Compendium By Armada - June 2012

01Compendium Drone 2012

G ROWTH IN themonetary valueof the military drone business,although not repeating itsmeteoric ascent of the last

decade, is expected to remain positive forthe next several years, possibly peakingaround 2018. A study by the Teal Grouppredicts that global expenditure on droneprocurement and R&D (but excludingoperation and maintenance) will rise from

approximately $ 6.0 billion in 2011 tomorethan $ 11.3 billion in 2020.A study by Forecast International (FI)

indicates that spending on drone R&Disalmost as great as that on droneprocurement.Droneprocurement spendingcan be broken down (FI estimates) asapproximately 43% on sensors, 38% onair vehicles, and 19% on ground controlstations (GCS).

I UNITED STATESThe Teal study predicts that throughout the

next decade the United States will accountfor almost 70% of worldwide spending ondrone procurement. America is clearlyallocating an unusually large amount tounmanned systems, as it accounts for only38% of global acquisition spending ondefence equipment overall.America’s current lead in drones will

naturally lead to it winning a large share ofglobal sales in the near term. FI estimatesthat over the next decade General Atomicssales will account for almost one thirdof the worldwide total, and Northrop

Looking beyond colonial-stylewars,theUSAir Force is considering areduced-signature jet-powered dronewithsensors and internal weapons. It haspurchased for evaluation one example oftheGeneral Atomics Avenger, formerlyPredator-C. (General Atomics).

Eric H. Biass & Roy Braybrook

Full Spectrum DominanceThe United States has established amassive lead in unmanned aircraft,and (despite budgetary cuts) is pressing aheadwith new designs that will fly indoorslike an insect, or perch on a roof and stare like a bird, or deliver supplies to frontlinetroops, or remain in the air virtually indefinitely. Most significantly, America isexpanding its lead in stealthy strike drones.

Grumman around one quarter.

Illustrating the phenomenal rise ofAmerican drones in the last decade, inFY2000 the Department of Defense spent amodest $ 284 million (the equivalent ofaround ten lightweight fighters) onunmanned aircraft systems, but thePentagon’s FY2013budget request includes $3.8 billion for the acquisition of drones.

In 2002 the US armed forces had acombined total of only 167 drones, but thisnumber has soared to over 7500, the largestsingle element being the hand-launchedAeroVironment RQ-11Raven.In the last 25 years, annual US military

drone flight time has grown from around1000 to over 500,000 hours. The Pentagonhas recently been buying around 1400drones each year, but cutbacks may halvethis number in FY2013.Following the withdrawal of its forces

from Iraq in December 2011 and theplanned withdrawal (of combat troops atleast) from Afghanistan in 2014, it mighthave been expected that America’s military

drone needs would decline. However, thePentagonactually plans to increase its fleet ofarmed drones by 30%. The US Air Forcecurrently operates 61 unmanned Caps(combat air patrols) on a 24/7 basis, eachrequiring three or four 1022-kg GeneralAtomicsMQ-1BPredators or 4763-kgMQ-9Reapers. It plans to have sufficient dronesby 2016 to operate 65 Caps routinely, withthe ability to surge to 85 for limited periods.To make this possible, the US Air Force

earlier planned to buy 48 MQ-9s each yearfrom FY2011 to FY2016 (toward anobjective force of 319 aircraft), at whichstage it would phase out the MQ-1(objective force 185 aircraft). However, theFY2013 budget request has been cut to 24MQ-9s, presumably delaying completion ofthe programme. The finalMQ-1 for theUSAir Force (the 268th built) was delivered inMarch 2011.Fears over the vulnerability of oil supplies

through the Persian Gulf will justify newassets to grow the US Navy’s capability inlittoral warfare. The US Navy now plans tobuy 28 2720-kg Northrop Grumman MQ-8CFire Scouts, having terminated themorecapable follow-onMrmuas (Medium-RangeMaritime Unmanned Air System)

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“…in FY2000 the Departmentof Defense spent amodest$284million… but the

Pentagon’s FY2013 budgetrequest includes $ 3.8 billion”

Themost successful of hand-launched dronesis the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven, shownhere in Royal Netherlands Army form.The Raven serves with all the US armed forces,and has been exported to over a dozennations. (NetherlandMoD)

Shown landing back at Joint BaseBalad in Iraq, this US Air Force GeneralAtomics MQ-9 Reaper is armedwith twolaser-guided bombs and four Hellfireair-ground laser-homingmissiles.In the Saddam era, Balad was known asAl-Bakr air base. (US Air Force).

programme. Cargo drones will latersupport amphibious and heliborne assaultsby sea-based special forces.In addition, considerable growth will be

required in land-based long-endurancedrones to provide surveillance over thenewly emphasisedAsia-Pacific region. TheUS inventory of large droneswas planned to

grow from 340 in FY2012 to around 650 byFY2021, but these figures will have beenmodified by the cancellation of theNorthrop Grumman RQ-4 Global HawkBlock 30 in favour of retaining the mannedLockheedMartinU-2.The US Navy plans to buy 68 MQ-4C

Bams (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance)drones to complement its 177 mannedBoeing P-8As in replacing the LockheedMartin P-3C maritime patrol aircraft. TheMQ-4C is due to fly in mid-2012 and enter

service around 2015.Additional Global Hawks may be

required to replace some of the Navy’s 16EP-3E Aries II electronic intelligenceaircraft and an unspecified number of P-3-based “special projects” aircraft, all ofwhichare due for retirement in 2019-2020. Inessence, their role will be taken over by acombination of Bams, Fire Scout andUclass(discussed below).The current Ucas-D (Unmanned

CombatAir System–Demonstration) trialswith the 20,685-kgNorthropGrummanX-47B will pave the way for the Navy’s Uclass(Unmanned Carrier-Launched AirborneSurveillance and Strike) system, due to enterservice around FY2020. The Navy plans tospend around $ 2.5 billion on Uclassprocurement, compared to $ 3.9 billion onBams and at least $ 1.1 billion on Fire Scout(which could be increased, followingcancellation ofMrmuas).Since 2004 Boeing/Insitu teams have

provided tactical ISR services for the USNavy andMarineCorpswith the ScanEagle.In 2010 the same company’s Integrator wasselected as the development basis for the twoservices’ RQ-21ASmall TacticalUnmannedAir System (Stuas), to replace ScanEagle.Two four-aircraft Integrator systems havebeen purchased for the Marines, anddeliveries began in January 2012. The US

03Compendium Drone 2012

This General Atomics Predator is shown in Italian Air Force form. When upgradedwith long-spanwings, improved software and Lynx radar, this drone is locally designated Predator A+ orMQ-1C, although the latter is the US Army designation for the Gray Eagle. (General Atomics)

The US Navy’s Fire Scout programmewas tohave led to amore capableMrmuas(Medium-RangeMaritime Unmanned AirSystem), but this was recently terminated asan economymeasure. This design wasproposed by AVX Aircraft and supported byBAE Systems. (AVX)

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Navy plans two similar systems for itsspecialwarfare forces. It is envisioned that atleast 56 Stuas systemswill be acquired.

