v1.6.0 / chapter 11 of 19 / 01 mar 10 / greg goebel / public domain
* This chapter completes the discussion of international battlefield UAVs, focusing on UAVs from other European nations and from other regions.
* The British Army has had as much or more trouble fielding a tactical UAV as the US Army, but finally settled on a solution, the BAE Systems Phoenix. First flight was in 1986, but introduction of the Phoenix was painfully delayed and the program attracted a good deal of criticism. The Phoenix finally saw limited action in the Kosovo campaign in 1999.
It is not clear if the Phoenix operated with British forces during the Afghan campaign of 2001:2002, but it was heavily used during the Iraq campaign in 2003. Phoenix attrition was high during the Iraq campaign, though British Army officials say it gave excellent service for artillery spotting, stating that some of the losses were due to deliberate sacrifices, in which the UAV was kept on station beyond the time it could be recovered instead of let targets get away.
The Phoenix is a fairly typical combat surveillance UAV, powered by a 20 kW
(26 HP) piston engine, but is distinctive in that it is a "tractor" aircraft,
with the propeller in the front. This tends to obstruct a sensor turret, and
so the sensor payload, built around an infrared imager, is carried in a pod
slung well under the fuselage. The Phoenix is recovered by parachute,
landing on its back, with a crushable "hump" on the back taking up the
impact. The Phoenix is mostly made of Kevlar and other plastics.
BAE SYSTEMS PHOENIX:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 5.6 meters 18 feet
payload weight 50 kilograms 110 pounds
launch weight 175 kilograms 386 pounds
maximum speed 166 KPH 104 MPH / 90 KT
service ceiling 2,750 meters 9,000 feet
endurance 5 hours
launch scheme Pneumatic / hydraulic catapult.
recovery scheme Parachute.
payload Infrared imager.
guidance system Programmable with GPS, radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The Phoenix was originally supposed to remain in service until 2013, but the
British felt they need something better, and set up an international
competition designated "Watchkeeper" for a next-generation UAV system in
2002. A group led by Thales of France won the competition in late 2004, with
the system originally to be built around the Israeli Elbit Hermes 180
tactical UAV (discussed earlier) and Hermes 450 endurance UAV (discussed
later). The decision was later made to only obtain the Hermes 450.
The Watchkeeper system was fielded on an accelerated basis to support British forces in Iraq, and the Hermes 450 was in operational service by the summer of 2007. All elements of the system were not available at the time; Watchkeeper is expected to reach proper operational capability in 2010.
* In 2008, a team led by MBDA of the UK flew a demonstrator for a loitering attack drone named "Fire Shadow". There is no commitment to production yet, but the goals of the program envision a canister-launched weapon with pop-out forward-swept wings and an inverted-vee tail assembly, launched by RATO booster with lattice-type fins for launch guidance, and with pusher prop propulsion. Weight is roughly 200 kilograms (660 pounds), a length of 4.25 meters (13 feet 11 inches), and a wingspan of 4 meters (13 feet 1 inch).
Operational endurance is set at 10 hours, with the UAV carrying an imaging infrared seeker and a datalink. Off-the-shelf technologies are being used wherever possible, and current talk is of fitting the weapon with the 5 kilogram (11 pound) blast-fragmentation warhead used on the UK Advanced Short-Range Air-To-Air Missile (ASRAAM). A production decision is not expected until 2011, with fielding no earlier than 2014. Follow-on upgrades being envisioned include an imaging radar seeker and a relay capability, allowing a Fire Shadow to operate at greater range by shuttling communications through other Fire Shadows.
* The Swiss Oerlikon Ranger is another reasonably typical combat surveillance UAV, with a twin-boom pusher-prop configuration, though it is slightly unusual in that it has both a low-mounted wing and tailplane. It is powered by a 32 kW (42 HP) piston engine and appears to be skid-recovered.
It was developed by IAI Malat to Swiss specifications, modifying Israeli
technology to the European field environment. It is unclear if Oerlikon
actually manufactures the Ranger in part or full, or if the company simply
provides marketing and support. It would seem that the Ranger is probably
built in Israel, since Malat also markets the UAV internationally. The
Ranger has entered service with the Swiss Army, and has also being obtained
by Finland.
