Drones and signals intelligence capabilities can cue in on communications. Command posts of the past were relatively stationary, cumbersome to set up and break down, and often identifiable by the heat, noise and electronic artefacts they give off. Now, the idea is that the commander needs to be maneuvering the command post with the efforts to reduce the ability to detect the command post. Russian forces use drones to track medical vehicles and then fire at them. The Russians have deployed a large number of drones and other forces to carry out 3D reconnaissance, locate the Ukrainian army's HIMARS, understand their movements, and launch fighter-bombers to execute targeted strikes.
HAL's Aero Engine Research and Design Centre (AERDC) ran into problems when developing the 25kN thrust HTFE-25 turbofan prototype, following which a major re-design effort had to be undertaken. HTFE-25 will be used for powering DRDO's UAVs. ADE's new HALE UAV will be powered by a 940hp Honeywell (Garrett) TPE331 engine. How to change the equation of three-attacker-to-defender force ratio, when you don't have any non-organic indirect fire support? The solution has always been clear: Provide each squad (that has real-time ISR info and EW to locate & jam enemy tactical radio communications while protecting theirs by creating noise fog) with their own lethal weapons systems like "swarm" of loitering guided munitions to destroy in priority order: enemy light armoured vehicles, crew-served weapons, command and control locations, and then target groups of three or more combatants in trench line. There is currently no effective counter to adversary loitering munitions and drone swarms. US realized that EW and organic ISR are "essential on the modern battlefield." They are looking at loitering munitions, and tools that allow each squad to manage their electronic signature. Clausewitz, a Prussian philosopher, said that military leaders must come to grips with how War is fought is changing (the character of war) within the context of the enduring nature of war (the human element: a political clash of opposing wills). Failure to distinguish between war's nature and character have significant and negative impacts on both the preparation and the conduct of war. "You can see video of tanks being hit by an unmanned aerial system, artillery positions being hit by an unmanned aerial system, troops being hit by an unmanned aerial system,". Ukraine is fighting the world’s first aerial war of attrition, based on missiles and drones. It's claimed that Ukraine consumed around 5,000 to 10,000 drones a month. By targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, the Russians confront Ukraine with an impossible choice: attempt to save its people from a cold and dark winter, but severely deplete its surface-to-air missile stocks; or preserve strength by avoiding unfavourable engagements, but ask its people to pay a high price. The war in Ukraine has become a contest between air superiority and air denial, mainly fought by missiles and drones. Unfortunately, Ukraine’s endurance in the air war could run out first, particularly if Ukraine is not more selective in its air defence. For Russia’s air superiority strategy to succeed, it must attrit Ukraine’s surface-to-air missiles at a rate faster than the United States and other countries can resupply them. UAV do not engage in terrain-masking, as that will lead to loss of data-link control. 1. firmly prefers kill over capture of enemy troops, despite claiming the opposite. Turkey's Bayraktar is a fairly conventional armed drone that is navigated to the target area using GPS. The drone’s Wescam MX-15D multispectral camera system is made in Canada while its BRP-Rotax engine that generates about 100 horse-power is produced in Austria. But Canada has been silent about Rotax engine exports, although the Austrian company is owned by Canada’s Bombardier Recreational Products. It would appear that the Bayraktar drone does not have a “return to home” capability if it loses contact with its base station and if GPS signals are jammed. Most drones with the capability to return to their home systems rely on GPS to do so. Ukraine, in 2019, signed a contract to purchase 12 Turkish-made UAVs along with ammunition for $69 million. "Multiple Russian columns have been sent forward beyond the reach of their own air defence cover, and in others cases accompanying SAM batteries have been caught inactive in military traffic jams without making any apparent effort to provide situational awareness and defence against Ukrainian air assets. This has allowed the surviving Turkish-made Ukrainian Bayraktar TB-2 armed UAVs to operate with considerable effectiveness in some areas, inflicting significant losses on Russian vehicle columns." Russian tactic is to direct 2 drones to a particular area, one at low-level to draw fire from Ukrainian positions, with a second Russian drone at higher level observing proceedings and then providing targetting data for a strike. Target localization in a GPS denied environment, first identifies the target and obtains its bearing by aligning the UAV (by changing the yaw and pitch) so that the target is centred in the camera view of the UAV. The position of the UAV (x1, y1) and the bearing (ϕ1) of the target is recorded. Then, the UAV is commanded to move to a new location. Again, the UAV is aligned to contain the target at the centre of the image. The bearing (ϕ2) and position (x2, y2) of the UAV is recorded again. The position (x, y) of the target is then estimated via triangulation. Russia is trying to double envelopment attack (isolate and trap) on Ukrainian forces. There has been no proper use of Russian "combined arms" integration. The infantry, tanks, and airpower have not been used simultaneously and cohesively to launch comprehensive attacks. It is difficult to execute in any scenario by any country. Since restructuring into "combined arms" tactical groups (supported by tanks and artillery), the centralised resources at corps level are too meagre and lack inherent protection. Instead of high-altitude bombing to avoid man-portable anti-air defences (MANPAD), Russians have been forced to fly medium/low due to the lack of stand-off precision-guided weapons. Russians secure military comms are not working after the 4G cell towers in Ukraine were destroyed. During peacetime exercises, outdated battlefield communications were not a major problem. Russian soldiers have resorted to using commercially-available, unsecured radios. Russia command posts are struggling to keep its communications secure, while Ukrainians have been getting "excellent (signals) intelligence". Russian Army EW systems and units training is inadequate to fully meet the needs of forward to support maneuver formations. Ukrainian reports suggest that Russian communications across the static forces are vulnerable to intercepts and pinpointing location. It's not totally clear exactly how, but Ukrainian artillery and MLRs have been blowing up a lot of Russian command posts routinely. Ukrainian forces also appear to be targeting anyone "standing near a bunch of antennas". Ukraine is relying less on the electromagnetic spectrum and understands this spectrum will be contested. Russia has one major EW system per 10 km of frontage, usually situated approximately 7 km from the frontline. Where Russian EW is effective is in breaking Ukrainian military communications links so that the enemy cannot distribute orders and collect situational reports, old-style methods like runners and dispatch riders came back to the fore. These were tactics anticipated on the eve of the conflict. Space Exploration Technologies Corp's (SpaceX) Starlink, a constellation of US satellites for high-speed internet, was able to resist Russian jamming of their satellite network by software update. SpaceX pointed out that it could put additional Starlink satellites into orbit faster and more cheaply than anyone else could destroy them. The US is deploying some of its most advanced reconnaissance and intelligence from just across the border to provide Ukrainian forces imagery and signals intelligence, without revealing sensitive US spying techniques. The US has focused on providing the location and other details about the Russian military’s mobile headquarters, which relocate frequently. US intelligence support to the Ukrainians has had a decisive effect on the battlefield, confirming targets identified by the Ukrainian military and pointing it to new targets. Meanwhile, Ukraine's military command & control, communications and weapon guidance systems are largely intact. Their armed forces are operating with much shorter interior lines with more coordination. Unlike US, the Russians have very poor and limited air-ground equipments for Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) to bust Ukrainian ATGM ambushes since it require expensive electronics. The US is deploying some of its most advanced reconnaissance and intelligence from just across the border to provide Ukrainian forces imagery and signals intelligence, without revealing sensitive US spying techniques. The Russian armoured vehicles have been sent with an insufficient number of soldiers to protect them. The terrain has not allowed the Russian mechanised forces to conduct their manoeuver operations to flank their adversary. The snow and mud conditions, do not allow even four or six-wheel drive, vehicles to move off the roads. The Russians have also stuck to the highways and main roads — making them easy targets for the Ukrainians, who are heavily-armed with anti-armour weapons, loitering drones and superior American ISR. Ukrainian forces are contesting them from the front, flanks and in between. Ukraine has focused on ambushing Russian supply chains and avoided big, open, battles and conflicts.