The US Air Force, the leading operatorof drones, is well aware that the growth intheir use has taken place in a generallybenign air defence environment. It is nowworking on stealthy jet-poweredHale (highaltitude, long endurance) drones to expandon the work currently performed by theLockheedMartin RQ-170 Sentinel.The US Air Force has ordered one

General Atomics Avenger (Predator-C)under a sole-source contract, and isconsidering fundingdevelopmentof a largerderivative. The service appears to haveabandoned itsplan to replace theMQ-9 fromFY2020with a stealthy,medium-size,multi-roledrone (MQ-M). Instead it is consideringa reduced-signature, reasonably fast dronethat can penetrate defences by jammingradars and firing anti-radiationmissiles.

Due to US Navy requirements for increasedpayloads and flight duration, NorthropGrumman has been forced to switch from theSchweizer 333 to the Bell 407 as the basis forits MQ-8 Fire Scout programme. TheMQ-8Cwill be based on this Fire-X, adapted from aBell 407. (Northrop Grumman)

“The US Air Force, the leadingoperator of drones, is well

aware that the growth in theiruse has taken place in a

generally benign air defenceenvironment”

America is establishing a lead in stealthy strike drones with the Northrop GrummanX-47B Ucas-D (unmanned combat air system – demonstrator). The two X-47Bs will startcarrier trials in 2013, followed by autonomous in-flight refuelling with theprobe-and-drogue system in 2014. (Northrop Grumman)

Distinguished from the US Air Force’s Northrop GrummanRQ-4B Global Hawk by the new ventral radomewith 360-degreefield of view, the US NavyMQ-4C Bams (Broad AreaMaritimeSurveillance) will complement themanned Boeing P-8A inreplacing the LockheedMartin P-3C. (Northrop Grumman)

The second Avenger (stretched by 1.2metres) flew in January 2012, and twomorewill be flying by early 2013. Three of thefour are being funded by the company.The “US Air Force Flight Plan 2009-

2047” envisioned a large multi-role drone(MQ-L) entering service beyond 2020,initially acting as a sensor platform,replacingAwacs and JStars, and serving as acomplement toGlobalHawk. It would laterperform transport and tankermissions.The US Army is currently ‘surging’ 180

extra Raven and 129 additional Pumasystems to Afghanistan. Looking furtherahead, the service plans a ‘Rucksack-Portable UAS’, ideally with perch-and-starecapability, to replace the hand-launched0.34-kgWasp III, 1.9-kg Raven-B and 6.35-kg Puma-AE, all AeroVironment products.The service is meanwhile expanding its

1450-kg General Atomics MQ-1C GrayEagle inventory, acquiring 78more betweenFY2012 and FY2018. The MQ-1C is to bereplaced by an RQ-X project from aroundFY2026. The US Army also plans to buy 20more170-kgAAIRQ-7Shadow200 systems.The US Army is testing in Afghanistan

the 2950-kg Boeing YMQ-18A (A160THummingbird) equipped with a BAESystems Argus-1 wide area surveillancepayload and Sigint equipment. The Army

is also showing interest in the optionally-manned Lockheed Martin/Kaman K-Maxcargo drones being tested by theUSMarineCorps, and is developing its own longer-term requirement.TheUSArmynowexpects that by 2020 a

quarter of cargo resupply missions will beconducted by drones, including optionally-manned conversions of existing helicopterssuch as the 10,660-kg SikorskyUH-60.America has an increasing interest in

Africa, as evidenced by recent drone strikesagainst Al Shabab terrorist targets inSomalia (and Al Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula targets in Yemen), and theprovision of small drones forUganda.The US Air Force is flying drones on

behalf of the CIA (Central IntelligenceAgency) in counter-terrorismmissions frombases inDjibouti, Ethiopia and theSeychelles(the last relating to counter-piracyoperations). Moredronebases are reportedly

being constructed in theHorn of Africa andthe Arabian peninsula. The growing threatof Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria and AlQaeda in the IslamicMaghrebcouldwell leadtonewdrone facilities in theWest.

I EUROPEIn February 2012 the North AtlanticCouncil (NAC) finally gave the go-ahead forthe Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS)programme,which has beenwhittled downto five 14,630-kgNorthropGrummanRQ-4Block 40s. The acquisition of AGS isexpected to cost around $ 1.5 billion, withtheUSproviding 40%of that cost, plus a 20-year support package costing approximatelytwice that amount.The AGS programme is to be funded by

only 12 of the 28Nato nations. Those optingout include Britain and France, which willinsteadmake“national contributions inkind”with the on-board pilot Raytheon SystemsSentinelR1and(according toNato) the4650-kg IAI Heron TP. The AGS squadron will bebasedatSigonellaABinSicily, and is expectedtobeoperational by2017.The European leaders in the use of

drones are Britain, France, Germany andItaly. Germany has been the first to acquirelarge hale (high altitude long endurance)assets with the Euro Hawk version of the

The Boeing/Insitu Integrator has beenselected as the development basis for the USNavy/Marine Corps RQ-21A Stuas, toreplace the contractor-operated ScanEagle.This Integrator is shown during a test launchat the Marine Corps Air Ground CombatCenter at TwentyNine Palms, California.(USMarine Corps)

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RQ-4 Block 20, equipped with an Eadssigint payload in four underwing pods.Prime contractor is EuroHawk, a jointventure by Northrop Grumman andEads/Cassidian. Euro Hawk is sometimesreferred to as the RQ-4E.The first Euro Hawk self-deployed in a

22-hour flight fromCalifornia to Germanyin July 2011. It is anticipated that it will behanded over formally in 2012, and that(subject to satisfactory tests) fourmorewillbe ordered, with delivery in 2015-2017. Inthe longer term fourRQ-4Block 40smay bepurchased by Germany to augment Nato’sAGS,when necessary.In the male (medium-altitude, long

endurance) category, theGermanAir Forcerequested five MQ-9s in 2008, but did notproceed with this purchase. Instead it isusing 1250-kg IAI Herons as an interimmeasure for Afghanistan. RheinmetallDefence operates the drones, which it leasesfrom IAI. (Australia and Canada likewisehave Herons in Afghanistan operated byMacDonald,Dettwiler&Associates).In the longer term, Germany plans to

acquire up to 16 turboprop male systems.

