 'kamikaze' drones

A miniature "kamikaze" drone designed to quietly hover in the sky before dive-bombing and slamming into a human target will soon be part of the US Army's arsenal, officials say.

Dubbed the "Switchblade," the robotic aircraft represents the latest attempt by the United States to refine how it takes out suspected militants.

Weighing less than two kilos, the drone is small enough to fit into a soldier's backpack and is launched from a tube, with wings quickly folding out as it soars into the air, according to manufacturer AeroVironment.

Powered by a small electric motor, the Switchblade transmits video in real time from overhead, allowing a soldier to identify an enemy, the company said in a press release last month.

"Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target," it said.

The drone then flies into the "target," detonating a small explosive.

The California-based firm also said the drone can be called off at the last moment, even after a kill mission has been ordered. That feature provides troops with "a level of control not available in other weapon systems," it said.

The United States currently uses larger Predator and Reaper drones to hunt down suspected militants in Pakistan and elsewhere.

The robotic planes fire powerful Hellfire missiles and drop heavy bombs that can cause civilian casualties and extensive damage, which has fueled popular anger with the United States in Pakistan.

In the war in Afghanistan, US and coalition troops fighting the the Taliban can call in artillery fire or air strikes from fighter jets and attack helicopters. But the heavy firepower has been blamed by Afghan leaders for claiming the lives of innocent civilians and strained US relations with Kabul.

The Switchblade, however, is touted as a way to avoid killing bystanders.

"Flying quietly at high speed the Switchblade delivers its onboard explosive payload with precision while minimizing collateral damage," the company said.

The US Army in June approved a $4.9 million contract for AeroVironment to supply the new drones as soon as possible. Officials have not said how many Switchblade drones were ordered or when the robotic weapons would make into the hands of US forces.

Human rights groups have raised concerns that the use of drones by the CIA has allowed the conduct of a secret assassination campaign abroad without public scrutiny and little oversight by lawmakers in Congress.

 

[DMF]

CHINA'S drone hit target with a missile about two years ago.

[video]http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjIyOTg5NDM2.html[/video]

 

[Kunal Biswas]

[h=3]Highlights From UV Asia 2011[/h]

The two-day UV India 2011 seminar-cum-expo, which got underway on October 13 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, provided the perfect venue for gaining insights into UAV-related activities and future force modernisation plans of India's three armed services. Interestingly, this time around, the number of trade visitors hailing from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), National Security Guards, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) far outnumbered those hailing from the three armed services, and the maximum number of procurement-related queries too came from such CAPFs. What follows below is a run-down of the highlights of the seminar and expo.

The DRDO is promising to deliver to the Indian Army an all-singing-and-dancing version of the Rustom-1 MALE-UAV—equipped with a belly-mounted optronic payload--by 2014. Also to be delivered by then will be a version of the Nishant tactical UAV equipped with a belly-mounted optronic payload and a wheeled undercarriage. The DRDO is focussing all its UAV-related R & D efforts on the Rustom-1, and those for the Rustom-2 MALE-UAV are not being accorded any importance at this stage.

The NTRO is steadily expanding its inventory of UAVs, with several Searcher Mk2 MALE-UAVs (equipped with optronic payloads) already operational as of now. Future plans call for the procurement of several Hermes-90 tactical UAVs.

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]A customised version of the hand-launched Skylark-1LE—jointly developed by HAL and ELBIT Systems—has now been certified for operating at an altitude of 18,600 feet ASL, and first deliveries will be made to both the Indian Army and the ITBP. CAPFs like the CRPF and BSF too are expected to place large orders for both the Skylark-1LE and Hermes-90 UAVs.

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The Indian Navy's fleet of Heron-1 MALE-UAVs come equipped with three types of ELTA Systems-built mission payloads: the EL/M-2022U maritime search radar and MSOP optronic turret, plus a communications system capable of acting as a repeater station for relaying imagery-related data over-the-horizon to another Heron-1 UAV which, in turn, relays such data to a principal surface combatant deployed in the high seas. The Heron-1s of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, on the other hand, come equipped with the MSOP optronic turret and the EL/M-2055D SAR/GMTI sensor. Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) two subsidiaries--ELTA Systems and MALAT Division—have now developed the EL/M-2054 SAR/GMTI payload for all-weather, air-to-surface Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) applications. It features modular, open architecture and can be easily configured into smaller tactical UAVs like the Nishant's wheeled variant.