9K338 Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch) system has new-generation thermal imager, was tested in Pokhran ranges, failed both in tracking & targeting element during summer under Indian desert conditions but had better performance in cold climate conditions of Leh and was also much lighter in weight and was better suited to be immune to countermeasures. Swarming Tech |
Iran's Shahed-136 is China ASN-301 loitering drone PLA had acquired an unknown number of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Harpy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in 1994. The deal was not revealed until late 2004, when Washington was reported to have pressured the Israeli government to ‘roll back’ its defence relations with China. Israel Malat sold Harpy UAVs to China in 1994 and, in May 2006, was accused of selling Sparrow UAVs also to China. |
The PLA may also use the Harpy technology to improve the performance of its own designs. The PLA has reportedly returned some of its Harpy UAV back to Israel in 2004 to be upgraded with new seekers that enable visual identification and attack of target even after the enemy radar emitter is turned off. This would further enhance the PLA’s capabilities in UAV and anti-radiation warfare.
The loitering munitions family developed by IAI includes:
Harop (or IAI Harpy2) UCAV
It is a hybrid unmanned reconnaissance and strike (target engagement) function that has been combined with the WABEP ("Weapons system for standoff engagement of individual and point targets") used for Suppression of Enemy Air Defense missions. Harop resembles an earlier IAI's 'suicide drone' known as Harpy. The main differences are the outer wing extensions, the longer nose and canard foreplane. Unlike Harpy, Harop can also be remotely controlled. Like Harpy, Harrop is launched from a vehicle-mounted container. Harop augments the Harpy's RF seeker with an electro-optical sensor, allowing it to acquire and pursue non emitting targets and moving targets, as well as 'quit' targets such as shut-down radars.
A loitering killer drone that has the capability to hunt illusive ground targets, such as anti-aircraft systems and mobile or concealed ballistic missile launchers. In this respect it is like the classic HARM anti-radiation missile, using an anti-radar homing system to cripple enemy air defenses. This expendable unmanned aerial vehicles, known as Harop, can be launched over a suspected area without specifically acquiring a specific target. Designed to reach targets at distances over 1,000km away, the UAV loiter over a suspected area for hours, spot target as they are exposed before activation and attack them immediately. Harpy and Harop are inexpensive to maintain as reserve weapons and can easily be updated.
The early 2018 Israel used Harop against a Syrian Pantsir mobile anti-aircraft system. This was the first known SEAD use of Harop. The Harop was publicly unveiled to the world for the first time in India, in the lead-up to the Aero India 2009 show. In 2009, the Indian Air Force announced that it will be inducting the 110 Harop systems. In 2018 India ordered another 54 Harop systems from Israel.
In October 2005 Harop dubbed 'White Hawk', was presented to the UK Ministry of Defense, by a team lead by MBDA that also included IAI/MBT Division. Although MBDA was eventually selected as one of the finalists for the UK Loitering Munition Capability Demonstration (LMCD) program (which later evolved into the Fire Shadow), White Hawk was not selected for the program, as the MOD insisted on an 'all British' team.
- the Harpy-NG - a third generation of the system homing against radiating targets,
- the HAROP, a second-generation of a precision electro-optical attack system,
- the Mini-Harpy, dual (Electro-optical day&night + Anti-Radiation seeker) tactical advanced munitions system, and
- the tactical loitering Green-Dragon system, as well as
- the ROTEM Vertical Take-Off & Landing (VTOL) Tactical Loitering Munition.
Harop (or IAI Harpy2) UCAV
It is a hybrid unmanned reconnaissance and strike (target engagement) function that has been combined with the WABEP ("Weapons system for standoff engagement of individual and point targets") used for Suppression of Enemy Air Defense missions. Harop resembles an earlier IAI's 'suicide drone' known as Harpy. The main differences are the outer wing extensions, the longer nose and canard foreplane. Unlike Harpy, Harop can also be remotely controlled. Like Harpy, Harrop is launched from a vehicle-mounted container. Harop augments the Harpy's RF seeker with an electro-optical sensor, allowing it to acquire and pursue non emitting targets and moving targets, as well as 'quit' targets such as shut-down radars.
A loitering killer drone that has the capability to hunt illusive ground targets, such as anti-aircraft systems and mobile or concealed ballistic missile launchers. In this respect it is like the classic HARM anti-radiation missile, using an anti-radar homing system to cripple enemy air defenses. This expendable unmanned aerial vehicles, known as Harop, can be launched over a suspected area without specifically acquiring a specific target. Designed to reach targets at distances over 1,000km away, the UAV loiter over a suspected area for hours, spot target as they are exposed before activation and attack them immediately. Harpy and Harop are inexpensive to maintain as reserve weapons and can easily be updated.
The early 2018 Israel used Harop against a Syrian Pantsir mobile anti-aircraft system. This was the first known SEAD use of Harop. The Harop was publicly unveiled to the world for the first time in India, in the lead-up to the Aero India 2009 show. In 2009, the Indian Air Force announced that it will be inducting the 110 Harop systems. In 2018 India ordered another 54 Harop systems from Israel.
In October 2005 Harop dubbed 'White Hawk', was presented to the UK Ministry of Defense, by a team lead by MBDA that also included IAI/MBT Division. Although MBDA was eventually selected as one of the finalists for the UK Loitering Munition Capability Demonstration (LMCD) program (which later evolved into the Fire Shadow), White Hawk was not selected for the program, as the MOD insisted on an 'all British' team.
The air force is run by pilots thought that nothing in the air was really useful unless it had a pilot flying it. The air force reluctance to develop, build and maintain a large strategic reconnaissance force led the CIA to using its considerable clout and budget to develop strategic reconnaissance aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71 manned aircraft and surveillance satellites. The CIA also pioneered the use of large Predator UAVs and arm with Hellfire missiles. What the CIA has pioneered was “persistent surveillance” with armed UAVs. The 24/7 observation by the UAVs enabled CIA or air force intel analysts to compile information about the target and order one or more missiles fired as soon as the key target was identified and located.
Seeing army MQ-1C Grey Eagle UAVs doing visual and electronic reconnaissance and firing missiles at ground targets, the air force sees itself losing control of missions it has dominated since its founding in 1948. As successful as these new air reconnaissance tools were they did not seem like a suitable long-term job for the air force. The air force is turning its attention to a “near-peer” opponents. The air force still wanted more money for the stealthy fighters and a new stealth bomber. Air force traditionalists warned that this sort of thing would not work in a conventional war where the enemy had modern air defense systems and fighter jets, these UAVs would be impractical because they would be quickly shot down. The army sees warfare as more unpredictable, and has adapted to that unpredictability. Gray Eagle with heavy-fuel engine, was developed as an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator. It has an endurance of 25 hours, speeds up to 167 KTAS, can operate up to 29,000 feet, and carries 488 kg of internal and external payload. It features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS).
Seeing army MQ-1C Grey Eagle UAVs doing visual and electronic reconnaissance and firing missiles at ground targets, the air force sees itself losing control of missions it has dominated since its founding in 1948. As successful as these new air reconnaissance tools were they did not seem like a suitable long-term job for the air force. The air force is turning its attention to a “near-peer” opponents. The air force still wanted more money for the stealthy fighters and a new stealth bomber. Air force traditionalists warned that this sort of thing would not work in a conventional war where the enemy had modern air defense systems and fighter jets, these UAVs would be impractical because they would be quickly shot down. The army sees warfare as more unpredictable, and has adapted to that unpredictability. Gray Eagle with heavy-fuel engine, was developed as an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator. It has an endurance of 25 hours, speeds up to 167 KTAS, can operate up to 29,000 feet, and carries 488 kg of internal and external payload. It features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS).
Shifting control of drone strikes from the CIA to the military essentially means placing it under the rubric of “traditional military activities”—and the standards and practices of U.S. armed forces. The air force points out that the largest UAVs, like the Global Hawk, can cross oceans and require a high degree of training and skill. But it's much more dangerous to fly a Raven micro UAV within rifle range of enemy troops and keep the little bird alive long enough to get the video feed needed to win the battle. However, the USAF has had a chronic pilot shortage as pilot morale and willingness to stay in the air force continue to decline. The new era of air combat was not only boring but actual air time was infrequent. Although the air force has some 23,000 pilots only about 15% fly combat missions and most of those are no longer combat in the traditional sense. Budget cuts for training in favour of expensive equipment and more simulator use, has cut that too.