Eadshad clearly hoped that this programmewould eventuate as the Cassidian Talarion,jointlydevelopedwithAleniaAermacchi, butworkon thisprojecthas recentlybeenhalted.The German Army operates smaller

drones, notably the 161-kg RheinmetallKZO and the EMT 40-kg Luna and 3.0-kgAladin. Operations inAfghanistan have ledto some changes in operating procedures.Rather than using a parachute, the rail-launched Luna now employs GPS-guidedrecovery into a net. The hand-launchedAladin has been equipped with infraredlight-emitting diodes to allow operatorswith night vision goggles to track this smalldrone at night.At present, the French Army uses the

250-kg SagemSperwer as its SDTI (Systèmede Drone Tactique Intérimaire) and thetwin-fuselage, hand-launched 7.5-kgCassidian Tracker as its Drac (Drone deReconnaissanceAuContact).The FrenchAir Force has been using the

Cassidian Harfang (Snowy Owl), a leased,modified version of the IAI Heron as itsSIDM (Système Intérimaire de Drones deMale). TheDassault-promoted 4650-kg IAI

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Themanned Kaman K-Max has been used foryears in logging operations, and provides a

sound basis for a drone to carry external loads.The LockheedMartin/KamanUnmanned K-Max

began USMarine Corps evaluation inAfghanistan in December 2011. (USMC)

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HeronTPwas selected as its replacement inJuly 2011, despite costing 30% more(according to Defence Minister GerardLonguet) than the Eads-promoted MQ-9.However, while the contract was beingnegotiated, the French Senate objected tothis choice.Whichever drone is finally adopted by

France, it is expected to enter service in late2014 and remain in service until 2020,whena joint Anglo-French male project – theBAE Systems/Dassault Telemos –reportedly derived from the former’sMantis, should be available.Britain, having grounded its HSA

Nimrod MR2 and cancelled the BAESystems Nimrod MRA4 in 2010, might beseen as a logical customer for the MQ-4C

GlobalHawk.However, priority has been given to

growing the Royal Air Force MQ-9 Reaperfleet to ten units, to expand its use in armedreconnaissance over Afghanistan, where itbegan operations in 2007. Control of RAF

MQ-9 missions is being switched fromCreech AFB, Nevada, to RAFWaddingtonin Lincolnshire, England.The safe fatigue life of RAF MQ-9s is

9500 flight hours, and the current highutilisation rate suggests that they may startrunning out of life from 2015. Furtherpurchases may be necessary to bridge thegap until its replacement, the Scavengerproject, aimed at deep, persistent ISRmissions is available in 2020. Scavengerwillnowpresumably take the formof theAnglo-FrenchTelemos.Complementing the RAF MQ-9 in

Afghanistan, the British Army has ten 550-kgElbitHermes 450s, operated on its behalfby Thales UK. The Royal Artillery’s 32Regiment also operates the 8.4-kg -Honeywell RQ-16AT-Hawk and LockheedMartinDesertHawk III.Britain’s use of the Hermes 450 is an

interim system, pending availability of theThales UK Watchkeeper, a derivative thatshould be in Afghanistan before the end of2012. Some54Watchkeepers are being built

In Afghanistan the British Army relies heavily on intelligence providedby a ten-aircraft fleet of contractor-operated Elbit Hermes 450s,which are due to be replaced before the end of 2012 by thisWatchkeeperderivative, built by an Elbit/Thales joint venture. (Thales UK)

The conflict in Afghanistan has been aproving ground for drones, especially the IAIHeron, which has been used by Australia,Canada, France and Germany. Illustrated is aRoyal Australian Air Force Heron at Kandahar.(Australian Defence Force)

Employed in southwest Asia since 2007, theHoneywell RQ-16A T-Hawkweighs 9.0 kg, hasan endurance of 45minutes, and cantransition at up to 80 km/hr. It is typically usedto search for IEDs ahead of a patrol. (US Army)

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in the UK by an Elbit/Thales joint venturecalled U-Tacs. The Watchkeeper, which isto be evaluated by France under the newagreement with Britain on defence co-operation,may be armed at a later stage.The Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air

Force) has six Predators (which have beenused in Iraq and Afghanistan) and six

Reapers (which have been used over Libya).Although General Atomics refers to ItalianPredators as Predator-A or RQ-1Bs, theservice designated the initial build standardthe Predator-A or MQ-1B and named thecurrent upgraded aircraft (with extendedwings, software upgrades and GeneralAtomics Lynx I radars) the Predator-A+ or

MQ-1C, despite the latter being the USArmydesignation of the very differentGrayEagle. The Aeronautica’s Reapers have theLynx II radar and none of its drones is so fararmed (General Atomics actuallyemphasises that the Reaper designationdoes not imply “armed”; for our foreignreaders, reaping means harvesting, butreaper also evokes a skeleton armed with ascythe, also known as theAngel ofDeath, orlaGrande Faucheuse in French).Turkey has leased four Predators, which

are operated by a joint US-Turkish unit atIncirlik and are reportedly flying mainlyover Iraq (and probably Syria). It isanticipated that, once good relations withIsrael are renewed, Turkey will be allowedto purchase six MQ-1s via FMS (ForeignMilitary Sales).

I REST OF THEWORLDIsrael pioneered the use of drones, partlymotivated by heavy losses of conventionalaircraft in the1973MiddleEast (YomKippur)War. The IAIScout andTadiranMastiffwereintroduced in 1981, in time for the invasionof theLebanon in the followingyear.The Israeli Air Force received the IAI

Searcher in 1992 and the Searcher II in 1998.The IAI Heron (‘Shoval’) followed in 2005,and the much more capable Heron TP(‘Eitan’) in 2010. The Elbit Hermes 450(‘Zik’) is believed to be used in an armedreconnaissance role, with two Hellfire orRafael Spike missiles. Three 970-kg ElbitHermes 900 systems are to be purchasedsoon. At the opposite end of the scale, theservice has selected the 6.5-kg Aeronautics(formerlyADS)Orbiter as its small drone.The Israeli Army selected the 5.5-kg

Elbit Skylark 1LE in 2009 as its battalionlevel drone, and the 43-kg Skylark II in 2010for brigade level operation. The IsraeliNavy employs the Aeronautics Orbiter-2and the IAI Heron (‘Mahatz’), the latterreportedly operated byAir Force crews andequipped with an Elta EL/M-2022U radar.There is interest in developing in-flightrefuelling for theHeron.

