UAVs and UCAVs

W.G.Ewald

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THEY ARE FUNNY, THEY ARE CUTE, THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

Remember those crazy micro-UAVs we showed you flying in formation? You know, the quad-copters developed by the University of Pennsylvania's General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) lab that are at once cool to watch and terrifying since they'll one day be able to spy on anyone and even kamikaze into targets!
Well, here are those same little drones showing us just how creepy-cool they can be. The video below shows them playing the James Bond theme song. Seriously.
Anybody know how trackwhack's micro-UAV project is going?
 

LETHALFORCE

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Israel assesses eye-in-the-sky platforms

Israel assesses eye-in-the-sky platforms



Israel's military is evaluating two new aerial surveillance units known as tethered hovering platforms.

The devices are carried in small battlefield vehicles or even naval craft and can be put aloft in seconds to provide real-time situational data.

They're a high-tech throwback to the hot air observation balloons used by Union and Confederate forces in the American civil war 150 years ago -- the first eyes in the sky.

Sky Sapience, a start-up company that specializes in hovering machine technology, has unveiled HoverMast, an unmanned platform weighing 22 pounds that can carry a sensor payload of up to 20 pounds.

HoverMast follows the introduction of a similar but larger system by Israel Aerospace Industries known as ETOP -- electric tethered observation platform -- several weeks ago that can also be used for target acquisition in combat.

HoverMast's payload can include electro-optic sensors, laser designators, ground surveillance radar and signals intelligence equipment that can be transmitted electronically to ground forces or base stations.

This makes it suitable for military missions such as border protection, urban security as well as law enforcement missions like crowd control and other civil applications.

HoverMast was developed over the last two years in response to a requirement by Israel's Defense Ministry for a lightweight tethered hovering platform.

It's equipped with four thrusters and a central fan for list and stability and can operate on the move. The whole system is packed in a small container that can be installed on the roof of the vehicle.

At the push of a button, the container opens and HoverMast rises to a height of up to 165 feet in 15 seconds. Deployment is fully automatic.

A cable that also provides power supply and wideband data link tethers the platform to the command vehicle, whose engine provides the power supply. A coaxial counter-rotating ducted fan provides the lift. The four thrusters keep the platform on station and stabilized and can be used to maneuver it.

It is expected to go into full production in late 2012.

"Anyone can use the system and receive immediate surveillance, all with the press of a button," said reserve air force Brig. Gen. Gabriel Shachor, Sky Sapience's chief executive officer who founded the company with engineers Shy Cohen and Ronen Keldar in 2010.

Sky Sapience, which has strategic partnerships with the Defense Ministry research and development agency MAFAT and G-NIUS Ground Systems, has three other projects under development.

G-NIUS produces the multi-purpose unmanned remote control Guardium-LS which was selected for integration with the HoverMast.

The ETOP built by state-owned IAI, flagship of Israel's defense industry, can carry a payload of 44 pounds, more than twice the size of HoverMast's. Its maximum operating height is around 328 feet, double HoverMast's.
 

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Boeing Phantom Eye Conducts Medium Speed Taxi Test

Boeing Phantom Eye Conducts Medium Speed Taxi Test
BY UNMANNED EDITOR – MARCH 14, 2012
POSTED IN: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAV) NEWS
Edwards Air Forec Base, USA – Boeing today announced that the Phantom Eye high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle has conducted its first medium-speed taxi test. The hydrogen-powered aircraft is designed for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and communications.


Phantom Eye MALE UAV
The test was conducted March 10 at Edwards Air Force Base in coordination with the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

Phantom Eye, traveling atop its launching cart system, reached speeds of up to 30 knots as ground teams relayed directions and information using Boeing's advanced Common Open-mission Management Command and Control (COMC2) software.

"The aircraft performed well and the data collected will help populate our models," said Drew Mallow, Boeing Phantom Eye program manager. "This test brings us one step closer to our first flight."

With its 150-foot wingspan, Phantom Eye is designed to fly at an altitude of up to 65,000 feet and stay airborne for up to four days while carrying a 450-pound payload.

"Phantom Eye's hydrogen-powered propulsion system, matched with its exceptional fuel economy and robust endurance, ushers in a new realm of possibilities for potential customers' long-endurance ISR missions," said James Dodd, Advanced Boeing Military Aircraft vice president, Boeing Phantom Works.
 

