UAVs and UCAVs

sandeepdg

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Guys, I am saying its already bit late in the day for development of a decent UCAV, considering now even the Iranians have a killer drone, though we are not sure of its capabilities. Nevertheless we need to keep working for realizing this soon, and the the Army plan only envisages surveillance drones to be available to most battalions by 2017, that's 7 damn years away !
 

shuvo@y2k10

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the HAL & DRDO is very poor in aerospace technology. that's why our air force operates 100% foreign outdated equipments.the lca (which was outdated in the design phase itself) took 26 years to develop and has still not acheived ioc.key objectives of the lca programmee like realisation of an indegeneous jet engine has not been acheived till now. the drdo has also failed to produce a long range indegeneous uav or a ucav and is unlikely to do so in the coming decade.
 

Agantrope

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the HAL & DRDO is very poor in aerospace technology. that's why our air force operates 100% foreign outdated equipments.the lca (which was outdated in the design phase itself) took 26 years to develop and has still not acheived ioc.key objectives of the lca programmee like realisation of an indegeneous jet engine has not been acheived till now. the drdo has also failed to produce a long range indegeneous uav or a ucav and is unlikely to do so in the coming decade.
Do you think fighter aircraft is a Pizza? I dont think so, In fact we have achieved a lot despite the sanction over the number of labs for technologies and all stuff. Do you think all these technologies grow in tree?
 
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Grey Eagle Weaponized UAS Slated For Afghanistan

Grey Eagle Weaponized UAS Slated For Afghanistan

Army unmanned aircraft systems officials said success was so great with the integration and testing of the Hellfire missile aboard the Grey Eagle UAS that the Army would begin deployment of four weaponized systems to Afghanistan in the fall.

In a Pentagon bloggers roundtable Aug. 25, Col. Greg Gonzalez, program manager for Army UAS said in recent user tests at the National Training Center, Soldiers had fired eight live fires with eight hits.

Of the eight, six aimed by the on-board laser designator were fired directly from the Grey Eagle platform resulting in six hits. The remaining two test fires were Hellfires launched from AH-64 Apaches which were also direct hits.

"Prior to that we had also tested the Hellfire integration at China Lake back in the fall of 2009," he said. "At that time, we had nine out of 10 hits and the tenth one that we did miss was an extremely difficult shot of a target moving directly below the aircraft, moving in a parallel... a perpendicular shot."

Tim Owings, deputy program manager for Army UAS said the Army had been testing sense-and-avoid capabilities of its UAS, such as software variants, new capabilities, training operators, but until recently the service hadn't been able to fly at night in national airspace per Federal Aviation Administration restrictions.

Those restrictions have since been lifted and will help resolve the problem that the majority of flight hours that all services are flying today are in theater, operating with impunity. Once war efforts die down and most of the assets are returned to the U.S., training will still be needed said Gonzalez.

Addressing the future of UAS, Col. Robert Sova, capability manager for UAS, said the role of the systems in war has exceeded a million hours and that the "work horse" of the UAS reconnaissance inventory, the Shadow, had exceeded 500,000 hours of flight time alone. He added the Army continues to see an increase in flying hours.

He said primary roles will still be surveillance, security, command and control, and communications relay. He also said he doesn't see an expansion of attack roles for the present other than Grey Eagle but didn't close the door on the feasibility of using smaller, lighter weapon systems in the future along with studying the possibility of cargo UAS.
 

Rahul92

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what i doubt is did Pakistan produce uavs on its own:emot15: i mean without any external source
 

shuvo@y2k10

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@ agantrope - please read carefully what i have posted and don't post your crap opinion refering to me. building a fighter plane may not be a pizza but no pizza takes 26 years to manufacture at a cost of 13000 crores of public money.if drdo didn't have the technological capability then why did it undertake such an ambitious project and wasted so much public money.
 

Kunal Biswas

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does anybody have any info on Russian UAV's
Russia to build UAVs with foreign partners ( France and Israeli IMI )

Russia to build UAVs with foreign partners
16:21 09/09/2010

MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will team up with foreign firms to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on its soil, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Thursday.