Israel’s leading role in dronedevelopment has been rewarded by large-scale international sales. The IAIHeronhasbeen sold to 18 customers and is known tobe

The Skylark 1-LE features a gyro-stabilised payload and a three hour endurance. Elbit Systemsof America is promoting the further enhanced Skylark Block Two, and is developing a versionwith a hydrogen fuel cell, giving seven hours endurance. (Elbit Systems) “Israel’s leading role in

drone development has beenrewarded by large-scaleinternational sales”

in service in Azerbaijan, Australia, Brazil,Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, France,Germany, India,Mexico, Russia, Singapore,Turkey and the US. The IAI Searcher II/IIIand Elbit Hermes 450 have each beenexported to at least ten countries.The Aeronautics Orbiter series is in

servicewith “more than adozen” customers,including the Israeli Air Force and Navy,Azerbaijan, Chile, Ireland, Kazakhstan,Mexico, an unspecified Nato operator,Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Uganda andtheUS.In 2010 an IAI spokesman stated that

Israel had sold over 1000 drones to 42countries, representing around $ 350million in annual sales. The newHeron TPand Hermes 900 are already arousingsubstantial interest, suggesting thatinternational saleswill continue to increase.The 12.0-kg IAI Mini-Panther is a

technology demonstrator for the company’sfull-scale 60-kgPanther. The series uses twotilt-propunits in thewing leading edges anda fixed unit at the rear of the fuselage forpitch trim and control at the hover andduring transition. (IAI).Israel is hoping to consolidate itsmarket

position by developing several novelconcepts, including vtol drones, rangingfrom IAI’s flapping-wing Butterfly and the60-kgPanther tilt-prop series to the ducted-fanUrbanAeronauticsAirMule for casualtyevacuation.Following the concept ofCanada’sMmist

Providing fresh evidence that the leadersin drone development are studyingextremely lightweight devices, includingbionically-inspired flapping-wing designs,Israel Aerospace Industries has releasedimages of its new Butterfly project. (IAI)

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PoweredSherpa, theElbit ‘FlyingElephant’ isa load-carrying parafoil with a propellerengine, designed to carry a one-tonnepayload over a distance of 30 km, release theload on a parachute and return to base.Israel is also applying fuel cells to its

electrically-powereddrone series. The 11.0-kg IAI BirdEye 650 achieves a remarkablesix hours endurance, and the 28-kgAeronautics Orbiter 3 no less than sevenhours. The solar-powered IAI Harlim isintended to stay airborne for the duration ofa conflict.However, drone sales by Israel are

restricted both by Washington and its ownMoD. The latter has recently stopped thesale of ISR sensors to Turkey and of theAeronautics Dominator XP to Abu Dhabi.In 2005, Washington prevented IAI fromupgrading the Harpy loiter-attack dronesupplied toChina.

I RUSSIA’SWANDERINGSDespite having developed jet-poweredreconnaissance drones (notably theTupolevTu-141/143/243 series) in the Soviet era,Russia subsequently neglected unmannedplatforms until 2008. Then came a rudeawakening in the conflict with Georgia,when the Russian Air Force lost a TupolevTu-22M3 during a reconnaissance mission(the US Navy went through a similarexperience in 1983, when losses weresustained in escorting Grumman F-14reconnaissancemissions over the Lebanon).In a $ 53million deal in late 2008, Russia

purchased from IAI two Searcher II systems

and ten BirdEye 400 systems. In thefollowing year it spent $ 3.0million on threeAeronauticsOrbiter systems.In 2010Russia signed an agreementwith

IAI under which the Ural Works of CivilAviation (UWCA) would assemble 17Searcher II systems, renamed Forpost(Outpost) and an unspecified number ofBird Eye 400 systems, renamed Zastava(Picket). Reports in the same year of a $300-400 million deal for a batch of IAIHerons to be assembled in Russia appear tohave been premature.Gorizont in Rostov-on-Don plans to

assemble under licence Austria’s SchiebelCamcopter S-100, aimed at potentialcustomers such as theBorderGuard Serviceof the FSB (Federal Security Service), theMinistry of Emergency Situations and the

Ministry of the Interior. It will bemarketedas theGorizontAir S-100.At present, the Russian Army operates

the 138-kg Yakovlev Pchela and 50-kg VegaTipchak, while the Navy is evaluating the12-kg Enics Eleron-10 and 2.1-kg IzhmashGrusha. The Border Guard Service isbelieved to operate the 3.8-kg Enics Eleron-3 and 85-kg Transas Dozor-85 (formerlyDozor-4), and the Ministry of the Interioroperates the 2.3-kg Zala 421-08.The Russian Ministry of Defence has

decided to concentrate developmentfunding for two classes of ISRdrones on twoentities: the Kazan-based OKB Sokol forwork on drones between four and fivetonnes, and St Petersburg-basedTransas fordrones weighing 600-800 kg. Each willinitially receive two billion rubles (about $

Although India is a heavy user of imported drones, its DRDO produced a small number ofNishants. The type first took to the air in 1995. (Armada/RB)

The 12.0-kg IAIMini-Panther is a technologydemonstrator for the company’s full-scale60-kg Panther. The series uses two tilt-propunits in thewing leading edges and a fixed unitat the rear of the fuselage for pitch trim andcontrol at the hover and during transition. (IAI)

67million) fromMoD funds.Sukhoi is believed to be developing a

Ucav weighing up to 20 tonnes, with RAC-MiG as principal subcontractor. Tupolev isworkingona largedrone,whileMyasishchevis believed to be using its 24,000-kg M-55reconnaissance aircraft as a testbed for anoptionally-mannedproject.India is one of the largest users of Israeli

drones, with around 100 Searcher IIs and 50Herons, both of which types are reportedlyoperated by all three services. The IndianArmy also employs the 380-kg DRDO(Defence R&D Organisation) Nishanttactical drone, and all three services use thejet-powered705-kgDRDOLakshya (Target).The IndianNavy had planned to operate

an unmanned version of the HAL-built2200-kg Chetak (Alouette III) helicopter,but in 2011 IAI left this Nruav (NavalRotary-wing Uav) project, feeling that itsperformancewould not be competitive.

I CHINAChinahas in recent years shownmodels andmock-ups ofmanydrone projects, the statusof which has generally not been revealed.What is known is that 90% of Chinesedrones in servicewere supplied by theXi’anASN Technology Group, which is linked tothe Northeast Polytechnic University. Thisgroup has delivered over 1500 drones,mostly for the PLAGround Force.The first Chinese drone to have seen

large-scale service was theASN-206, whichwas followed by the 222-kg ASN-207, andthe 320-kg ASN-209. The latest and largestof this twin-boom tactical ISR series appears

to be the 800-kg ASN-229A, which is usedfor communications-relay.China has imported the 135-kg IAI

Harpy loiter-attack drone (and reportedlydeveloped its own version) and SouthAfrica’s 100-kg ATE Vulture artillery-support drone.Some observers feel that the PLA may

skip the Predator/Reaper generation asbeing unsuitable for a major war, althoughChinese organisations may develop suchdrones for export. This would exploit USrestrictions on international sales, based onMTCR guidelines, and the fact that somenationswill not deal with theUS or Israel asamatter of principle.Of the many current Chinese drone

projects, two notable propeller-drivenexamples are the AVIC Wing Loong(Pterodactyl), which flew in 2007, and the630-kg China Aerospace and TechnologyCorporation (CASC) CH-3, both of whichcan be armed. The former is reported tohave been acquired by Uzbekistan, and thelatter has (according to Chinese claims)been selected by Pakistan.At the top of the scale, China clearly

needs a large, stealthy high altitude drone tokeep watch over Taiwan and US Navycarriermovements. Apparently designed tofulfil that need are Chengdu’s Tian Yi and

the joined-wing Xian Long (Soar Dragon).The latter was rolled out inmid-2011.The China Aviation Industry Science

and IndustryCorporation (CASIC)WJ-600looks like a strike drone in the form of afixed-wing Raytheon Tomahawk withunderwingweapon pylons.The remainder of this report reviews

recent progress by reference to some leadingexamples in the various drone categories,broadly in order of decreasing size. Rotary-wing drones are discussed in the finalsection.

