DRONES MILITAIRES

Some specifications: cruising speed 150-180km/hr, service ceiling 8,000m, endurance 40hr, max TO weight <1,250kg,>150kg, TO distance <600m,>

UAV development hits roadblock

Confirming Monday’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) crash near Hosur, the DRDO admitted that the indigenous effort to develop the UAV, Rustom, has hit a roadblock.
Incidentally, the crash occurred on the UAV’s maiden flight after the operators failed to gauge the height of coconut trees in the vicinity. “It misjudged the height of coconut trees and crashed after hitting the trees,” said a DRDO official.

The UAV was the technology demonstrator (TD) of Rustom, developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), under DRDO.

Deccan Herald had reported on Monday that the UAV which had crashed was the TD of Rustom, being tested by DRDO.

After the Rustom UAV took off from Taneja Aerospace Airfield near Hosur, it misjudged the altitude of the flight. Once the flaw was known to the ground engineers, they switched off the engine, allowing the onboard thrust developed to go to zero. A release issued by DRDO confirmed that the first flight of the Rustom TD took place from the Taneja airfield and the taxing and take off was exactly as planned.

“Due to misjudgment of the altitude of the flight, the on-board engine was switched off through ground command which made the onboard thrust developed to go to zero,” the release stated.

DRDO also said that it was the first flight of its kind using a 700-kg airframe and sophisticated controls and hence prone to development hazards. The trials are being conducted to test the functioning of number of systems such as aerodynamics, redundant flight control, engine, redundant data link etc which go a long way towards development of complex UAVs.

Named after the late professor Rustom Damania, the UAV was India’s answer to Israeli medium altitude long-range UAV Herons which the armed forces buy.

Israeli Manufacturers’ $150M Turkish UAV Contract Endangered

In April 2005, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems won an contract to supply medium endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Turkish military. Turkey’s local industry would provide sub-systems and services amounting to 30% of the contract.
The contract’s terms have been the subject of shifting reports, and the type of UAV was not specified in the official releases. Over time, however, clarity has emerged on several fronts. One front is the UAV type: the same Heron UAVs that serve with Israel, India, Canada, and other customers.
The project’s issues appeared to be settled, with recent deliveries of Heron UAVs to Batman air base. Follow-on reports indicate that these issues are a long way from settled, however, as a new 50-day deadline may see the contract canceled entirely…
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Défense: l'Armée de l'air insatisfaite des drones russes

L'Armée de l'air russe refuse de se doter de drones de fabrication russe, car ils ne répondent pas aux performances requises, a déclaré jeudi aux journalistes le général Alexandre Zeline, commandant en chef de l'Armée de l'air russe.

"Malheureusement, nous n'avons pas réussi à fabriquer les drones ayant les performances techniques et tactiques dont nous avons besoin", a déploré M.Zeline.

Le général a précisé que les drones mis au point par l'industrie russe sont loin de satisfaire l'armée par leur vitesse et leur altitude de vol, ainsi que par le degré de résolution du matériel d'observation dont ils sont équipés.

"Il serait criminel de doter l'armée de ces drones", s'est indigné le général.

Actuellement, l'Armée russe est dotée de drones de la première génération qui sont tout juste capables de remplir des missions de reconnaissance.

Quant à l'achat par la Russie de drones israéliens, le général a indiqué que les appareils israéliens étaient supérieurs en qualité et en performances aux drones fabriqués en Russie, mais a douté de la volonté de Tel-Aviv de transmettre à Moscou son savoir-faire et ses technologies de pointe dans ce domaine.