OERLIKON RANGER:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 5.7 meters 18 feet 8 inches
length 4.6 meters 15 feet 1 inches
height 1.13 meters 3 feet 7 inches
payload weight 39 kilograms 86 pounds
launch weight 270 kilograms 595 pounds
maximum speed 220 KPH 137 MPH / 119 KT
service ceiling 4,575 meters 15,000 feet
endurance 5 hours
launch scheme Hydraulic catapult.
recovery scheme Wheel or skid landing with hook, parachute.
payloads Day / night imager, with laser designator.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* Another Swiss firm, known only by the bland name of "Swiss UAV", is now
offering small rotorcraft UAVs. The company's product offerings include the
"NEO S300" and "Koax X240".
The NEO S300 has a conventional main-tail rotor configuration, a fuselage made of carbon composites, and skid landing gear; it can be powered by an electric motor or small turbine engine. The main rotor has three blades, the tail rotor two blades. The fuselage has a length of 2.75 meters (9 feet) and the maximum takeoff weight is 75 kilograms (165 pounds), including a maximum payload of 20 kilograms (44 pounds).
The Koax X240 is a smaller machine. As its name indicates, it uses a coaxial rotor system, with dual three-blade rotors and a maximum takeoff weight of 45 kilograms (100 pounds), 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of that being payload. It has an egg-shaped fuselage with contoured tripod landing gear, giving it an interesting "alien invader" appearance. While Swiss UAV might sound like many of the other "flash in the pan" UAV manufacturers, the company got a significant boost in 2009 by striking a business partnership with SAAB of Sweden to sell UAVs worldwide.
* Eurodrone, a collaboration of the Anglo-French Matra BAE Dynamics and the German STN Atlas Electronik companies, has been working on a small piston-powered battlefield drone known as the "Brevel" or "Kleinflugeraet Fuer Zielortung (KZO / Small Aircraft for Targeting)" since 1980. First flight was in 1995.
The KZO is a delta-winged UAV, with a pusher propeller driven by a small
piston engine, and disk-shaped antenna on top of the tail. It has "stealthy"
features and a de-icing system for cold weather operation.
EURODRONE KZO:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.4 meters 11 feet 2 inches
length 2.26 meters 7 feet 5 inches
height 0.9 meters 3 feet
max loaded weight 150 kilograms 331 pounds
maximum speed 250 KPH 155 MPH / 135 KT
service ceiling 4,000 meters 13,120 feet
endurance 4 hours
launch scheme RATO booster.
recovery scheme Parachute with airbag landing system.
payload Day / night imager.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Service introduction of the KZO was long delayed, and the French pulled out
of the project, with a French official bluntly stating: "The military
requirement for this drone ceased to be relevant ten years ago." The Germans
went on to field the UAV, though the first didn't go into service until late
2005. Current plans envision the German Army acquiring six systems, with a
total of 60 UAVs and twelve ground systems.
KZOs are currently fitted with an infrared imager, though a SAR payload is also being considered. Eurodrone builds a similar but non-stealthy variant of the KZO named the "Tucan" for export and possible commercial applications.
* The German Army is acquiring another tactical UAV from STN Atlas, the "Taifun" attack drone. The Taifun is similar to the KZO, being a piston-powered UAV with a pusher propeller, and is fitted with an intelligent millimeter-wave radar seeker that perform search and destroy attacks autonomously. It destroys its target with a hollow-charge warhead. The company also is working on a jamming drone, the "Muecke", which is presumably similar, but details are unclear.
In addition, STN Atlas sells a mini-UAV named "Luna". It resembles a sleek RC airplane with a pusher propeller mounted above the wing, and is powered by a 4.5 kW (6 HP) piston engine. It can shut down its engine and glide over well-protected target areas as a stealth measure. It carries an EO/IR imaging system, though a SAR payload is now being developed. The Luna was evaluated by the German Army in the Balkans in 2001 and has seen service with German forces in Afghanistan.