Unlike the traditional "pilot and crew" arrangement for aircraft, larger UAVs, like the Predator and Reaper, are operated by a team. Typically each of these UAVs is attended to by a pilot and 1 or 2 sensor operators (NCOs), who monitor what the cameras and other sensors are picking up. The pilots also operate the weapons for Predators carrying missiles or bombs but most of the time Predators fly missions without using those weapons. Because a Predator is often in the air for 24 hours at a time, and is often flying over an active battlefield and is looking real hard for specific stuff, the "crew" has to be changed every 4-6 hours to avoid fatigue. Software is replacing a lot of pilot functions and, eventually, taking the place of human pilots. Many larger UAVs already have the ability to take off, follow a predetermined course, carry out a mission, and then land autonomously. One can make a case for officers being in charge here but as commanders of the autonomous UAVs, not their operators. The pattern analysis software can spot what is being looked for on the ground and is rapidly approaching the point where it does the job better than human observers. Thus the future is seen to be officers commanding several UAVs, each largely “operated” by software. The trouble is that sort of software is not here yet. What has the air force leaders worried the most is losing the qualitative edge that has had the USAF dominating the air since 1945.
By 2013 UAV operators were nearly 9% of all air force pilots, triple the percentage in 2008. By 2015 UAV activity had increased 10 times over in one decade. However, only recently did UAVs become a distinct "community" in the air force, with an official job description. The air force has this growing force of UAVs, which are operated by fighter and transport pilots ordered to perform UAV duty. Many USAF pilots envy the U.S. Army "flying Warrants" because AAF Officers only fly. {There are 4 warrant ranks roughly equal in pay to the commissioned officer ranks O-1 (2nd lieutenant) to O-4 (major)}. These pilots were not happy about this even though the UAV pilots got flight pay and assurances they could go back to "real aircraft" after two or three years of tour with UAV work this meant the air force had to constantly find and train new pilots for UAV duty. The air force was and is unable to get enough manned aircraft pilots to “volunteer” to do a three year tour as a UAV operator and cannot train non-pilot officers fast enough to be career UAV operators. Since 2001 the air force recently has been consistently unable to train enough new operators.
Part of the problem was stress, as it has been discovered that the intensity of watching the ground constantly was more stressful to pilots (operators who control the UAV and fire weapons) and sensor operators (who constantly scour the ground below) than for their counterparts who go into the air than anticipated. The investigative arm of Congress GAO (Government Accounting Office) interviewed and surveyed a representative sample of UAV operators and found that current problems were real. UAV operators were overworked and the air force was unable to get as many as it needed. This meant that existing crews had to work longer hours (60 or more a week). This caused a lot of stress. UAV operators were leaving the air force at three times the rate of pilots of manned aircraft. UAV operators each spend about 1,200 hours a year controlling UAVs in the air, versus 450 hours for army helicopter pilots and even less for air force pilots in the combat zone.
The problem is that UAV operators (all of them pilots of manned aircraft) get none of the enjoyable aspects of flying (operating a jet, especially a fighter) and a lot more of the drudgery (constantly monitoring instruments and what is going on below). The main problem was that few UAV operators wanted to be UAV operators. And those few who did choose it as a career were just as worn down by the grind as everyone else. Until late 2015 the air force had hoped that higher cash bonuses would solve the problem but it didn’t. The job was simply something most air force pilots did not want to do. The departing pilots were not concerned about rank and were willing to accept the relatively rank-less commercial pilot jobs where pay depended on experience and the number of different skills (different types of aircraft) you were qualified to fly. The only way to ease the UAV pilot shortage was to obtain a lot more operators and that could only be done if NCOs were allowed to operate UAVs. In 2015, after years of fierce resistance air force leadership finally relented and agreed to allow NCOs to be UAV operators.
Another problem is that the air force (and the military in general) have another problem and that is the long tradition of pay based on rank and time in service. There is a premium on skills regardless of age or rank. NCO with lots of combat experience is going to get paid a lot more than a senior infantry officer with limited combat experience.
Unlike the traditional "pilot and crew" arrangement for aircraft, larger UAVs, like the Predator and Reaper, are operated by a team. Typically each of these UAVs is attended to by a pilot and 1 or 2 sensor operators (NCOs), who monitor what the cameras and other sensors are picking up. The pilots also operate the weapons for Predators carrying missiles or bombs but most of the time Predators fly missions without using those weapons. Because a Predator is often in the air for 24 hours at a time, and is often flying over an active battlefield and is looking real hard for specific stuff, the "crew" has to be changed every 4-6 hours to avoid fatigue. Software is replacing a lot of pilot functions and, eventually, taking the place of human pilots. Many larger UAVs already have the ability to take off, follow a predetermined course, carry out a mission, and then land autonomously. One can make a case for officers being in charge here but as commanders of the autonomous UAVs, not their operators. The pattern analysis software can spot what is being looked for on the ground and is rapidly approaching the point where it does the job better than human observers. Thus the future is seen to be officers commanding several UAVs, each largely “operated” by software. The trouble is that sort of software is not here yet. What has the air force leaders worried the most is losing the qualitative edge that has had the USAF dominating the air since 1945.
By 2013 UAV operators were nearly 9% of all air force pilots, triple the percentage in 2008. By 2015 UAV activity had increased 10 times over in one decade. However, only recently did UAVs become a distinct "community" in the air force, with an official job description. The air force has this growing force of UAVs, which are operated by fighter and transport pilots ordered to perform UAV duty. Many USAF pilots envy the U.S. Army "flying Warrants" because AAF Officers only fly. {There are 4 warrant ranks roughly equal in pay to the commissioned officer ranks O-1 (2nd lieutenant) to O-4 (major)}. These pilots were not happy about this even though the UAV pilots got flight pay and assurances they could go back to "real aircraft" after two or three years of tour with UAV work this meant the air force had to constantly find and train new pilots for UAV duty. The air force was and is unable to get enough manned aircraft pilots to “volunteer” to do a three year tour as a UAV operator and cannot train non-pilot officers fast enough to be career UAV operators. Since 2001 the air force recently has been consistently unable to train enough new operators.
Part of the problem was stress, as it has been discovered that the intensity of watching the ground constantly was more stressful to pilots (operators who control the UAV and fire weapons) and sensor operators (who constantly scour the ground below) than for their counterparts who go into the air than anticipated. The investigative arm of Congress GAO (Government Accounting Office) interviewed and surveyed a representative sample of UAV operators and found that current problems were real. UAV operators were overworked and the air force was unable to get as many as it needed. This meant that existing crews had to work longer hours (60 or more a week). This caused a lot of stress. UAV operators were leaving the air force at three times the rate of pilots of manned aircraft. UAV operators each spend about 1,200 hours a year controlling UAVs in the air, versus 450 hours for army helicopter pilots and even less for air force pilots in the combat zone.
The problem is that UAV operators (all of them pilots of manned aircraft) get none of the enjoyable aspects of flying (operating a jet, especially a fighter) and a lot more of the drudgery (constantly monitoring instruments and what is going on below). The main problem was that few UAV operators wanted to be UAV operators. And those few who did choose it as a career were just as worn down by the grind as everyone else. Until late 2015 the air force had hoped that higher cash bonuses would solve the problem but it didn’t. The job was simply something most air force pilots did not want to do. The departing pilots were not concerned about rank and were willing to accept the relatively rank-less commercial pilot jobs where pay depended on experience and the number of different skills (different types of aircraft) you were qualified to fly. The only way to ease the UAV pilot shortage was to obtain a lot more operators and that could only be done if NCOs were allowed to operate UAVs. In 2015, after years of fierce resistance air force leadership finally relented and agreed to allow NCOs to be UAV operators.