LETHALFORCE

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Solar-powered UAVs may fly soon - Times Of India

Solar-powered UAVs may fly soon

BANGALORE: Solar-powered Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and vertical take-off and landing of UAVs will be key developments in this field, DRDO chief controller R&D (aero) A Subhananda Rao said on the sidelines of the International Conference on Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles 2012 here on Friday.

He said while solar-powered UAVs will have high-endurance capabilities and operate at altitudes up to 30,000 ft, ship-borne vertical take-off and landing UAVs, which will have rotors, can carry out reconnaissance activities on the high seas.
"UAVs are gamechangers now. In recent years, UAVs have demonstrated their capability to perform missions from reconnaissance to surveillance as well as search & rescue in uninhabited airspace," he said.

The current mandate is for HALO (high endurance long range) -- the requirement by the government is 300-kilometre range and 24- hour endurance. "This project's first flight will be in February 2014," he said.

Rao said they have not been given the mandate to produce a combat UAV. "Tomorrow's warfare will depend on intelligence collection and transmission and we are concentrating on that. We'll also develop stealth technology for UAVs," he added.

"A key technology for UAVs to perform their intended mission is autonomy. All operational UAVs worldwide operate at level three of autonomy, equipped to adapt the mission to failure in flight and atmospheric conditions. With level 4, the most critical technology is to impart 360-degree situational awareness to an unmanned system which will enable it to replan the mission in reaction to threats and targets," he said.

ADE director PS Krishnan said Rustom-2 would be India's equivalent to US's drones and will be flight tested by 2015. They will have flight endurance of 24 hours and stay afloat for 24 hours. He said for Rustom-2, the government has allocated Rs 1,540 crore for development of the UAV and for building a test range at Chitradurga.

Army pilots have taken the lead in being trained on simulators and actual test flights of Rustom-1, which was developed earlier last year on a technology demonstration basis. These pilots have already taken Rustom-1 on 10 test flights.
 

LETHALFORCE

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CU-Boulder unmanned aircraft braced to make speed history - Longmont Times-Call

unmanned aircraft braced to make speed history


A University of Colorado aerospace engineer and his team of students are set to begin building the prototype for an unmanned aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound and is headed for commercialization.

The supersonic vehicle could be used for everything from penetrating and analyzing storms to military reconnaissance missions -- both expeditions that can require the long-distance, high-speed travel his unmanned aircraft vehicle will deliver -- without placing human pilots in danger, said Ryan Starkey, a CU engineering professor.

A fuel-efficient jet engine powers the 50-kilogram vehicle. The aircraft has a compact frame, 5 feet wide by 6 feet long, allowing it to deploy farther on missions than any other unmanned aircraft vehicle to date.

Its thrust capacity makes the aircraft capable of reaching Mach 1.4, slightly faster than the speed of sound. Starkey said the aircraft will break the world record for speed in its weight class, a prospect that excites his students.

Over the past three years, dozens of undergraduates and graduate students have worked on the project in CU's College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Project manager George Miyata, a master's student, said the possibilities for the vehicle are vast -- for example, it could be a first responder in the case of a biochemical terrorist attack, measuring air quality.

The potential for military reconnaissance is also monumental, he said.

"For military purposes, it's a lot harder to shoot down something that's traveling at Mach 1, versus what you see now with the Predator and Reaper," he said. "They are a little bit slower, so they are easier targets in the sky."

The building of the aircraft and process of applying for FAA approval to test it in the air will carry into next year.

The aircraft costs between $50,000 and $100,000. It's a relatively small price tag in a field that can advance only through testing, which sometimes means equipment loss, according to those involved with the project.

Starkey's technology is transitioning into a business venture through his newly debuted Starkey Aerospace Corp., or Starcor for short. The unmanned aircraft vehicle already has garnered interest from the Army, Navy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and NASA.

Starkey said technology transfer is important because it advances university research into real-life applications and contributes to the economy. He also said it can provide jobs for students, and he is bringing some of the roughly 50 students involved in unmanned aircraft vehicle development into his budding Starcor.
 

LETHALFORCE

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UUAV conducts 7-hour mission

UUAV conducts 7-hour mission



Germany's Atlas Elektronik reports that its SeaCat autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle has successfully completed a seven-hour mission.

The vehicle traveled through the 14.9-mile Albstollen water supply tunnel in the state of Bade-Wurttemberg, inspecting for possible damage.

The inspection was the first visual inspection of the tunnel, near Stuttgart, in 40 years.