STN ATLAS LUNA:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.98 meters 13 feet 1 inch
length 2.04 meters 6 feet 8 inches
launch weight 20 kilograms 44 pounds
maximum speed 190 KPH 120 MPH / 104 KT
service ceiling 2,740 meters 9,000 feet
endurance 4 hours
launch scheme Bungee catapult.
recovery scheme Parachute or parafoil.
payload Day / night imager.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The German military has also evaluated a number of small infantry UAVs, but
details of these efforts are obscure.
* Schiebel of Austria has developed a helicopter mini-UAV named the "CamCopter 5.1", which was evaluated by such customers as the US Air Force as part of studies in developing improved defenses from terrorist attacks on military installations. It has also been tested by the United States Army for use in landmine detection, using both infrared and ground penetrating radar sensors. The CamCopter 5.1 has been delivered to the US military, France, and the Egyptian Navy. The CamCopter 5.1 has a conventional main-tail rotor helicopter configuration, with twin-blade main rotor. It uses an 11 kW (15 HP) two-stroke piston engine. It has a length of 2.68 meters (8 feet 10 inches) and a loaded weight of 68 kilograms (150 pounds).
Schiebel has designed a larger derivative, the CamCopter S-100, with a payload capability of 25 kilograms (55 pounds), a top speed of 240 KPH (150 MPH), and an endurance of six hours. It has a length of 3.09 meters (10 feet), and maximum takeoff weight of 200 kilograms (440 pounds). It is powered by a 41 kW (55 HP) rotary engine.
The United Arab Emirates has obtained a batch of 80 CamCopter S-100s and it has been used by the Austrian Interior Ministry. The US Air Force Research Labs has performed experiments with an S-100 carrying a payload to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs), though no production order has resulted as yet. The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) is also evaluating the S-100 for possible use by French military forces. Schiebel has displayed an armed version of the S-100 with twin Thales "Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs)", a new multirole evolution of Blowpipe / Javelin / Starstreak man-portable SAM family.
* SAAB of Sweden introduced a helicopter UAV named the "Skeldar V-150", with a conventional main-tail rotor configuration, landing skids, a sensor turret under the belly, and composite construction with some stealth features. As its name implied, it had an operational weight of 150 kilograms (330 pounds), with 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of that payload, and an endurance of five hours. The Swedish navy is considering shipboard trials.
SAAB, as mentioned above, has signed a deal with Swiss UAV to offer a range of helicopter UAVs. SAAB is also working on a 400 kilogram (880 pound) fixed-wing tactical UAV.
* The European Aerospace & Defense Systems (EADS) company is currently promoting a number of UAVs. One, the "Orka 1200", is a UAV helicopter with a length of 10 meters (23 feet) and a weight of about 1,200 kilograms (6,645 pounds) for use on naval vessels. It is currently favored as the likely replacement for the larger and more elaborate SEAMOS helicopter UAV that was abandoned by the Germans.
Orka 1200 is derived from a light helicopter built by Helicopter Guimbal of France. It has a conventional helicopter configuration, with a three-bladed main rotor, an enclosed "fenestron" tail rotor favored by the French, and landing skids. There is a sensor turret under the nose, and an antenna or sensor drum under the belly between the landing skids.
EADS ORKA 1200:
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spec metric english
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rotor width 7.2 meters 23 feet 7 inches
fuselage length 7.2 meters 20 feet 4 inches
max loaded weight 680 kilograms 1,500 pounds
payload weight 180 kilograms 400 pounds
maximum speed 195 KPH 120 MPH / 105 KT
operating altitude 3,600 meters 12,000 feet
endurance 8 hours
payload Day / night imager (typical).
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* The EADS "Scorpio" is a much smaller battlefield helicopter, focused on
special operations. It is also of conventional helicopter configuration,
with a two-blade main rotor with Hiller-type stabilization paddles, an
exposed two-blade tail rotor, and landing skids. The Scorpio features a
digital datalink; is capable of autonomous preprogrammed operation; and
carries a sensor turret between the landing skids, with interchangeable
turrets carrying either an EO or IR imager.
There are two variants:
* In the early 1980s, the Soviet Yakovlev design organization began work on a tactical UAV for the Red Army, with the machine given the internal designation of "izdeliye (product) 60". Initial test flights "Pchela (Honeybee) 1" were conducted in 1983, with approval for production in 1985, and the "Pchela-1M" version introduced for service evaluation in 1988. A "Pchela-1PM" jammer variant was built as well.