Another problem is that the air force (and the military in general) have another problem and that is the long tradition of pay based on rank and time in service. There is a premium on skills regardless of age or rank. NCO with lots of combat experience is going to get paid a lot more than a senior infantry officer with limited combat experience.
“Boola Boola” is the traditional radio call made when a pilot shoots down a drone.
In 2021, US Marines are switching from the RQ-21 and ScanEagle UAVs to the long-endurance MQ-9 Reaper UAV (with 6 hard-points) as US national strategy has changed away from counter-terrorism towards dealing with Chinese aggression and expansionism. US Marines had run into quality and reliability problems that that were not fully resolved.
The U.S. Predator was designed by Abraham Karem, who built drones for the Israeli Air Force before moving to the US in the 1970s. Armed Predator drones from the US cost almost as much as a Rafale fighter jet and would be of little help in air strikes over enemy airspace when it has the ability to launched air-aircraft counter-measures.
However, the Indian Navy has interest in acquiring long endurance drones for surveillance from the US as it needs more assets for maritime domain awareness in the region that can work in coordination with other surveillance platforms like the Boeing P8I aircraft. It would be a first for the India, which has so far used UAV of Israeli origin.
The unarmed MQ-9 SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian are mainly export versions, that can fly in any commercial airspace, based on the MQ-9B Reaper ER. SkyGuardian is equipped with a de-icing system and lightning strike resistance. There is more systems' redundancy, which increases reliability and reduces losses to mechanical or electrical failure.
However, the Indian Navy has interest in acquiring long endurance drones for surveillance from the US as it needs more assets for maritime domain awareness in the region that can work in coordination with other surveillance platforms like the Boeing P8I aircraft. It would be a first for the India, which has so far used UAV of Israeli origin.
The unarmed MQ-9 SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian are mainly export versions, that can fly in any commercial airspace, based on the MQ-9B Reaper ER. SkyGuardian is equipped with a de-icing system and lightning strike resistance. There is more systems' redundancy, which increases reliability and reduces losses to mechanical or electrical failure.
The latest variant of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Block V Reaper, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, set a new endurance record flying 48.2 hours at altitudes between 7,800 meters (25,000 feet) and 15,000 meters (50,000 feet). MQ-9B has also been modified for longer endurance and operations at high altitudes (at least 40 hours in the air) where there is less commercial air traffic. It comes equipped with “sense and avoid” technology and also involves better resistance to lightning strikes, but mainly it means using onboard flight control software. It has a very high readiness rate of 92%.
The Ground-Based Sense And Avoid (GBSAA) radar system was developed to increase safety for UAVs operating in busy airspace. It is is mainly a software system using existing radars to track UAVs and manned aircraft and alert UAV operators when their UAVs are too close to other aircraft (manned or unmanned). It can be also use transponders (meeting commercial aircraft standards) and more flexible software. This includes sharing all flight information with the ground controller and issuing alerts to the operator and local air traffic control systems if there is a problem. The first GBSAA deployed in 2015.
The Ground-Based Sense And Avoid (GBSAA) radar system was developed to increase safety for UAVs operating in busy airspace. It is is mainly a software system using existing radars to track UAVs and manned aircraft and alert UAV operators when their UAVs are too close to other aircraft (manned or unmanned). It can be also use transponders (meeting commercial aircraft standards) and more flexible software. This includes sharing all flight information with the ground controller and issuing alerts to the operator and local air traffic control systems if there is a problem. The first GBSAA deployed in 2015.
Snehesh Alex Philip: Under the $3 billion deal, Indian Navy will get 15 MQ-9B Sea-Guardians UAVs in maritime and anti-submarine warfare kits, the Indian Army and the IAF will get 8 Sky-Guardian UAVs each.
It can conduct over-the-horizon targeting, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, long range strategic surveillance, electronic warfare, defensive counter air, airborne early warning and can also help in law enforcement, humanitarian disaster relief along with search and rescue missions. While both Services get 8 each of these UAVs from the US, the Army is the more eager of the two, and the IAF initially questioned the need for such UAVs. The armaments for these are also different, and each Service has their own requirement. For example, a requirement for a much longer-range missile to target enemy positions and that is currently under development for the US military.
The Indian Army needs these drones for deeper surveillance, to carry out possible strikes if needed. Army sources have described the drones as a “force multiplier technology” and pointed out that instead of soldiers physically being out in the bitter cold patrolling every single point, the drones will be the eyes on the ground. Unlike the enthusiasm in the Army, the sources said, the IAF feels that the drones are too expensive and will not be able to operate freely in a densely contested airspace of India, China and Pakistan. IAF was finally on board with the Navy and the Army for procurement of the drones. One of the requirements of the IAF was a longer range missile than what was being offered.
It can conduct over-the-horizon targeting, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, long range strategic surveillance, electronic warfare, defensive counter air, airborne early warning and can also help in law enforcement, humanitarian disaster relief along with search and rescue missions. While both Services get 8 each of these UAVs from the US, the Army is the more eager of the two, and the IAF initially questioned the need for such UAVs. The armaments for these are also different, and each Service has their own requirement. For example, a requirement for a much longer-range missile to target enemy positions and that is currently under development for the US military.
The Indian Army needs these drones for deeper surveillance, to carry out possible strikes if needed. Army sources have described the drones as a “force multiplier technology” and pointed out that instead of soldiers physically being out in the bitter cold patrolling every single point, the drones will be the eyes on the ground. Unlike the enthusiasm in the Army, the sources said, the IAF feels that the drones are too expensive and will not be able to operate freely in a densely contested airspace of India, China and Pakistan. IAF was finally on board with the Navy and the Army for procurement of the drones. One of the requirements of the IAF was a longer range missile than what was being offered.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) RQ1 Predator-B / MQ-9B Reaper 4.6 or 4.7 ton MQ-9 Block-5 has 6 hard points and 1,746 kg payload capacity. Max speed is 400 km/hr, and max endurance was originally 15 hours. It had a loss rate of about 15 in 2010. Since, 2020 the US Air Force stopped ordering MQ-9A Reapers and cancelled orders for at least 70. The USAF has not decided on what type of UAV should replace the Reaper. Efforts to design and build a Reaper replacement have so far failed. Predator costs $6,000 an hour to fly. MQ-9A Block 5 "Big Wing" is also equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture. The UAS consists of four aircraft or "air vehicles" with sensors, a ground control station (GCS), and a primary satellite link communication suite. Gray Eagle-Extended Range is powered by a 180HP diesel engine enabling a max takeoff weight of 1,905 kgs (227 kg weapons on hardpoints, 408 kg internal fuel, 204 external fuel) compared to the Gray Eagle's 160 HP and 1,633 kgs (272 kg weapons on hardpoints). MQ-9A has 90.2% to 91.9% readiness rate, is the main UAV, with over 300 in service. The USAF has been replacing its older MQ-9A models with the MQ-9B model. The MQ-9B Reaper ER is so impressive that the US Air Force is making plans to upgrade Block 5 to the ER standard. These include the ability to land automatically. There are also several other electronic upgrades. With the new electrical systems, it can handle more powerful sensors and radios. Initially conceived in the early 1990s for reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors but has been modified and upgraded to carry and fire 682 kg of weapons - including up to 8 x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, multiple 16 kg Stinger (8 km range), 2 x 86 kg Sidewinder (35 km range) or 2 x 152 kg AMRAAM (100 km) air-to-air missiles, 2 x Maverick missiles, or 2 x 227 kg smart GPS guided bombs. Max speed is 400 km/hr, and max endurance is now over 40 hr. Fire control electronics and software have been upgraded to enable the MQ-9 to use GPS guided bombs. The USAF describes the Predator as a "Tier II" MALE