On Monday the Defense Ministry said some 50 Russian military servicemen were undergoing training in the use of Israeli-built UAVs and that a total of 12 had been bought.

"We said from day one that we will only buy so many [UAVs] - we will test them and see whether they are good for our needs," he said.
"But after that it will be joint production on Russian territory in any event."

Russia to build UAVs with foreign partners | Defense | RIA Novosti
List Of Russian UAVs..
UAV | Russian Arms, Military Technology, Analysis of Russia's Military Forces
 

Patriot

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New UAVs emerge at Polish show

By Bartosz Glowacki

Several new unmanned air vehicle designs were unveiled during the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) at Kielce, including two flying wing systems.

Designed by Polish firm Pimco, the first prototype is intended for use as a reconnaissance asset, and has a maximum take-off weight of 7kg (15.4lb). The air vehicle will take off from a rail launcher, but the company is conducting a study into whether it will land on its belly or with parachute assistance.

The Pimco design will cruise at speeds of between 32kt (60km/h) and 64kt, and have an operating ceiling of 9,840ft (3,000m), its designers say. Endurance is quoted as 1.5h, with a range of 5-11nm (10-20km).

The Polish Air Force Institute of Technology revealed a similar system dubbed the Nietoperz-3L (Bat). The lightweight UAV has been designed for applications including surveillance and terrain mapping, and has a 6.5kg maximum take-off weight.


Pimco UAV,

Using a flying wing configuration and powered by a 1.5kW electric engine driving a two-blade pusher propeller, the Nietoperz-3L will cruise at 27-54kt. The UAV is 1.28m (4.2ft) long, has a 2.41m wingspan and can be launched by hand or using a catapult.

Service ceiling will be around 3,300ft, operating radius up to 15km and endurance up to 1.5h. The institute of technology says its payload could include a stabilised turret with an electro-optical/infrared camera and real-time image transmission capability.


New UAVs emerge at Polish show
 

Agantrope

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@ agantrope - please read carefully what i have posted and don't post your crap opinion refering to me. building a fighter plane may not be a pizza but no pizza takes 26 years to manufacture at a cost of 13000 crores of public money.if drdo didn't have the technological capability then why did it undertake such an ambitious project and wasted so much public money.
Well, so you want a 'to be' super power nation to beg their hands over the foreign for all military hardware. Just refer other similar military programs that are done by other countries. btw 13K Crores is of total order book worth for tejas. I have done enough of my craps, now dont unload your ** on the DRDO and other organisation, they are doing their work with what the resource given.
Not here to take anything personal other than the constructive discussion
 

Patriot

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AR Drone Quad-Copters to be Controlled With iPhone




Have you ever wanted your own remote controlled reconnaissance drone? Have you ever wanted to be able to control an aircraft from your iPhone and to be able to see what's going on some where that you aren't?

Well, if you have, you're in luck. Parrot, a technology firm, has announced their unmanned aircraft is going to be available for purchase starting today. The aircraft is to be operated by an iPhone.

The aircraft is not big, it's about the size of a normal remote controlled airplane. It's got quad-roter aircraft that has great stability, and also it's designed to be operated by your iPhone, or even your iPod Touch.

The AR drone is envisioned as more than just an interesting toy, it's designed to combine video games with virtual simulation.

It is controlled by using the accelerometer in the iPhone. This means that operators can simply tilt their hands in one direction or another to move theaircraft. The camera can be directed by just touching the screen.

The tiny drone weighs in at three-quarters of a pound, so the drone is definitely smaller than most of the Pentagon's unmanned aircraft. However, it is like many military drones, equipped with a camera that broadcasts video back to the operator. This allows it to act like a mini-spy plane.

The drone is priced at about $300, so it's a pricey thing to buy, but if you've got money to spend and you are a technology enthusiast, I say, give it a go.