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The Indian Navy has officially rejected the shipborne NRUAV project, which was first proposed in 2005 by HAL and IAI. Instead, the operational requirement has now been elevated to that for a shipborne UCAV, following which attention is being paid to the Northrop Grumman-built Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing system.

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]Even though there are several private-sector SMEs that have developed mini-UAVs for use by central- and state-level law enforcement agencies, such solutions cannot be inducted into service since the Union Home Ministry, the MoD and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (all non-armed forces UAV users are mandatorily required to secure operating airspace clearances from this ministry) have yet to sit down together to evolve a clear-cut policy regarding their procurement and usage. Needless to say, the above-mentioned ministries are always hell-bent on being biased in favour of only those solutions that are put forth by the DPSUs (like HAL and BEL). This in turn has pissed off several CAPFs since they require such tactical UAVs in not only far larger numbers than those for the armed forces, but also as soon as possible from any available source.—Prasun K. Sengupta

 

[Anshu Attri]

Nishant UAV update....

Tarmak007 -- A bold blog on Indian defence: Swadeshi pride vs software stability? Army keeps DRDO on toes over UAV Nishant induction

 

[agentperry]

Bangalore, October 17, DHNS:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on October 16 successfully completed the test flight of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Taneja Aerospace and Aviation airfield in Hosur.

The UAV, re-named Rustom-1, took off in inclement weather for its maiden test flight, and landed successfully meeting all the parameters after a 12-minute sortie. Lieutenant Col V S Thapa led the exercise carried out by Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO laboratory.

The successful test comes 16 months after the DRDO aborted the maiden flight of Rustom on November 15, 2009. The flight was terminated after 20 seconds of take off. Rustom-1 has several features including GPS-controlled Way Point Navigation. The UAV has an endurance of 12-15 hours and could carry payloads up to 75 kg to a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet.

"The successful test will pave way to a lot more innovation in the UAV category. While we already have intelligence gathering UAVs and remote controlled sensor devices, there is still tremendous scope in this field. We are in the process of preparing a concrete blueprint under the National Program for Micro Air Vehicles (NP-MICAV)," a senior official said.

NP-MICAV, the Rs 100-crore project sponsored by DRDO and the Department of Science and Technology was launched in August this year.

The UAVs remove the risk to human pilots when flying over danger zones. The data link system for Rustom-1 was designed and developed by Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory, Dehradun. Zephyr, a Coimbatore-based private company built the airframe and majority of the on-board systems were assembled by private units. The test is also a prelude to medium altitude long endurance UAV project Rustom-H, to be taken up shortly.

This vehicle could be used by all the three armed services.

DRDO tests Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

 

[DMF]

[video]http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/4TqL5Y1xbn0/[/video]
CHINA UAV TEST A MISSILE, HIT THE TARGET

 

[nrj]

Boeing to test new revolutionary drone soon: report


The maiden flight of a revolutionary US-made drone aircraft that can stay in the air for up to four days at 65,000 feet, prying at terror safe havens in countries like Pakistan, is just days away.

The 'Phantom Eye', made by Boeing's secretive Phantom Works division, is a high-altitude long endurance unmanned airborne system which is powered by hydrogen.


The inaugural flight of the new drone will take place at Edwards Air Force Base in California and is expected to last between four and eight hours, the Daily Mail reported today.


'Phantom Eye is the first of its kind and could open up a whole new market in collecting data and communications,' Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said.


The unmanned aircraft will produce only water as a by-product.


"It is a perfect example of turning an idea into a reality. It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," the paper quoted Boeing officials as saying.



The Phantom Eye had completed 12 days of ground vibration and structural mode interaction tests in June this year at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.


"It's exciting to be part of such a unique aircraft," said Drew Mallow, Phantom Eye program manager for Boeing.

"The hydrogen propulsion system will be the key to Phantom Eye's success. It is very efficient and offers great fuel economy, and its only byproduct is water, so it's also a "green" aircraft," Mallow said.


Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-litre, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload.


Boeing is also developing a larger unmanned plane that will stay aloft for more than 10 days and 'Phantom Ray,' a fighter-sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that will be a test bed for more advanced technologies, which made its inaugural flight in April, the report said.


The US regularly uses two types of unmanned armed drones, the Predator and Reaper, to attack militant hideouts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the latest such strike yesterday, the CIA-run drones targeted a vehicle and a compound in North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan, killing six militants.


Boeing to test new revolutionary drone soon: report - Indian Express