"Never before has a water-filled tunnel of this length been inspected by a diving robot navigating on its own," said Sven Hesse, head of the UUV program at Atlas Elektronik. "And rarely has such an entirely autonomous vehicle completed such a demanding task."

The SeaCat, which measures about 8 feet in length and 11.8 inches in diameter, is torpedo shaped. It can be operated either remotely or fully autonomously for up to eight hours. Its payload includes a number of sensors as well as a video camera.

Atlas said it can be used for inspection and mapping of inshore lakes, coastal sea areas, harbors and marine structures.

For inspection of the tunnel, the vehicle was equipped with both sensors and a camera that recorded visual information. The unit was kept centered with the use of laser distance sensors.

Both remote control and autonomous modes were used. During the first 300 yards of exploration, an operator controlled the vehicle's actions with the use of a fiber-optic cable. It then was switched to autonomous mode, moving along the length of the tunnel at about 3 feet a second.

Atlas, a joint venture of ThyssenKrupp and EADS, said the inspection indicated that the water tunnel was in good condition after 40 years of continuous use.

The Albstollen tunnel -- with a diameter of 7.3 feet -- is part of the largest long-distance water distribution system in Germany. Inspection of the tunnel occurs regularly but through measurements of the hydraulic friction losses and through the leakage rate.

SeaCat provided its first visual inspection.

"We can certainly be proud of this achievement: it proves that Atlas Elektronik is right on course to carve out a world leading role in this new field of technology," said Atlas Elektronik Managing Directors Volker Paltzo and Dieter Rottsieper.

Atlas Elektronik manufactures -- in addition to UUVs -- maritime command-and-control systems, mine warfare systems and other products
 

LETHALFORCE

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Pentagon considers nuclear-powered drones

Pentagon considers nuclear-powered drones


American scientists are working on new-generation nuclear-powered unmanned aircraft capable of staying in the air for up to several months. While being able to tackle a wider range of more complicated tasks compared to their existing analogues, the new drones will not require a costly air base network for refueling and technical maintenance.

What's more, on February 14 President Barack Obama signed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act that allows the use drones in U.S. airspace by both state-owned and private companies.

The CIA has often resorted to drones in its war on global terrorism. In the past decade, U.S. drones flew various missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other "hot spots". Unlike manned warplanes, they offer considerable advantages and help avoid a diplomatic scandal that normally erupts whenever pilots are taken prisoner.

In October 2009, the CIA reported that more than a half of 20 most dangerous Al Qaeda leaders were eliminated with the help of drones.

Despite being an effective anti-terror tool, drones have become a nightmare for local residents. Civilian deaths inflicted by drone strikes have repeatedly strained relations between America and Pakistan, one of its key allies in the crackdown on terrorism.

ccording to a report published by the Washington-based Brookings Institution in 2009, ten times as many civilians as suspected terrorists died in U.S. drone attacks. Pakistan's patience expired in November 2011 after a drone strike erroneously targeted Pakistani troops, prompting Islamabad to shut NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.

The above Reauthorization Act approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Obama shows that no lessons have been learnt from that incident. While providing virtually unlimited opportunities for the use of drones in search and rescue effort as well as in battling wildfires, the document gives the "green light" for drone-based domestic spying.

A tandem of the Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman company is said to be the closest ever to creating nuclear-powered highly-maneuverable missile-carrying drones that can fly for months on end without refueling.

Analysts are warning that the improved drone technology has some major minuses to consider. Drones are not easy to control. Besides, the proliferation of drones in the sky may affect the safety of passenger planes and other manned aircraft. Human rights activists are also ringing alarm over civil liberties violations arising from drone spying.
 

LETHALFORCE

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India Deploys UAV Squadron near Sri Lanka | StratRisks


India Deploys UAV Squadron near Sri Lanka

The Indian Navy is all set to commission its first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) squadron on the East Coast at Uchipuli near here soon.

It is considered a significant step towards strengthening maritime surveillance and reconnaissance in Palk Strait, Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay off the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coast. The commissioning of the UAV squadron near Rameswaram assumes significance not only due to its close proximity to Sri Lanka but also due to the strategic importance of the region.

It has been christened INAS 344 and it will be operated from INS Parundu, a naval air station. It will be the third UAV squadron of the Navy. Established in 2006, the Indian Navy's first UAV squadron, INAS 342 in Kochi, already performs operational missions as well as training. The 2 squadron was commissioned at Porbandar in Guajarat in 2011.

Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday Captain A..B. Bellary, Commanding Officer, INS Parundu said the squadron would comprise four units of two Israeli-built Searcher and Heron UAVs. It would effectively strengthen maritime security and surveillance along the strategic region of the East Coast.

It would have 50 sailors and 12 officers. Two of the 4 aircraft, which were tested and operated at Kochi squadron, had already been brought to INS Parundu. The remaining two aircraft would reach soon.

"It is an important milestone as far as maritime surveillance of the region is concerned. It will be handy for surveillance, mapping, data collection, tracking, analysis and other operations," says Mr. Bellary.

Commander Vinit Anand, Commanding Officer, INAS 344, said that the UAVs could remain airborne for 8 to 10 hours comfortably. Searcher aircraft could reach higher altitude of over 15000 feet. Heron was medium range and long endurance aircraft and it was a highly sophisticated UAV for high altitude operation fitted with radar, camera and others.

"Right now our focus is on training and improving the operational proficiency of our personnel in operating UAVs. It will be immensely useful for intensive training, coastal mapping, collection of data and others," he added.

Mr. Bellary said all necessary infrastructure such as hangar, control room, maintenance facilities, building and others had already been established. The sanctioned personnel for UAV squadron had undergone intensive training for operating UAVs and receiving data.
 

Kunal Biswas

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General Atomics proposes range boost for Predator B
By: Stephen Trimble Washington DC

Predator Bs could gain an extra 10-15h endurance under two retrofit options unveiled on 18 April by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.Adding two fuel pods and a previously designed heavy-weight landing gear would allow a Predator B to fly 37h without refueling on an surveillance mission, the company says.




http://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...s-proposes-range-boost-for-predator-b-370860/
 

Kunal Biswas

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UAV mini-weapons: ATK's Hatchet





ATK showed off a compact little bomb it's developing for use on small UAVs at the Navy League's Sea, Air and Space show in Maryland this week. Dubbed the "Hatchet," this 60mm munition can be mounted on platforms such as the ScanEagle and is designed to offer a low-collateral damage alternative to the Hellfire missile — originally designed to take out armor — carried by the Predator.The Hatchet features a miniaturized Laser JDAM Seeker warhead, made by Elbit Systems, and can be guided on to a target by GPS or an inertial guidance system. ATK is working with the Army, Navy and Air Force to develop the system for use against soft targets in urban areas. By that we mean it can be fired into a bad guys living room and not necessarily wipe out an innocent family next door.– Matt Cox
Read more: http://defensetech.org/2012/04/19/video-atks-hatchet/#ixzz1sYgfswQT
 

asianobserve

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Future nano-UAVs could collect ISR in heavily defended airspace alongside Raptors and F-35s
By: DAVE MAJUMDAR
Flightglobal Washington DC


The US Air Force could eventually develop swarms of nano-unmanned aircraft to conduct penetrating reconnaissance missions inside heavily defended airspace, but the service will rely on its stealthy fifth-generation fighter fleet to gather intelligence inside those areas for now.

"As you think about the A2/AD [anti-access/area denial] environment, I would offer that over the course of the last 10 years we been very good at operating in a permissive environment with airborne capabilities," says USAF intelligence chief Lt Gen Larry James speaking at an Air Force Association sponsored breakfast. "However if you think about the future conflicts that we may face, that is a non-permissive environment Frankly we may not have the ability, especially at the outset, to fly [General Atomics MQ-1] Predators or [MQ-9] Reapers."

That also applies to other non-stealth airborne intelligence collectors like the L-3 Communications RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft.

The USAF's Lockheed Martin F-22s and F-35s are probably going to be the only aircraft capable of gathering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data inside those hostile environments, James says. Both aircraft have an array of sensors that make them extremely capable intelligence collectors.

The USAF's scientific advisory board and Air Combat Command (ACC) are currently working on how to use the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms. That advisory board study should be complete by this summer, James says.

One of the major issues the two USAF organizations will examine is how to download the vast amount of data generated by the two fighters to intelligence analysts.

"Frankly, that is a hard question," James says. "How do you get the data off-board in that environment."

ACC will develop a roadmap based on the advisory board's conclusions on how to proceed with that the task of integrating the fifth-generation fighter fleet into the intelligence architecture, including the distributed common ground stations.

But ACC is already working on developing tactics, techniques and procedures for using the two stealth fighters in the ISR role, James says.