AR Drone Quad-Copters to be Controlled With iPhone - CombatAircraft.com
 

Patriot

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Karrar - Iran's New Jet-Powered Recce and Attack Drone



Iran has this week unveiled a new type of turbojet-powered drone designated 'Karrar' (striker - in Farsi), described by Iranian officials as capable to perform long-range reconnaissance and attack missions. Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced on Sunday that the country's first home-made long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) named 'Karrar' has a flight-range of 1,000km. Karrar is described as capable of operating at long range, and in 'great operational depth', at high or low altitudes.


Another Karrar drone undergoing finishing before applying the Target-typical red paint. Derived from an aerial target platform, the Karrar offers quite a few advantages as a recce or attack platform. Photo: FARS News agency

According to Iranian reports, on reconnaissance missions the Karrar can record images flying over targets of interest and transmit them back to the ground control as it re-establishes communications. The drone can also carry weapons, two configurations were displayed – carrying a unitary bomb (what seemed to be a 500 lb weapon) on the centerline, or carrying two smaller weapons (assessed by their shape and size, these weapons could be the Kowsar (C-701) anti-ship missiles).

The design of the Karrar traces back to the BQM-126A target drone, developed by the U.S. company Beechcraft in the 1970s. Like the Iranian unmanned plane, the BQM-126 was powered by an expendable turbojet engine, developing thrust around 4 kN. (Iran's Tolloue 5 turbojet engine, rated at 4.4kN is in production powering some of the country's long range anti-ship missile program.) The fully loaded BQM-126 weighed about 0.6 tons and offered mission endurance over two hours. Its top speed was 950 kph, with service ceiling at 40,000 ft.


The origin? BQM-126A


It had a wingspan of 3 meters and length of 5.51 meters. This target plane also influenced the South African Skua target drone, developed by Denel. Skua Karrar is believed to be shorter (around 4.meter long), and, carrying less fuel, its useful payload can be increased to around 700 kg. Its cruising speed is 900 kph.


While the origins of new drone could bear upon the U.S. original, the Iranian designers invested significant effort in modifying and shaping it to their demands. The podded turbojet was moved inside the fuselage, with the air intake emplaced in a dorsal fairing, feeding the turbojet through a curved duct, assisting in absorbing some of the radar reflections from the turbine surface. The dorsal intake position cleared the belly for the carriage of stores or weapons on the centerline. To enable aerial carriage, the dorsal fairing behind the air duct has been strengthened, providing attachments for aerial pylons, with ample space for avionics and support systems,while also accommodating the recovery parachute. The center fuselage and forward section provides space for payloads, flight control sensors and, possibly, an internally carried warhead. The swept wings are designed for high speed flight, at relatively high altitude, but videos released by the Iranians also indicate the Karrar is also capable of flying low-level flights.

For what missions is the Karrar designed for? The first question to be asked would be – whether it is an unmanned aerial vehicle (operated as a reusable asset) or is it a 'one way only' cruise missile? As it is based on a target drone, Karrar could perform both missions successfully and affordably. Unlike conventional UAVs, it is not designed to operate with real-time, man-in-the-loop, but most likely to fly a pre-programmed mission, however – with more advanced flight controls already available to the Iranians with their UAVs and anti-ship missiles, it could 'improvise' with evasive maneuvering to evade potential threats, typically being the characteristics of a cruise missile. The Iranians already gained access to cruise missile knowhow, with the acquisition of Kh55 missiles from the Ukraine. Karrar could be the first manifestation of what they have learned from the Russian Kh55 technology.


The Iranian jet powered drone Karrar launched by Rocket Assist Take-Off (RATO) booster, acceleratingh the vehicle from a stationary ground launcher. Karrar can also be launched from an aerial platform. Photos: FARS News by Vahid Reza Alael.


Target drones like the Karrar can be launched from the ground or from an airborne transport plane such as this U.S. Navy DC-130, carrying 1970 vintage Firebee aerial targets, supporting U.S. Navy exercises. Photo: U.S. Navy

Unlike other cruise missiles, Karrar seems to have the unique capability for carrying relatively heavy weapons slung under the wings, or on the centerline. However, it must be assumed that carrying such weapons should dramatically reduce its operational radius. Beyond deep recce missions, two offensive missions, that the drone might be used for, could be extended range anti-ship or missile-defense-suppression. The drone's range could be further extended by aerial delivery,using transport aircraft, such as the C-130 or P-3 or Il-76 launching Karrars from strengthened underwing pylons. Typically, a C-130 carries two aerial targets.