UAS (medium-altitude/upto 45,000 feet, long-endurance/over 26 hours). In response to the losses caused by cold weather flight conditions, a few of the later Predators obtained by the USAF were fitted with de-icing systems, along with an updated turbocharged engine and improved avionics. This improved "Block 1" version was referred to as the "RQ-1B", or the "MQ-1B" if it carried munitions ("M" for multi-role). Pre-production systems were designated as RQ-1A. The new wingspan is 13 feet longer than before, max speed is 400 kilometers an hour and increases aircraft endurance from 27 hours to more than 40 hours. Other improvements to the drone include short-field takeoff and landing performance and spoilers on the wings for precision automatic landings. It can fly at cruising altitudes over mountainous terrains, where it won't be affected by strong winds. In the early 1990s, the CIA became interested in an endurance UAV ("AMBER"), a drone developed by Leading Systems, Inc. The company's owner, Abraham Karem, was the former chief designer for the Israeli Air Force, and had immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Karem's company had since gone bankrupt and been bought up by a U.S. defense contractor, from whom the CIA secretly bought five drones (now "AMBER" was called the "GNAT"). Karem agreed to produce a quiet engine for the vehicle, which had until then sounded like "a lawnmower in the sky". The new development became known as the "Predator". The aircraft itself was a derivative of the GA Gnat 750. The Gnat 750's configuration was similar to that of the Amber, except that the Gnat 750's wing was mounted low on the fuselage, instead of being mounted on a pylon on top. The Gnat 750 was somewhat larger than the Amber, but weighed less and could carry a heavier payload. The name 'GNAT' can be thought of as a contraction of GeNeral ATomics. The aircraft, in use since 1995, has seen combat over Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia. Following 2001, the RQ-1 Predator drone became the primary UAV used for offensive operations by the USAF and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas. General Atomics also used the Gnat 750 as the basis for a tactical UAV, known as the "Prowler". The Gnat 750 effort squeaked through, and in early 1994 the CIA sent a team equipped with a Gnat 750 to Albania to monitor events in the former Yugoslavia. The operation was not a success. The Gnat 750 suffered from a number of bugs and was limited by bad weather, and the team was finally withdrawn. However, the Gnat 750 continued to be built, leading to an "Improved Gnat" or "I-Gnat" variant, with a turbocharged engine and general overall refinements to increase reliability, reduce maintenance, and enhance capability. The Gnat 750 also led to a next-generation derivative, the "Gnat 750-45", much better known as the Predator. | Lockheed/Boeing AARS / Quartz / Tier III AARS was a "system of systems" program that comprised of a HALE UAV (QUARTZ); a High Speed Long Range vehicle; and an endurance UAV (AMBER/Gnat). NRO director and Undersecretary of the Air Force, Edward C. Aldridge began preliminary design explorations of what would become AARS in late 1981. In 1984, after several studies investigating the concept, the Air Force accepted design proposals from seven US aerospace companies. The USAF/NRO/CIA consortium awarded competitive contracts to Lockheed and Boeing, probably in late 1984 or early 1985. The two companies consolidated their efforts in 1990. More than 50 vehicle shapes were analyzed for AARS. The final configuration had a wingspan of 250 feet. The prototype was to carry a pilot to handle in-flight anomalies and the final design include a modular, two-place cockpit insert to make it optionally piloted. To accomplish the loitering surveillance mission, the UAV needed autonomous highly reliable flight controls, a design capable of intercontinental ranges from bases in the US with extreme high altitude capability to reach altitudes more than 70,000 feet, maybe even 100,000 feet. Moreover, it had to carry an array of high-resolution sensors, high-capacity satellite communications capabilities, and various antennas in one stealthy package. Reportedly, the production plan called for only eight vehicles at a cost of $10 billion, each of the vehicles capable of an amazing 40 hours on station after flying to the area of interest. The Air Force pulled funding on AARS, and it was terminated in December 1992 just as it was to enter full scale development. AARS development cost probably came close to $2 billion. The aircraft included a system that could change the contrast and color of the aircraft in some places that was managed by the defensive system. It did not work with the payload apertures, for example, and in areas where edges or shadows would be defined under normal conditions there were more panel elements than the rest of the aircraft. The system was not at all like an LCD screen as some have described, more of a countershading/color matching. The whole process really helped the experience the company has gained in the development of Lockheed bomber F-117. |
CaiHong CH-5 is a large Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV. CH-5 is a scaled up version of the CH-4. It made its first flight in 2015, and entered service in 2017.
It is an upgrade over its predecessor, the (reverse engineered from American CH-4 Ryan Firebee drones with Ryan CAE J69 turbojets), which has a wingspan of 18m, a take-off weight of 1.3 tons and can carry more warheads and heavier weapons.
While the CH-4 can only equip weapons weighing 100kg or below such as the AR-1 missile and the FT-5 small diameter bomb, the CH-5 can equip weapons weighing around 130kg, meaning it is capable of carrying the FT-7 precision-guided bomb — which has a range of up to 90km — currently being developed by the CASC. Under similar conditions, the CH-4 can carry around six AR-1 missiles, while the CH-5 can carry eight or more. It would still have room for around 400 kg of fuel, equivalent to a combat radius of 1,000km. Max altitude is 9,000 meters.
The chief competitor for the CH-5 is not the MQ-9 but the Wing Loong 2, from a rival Chinese UAV manufacturer.
It is an upgrade over its predecessor, the (reverse engineered from American CH-4 Ryan Firebee drones with Ryan CAE J69 turbojets), which has a wingspan of 18m, a take-off weight of 1.3 tons and can carry more warheads and heavier weapons.
While the CH-4 can only equip weapons weighing 100kg or below such as the AR-1 missile and the FT-5 small diameter bomb, the CH-5 can equip weapons weighing around 130kg, meaning it is capable of carrying the FT-7 precision-guided bomb — which has a range of up to 90km — currently being developed by the CASC. Under similar conditions, the CH-4 can carry around six AR-1 missiles, while the CH-5 can carry eight or more. It would still have room for around 400 kg of fuel, equivalent to a combat radius of 1,000km. Max altitude is 9,000 meters.
The chief competitor for the CH-5 is not the MQ-9 but the Wing Loong 2, from a rival Chinese UAV manufacturer.
Two of the three Chinese drones experienced repeated GPS failures during test flights and had to be grounded. The engineers dispatched to Pakistan to make the grounded drones operational proved to be incompetent.
Equally, serious problem was the leakage of nitrogen from Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera systems mounted on the UAVs, which rendered. The spares supplied by CATIC were substandard and mostly unfit for use.
The new CH-4 is available in 2 versions - CH-4A & CH-4B
The CH-4A is a reconnaissance drone with a range of up to 40 hours. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,200kg, nearly four times greater than the earlier version of CH-4. It is powered equipped with an Austria's Rotax 014 piston engine by BRP-Powertrain or the 456kW WJ-9A turboprop engine. Maximum takeoff weight is 4,200kg, maximum external load-carrying capacity is 480kg, maximum cruise speed is 370kph, service ceiling is 9km, and endurance is 20 hours.
The armed version, the CH-4B, is able to carry in addition 4 to 6 bombs or missiles each weighing up to 100 kg (or electronic devices) with a total mass of 345kg (payload of sensors and weapons) under the wings. This reduces endurance but as a practical matter most UAVs of this size rarely stay out for more than 20 hours. Pakistan has also been using CH-4s in combat. The Iraqi experience with the CH-4B convinced many Arab countries that China had developed suitable substitutes for the US armed UAVs. The UAE had already bought some.
The earlier version of CH-4 was developed from the earlier (2010) CH-3. The earlier version is capable of flying for around an estimated average 40 hours with 100 kg of load or 12 hours with ammunition up to 345 kg, has a range of around 4,000 kilometers, at a cruising speed of around 150 miles per hour, and costs around $1 million for the vehicle itself. It can carry maximum of 1350 kg. CH-4 also received a new sensor system. It is camera-equipped and can carry semi-active laser-guided HJ-10/AR-1 missiles. Not cutting edge, but capable. The new FLIR for the CH-4 can identify targets up to 20 kilometers away and enable automatic tracking of distant (up to 18 kilometers) targets. This is made possible by a lot of other improvements like better servo control, inertial guidance inside the EO system, auto-focusing and computer controlled image enhancement and identification.