However, the Pchela-1M/-1PM never actually reached operational service, since in 1984, even before it was approved for production, the decision had been made that it would be used for development, test, and evaluation, with production of an improved derivative, the "izdeliye 61", to be the operational machine. The initial prototype performed its first flight in 1986. After test, trials, and evaluation, the improved UAV reached formal service with the Russian Army in 1997. The entire system was named "Stroy (Formation) P", while the UAV itself was named "Pchela-1T"; for export sales, the system was "Sterkh (Japanese Crane)" and the UAV was "Shmel (Bumblebee) 1". The "Shmel-1" designation is used here simply to distinguish the UAV from the earlier Pchela-1M UAV.
The Pchela-1M and Shmel-1 have a similar configuration, with a two-stroke piston engine driving a pusher prop in a duct, a straight high wing, and an inverted vee tail. The Shmel-1 is larger; its wings feature downturned tips not fitted to the Pchela-1M; and the Shmel-1 carries a daylight TV camera in a turret under the nose, while the Pchela-1M had the TV camera in a "glass nose".
The Shmel-1 is launched off a rail using twin RATO boosters, originally off the top of a light tracked carrier, but later off of a more economical 6 x 6 truck; the UAV is recovered by parachute. The wings fold forward over the top of the fuselage for transport.
The Shmel has a nose-mounted sensor turret; a pusher prop in a duct, powered
by a small piston engine; a top-mounted wing in the rear, and a fixed
landing-gear scheme whose struts seem to be designed as airfoils. It has
been in service since 1994, and is believed to have seen extensive service in
the Chechnya conflict.
YAKOVLEV YAK SHMEL-1:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.23 meters 10 feet 7 inches
length 2.77 meters 9 feet 1 inch
launch weight 129 kilograms 285 pounds
maximum speed 140 KPH 87 MPH / 76 KT
service ceiling 2,900 meters 9,480 feet
endurance 2 hours
launch scheme Catapult with RATO boosters.
recovery scheme Parachute.
payload TV imager in turret.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Yakovlev is currently promoting on two new tactical UAVs, the "Expert" and
the "Albatros". The Expert is a tactical mini-UAV roughly in the class and
configuration of the ATN Luna, while the Albatros is a tiltrotor design along
the lines of the Boeing Eagle Eye, except that it has an inverted-vee tail.
There is no evidence at this time that either has been built, and they are
certainly not on the market yet.
* The Russian Kamov helicopter design bureau has also built a tactical UAV, the Kamov "Ka-137". Kamov has produced a number of different manned helicopter designs since the 1940s, focusing on the "coaxial" rotor configuration, with twin rotors spinning in opposite directions on the same shaft.
Kamov flew Russia's first unmanned helicopter, the Ka-37, in 1993, after developing the UAV with their own funds. The "Ka-37" looked like a scaled-down version of a Kamov manned helicopter, with the coaxial rotor configuration and a tailboom with fins. Each rotor had twin blades. The Ka-37 was built as a demonstrator with agricultural applications in mind. An improved "Ka-37S" was built in 1996, with a single instead of twin engines, but it is unclear if any Ka-37 variant entered production.
The Ka-137 is a next-generation follow-on to the Ka-37, and has been
substantially redesigned. The Ka-137 is an endearingly toylike machine, with
a ball-shaped body, four landing legs, and a coaxial rotor system powered by
a 49 kW (65 HP) piston engine. It can carry a TV imaging system, and can be
operated using a truck-based support and control system. The Ka-137 is
currently in use with Russian border guards and possibly Russian coast guard
patrol boats.
KAMOV KA-137:
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spec metric english
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rotor width 5.3 meters 17 feet 5 inches
body diameter 1.22 meters 3 feet 11 inches
max loaded weight 280 kilograms 617 pounds
maximum speed 175 KPH 110 MPH / 95 KT
service ceiling 3,500 meters 11,500 feet
endurance 4 hours
payload Day / night imager.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The Irkut organization in Russia makes a series of tactical UAVs, apparently
of fairly conventional design, some of which are in service with Russian
government organizations. There are also a number of other Russian
organizations working on small UAVs for military and commercial use, but it
is unclear which are in production.