I EXTREME ENDURANCEThe best way to achieve extreme flightendurance has traditionally been lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft. However, LTAswere widely regarded as having fallen fromgracewith theZeppelins, survivingmainly inthe formofUSNavyGoodyear ‘blimps’ andtethered balloons.There has recently been a revival of

military interest in airships, due to the needfor better persistence, high-resolutionsurveillance and improved communicationsin counter-insurgency and maritimeoperations. On the commercial side thereis also interest, stemming fromadesire for aless expensive substitute for satellites and toexploit natural resources in remote areas.It sometimes appears that military

interests are waiting for their civilcounterparts to take the lead in this field,and vice-versa, rather than cooperating tojointly fund the development of a newgeneration of large airships.Advances across a wide range of

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The feasibility of the US Army’s HAA (HighAltitude Airship) is to be tested with theLockheedMartin Hale-D (High Altitude LongEndurance – Demonstrator), which isdesigned to achieve an endurance of twoweeks. (LockheedMartin)

technologies aremakingairships increasinglypractical, but doubts remain on the militaryside, regarding theeasewithwhichanairshipcan be deployed to a distant theatre ofoperationsand itsvulnerability toattack, eveninabasicpost-conflict occupation scenario.The sheer size of an airship makes it an

easy target, but it also offers a platform for alarge radarantenna, givingoutstanding rangeand resolution. The large surface area of anairship alsomakes it anatural application forsolar regenerative propulsion, at least in thecontext of long summerdays and theabsenceof strongwinds.The US Army’s solar-powered HAA

(High Altitude Airship) project is intendedto carry a 900-1800-kg sensor payload to65,000 ft and stay there formonths at a time,acting as a telecommunications relay

platform with special reference to remotemountainous areas.This concept is to be explored with the

Lockheed Martin Hale-D (High AltitudeLong Endurance – Demonstrator), an 82-metre reusable airship designed for sortiesof at least twoweekswith a 23-kg, 500-Wattpayload. Hale-D has solar arrays on theupper hull surface, and lithium-ionbatteriesto power the aircraft at night.Funded by the US Army’s Space and

Missile Defense Command (SMDC), Hale-D had its maiden flight on 27 July 2011,aiming to reach 60,000 ft and stay in the airfor several days. However, at 32,000 ft aproblemarose (presumably helium leakage)and the aircraft was brought back down,sustaining somedamagewhen it landed in awooded area.It is arguable that a hybrid airship,

shaped to provide some aerodynamic lift toaugment its natural buoyancy, would cruisefaster and be easier to handle in the launchand recovery phases, where most accidentsoccur. In June 2010 SMDC awarded acontract to Northrop Grumman (teamedwith others, including the UK’s Hybrid AirVehicles) to produce such an aircraft underthe LEMV (Long-Endurance Multi-intelligenceVehicle) programme.The LEMV is to be optionally piloted to

Designed for flights of threeweeksduration, the LEMV (Long Endurance

Multi-intelligence Vehicle) is a joint project byNorthrop Grumman andHybrid Air Vehicles.

If successful, it will be evaluatedover Afghanistan. (Northrop Grumman)

A relatively conventional approach to extreme persistence, the MAV6M1400 orBlue Devil 2 is based on the TCOM Polar 100 airship, and is designed for a flight enduranceof over nine days with multiple sensors. (MAV6)

23Compendium Drone 2012

facilitate deployment. It is designed tocarry an 1135-kg, 16-kW off-the-shelfpayload and remain airborne for over 21days. The plan is to evaluate LEMV inAfghanistan this year, and the contractorhas submitted a proposal to follow thetrials by building five similar aircraft. Thedefinitive LEMV would carry a 3175-kg,73-kWpayload, and be controlled from theUS via satellite.A less radical alternative to LEMV is the

US Air Force’s MAV6M1400 or Blue Devil2, an optionally-manned 113-metre airshipderived from the TCOM Polar 100. BlueDevil 2 is designed to carry multiplepayloads, including theBAESystemsArgus-1S and Sierra Nevada Gorgon Stare, and tostay aloft for overninedays. The remarkablecruise speed of 148 km/hr is claimed.Blue Devil 2 was due to fly in late 2011

andbe deployed toAfghanistan in February2012, but the programme is evidentlyrunning late. The airship is now reportedlyto be taken from the US to south-west Asiaby ship, inside a specially built hangar.Onealternative approach to the ISRrole is

theArgusOne segmented airship developedby World Surveillance Group (WSGI,formerly Sanswire). Consisting of a series ofindependently-controlled body modules,ArgusOnecarriedout initial demonstrationsforUS-DoDinNevada in2011.Although this section of the survey is

primarily concerned with mobile airships,

it is relevant to recall that advanced aerostatsmay play a role in the future defence of theUS and its assets. Cruisemissile attacks areregarded as a serious threat, and could belaunched from (for example) the containerships of a non-peer nation.The US Army’s Raytheon Jlens (Joint

LandAttackCruiseMissile ElevatedNettedSensor) system employs two 74-metretethered air vehicles manufactured byTCOM and elevated at 10,000 ft. Onecarries a surveillance radar and the other afire control radar, which can be linked toUSArmy and Navy air and missile defencesystems. The aerostats are intended to stay inthe air for up to 30 days at a time.Jlens has been under test at the White

Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, but inJanuary 2012 it was announced that theDepartment of Defense had decided tocurtail the programmedue to concerns overits cost and the operational mobility.However, it is difficult to believe thatdevelopment of Jlens will not be completedwhen more defence funding is available, ifonly in the context of homeland defence.