The CH-4A is a reconnaissance drone with a range of up to 40 hours. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,200kg, nearly four times greater than the earlier version of CH-4. It is powered equipped with an Austria's Rotax 014 piston engine by BRP-Powertrain or the 456kW WJ-9A turboprop engine. Maximum takeoff weight is 4,200kg, maximum external load-carrying capacity is 480kg, maximum cruise speed is 370kph, service ceiling is 9km, and endurance is 20 hours.
The armed version, the CH-4B, is able to carry in addition 4 to 6 bombs or missiles each weighing up to 100 kg (or electronic devices) with a total mass of 345kg (payload of sensors and weapons) under the wings. This reduces endurance but as a practical matter most UAVs of this size rarely stay out for more than 20 hours. Pakistan has also been using CH-4s in combat. The Iraqi experience with the CH-4B convinced many Arab countries that China had developed suitable substitutes for the US armed UAVs. The UAE had already bought some.
The earlier version of CH-4 was developed from the earlier (2010) CH-3. The earlier version is capable of flying for around an estimated average 40 hours with 100 kg of load or 12 hours with ammunition up to 345 kg, has a range of around 4,000 kilometers, at a cruising speed of around 150 miles per hour, and costs around $1 million for the vehicle itself. It can carry maximum of 1350 kg. CH-4 also received a new sensor system. It is camera-equipped and can carry semi-active laser-guided HJ-10/AR-1 missiles. Not cutting edge, but capable. The new FLIR for the CH-4 can identify targets up to 20 kilometers away and enable automatic tracking of distant (up to 18 kilometers) targets. This is made possible by a lot of other improvements like better servo control, inertial guidance inside the EO system, auto-focusing and computer controlled image enhancement and identification.
Pterodactyl I (also known as original Wing Loong I that flew for the first time in 2009 and currently renamed as GJ-2 Gong-Ji-2) Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV is similar weight to the U.S. MQ-1 Predator. Wing Loong 1 was first seen in flight, over the capital of Uzbekistan, in 2012. The new all-composite variant of Wing Loong I, GJ-2 Gong-Ji-2 has reduced empty weight and fly farther. It currently uses an Austrian Rotax 914 piston aero-engine. The downgraded export version is called GJ-1 Wing Loong II is a direct competitor to U.S. MQ-9 Reaper UAV. GJ-2 Wing Loong I UAV lacks winglets, which are found on GJ-1 Wing Loong-II UAV.
After original Wing Loong I, Wing Loong II and Wing Long ID, we are now expecting 4 ton Wing Loong II-G and Wing Loong X. Armed MALE drones often fly below 8,000 meters altitude for several reasons - for the acquisition and accurate identification of ground targets, optronic payloads nowadays must be under that height to operate in optimum mode. Ditto for the use of weapons, because of the relatively small size of drones, weapons are also small in size, from 50 to 250 kg. They are thus limited in both range and drop altitude. It has an improved aerodynamic, sturdier airframe and improved flight control software.
GJ-1 Wing Loong-II UAV is sold for less than half the price of the MQ-9 and there are no export restrictions on it. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Uzbekistan were the first export customers. China sold 48 GJ-1 Wing Loong II to Pakistan UAV with the help of Saudis. Compared to the CH-4, it is capable of arming up to 16 missiles of a total mass not exceeding 400 to 480 kg, out of maximum take-off weight's 4,200 kg. It uses the WJ-9A turboprop engine (derived from the WJ-9 which is used on the Y-12IV light transport aircraft). In June, several of them were seen in Tibet, near the Indian border. GJ-1 Wing Loong (Pterodactyl) II max altitude of 9,000 meters and top speed of 370 km/h and has an endurance of 32 hours.
The "GJ" in the designation stands for "gonji," meaning strike or attack in English.
After original Wing Loong I, Wing Loong II and Wing Long ID, we are now expecting 4 ton Wing Loong II-G and Wing Loong X. Armed MALE drones often fly below 8,000 meters altitude for several reasons - for the acquisition and accurate identification of ground targets, optronic payloads nowadays must be under that height to operate in optimum mode. Ditto for the use of weapons, because of the relatively small size of drones, weapons are also small in size, from 50 to 250 kg. They are thus limited in both range and drop altitude. It has an improved aerodynamic, sturdier airframe and improved flight control software.
GJ-1 Wing Loong-II UAV is sold for less than half the price of the MQ-9 and there are no export restrictions on it. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Uzbekistan were the first export customers. China sold 48 GJ-1 Wing Loong II to Pakistan UAV with the help of Saudis. Compared to the CH-4, it is capable of arming up to 16 missiles of a total mass not exceeding 400 to 480 kg, out of maximum take-off weight's 4,200 kg. It uses the WJ-9A turboprop engine (derived from the WJ-9 which is used on the Y-12IV light transport aircraft). In June, several of them were seen in Tibet, near the Indian border. GJ-1 Wing Loong (Pterodactyl) II max altitude of 9,000 meters and top speed of 370 km/h and has an endurance of 32 hours.
The "GJ" in the designation stands for "gonji," meaning strike or attack in English.
Wing Loong 3 was listed with a 6.2-metric tonne weight, with the capacity to carry up to 2.3 metric tonnes of weapons. It is also described as having a 40-hour endurance. The longer inboard section with greater width accommodates 8 munitions on each wing, versus the provisions for five weapon stations on each wing of the GJ-1 Wing Loong II. To carry the heavier load, the Wing Loong-X features a new engine with a five-bladed propeller
China's TYW-1 is a large UAV capable of carrying weapons. It is similar to the U.S MQ-1C. The Chinese device was described as capable of reading a license plate from 50 kilometers away while the UAV was at 5,000 meters altitude (beyond the range of most anti-aircraft weapons).
It is a 1.5 ton aircraft that can carry 370 kg of sensors and weapons. It has a wingspan of 18 meters (56 feet) and 4 hard points under the wings for missiles. Top speed is 200 kilometers an hour, max altitude of 7,500 meters (24,000 feet) and up to 40 hour endurance.
It is a 1.5 ton aircraft that can carry 370 kg of sensors and weapons. It has a wingspan of 18 meters (56 feet) and 4 hard points under the wings for missiles. Top speed is 200 kilometers an hour, max altitude of 7,500 meters (24,000 feet) and up to 40 hour endurance.
Liu Yuejin, the director of the public security ministry’s anti-drug bureau, told the newspaper that the plan called for using a drone carrying explosives to bomb the outlaw’s hide-out in the opium-growing area of Myanmar in the Golden Triangle at the intersection of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
A manhunt by the Chinese police in the jungles of the Golden Triangle produced no results, and security officials turned to a drone strike as a possible solution.
China’s global navigation system, Beidou, would have been used to guide the drones to the target, Mr. Liu said. China’s goal is for the Beidou system to compete with the United States’ Global Positioning System, Russia’s Glonass and the European Union’s Galileo, Chinese experts say.
Mr. Liu’s comments on the use of the Beidou system with the drones reflects the rapid advancement in that navigation system from its humble beginnings more than a decade ago.
The plan to use a drone, described to the Global Times newspaper by a senior public security official, highlights China’s increasing capacity in unmanned aerial warfare, a technology dominated by the United States and used widely by the Obama administration for the targeted killing of terrorists.
A manhunt by the Chinese police in the jungles of the Golden Triangle produced no results, and security officials turned to a drone strike as a possible solution.
China’s global navigation system, Beidou, would have been used to guide the drones to the target, Mr. Liu said. China’s goal is for the Beidou system to compete with the United States’ Global Positioning System, Russia’s Glonass and the European Union’s Galileo, Chinese experts say.
Mr. Liu’s comments on the use of the Beidou system with the drones reflects the rapid advancement in that navigation system from its humble beginnings more than a decade ago.
The plan to use a drone, described to the Global Times newspaper by a senior public security official, highlights China’s increasing capacity in unmanned aerial warfare, a technology dominated by the United States and used widely by the Obama administration for the targeted killing of terrorists.