US CBP Launches New Maritime Unmanned Aircraft System

The US Customs and Border Protection took delivery today of the first maritime variant of the Predator B unmanned aircraft system.
At a ceremony in Palmdale, California, CBP, US Coast Guard, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. unveiled the prototype maritime variant Predator B, known as Guardian.
To support future mission requirements, CBP in partnership with the USCG is exploring a maritime variant of its Predator B UAS to increase reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting acquisition capabilities in maritime operating environments. For this purpose, GA-ASI, the manufacturer of the Predator B UAS, modified a CBP Predator B aircraft to become the Guardian.
"The Predator B Unmanned Aircraft System has proven its value to homeland security over the nation's land borders, the Great Lakes region, and in support of DHS hurricane and flood response operations," said Michael Kostelnik, assistant commissioner for the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine. "With the introduction of the Guardian, maritime variant of the Predator B, DHS now has a powerful tool and force multiplier to increase maritime domain awareness and confront threats to our borders."
The Guardian has been modified from a standard Predator B with structural, avionics, and communications enhancements, as well as the addition of a Raytheon SeaVue Marine Search Radar and an Electro-optical/Infrared Sensor that is optimized for maritime operations.
The Guardian is expected to be ready for Operational Test and Evaluation in early 2010. This OT&E will be conducted jointly by CBP and USCG from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. After the Guardian completes operational testing this spring, it will be deployed to the drug source and transit zones to support joint counter-narcotics operations.
In 2008, CBP and the USCG formed a UAS Joint Program Office to identify and address common maritime UAS requirements, including sensors, command and control, data exploitation, logistics and training, and basing.
"I am proud of our partnership with Customs and Border Protection to develop the maritime version of the Predator B," said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the US Coast Guard. "An unmanned aircraft system is a significant and needed force multiplier that will help us counter threats like narcotics and migrant smuggling, terrorism, and piracy in the vast expanses of the maritime domain. The collaborative work between Coast Guard and CBP officers at the Joint Program Office has been outstanding and we're seeing the results here today."
In the Southeast Coastal Border Region of the United States and drug source and transit zones, CBP plans to use the Guardian to conduct long-range surveillance in support of joint counter-narcotics operations, where maritime radar is necessary to detect a variety of threats.
In the future, at the Northern Border, the Guardian will allow CBP to conduct surveillance of the Great Lakes, creating a more comprehensive picture of activity in this expansive maritime environment, and give law enforcement a more accurate tool to use in sorting illegal activity from legitimate activity.
CBP first employed the Predator B in support of law enforcement operations on the Southwest Border in 2005 and along the Northern Border in 2009. CBP operates three Predator Bs from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and two more from Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. UAS operations will continue to expand in 2010. By 2015, Air and Marine expects to employ the Predator B throughout the border regions with command and control from a network of UAS ground control stations across the country.
Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Aviation, Air and Marine's new MQ-9 Predator B Unmanned Aircraft System will support air and marine crews and Border Patrol agents charged with securing the border.

Singapore Airshow: China Promoting New VTOL UAV

Singapore - China is promoting exports of a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the 2010 Singapore Airshow.

China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) provided brochures for the first time on the U8E VTOL UAV.
CATIC did not exhibit a model or the actual aircraft, but was more than willing to provide new data on a platform that has remained a mystery to many analysts.
The U8E is a light multi-role UAV with some impressive specifications:
■ Maximum takeoff weight of 220 kg
■ Maximum speed of 150km/hour
■ Cruise speed of 120 km/h
■ Ceiling of 3,500 m
■ Range of 150 km
■ Maximum Endurance of four hours
■ Maximum Payload of 40 kg
"With EO [electro-optical] and multi-function payload, U8E can play a very important role both in civil and military operations. Using U8E is the best solution for surveillance operations and anti-terrorism action," said a CATIC press release.
The aircraft has a helicopter configuration with a wingspan of 3.86 meters, fuselage width of 1 meter, length at 3.738 meters and a height of 1.47 meters.
CATIC also showed off a model of ASN-209 tactical UAV system. The 209 is a medium altitude and medium endurance (MAME) multi-role fixed wing aircraft with systems that include a direct line-of-sight (LOS) data link, UAV airborne data relay used for beyond LOS missions and a ground-based data relay for beyond LOS missions. It can be fitted with a synthetic aperture radar, EO payload and multi-function payload.
The 209 mission capabilities include a 200 km range, 180 km/h maximum speed, 50 kg payload and a 5,000 meter operational ceiling. Configurations include ground moving target indication (GMTI), electronic intelligence, electronic warfare, ground target designation (GTD) and communications relay.

Iran Starts Mass Production of Advanced Unmanned Bombers

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran on Monday inaugurated the production line of two home-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with bombing and reconnaissance capabilities.



The two hi-tech drones named 'Ra'd' (Thunder) and 'Nazir' (Harbinger) are capable of conducting long-range reconnaissance, patrolling, assault and bombing missions with high precision.

Ra'd which is a UAV of choice for assault and bombing missions has the capability to destroy the specified targets with high pinpoint precision.

Experts believe that once the UAV enters the scene of aerial missions, it would enhance the reconnaissance, patrolling and defensive power of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Force.

Iran has recently made good progress in the air industry and has succeeded in gaining the technical know-how for producing stealth aircraft and drones.

Iran successfully tested a home-made radar-evading UAV with bombing capabilities in June. Also in 2008, the country's Defense Industries launched production lines of two well-known home-made fighter jets, namely Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) and Azarakhsh (Lightening).