I FIXED-WINGWhereas LTAs can provide an endurance ofseveral weeks, heavier-than-air aircraftoffer the prospect of unrefuelled flights ofseveral days.One example is theBoeingPhantomEye,

which currently has a 45.7-metre wingspanand two 2.3-litre triple-turbocharged Fordengines that burnhydrogen. This two-thirdsscale demonstrator has been shipped fromthePhantomWorks in St Louis,Missouri, toEdwardsAFB,California, and is expected tofly shortly. It is designed to remain in the airfor four days at up to 65,000 ft.In a similar size category, but with a

different powerplant, the AeroVironmentGlobalObserverGO-1has awingspan of 40metres. It also uses liquid hydrogen fuel, butin this case the internal combustion enginepowers a generator that runs four electricmotors in the wing leading edges, eachturning its ownpropeller.The GO-1 was launched as a Joint

Capability Technology Demonstrationprogramme to provide the basis for the full-scaleGlobalObserverwith awingspanof 79metres. The contract was awarded by theUS Special Operations Command in 2007,the aim being to achieve an altitude of65,000 ft and a flight endurance of five daysby the end of the first quarter of 2011. TheGO-1 was designed to carry a 170-kg, 2.8-kW payload, and to be transportable in aLockheedMartinC-130.

Pictured during taxi trials at Edwards AFB,California, during March 2012, the BoeingPhantom Eye is shown strapped toits launch dolly. The tests were conducted inco-operation with Nasa Dryden FlightResearch Center. (Nasa)

24 Compendium Drone 2012

26 Compendium Drone 2012

The GO-1 flew on battery power inAugust 2010, and in January 2011 with thehybrid powerplant. However, it crashed inApril 2011, terminating its ninth flight afteraround 18 hours. AeroVironment hasalmost completed a second GlobalObserver, but further flight trials are subjectto securing additional customer funding.The Aurora Flight Sciences Orion is

described by the company as a Hall (HighAltitude, Long Loiter) drone, althoughsome observers regard it as a potential lowaltitude complement for theMQ-9 Reaper.Orion has a 40.2-metre wingspan and agross weight of 3175 kg with a 181 kgpayload. It is designed to achieve anendurance of 100 hours at 65,000 ft, or 45hours at 45,000 ft. Orion is powered by asingle Austro diesel engine.Originating as a demonstrator for theAir

Force Research Laboratory (and later theBig Safari project office),Orion is fundedbythe US Army’s SMDC. Although it wasunveiled in November 2010, progress wasstalled for several months due to the well-known Congressional FY2011 fiasco.Aurora hopes to achieve first flight bySeptember 2012, and to perform thespecified five-day endurance demonstrationin the first quarter of 2013. A productionOrion would have a retractableundercarriage and a de-icing system.Solar power offers the possibility of

virtually indefinitive endurance at highaltitude. The 929-kg, 75.3-metre wingspanAeroVironment Helios reached an altitudeof 96,863 ft in 2001, and in July 2010 the 53-kg, 22.5-metre wingspan QinetiiQ ZephyrSeven officially demonstrated an enduranceof over 14 days (336 hr 22 min), reaching70,740 ft. Zephyr uses solar arrays byUnited Solar Ovonic and lithium-sulphurbatteries. In 2009Navair awardedQinetiQ a$ 45million contract for sevenZephyrs anda ground station.The Darpa Vulture programme,

combining solar arrays and advanced fuelcells, is aimed at an endurance of up to fiveyears, carrying a 450-kg, 5.0-kW payload atbetween 65,000 and 90,000 ft. Theprogramme began in 2007 and appeared to

be overly ambitious and unlikely to befunded. However, there are now reports ofUS Navy interest in this concept, which isseenas ameans tomaintaincommunicationswith a carrier strike group when satellitesareunavailable.In September 2010Boeingwas awarded a

$ 89million Darpa contract to develop andfly the SolarEagle under the Vulture IIdemonstrationprogramme. The SolarEaglehas awingspan of 122metres. It is due to flyin 2014, and to achieve an endurance of 30days at above 60,000 ft. Boeing is teamedwithQinetiQ andVersa Power Systems.

I GLOBAL HAWKThe 14,628-kg Northrop Grumman RQ-4Global Hawk, powered by a Rolls-RoyceF137-RR-100 turbofan andwith awingspanof 39.8 metres, is the largest, most capableand most expensive drone in the US AirForce inventory. It is capable of anendurance of 35 hours, orbiting at 65,000 ft.However, the growing cost of the system

has twice resulted in Nunn-McCurdylegislation breaches. The three RQ-4s

purchased by the US Air Force in FY2012cost an average of $ 161.5million.TheRQ-4BBlock 30 is equippedwith the

Raytheon EISS (Enhanced IntegratedSensor Suite), including an EO/IR sensorand sar (synthetic aperture radar). Itachieved IOC in August 2011, but wasamazingly judged less effective and moreexpensive to operate than the 1950s vintageU-2 to operate by the Administration,whose FY2013 budget request simplycancelled the programme. However, theHouse Armed Services Committee soonafter published a statement to halt themothballing and a fewdays later gave theUSAir Force orders and funds to operate the 18aircraft ordered fromNorthropGrumman.The RQ-4B Block 30 followed seven

Darpa-funded technology demonstrators,seven RQ-4A Block 10s (plus two built fortheUSNavy) and six stretchedRQ-4BBlock20s. The Block 10 aircraft were retired inFY2011. TheBlock 20swere initially fieldedwith only an Imint payload, but four arebeing converted toEQ-4Bcommunications-relay configuration, with Bacn (Battlefield

Paving the way for the Darpa Vulture thatis to employ solar arrays and advanced fuelcells to stay in the air for up to five years,the Boeing Solar Eagle is scheduledto fly in 2014 and is intended to attain anendurance of 30 days. (Boeing)

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AirborneCommunicationsNode) payloads.TheUSAirForcewill alsooperate theRQ-

4B Block 40, of which eleven are alreadyunder contract, with the last two to bedelivered in 2013. The Block 40 is equippedwith the Northrop Grumman/RaytheonZPY-2Aesaradar, formerlyknownas theMP-Rtip (Multi-Platform – Radar TechnologyInsertionProgram). This provides syntheticaperture imagery, ground MTI (movingtarget indication) and air MTI for cruisemissiledefence.Distinguished visually by the long

ventral radome of the ZPY-2, the Block 40had itsmaiden flight on 16November 2009,and flew with the new radar in July 2011.This aircraft, AF-18, is the first of tenplanned for the new 348th ReconnaissanceSquadron at Grand Forks AFB, NorthDakota. (Older RQ-4s are with the 12th RSat BealeAFB,California). IOC for theBlock40 is scheduled for FY2014.The Darpa KQ-X programme aims to

demonstrate aerial refuelling between twoGlobalHawks. CobhamMissionEquipmentis acting as a major subcontractor toNorthropGrumman inKQ-X.