China new UAV "Cloud Shadow" is assumed to be a HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) tactical attack UAV, a drone that can fly an altitude of 14,000 meters and is capable of flying for 6 hours at a speed of 620 km / h. It is powered by a single WP-11C turbojet engine. It would become the first "big" drone for China, which has mostly small drones used for ISR missions, or the guide and artillery damage assessment.
It has a take-off weight of 3,000 kg and may carry the YJ-9E anti-ship missile that has a range of 18 kilometers, the TG-100 laser-guided bomb with an accuracy of 5 meters, or the anti-tank missile Blue Arrow 21, which is derived from the AKD-10 missile. All these weapons have one thing in common - they do not exceed 100 kg.
It has a take-off weight of 3,000 kg and may carry the YJ-9E anti-ship missile that has a range of 18 kilometers, the TG-100 laser-guided bomb with an accuracy of 5 meters, or the anti-tank missile Blue Arrow 21, which is derived from the AKD-10 missile. All these weapons have one thing in common - they do not exceed 100 kg.
UAVs were first used by the US in China during the 1960s. In fact, one of the first Chinese UAVs Wu Zhen 5 also known as CH-1 (CaiHong abbreviated is CH and is not to be confused with ChangKong) was partially developed by reverse engineering one of Firebee unmanned aerial vehicles that was lost over China.
“Carrier Based Aerial Refueling System” drone refueling tanker will harvest some of UCLASS’ most important technologies. In other words: Goodbye, drone death from above. Hello, flying robot gas stations.
The UAV that made the X-47C / MQ-25A Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike System (UCLASS) possible rolled out as the X-47B in 2008. The X-47B UCAS has a range of 2,500 kilometers and is seen as the solution for American carriers to get within 800 kilometers of their target before launching bomber aircraft.
X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator with land-based catapult launch. The X-47B would allow US aircraft carriers to maintain a distance of more than 500 nautical miles off the coast. X-47B has a range of 3,000 nautical miles, greater than that of the F/A-18 and F-35C fighter jets. UCAVs don’t need to worry about pilot fatigue as operators work in shifts and are easily substituted, meaning mission lengths can be extended to up to 50 hours.
DARPA’s J-UCAS program was cancelled when the services failed to take it up, but the technologies have survived, and the US Navy remained interested. In July 2007, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B Pegasus beat Boeing’s X-45C to win the UCAS-D development contract. UCAS-D/ N-UCAS, which received a major push in the FY 2010 defence review. The X-47B version shares almost nothing with the original and smaller X-47A. It is a cranked-kite flying wing, where the outer wings have less sweep than the blended fuselage. This design allows for more internal volume and more favorable low speed handling without sacrificing stealth. Low observability is a key aspect of X-47B, it will have all aspect and broadband stealth and being a tailless flying wing it is inherently stealthier than any conventional aircraft (ex F-22/F-35) in the same technology level. Northrop took a risk funding the X-47A internally for the J-UCAS and now Boeing continues to develop the X-45C ‘Phantom Ray’ a derivative of the J-UCAS X-45A.
The Navy's first-ever steam catapult launch of the pilot-less X-47B ensures the vehicle can structurally handle the rigors of the aircraft-carrier environment. It will introduce all aspect stealth and high subsonic speed and it will be able to operate autonomously from an aircraft carrier, a very difficult task that demands extremely accurate and dependable capabilities. UCAV act as a missile truck for our manned fighters. Running out of missiles in an engagement will no longer be a problem. We can have 24 hour orbits over Marines in contact with the enemy. No more begging for and hoping that Marine Air gets there in time. Add a couple of heavy air-superiority fighters to the mix and enemy air defense don't stand a chance.
Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) for the USAF and Navy that could approach the capabilities of an F-117 stealth fighter. Stealth is critical to any unmanned aerial system (UAS) can't shoot back, or even evade threats very well. The Uclass debate is not about whether to have stealth, but how much of it the Navy wants to pay for. There are at least two groups in the Pentagon with fundamentally different visions of what UCAS should look like. But the Navy wants Uclass quickly and (in Pentagon terms) cheaply. Some UAS supporters believe speed and low cost are essential to overcome opposition and inertia from a pilot-dominated community. Others don't want to see a penetrating, offensive UCAS landing on a carrier, competing too obviously with the F-35C, which looks very expensive compared to a Super Hornet and has yet to land on a carrier. The U.S. already has more Reapers than it needs, and the added value of being able to cover remote locations from a carrier station is dubious. Putting a carrier strike group to work hunting terrorists is like sending a pack of Rottweilers to catch mice. A cat will do, and costs less to feed.
This will complement or even replace the B-2 fleet and will be cheaper, more efficient and more versatile. The concepts from Northrop Grumman and Boeing are similar to those UCAVS. A proposed bigger X-47C variant for the USAF, will have the exact wingspan of a B-2 and it is possible that the NGB will be optionally manned, unifying a big UCAV and manned bomber under the same project.
There have been multiple levels of stealth since Northrop's Tacit Blue demonstrated all-aspect radar cross-section (RCS) reduction and the Advanced Technology Bomber requirement that led to the B-2 and called for ultra-low RCS extending into the VHF band. There are more levels today: The Advanced Super Hornet falls between most in-service fighters and the F-35, which in turn is not quite as good in RCS as the F-22, while the F-22—and anything else that has body parts in the same size range as VHF wavelengths—isn't the same as blended-wing-body designs, from Neuron to the RQ-180 and B-2. Russia's determined effort to field mobile, powerful VHF radars makes those distinctions more important than ever.
“We’re not going have JSF-like stealth” “You’re not going to have somebody that can go right over the top—you know—of the threat capital city, but you’re going to have something that can stand in somewhat.”
The case for buying 340 F-35Bs for the Marines has been weakened by the service's admission that only 10% of operations will use the heavy, expensive short-take-off-and-vertical-landing kit. What that implies is that the F-35B will only do Stovl when it is part of small detachments on amphibious-warfare ships; 100 F-35Bs would be more than enough for that. The Navy hopes to use the UCLASS as an aerial refuelling tanker to extend the range of the tactical fighter fleet—particularly the Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. “We’re going to put a refuelling capability into them and they’ll have an endurance package in them”. “They’ll be able to give away something like 20,000 lbs. of gas and still stay up for seven-and-a-half hours.”
China may have just copied pictures of the X-47B, or done so with the help of data obtained by their decade long Internet espionage operation. Since 2011 Chinese UCAS, called the Li Jian has been photographed as a mock up, then a prototype and is still being tested.
X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator with land-based catapult launch. The X-47B would allow US aircraft carriers to maintain a distance of more than 500 nautical miles off the coast. X-47B has a range of 3,000 nautical miles, greater than that of the F/A-18 and F-35C fighter jets. UCAVs don’t need to worry about pilot fatigue as operators work in shifts and are easily substituted, meaning mission lengths can be extended to up to 50 hours.
DARPA’s J-UCAS program was cancelled when the services failed to take it up, but the technologies have survived, and the US Navy remained interested. In July 2007, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B Pegasus beat Boeing’s X-45C to win the UCAS-D development contract. UCAS-D/ N-UCAS, which received a major push in the FY 2010 defence review. The X-47B version shares almost nothing with the original and smaller X-47A. It is a cranked-kite flying wing, where the outer wings have less sweep than the blended fuselage. This design allows for more internal volume and more favorable low speed handling without sacrificing stealth. Low observability is a key aspect of X-47B, it will have all aspect and broadband stealth and being a tailless flying wing it is inherently stealthier than any conventional aircraft (ex F-22/F-35) in the same technology level. Northrop took a risk funding the X-47A internally for the J-UCAS and now Boeing continues to develop the X-45C ‘Phantom Ray’ a derivative of the J-UCAS X-45A.