The USAF might also invest in standoff sensors that have the range to collect intelligence data from outside range of enemy defences. Other options include using more space-based collection systems or even cyber-based intelligence gathering efforts. It will probably require a combination of air, space and cyber-based collection to overcome A2/AD challenges though, James says.

But in the future there could be a new generation of penetrating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

"Are there places for nano-UAVs that can be survivable or throwaway, networked small UAVs that can perhaps penetrate and operate for some period of time?" James says. "Those are things technologists need to look at."



Future nano-UAVs could collect ISR in heavily defended airspace alongside Raptors and F-35s
 

H.A.

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On May 2-3, the reception flights for the S-100 Camcopter drone, also designated Serval, took place aboard the offshore patrol vessel L'Adroit. They confirmed the system's overall performance, and renewed the operating clearances of the operators from the CEPA/10S squadron.

The first phase of the Serval user trials, which will be carried out by CEPA/10S in cooperation with DGA's flight test department, will begin on May 10, when L'Adroit will sail on its initial fisheries patrol mission.

During this cruise, evaluation flights will be carried out using the Thales AGILE2 electro-optical sensor ball. They are intended to confirm the performance of the integrated system, to define the flight envelope of the unmanned aircraft, and to validate and refine procedures for drone operations in a shipboard environment.

S-100 Drones Aboard the Patrol Vessel L'Adroit
 

Kunal Biswas

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Small Tactical Munition Phase II scores a direct hit




13.5-pound Small Tactical Munition Phase II designed for unmanned aircraft systems

TUCSON, Ariz., April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/

Raytheon Company's Small Tactical Munition Phase II scored a direct hit on a target during the weapon's first guided flight test.


"STM Phase II is ideally suited to weaponize Shadow-class unmanned aircraft systems and counterinsurgency aircraft because STM is a mature, precise and affordable weapon," said Dr. Thomas R. Bussing, vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "STM gives warfighters flexibility because it enables them to engage moving and static targets with minimal collateral damage."

During the February test at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., a Raytheon Cobra unmanned aircraft system released the STM Phase II in flight. After safely separating from the UAS, the weapon used both GPS/INS and semi-active laser to guide to the target.

About Small Tactical Munition

STM Phase II is a new 13.5-pound, 22-inch long, precision-guided, gravity-dropped bomb specifically designed for employment from manned and unmanned aircraft systems.

STM Phase II is more than 2 inches shorter than the Phase I design and has foldable fins and wings, enabling two weapons to be placed inside the U.S. military's common launch tube. STM Phase II's modular assembly will make the system simpler to manufacture on a large scale.

Key Points

* At 13.5 pounds and 22 inches, STM is the smallest air-launched weapon in the Raytheon portfolio.
* Has both GPS/INS and digital semi-active laser guidance.
* Small enough to be employed from the U.S. military's common launch tube.



Note to Editors

STM Phase II incorporates a new, purpose-built warhead designed by Nammo-Talley, and features a Kaman Aerospace enhanced electronic safe arm device.


New Raytheon Guided Bomb Completes Initial Flight Test - Apr 2, 2012
 

LETHALFORCE

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Russia 'may buy' $50 mln worth of Israeli UAVs

Russia 'may buy' $50 mln worth of Israeli UAVs


Russia may buy a large new consignment of unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel and 24 command and control systems worth around $50 million in the foreseeable future, a high ranking source in the Russian defense industry said on Wednesday.

Israel Aerospace Industries previously delivered to Russia two Bird Eye-400, eight I-View Mk150 and two Searcher Mk.2 UAVs, totaling $53 million.

"The Defense Ministry is considering the possibility of purchasing from the Israeli company Aeronautics Defense Systems of three types of UAV control systems (eight each): Orbiter 2, Aerostar, Skystar," the source said.

The consensus within the Russian Defense Department seems to be that these systems are essential until the domestic industry develops and starts large scale manufacturing of similar systems at home, he added.

Russian helicopters proving popular
Russia intends to build more than 300 helicopters this year. In total, they will cost 150 bln rubles.

This is what Director General of the Russian company "Vertolyoty Rossii" (which means "Russian helicopters") Dmitry Petrov said at an international exhibition of helicopters in Moscow.

Mr. Petrov also said that currently, Russia produces 9% of the world's civil helicopters and 22% of military helicopters.

India, China and former Soviet republics prefer Russian helicopters to those made in other countries. Russian helicopters are also very popular in Argentine and Brazil, the economies of which are currently rapidly developing.

In the early 2000s, Russia produced 3% of helicopters in the world. Now, it produces 14%.