Four RQ-4Bs were purchased by the USAir Force in FY2011 and three in FY2012.The Pentagon’s FY2013 request is limited tothree Block 40s for the Nato AGSprogramme, and three MQ-4Cs for the USNavy Bams programme. Funded under theRDT&Ebudget, theMQ-4Cs currently cost$ 219million each.The Bams programme began with two

RQ-4A Block 10s for the Global HawkMaritime Demonstration (GMHD)programme. In 2011 thesewere augmentedby three Block 10s that were transferredfrom theUSAir Force.The MQ-4C will be equipped with an

MFAS (Multi-FunctionActive Sensor)Aesaradar with a new ventral 360-degreeradome, Raytheon MTS-B EO/IR sensor,ZLQ-1 ESM,AIS (Automatic IdentificationSystem), a basic communications relaycapability and Link-16.The MQ-4C is credited with an

endurance of 28 hours, a maximum speedof 613 km/hr, the ability to self-deploy over15,000 km (the RQ-4 has flown 13,220 kmfromCalifornia to South Australia), and toreach a height of 56,500 ft. As mentioned

The US Air Force’s decision to retire its brand-new fleet of 18 Northrop Grumman RQ-4BBlock 30 Global Hawks for budgetary reasons was recently swung 180° by the House ArmedForces Committee, which included $260million in the FY2013 National Defense AuthorisationAct to keep them operational. (Northrop Grumman)

28 Compendium Drone 2012

earlier, theUSNavy aims to acquire 68MQ-4Cs to ensure the capability tomaintain fivecontinuous orbits. Bams is to be based atNAS Jacksonville in Florida, Diego Garcia,Hawaii, NAS Kadena on Okinawa, andSigonella in Sicily.Regarding export prospects, the RQ-4 is

expected to be ordered by South Korea, but(at the right price) it could also be attractiveto nations such as Australia, Canada, Japanand Britain. The MQ-4C has already beenoffered to the IndianNavy. Being unarmed,the Global Hawk should relatively easilygain exemption from MTCR (MissileTechnologyControl regime) restrictions.Since the U-2 is to be retired around

2023, the US Air Force presumably expectsto have a new stealthy Hale drone availablebefore that time. One interim system is theLockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, arelatively small (13-metre span) reduced-signature sensor platform, which enteredUS Air Force service in 2005. It wasdeployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and toSouth Korea in 2009. The RQ-170 is

rumoured to have been used in thesurveillance of Osama bin Laden’scompound in Pakistan in April 2011. Onewas lost over Iran inDecember 2011.

I ATTACKMALESIn contrast to the Global Hawk, the male(mediumaltitude, long endurance)GeneralAtomics Predator-B, US Air Forcedesignation MQ-9 Reaper, was designedfrom the outset for both surveillance andthe armed engagement of fleeting targets.This is the aircraft that is carrying out thetargeted killings of terrorist leaders inWaziristan. In a previewof a possible futurerole, MQ-9s have been used by the USMissile Defense Agency (MDA) in tests totrack ballistic missiles from launch, toprovide data that may be used for boostphase intercepts.The MQ-9 has so far been exported to

Britain (ten) and Italy (six), and has beenoffered to France and Germany. If theeconomic recession forcesAmerica to relaxits attitude to MTCR rules, then thePredator-B family will win much largerinternational sales.The ‘Guardian’ version of the Predator-

B, as flown by US Customs and BorderProtection (CBP), is equipped with aRaytheon SeaVue maritime surveillanceradar in addition to its MTS-B EO/IRsensor, and is being evaluated by the USCoast Guard. The Guardian could find a

The US Army’s General Atomics MQ-1C GrayEagle has been employed in the Triclopsprogramme, in which the standard nose-mounted sensor turret is augmented by twosensor pods under the wings, providingmultiple video streams for the warfighter onthe ground. (General Atomics)

29Compendium Drone 2012

substantial international market as a lessexpensive substitute forGlobalHawk.In FY2012 the US Air Force bought 48

Reapers at an average cost of $ 19.7million,but the FY2013 cut to 24 aircraft boostedthis figure to $ 36.9million.A modification to its main landing gear

has recently increased the maximumpermissibleweight of theMQ-9 from4763 to5310 kg. TheUSAir Force is implementinga series of improvements to Reaperoperations, includingmulti-aircraft control(Mac) ground control stations, its use as aplatform for small drones, and theintroduction of an airborne sense-and-avoid (Absaa) system.The Sierra Nevada Gorgon Stare Waas

(Wide-AreaAirborne Surveillance) systemwas introduced on the Reaper inAfghanistan at the endof 2010 in the formoftwo underwing pods. Trials with theGoodrichDB-110 reconnaissance podhavebeen funded. Automatic take-off andlanding is to be developed for Reaper, as is

an electronic attack capability.The General Atomics Sky Warrior has

the US Army designation MQ-1C GrayEagle. A derivative of the Predator-A (USAir ForceMQ-1BPredator), it has a smallerwarload, but already has automatic take-offand landing. TheMQ-1Calso has aThielertCenturion 1.7 heavy fuel engine, increasingendurance from 24 to 36 hours. It wasintroduced intoAfghanistan in June 2010.In 2011 theMQ-1Cwas tested in the US

Army Triclops programme, with thestandardAAS-53CommonSensor Payload(CSP) under the nose and twoDAS-2 sensorpods under the wings, the latter beingoperated directly by soldiers on the ground.

For its size, the Gray Eagle is a relativelyexpensive product. The 43 MQ-1Cspurchased in FY2012 each cost $ 12.8million, but the cut to 19 aircraft in theFY2013 request pushed the unit price to $27.3million.As a signatory of the MTCR agreement,

the United States restricts sales of armeddrones such as the MQ-9 and MQ-1B/C toNatomembers. However, General Atomicsis now promoting the Predator-XP, whichhas no weapon hardpoints and is restricted(presumably bymeans of smaller fuel tanks)to the ability to carry a 500 kgpayload over a300 kmdistance.The Predator-XP is expected to be

exportable to areas such as theMiddle East(especially the United Arab Emirates) andNorth Africa, although there is so far norush of takers.