* Tactical UAVs are something of a growth market, and a great number of different types have been built, most of which have only seen service in limited numbers. It is worth sampling them here.
* The Belgians were actually early adopters of battlefield UAVs, introducing the "Epervier (Sparrowhawk)" UAV in the early 1970s. It was built by Manufacture Belge De Lampes Et De Materiel Electronique SA (MBLE) of Belgium. Epervier prototypes were propeller-driven, but the production Epervier UAV, the "X.5" model, was fitted with a Rover TJ125 turbojet with 510 N (52 kg / 114 lb) thrust. It was launched by a RATO booster and recovered by parachute.
It had a boxy fiberglass fuselage with a rear-mounted truncated-delta wing, a single tailfin, and winglet fins at the end of each wing. It had a length of 2.25 meters (7 feet 4 inches), a wingspan of 1/72 meters (5 feet 8 inches), and a launch weight of 142 kilograms (313 pounds), The Epervier has now been replaced by the IAI Hunter, which was obtained by the Belgian military with Belgian-specified systems.
* The Finmeccanica group's Meteor division, discussed earlier as a maker of target drones, developed a series of battlefield UAVs for the Italian Army. The "Mirach 20" combat surveillance UAV led to the similar but improved "Mirach 26". The Mirach 26 was of typical twin-boom pusher-prop battlefield surveillance UAV configuration. It was very similar to the older Mirach 20 in appearance but slightly bigger, the most visible difference being that the Mirach 26 has antenna disks on the top of the tailfins.
* Following South African evaluation of a Malat Scout in the late 1970s, in the early 1980s Kentron built a relatively large combat surveillance UAV, the "Seeker", of conventional twin-boom pusher-prop configuration, with a 38 kW (50 HP) engine. It had a length of 4.43 meters (14 feet 6 inches) and a loaded weight of 225 kilograms (562 pounds). It was adopted by the South African army but apparently given up due to reliability problems.
* Iran has produced a number of different UAVs. Most are obscure, but the "Ababil (Swallow)" is well-known since it has been exported, being used by the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia against Israel. The Ababil has a canard configuration, along the general lines of the Sperwer, with a pusher piston propulsion system. It is launched by a pneumatic catapult off the back of a truck; it can also be launched by rockets off a trolley. It can be recovered by parachute or skid landing. There are surveillance and SIGINT variants, as well as an attack variant, capable of carrying a 40 kilogram (88 pound) warhead.
ABABIL UAV:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.25 meters 10 feet 8 inches
length 2.88 meters 9 feet 5 inches
payload 40 kilograms 88 pounds
launch weight 83 kilograms 183 pounds
cruise speed 305 KPH 190 MPH / 165 KT
service ceiling 4,575 meters 15,000 feet
operational radius 30 kilometers 19 miles
range kilometers MI / NMI
endurance 1.5 hours
launch scheme Pneumatic catapult or dolly with rocket boost.
recovery scheme Parachute or skid landing.
payload CCD imager or other payload.
guidance system Programmable with radio control backup.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* India's Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) has developed a
tactical UAV named the "Nishant". It is similar to the IAI Malat Searcher,
and was apparently being developed with Israeli help. Although it isn't
really a battlefield UAV, the DRDO has developed a UAV named the "Lakshya"
that is used as a target and medium-range reconnaissance UAV. The Lakshya
looks like a near-clone of the Beech Streaker.
The DRDO is also working on an interesting UAV conversion of the venerable Aerospatiale Alouette III helicopter, which is license-built in India by Hindustan Aerospace LTD (LTD) as the "Chetak" and long used by the Indian military. The "Naval Rotary AUV (NRUAV)" program is being conducted by HAL and IAI Malat, with the exercise fitting refurbished Alouette IIIs with a belly search radar, an EO/IR nose turret, an ELINT system, defensive countermeasures, a deck harpoon landing system, datalinks, and a robot flight control system with autonomous capability. At last notice, Alouettes had been fitted with a prototype robot flight control system, but a full prototype had not been flown.