Last March, Iran started construction of a plant in the northern province of Mazandaran to mass produce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Hamed Saeedi, Managing Director of Farnas Aerospace Company in charge of the project, said that his company has been dealing with designing and manufacturing UAVs and reconnaissance and pilot training drones for the last 9 years.

"We plan to manufacture UAVs, including unmanned choppers and drones, at this site" he said, referring to the plant in Mazandaran province.

Regarding specifications of the UAVs to be produced by the plant, Saeedi noted, "Drones will be of the tactical type, with a short range of 400 to 500 meters flying altitude which cannot be detected by radio waves as they will be stealth aircraft."

He singled out detection and control of contraband trafficking on land and in the sea and assistance in firefighting operations, specially in the woods as among other advantages of the UAVs to be manufactured in the plant.

Iranian army officials had announced in June that they have successfully tested a home-made radar-evading Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with bombing capabilities.

"This airplane is a model drone built on a one-seventh scale for the defense ministry," Commander of the Iranian Army Air Force General Hassan Shah Safi announced in June, adding that the UAV bomber would be produced in actual size and would join the Iranian Air Force fleet in the near future.

He explained that the UAV has been designed and manufactured for reconnaissance and bombing missions, specially considering its radar-evading advantage.

Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran, to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.

Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.

EADS Defence&Security livre une seconde tranche de drones DRAC au ministère de la Défense français

EADS Defence & Security a livré le 25 janvier 2010 à l'Armée de Terre Française, une nouvelle série de 35 systèmes DRAC, spécialement modifiés pour renforcer leurs capacités en terrain montagneux. Cette livraison intervient à l'issue des opérations de vérification au sol et en vol menées de concert avec la Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) depuis fin novembre 2009. Elle fait suite à une première tranche de 25 systèmes DRAC livrés au ministère de la Défense en juillet 2008.
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Canadian Armed Forces retire Sperwer reconnaissance drone

The Canadian Armed Forces recently retired the CU-161 Sperwer reconnaissance drone.



The Sperwer was an integral part of Canadian overseas operations, including in Afghanistan, where it served from 2003 to 2009. The aircraft is remotely piloted and capable of flying at altitudes above 16,000 feet for up to 5 hours. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will become part of the collection at the Canada Aviation Museum.

“Overall, the Sperwer logged over 4,300 flight hours on more than 1,400 missions,” said Lieutenant-General André Deschamps in his speech at the Canada Aviation Museum.

Improved tactical knowledge
The approximately three-metre long aerial vehicle carried out countless reconnaissance missions, sending back images of enemy troop movements that allowed our troops to approach the enemy with a better tactical knowledge of the ground.

The aircraft is equipped with a camera that can relay images of targets at a maximum distance of 150 kilometres from the ground operator.

“Our soldiers could deploy on the ground knowing that the benevolent eye of the Sperwer was watching over them,” explained Lieutenant-Colonel Yvan Auden as the new exhibit was unveiled.

Landing the Sperwer was its biggest problem. Because it was not attached to any runway, it had to land in a predetermined open space with the help of parachutes and air bags. However, it sometimes landed in minefields where it crashed because of technical accidents or human error.

The aircraft was also criticized for being unarmed and therefore unable to engage in combat with enemy land forces. The enemy, upon recognizing the drone in the air, was able to change positions.

The machine was replaced by the Israeli-designed IAI Heron.

French DGA Delivers Mini UAVs to Special Forces



The French Armament Procurement Agency (Direction générale de l'armement, DGA) today announced that it handed over an unspecified number of Skylark 1 and Wasp mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the French Special Forces Command on 8 March 2010.

Less than three months after having awarded the two contracts (respectively, to Israel’s Elbit Systems on 18 October 2009 and to AeroVironment on 4 November 2009) the DGA handed over the small tactical UAVs after completing all trails required for acceptance of the new equipment.

As the DGA explains, the Wasp UAVs, built by US-based AeroVironment, have been procured for the purpose of operational evaluation and is intended to provide a better understanding of the use of mini UAVs in the armed forces.

The Skylark 1 UAVs of the Israeli company Elbit complement the fleet of UAVs of the type already delivered to the French Special Forces in 2008 and 2009. (nvk)

Paris s'apprêterait à acquérir des drones Predator américains, déplore un député

PARIS — La France s'apprêterait à acquérir des drones américains Predator, a déploré jeudi le député UMP Bernard Carayon, spécialiste des questions d'intelligence économique.

"L'acquisition par la France d'équipements militaires étrangers, à l'instar du drone américain Predator, constituerait un signe extrêmement inquiétant pour tous ceux qui, élus comme industriels, sont attachés à garantir nos capacités de recherche", a déclaré M. Carayon dans un communiqué.