Russian-US joint drills under way in US
Russian and American airborne forces are holding joint military drills at a US base in Colorado.

The war games which began on Tuesday are the first ever joint drills between Russian and American airborne forces.

For two weeks 22 Russian and 22 American paratroopers will be practicing tactical landing and assault operations, reconnaissance tactics, and helicopter evacuation.
 

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India's NAL links with Kadet for UAV


India's NAL links with Kadet for UAV

India's state-run National Aerospace Laboratory will work with Kadet Defense Systems to develop NAL's Hansa trainer aircraft into an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The Hansa is built by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation for NAL and uses Indian-made composite material but mostly imported aeronautic electronics.

The low-wing, tricycle-gear aircraft first flew in the late 1990s and is used mainly by private flying clubs as a trainer.

The aircraft is around 25 feet long and has a wingspan of just more than 34 feet. Cruising speed is 130 mph with a range or more than 500 miles.

The engine is mainly the turbocharged four-cylinder Rotax 914F engine from Austria, similar to that used by the unmanned MQ-1 Predator made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in the United States.

The later Hansa 4 model has used the SR305-230E diesel engine made my SMA of the French Safran Group.

The plane also can be used for low-level surveillance because of its slow speeds.

But the feasibility of the project is under question, a report by the Indian defense industry news Web site defensenow.com said.

The report said defense analysts have pointed out the two-seater aircraft's high cockpit canopy and less-than-compact overall design would make it unwieldy if it were a UAV.

NAL and Kadet may never get the project off the ground if the NAL's record for keeping to design and production schedules is considered, the defensenow.com report said.

NAL hasn't finished the 14-seater Saras aircraft and also has its hands full with the ongoing development of the Regional Transport Aircraft.

The Saras, being developed by NAL and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is a domestically designed and manufactured light transport jet aircraft powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engines.

The aircraft's first flight was in 2004 but development suffered a setback when one of the two prototypes crashed near Bangalore in March 2009, killing the two air force test pilots.

An inquiry found that the pilots were attempting to switch off and re-ignite one of the two engines, a report by the Hindu newspaper said in July 2009. Incorrect instructions for the procedure were the cause of the crash, the Hindu report said.

Kadet Defense Systems, which has headquarters in Kolkata, was created in 2005 to manufacture an aerial drone target for the Indian army and has moved into development of UAVs for surveillance and reconnaissance.

Kadet supplies the Ministry of Defense with the company's JX2 Radio Controlled Aerial Target System and Javelin X Aerial Targets.

The Javelin X drone target was the preferred target for the Shilka Anti-Aircraft Gun System upgrade program, which was undertaken by Bharat Electronics and Elta Systems, an Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary, Kadet's Web site notes.
 

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Sagem is continuing flight tests of its Patroller MALE drone, which it is marketing for long-endurance coastal surveillance and homeland security missions. (Sagem photo) PARIS EUROSATORY --- Sagem has just successfully completed a new series of test flights of its long-endurance Patroller drone system, in a multi-sensor, multi-mission configuration.

Set up for coastal surveillance and homeland security missions, the Patroller drone carried the following systems and equipment for these tests:

"¢A new version of the Sagem Euroflir 350 gyrostabilized optronic pod, including an HDTV channel, third generation HD infrared channel and a laser rangefinder.
"¢An AIS receiver, enabling the real-time monitoring of maritime traffic over a large zone.
"¢Distress beacon detector.

The 18 test flights in this series clearly demonstrated Patroller's ability to fuse information from different sensors, and to transmit them to a command & control center for coastal surveillance. This new capability is in addition to its ability to transmit video streams in the NATO Stanag 4609 standard, already developed by Sagem and deployed by the French army's SDTI Sperwer drones.

These tests also showed how easy it is to integrate new payloads in the Patroller mission system, and the complementary capabilities of the optronic and electronic sensors in developing tactical situations.

Patroller is a 1-ton class drone, based on an aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It incorporates technologies developed by Sagem for the Sperwer Mk II tactical drone system, and its operational experience in Afghanistan. The modular design of Patroller enables it to be fitted with pod-mounted payloads for flights lasting from 20 to more than 30 hours, at a maximum altitude of 25,000 ft. Offering reasonable operating costs, it meets requirements for long-endurance surveillance for defense and homeland security forces, as well as interministerial missions.

Sagem Patroller Drone Completes Tests In Multi-Sensor, Multi-Mission Configuration
 

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