In a naval attack role, the Karrar equipped with two or four Kowsar missiles could extend the Iranian reach well beyond their coast, without being detected by maritime patrols. Similarly, the drone could be used as an anti-radar 'missile bus', or employ 'suicide attack' mode, in an attempt to blind the 'eyes' of ballistic-missile defense systems – systems such as the THAAD, Patriot PAC-3 that rely on early warning and fire control radars for their operation, being deployed in several Gulf states which are well within Karrar's combat radius. As the counter ABM mission employs radar homing missiles, the Karrar can be flown without active sensors, engaging fixed targets at known positions. To mask its approach the drone could employ some radar deception techniques to close-in for a quick shot - including mimicking and magnifying the radar signature of the drone to look like a commercial aircraft – such techniques are widely used with aerial targets, enabling a small target to simulate larger aircraft. According to Iranian sources the drone can carry up to four weapons on external stores. Another advantage of the autonomous operation is the communications silence maintained by the drone throughout its operation, minimizing early warning and detection by the defender's electronic surveillance.

Another question is – could such a platform be used for carrying a nuclear warhead? The commonly agreed threshold for nuclear capable missile delivery is the ability to carry at least 1,000 kg warhead. At its current configuration, Karrar does not seem to be able to lift this kind of payload – yet.



Karrar - Iran's New Jet-Powered Recce and Attack Drone
 

Kunal Biswas

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Their are lots of Air crafts in IAF which can be converted to UAV, just like this Cheatak..

If possible than they can be turned into UCAV in future..
 

Kunal Biswas

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Reaper UAV Drops First GPS-Guided Weapon



Veritas vincit
Monday, May 19, 2008
Reaper UAV Drops First GPS-Guided Weapon
CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE
The first live release of a Global Positioning System guided bomb unit-49 weapon from an MQ-9 Reaper took place May 13 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Focus on Defense:

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio, May 19, 2008 (AFPN) -- A test team with the 658th Aeronautical Systems Squadron completed the first Global Positioning System guided weapons release from an MQ-9 Reaper May 13 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, Calif.

The efforts of the pilots, sensor operators, maintainers, weapons troops and testers culminated in six successful guided bomb unit-49 weapon releases in one day.

The first two drops were inert weapons to ensure the GBU-49's GPS guidance was working properly. The final release employed four weapons at one time, also known as a ripple, with three weapons on GPS guidance and the fourth weapon guided by laser. The three GPS weapons "shacked" (a successful, direct hit on a ground target) their targets and the laser-guided weapon came very close.

The GBU-49 is a laser-guided, 500-pound bomb much like the GBU-12, but it also includes an on-board GPS kit. The GBU-49 provides the warfighter an all-weather capability to employ a munition with precision without the aid of a laser designator.
 

shuvo@y2k10

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is the maritime patrol radar being deployed on nruav(as shown in picture) is being developed by drdo.also can in a timeframe of about 2020 the tejas could be turned into an ucav.
 

EagleOne

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India developing unmanned combat air vehicle

India is developing an unmanned combat air vehicle and all technologies required for the project have already been identified, a senior defence official said.

"We have identified all the technologies required for the unmanned combat air vehicle," PS Subramanyam project director and chief of Aeronautical Development Agency, a DRDO lab headquartered here, said.

These technologies include flying wing and stealth, which was most important, he said speaking at newly formed Bangalore Defence and Aerospace Journalists' Forum here.

"Work on the project has begun in different parts of the country, including in laboratories. Technologies are now getting evolved and we are working on configuration in parallel and eventually at some stage user (IAF) requirements will be matched into the design," he said.


India developing unmanned combat air vehicle - India - DNA
 

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