Ces acquisitions interviendraient "alors que des menaces fortes pèsent sur le budget de la Défense, et en particulier, sur le niveau de nos investissements dans les technologies du futur", a-t-il souligné.

"Partout dans le monde, la priorité est à la défense des industries nationales", poursuit-il, estimant que "ce n'est vraiment pas le moment de sacrifier nos intérêts stratégiques nationaux".

Le ministère de la Défense n'a pu être joint immédiatement pour commenter cette information.

L'hebdomadaire Le Point avait affirmé en octobre que la France "étudiait" l'achat aux Etats-Unis de "quatre drones" connus sous le nom de "Predator B" et fabriqués par le constructeur américain General Atomics.

Interrogé par l'AFP, le ministère de la Défense s'était refusé à commenter cette information, relevant toutefois que "la priorité" était d'envoyer de nouveaux drones en Afghanistan".

Selon le site du Point, l'armée de l'air française souhaitait acquérir quatre drones Predator B, des avions sans pilote susceptibles de conduire des missions d'observation mais aussi d'être armés de bombes et/ou de missiles antichars.

Les Predators sont employés quotidiennement pour des missions de guerre au-dessus de l'Afghanistan, par l'US Air Force et la Royal Air Force britannique.

LEAD 1 Drones - Dassault et Thales pressent la France d'arbitrer

* Dassault et Thales croient aux chances du SDM
* Ouverts à des coopérations, notamment avec le Royaume-Uni
* Pressent la DGA de prendre une décision

(Actualisé avec la position de la DGA §3)
PARIS, 9 juin (Reuters) - Dassault (AVMD.PA: Cotation) et Thales (TCFP.PA: Cotation) croient encore à la possibilité d'être retenus par l'armée française pour un système de drones MALE (Medium altitude Long Endurance) d'ici à la fin de l'année ou en 2011.
Des médias ont rapporté ces dernières semaines que la France se préparait à acquérir plusieurs exemplaires de drones (avions sans pilote) Predator B, des appareils conçus et assemblés par le groupe américain General Atomics.
Un porte-parole de la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) a déclaré que les réflexions se poursuivaient.
L'Armée de l'air française a exprimé des besoins pour trois drones MALE et les trois "systèmes" qui les accompagnent (station au sol, équipements de communication...). Le "livre blanc de la défense" érige également "l'anticipation et la surveillance" en priorité pour les années à venir.
La crise de la dette souveraine et l'évolution des déficits publics en France devraient néanmoins peser longtemps sur le budget de la défense.
Dassault Aviation - qui a finalisé en 2009 sa montée au capital du spécialiste de l'électronique de défense Thales - espère pourtant placer un contrat avec le SDM (Système de drone MALE), un appareil que les deux sociétés se proposent de développer avec l'israélien IAI et l'espagnol Indra (IDR.MC: Cotation), pour une mise en service en 2015.
Le SDM serait assemblé à partir de la plate-forme du drone israélien Heron TP.
Face à ce consortium, le groupe européen EADS (EAD.PA: Cotation), maison mère d'Airbus, travaille au développement du drone Talarion - également baptisé advanced UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicule) - et a présenté l'an passé une offre à la France, l'Allemagne et l'Espagne qui prévoit la construction de 45 drones pour 2,9 milliards d'euros. (Voir [ID:nL8719775])
"Nous proposons le SDM mais nous sommes également ouverts à des coopérations européennes", a déclaré mercredi matin Eric Trappier, directeur général international de Dassault Aviation.
Il a ajouté qu'une solution associant Dassault et Thales au britannique BAE Systems (BAES.L: Cotation) pouvait présenter des avantages alors que Thales a conçu le drone tactique "Watchkeeper" de l'armée de l'air britannique même si la solution serait plus onéreuse compte tenu de la nécessité de construire une nouvelle plate-forme industrielle.
"La France, si elle veut garder toute sa place dans ce domaine, doit faire un choix même si elle ne développe pas toute seule ses drones. Je serais très surpris si elle décidait d'acheter 'sur l'étagère' à 100% américain, c'est aussi une question de politique et de souveraineté", a-t-il expliqué.
"En tout état de cause, la DGA doit se prononcer, nous devons savoir si nous maintenons nos bureaux d'étude ou si nous arrêtons", a-t-il poursuivi.
Dassault Aviation évalue à 700 millions d'euros environ le coût global de sa proposition SDM pour trois appareils et trois systèmes.