The Navy's first-ever steam catapult launch of the pilot-less X-47B ensures the vehicle can structurally handle the rigors of the aircraft-carrier environment. It will introduce all aspect stealth and high subsonic speed and it will be able to operate autonomously from an aircraft carrier, a very difficult task that demands extremely accurate and dependable capabilities. UCAV act as a missile truck for our manned fighters. Running out of missiles in an engagement will no longer be a problem. We can have 24 hour orbits over Marines in contact with the enemy. No more begging for and hoping that Marine Air gets there in time. Add a couple of heavy air-superiority fighters to the mix and enemy air defense don't stand a chance.
Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) for the USAF and Navy that could approach the capabilities of an F-117 stealth fighter. Stealth is critical to any unmanned aerial system (UAS) can't shoot back, or even evade threats very well. The Uclass debate is not about whether to have stealth, but how much of it the Navy wants to pay for. There are at least two groups in the Pentagon with fundamentally different visions of what UCAS should look like. But the Navy wants Uclass quickly and (in Pentagon terms) cheaply. Some UAS supporters believe speed and low cost are essential to overcome opposition and inertia from a pilot-dominated community. Others don't want to see a penetrating, offensive UCAS landing on a carrier, competing too obviously with the F-35C, which looks very expensive compared to a Super Hornet and has yet to land on a carrier. The U.S. already has more Reapers than it needs, and the added value of being able to cover remote locations from a carrier station is dubious. Putting a carrier strike group to work hunting terrorists is like sending a pack of Rottweilers to catch mice. A cat will do, and costs less to feed.
This will complement or even replace the B-2 fleet and will be cheaper, more efficient and more versatile. The concepts from Northrop Grumman and Boeing are similar to those UCAVS. A proposed bigger X-47C variant for the USAF, will have the exact wingspan of a B-2 and it is possible that the NGB will be optionally manned, unifying a big UCAV and manned bomber under the same project.
There have been multiple levels of stealth since Northrop's Tacit Blue demonstrated all-aspect radar cross-section (RCS) reduction and the Advanced Technology Bomber requirement that led to the B-2 and called for ultra-low RCS extending into the VHF band. There are more levels today: The Advanced Super Hornet falls between most in-service fighters and the F-35, which in turn is not quite as good in RCS as the F-22, while the F-22—and anything else that has body parts in the same size range as VHF wavelengths—isn't the same as blended-wing-body designs, from Neuron to the RQ-180 and B-2. Russia's determined effort to field mobile, powerful VHF radars makes those distinctions more important than ever.
“We’re not going have JSF-like stealth” “You’re not going to have somebody that can go right over the top—you know—of the threat capital city, but you’re going to have something that can stand in somewhat.”
The case for buying 340 F-35Bs for the Marines has been weakened by the service's admission that only 10% of operations will use the heavy, expensive short-take-off-and-vertical-landing kit. What that implies is that the F-35B will only do Stovl when it is part of small detachments on amphibious-warfare ships; 100 F-35Bs would be more than enough for that. The Navy hopes to use the UCLASS as an aerial refuelling tanker to extend the range of the tactical fighter fleet—particularly the Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. “We’re going to put a refuelling capability into them and they’ll have an endurance package in them”. “They’ll be able to give away something like 20,000 lbs. of gas and still stay up for seven-and-a-half hours.”
China may have just copied pictures of the X-47B, or done so with the help of data obtained by their decade long Internet espionage operation. Since 2011 Chinese UCAS, called the Li Jian has been photographed as a mock up, then a prototype and is still being tested.
Boeing's X-48C is a version of NASA's X-48B blended wing body aircraft modified to evaluate the low-speed stability and control of a low-noise version of a notional hybrid-wing-body design. This design features a flattened fuselage with no tail, and engines mounted on top of the fuselage at the rear of the plane. The design stems from concept studies for commercial aircraft that could be flying within 20 years.
Primary changes to the X-48C model from the B model, which flew 92 flights at Dryden between 2007 and 2010, were geared to transforming it to an airframe noise-shielding configuration. External modifications included relocating the wingtip winglets inboard next to the engines, effectively turning them into twin tails. The rear deck of the aircraft was extended about two feet. Finally, the project team replaced the X-48B's three 50-pound thrust jet engines with two 89-pound thrust engines. The aircraft had an estimated top speed of about 140 mph and a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet.
"Our goal was to define the low-speed envelope and explore the low-speed handling qualities of the blended wing body class of tailless aircraft, and we have accomplished that," added Mike Kisska, Boeing X-48 project manager.
Because handling qualities of the X-48C were different from those of the X-48B, the project team modified the flight control system software, including flight control limiters to keep the airplane flying within a safe flight envelope. This research will use asymmetric engine thrust to create yaw, or nose left or right movements, for trim and for relatively slow maneuvers. This prototype flight control system is now suitable for future full-scale commercial hybrid or blended wing aircraft.
Primary changes to the X-48C model from the B model, which flew 92 flights at Dryden between 2007 and 2010, were geared to transforming it to an airframe noise-shielding configuration. External modifications included relocating the wingtip winglets inboard next to the engines, effectively turning them into twin tails. The rear deck of the aircraft was extended about two feet. Finally, the project team replaced the X-48B's three 50-pound thrust jet engines with two 89-pound thrust engines. The aircraft had an estimated top speed of about 140 mph and a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet.
"Our goal was to define the low-speed envelope and explore the low-speed handling qualities of the blended wing body class of tailless aircraft, and we have accomplished that," added Mike Kisska, Boeing X-48 project manager.
Because handling qualities of the X-48C were different from those of the X-48B, the project team modified the flight control system software, including flight control limiters to keep the airplane flying within a safe flight envelope. This research will use asymmetric engine thrust to create yaw, or nose left or right movements, for trim and for relatively slow maneuvers. This prototype flight control system is now suitable for future full-scale commercial hybrid or blended wing aircraft.
| BAE's Taranis is an unmanned combat aircraft system advanced technology demonstrator programme. A semi-autonomous unmanned warplane, it is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and will carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. Its driven by a modern jet engine Rolls Royce Adour 951 digital FADEC system operation and 28.9 kN thrust. It was developed based on the type Adour 871, and compared with it provides 8% higher thrust. About the size of a BAE Systems Hawk aircraft and costing £185 million and funded jointly by the UK MOD and UK industry, and specified for the UK to maintain its "sovereign" aircraft and UAV/UCAV construction skills. It follows the completion of "risk-reduction activities" included related BAE programmes, such as Replica, Nightjar I, Nightjar II, Kestrel, Corax, Raven and HERTI. |
Dassault's nEUROn is a technology demonstrator for a European Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). But, unlike the U.S. X-47B that the U.S. Navy is preparing to launch from aircraft carrier, the nEURONn is only a full-scale technology demonstrator, and will not be produced in series. “The nEUROn was launched in 2005 by the customer, DGA, and involves France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Greece and Switzerland. Indeed the nEUROn was “designed to pool the skills and know-how of Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), Saab (Sweden), EADS-CASA (Spain), HAI (Greece), RUAG (Switzerland) and Thales (France).” |
UK-French drone. BAE Systems, together with Dassault Aviation, and Rolls-Royce with Snecma will work on the demonstration program preparation phase (DPPP) of the proposed future combat air system (FCAS). A lot of the technology from BAE's Mantis UAV will go into the new aircraft in the joint programme, said Kevin Taylor, head of BAE's military aircraft.
It is powered by the company’s Adour Mk951 turbofan, which has also been supplied to the pan-European Neuron UCAV demonstrator program through the Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca joint venture. But the Adour is an off-the-shelf solution to save cost, a Rolls-Royce source noted. “For a UCAV, you really need to sit down from the very start with the airframer and a clean sheet of paper,”. In previous briefings, Rolls-Royce has highlighted the need for integrated power systems and hotter engine cores when designing power-plants for UCAVs.
It is powered by the company’s Adour Mk951 turbofan, which has also been supplied to the pan-European Neuron UCAV demonstrator program through the Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca joint venture. But the Adour is an off-the-shelf solution to save cost, a Rolls-Royce source noted. “For a UCAV, you really need to sit down from the very start with the airframer and a clean sheet of paper,”. In previous briefings, Rolls-Royce has highlighted the need for integrated power systems and hotter engine cores when designing power-plants for UCAVs.
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