I UCAVThe US is thus currently determined not toexport outside Nato anything that could be

Despite its name, the Denel Dynamics Seeker400 is an all-new design with a compositestructure, dual-sensor payload and 16-hourendurance. It is shown armed with the samecompany’s Mokopa long-range laser-homingmissiles. First flight is due before the endof 2012. (Denel Dynamics)

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employed as a cruise missile, but thedemand for such systems is growing, and infinancially difficult times other nationswillinevitably feel subject to less rigid rules.America is in the Ucav lead, with the

20,215-kg Northrop Grumman X-47Bdemonstrator and the follow-on Uclass forthe US Navy. As mentioned earlier, the USAir Force is to use a General AtomicsAvenger to explore the concept of a reduced-signature strike drone.Meanwhile, France has teamed with

Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden andSwitzerland on development of theDassault-led Neuron Ucav demonstrator,which is to fly aroundmid-2012. By the endof the year, BAE Systems is scheduled to flythe Taranis Ucav demonstrator, funded bythe British Government. Benefiting fromNeuron and Taranis technology, BAESystems andDassault are to co-operate on anew stealthy Ucav, which is to be ready forservice in 2030.RAC-MiG, Sukhoi and Yakovlev are

believed to beworking onUcavprojects, butRussia (like Britain andFrance) is amemberof theMTCRgroup. Twokeynations that arenotMTCRmembers areChina and India.China has exhibited models of its AVIC

Warrior Eagle and ShenyangAn Jian (DarkSword) stealthy Ucav projects, but theircurrent status is unknown.In 2010 the IndianAir Force announced

its support for the indigenousAura project,

which is officially described as a “high-speed self-defending reconnaissance UAVwith strike capabilities”. Various entities inBritain, France, Israel, Russia and Swedenhave offered to join theprogramme, either asconsultants or partners. Aura is expected tobe powered by theGTREKaveri engine, andto be developed in secrecy.

I TACTICAL ISRThe plethora of tactical drones allowsdiscussion of only a few examples. TheNorthropGrummanMQ-5BHunter II hadthe distinction of being the US Army’s firstarmed drone, and it is the onlyDepartmentof Defense drone with an integratedcommunications-relay capability.

Originally planned as aUSNavy-led tri-service short-range drone, of which 52eight-aircraft systemswere to be built for theUS Army alone, the RQ-5A suffered full-rate production termination in 1996. Theeight systems already producedwere placedin service, and theArmy added 18 improvedMQ-5Bs in FY2004, at which stage acomplete system cost $ 26.5million.Around 50Hunter air vehicles are still in

service with the US Army and contractor-

operated units. Some are equipped to usethe Northrop Grumman Viper Strike andTextronBLU-108munitions. It is proposedto replace the currentHunterwingwith thatof the IAIHeron, increasing span from10.4to 16.4metres. TheUSArmyplans to beginretiring theMQ-5 in 2022.Whereas the 885-kg Hunter is flown

fromconventional runways, the 170-kgAAIRQ-7B Shadow 200 Tactical Uav (Tuav) israil-launched and recovered automaticallyinto an arrester gear, requiring only a semi-prepared airstrip. TheUSArmyandMarineCorps maintain an inventory of 364Shadows, and in FY2012 the Armyrequested $ 25million for 20 air vehicles toreplace combat losses.The US Army is considering expanding

the RQ-7 role to include medical resupply,delivering crucial items to forward troopsbyparachute. TheUSMarineCorps plans toarm its RQ-7s with the new generation oflightweight air-groundweapons.AAI is now developing the ShadowMkII

(M2), with increased fuel, a blended wing ofextended span, a new Lycoming heavy-fuelengine turning a five-blade propeller, arepositioned semi-retractable nose gear, andtwin payload bays. Endurance will beextended from nine to 15 hours. Thecompany is working with Phoenix GlobalSupport todevelopamodularunderwingpodthat can carry a rangeof payloads. TheM2 isexpected to fly in the late summerof2012.The Shadow 200 has been exported to

Australia, Italy, Pakistan, and Sweden, andthe larger Shadow 600 to Romania andTurkey.Although, as seenabove, the Italianarmed

forcesoperatePredators, the Italian industry,notably throughSelexGalileo,hasentered theso-called tacticaldronemarketa fewyearsago

“The Northrop GrummanMQ-5B Hunter II had

the distinction of being the USArmy’s first armed drone”

The Dassault-led five-nation Neuron Ucav demonstrator is due to fly by the end of 2012.Together with the BAE Systems Taranis, this is expected to provide the technology base for amulti-nation stealthy Ucav that will enter service around 2030. (Dassault Aviation)

31Compendium Drone 2012

with the Falco (Hawk in Italian), which isassembled under licence in Pakistan.Announced over a year ago by Armada, anevolution of this dronemade its début at thelast Paris Air Show. Appropriately namedFalcoEvo, it boasts substantial improvementsin terms of endurance and payload capacitythanks towings stretched to 12.5metres andextended tailbooms(seedata tableherewith).The extra 30-kgpayload allowance enables itto carry a synthetic aperture radar (like thecompany’s Picosar) as well as electronicwarfare and sigint gear in the wingtips.Endurance took a boost too, yet no changeswere required to neither the fuselageper se nor to the engine. The aircraft wasexpected to make its maiden flight at timeofwriting (April).Further downscale, two former

stablemates are continuing to be developedby their own manufacturers, namelyNorthrop Grumman with the Bat andRaytheonwith theKillerBee.Bothairframesfind their origins in a company called SwiftEngineering thatwasoriginally takenoverbyNorthrop Grumman 2009. Before then,however,Raytheonhadbought the rights onone of the Killer Bee designs (Swift hadcreated a range of different sizes) afterNorthrop Grumman had dropped itspartnership with Swift on the Killer Bee(indeed, only to eventually buy off thecompany in 2009). At any rate, both wereoriginally intended to compete invariousUS

Army andMarine Corps programmes (oneof them won by the Boeing Integrator) andhave since seemingly been kept on the backburner, but not quite, since bothmanufacturers have continueddevelopmentwork, and even carrying out substantialmodifications. Raytheon recently toldArmada that it had carried out somesubstantial modifications to the airframestructure to improve the way its internalvolume could be occupied and bring a 40%improvement by working on lift over dragfactor, leading to the current ceilingof 15,000feet and12-hour endurance.Hence thebird’scurrentdesignation–KillerBeeBlock II (seedata in the fold-out chart herewith).

Raytheon, who started developing a heavyfuel engine a number of years ago, is stillworking on this option according to aprogramme official, who added that otherdevelopmental efforts were looking intoplug-and-playmodular payloads. Raytheonhas been carrying out a number ofdemonstrations since 2010 with a view tomaturing the system, demonstrating thelaunch and recovery – respectively catapultandnet – atwhat it terms “unimproved sites”and its ability to put a vehicle in the air in avery short time, and so forth.Northrop Grumman’s counterpart, in

the meantime, has been renamed Bat 12 inreference to its wingspan measured in feet.Northrop Grumman would not commentfurther on the exact status of thisprogramme, but has admitted that a fewaircraft were deployed for testing inAfghanistan. One of the options thatNorthropGrumman said itwas looking intorecently was a dual turret system enabling

The AAI ShadowMkII or M2 is a furtherdevelopment of the US Army’s Tactical Uav(Tuav), with two payload bays, a newLycoming heavy-fuel engine, a blendedlong-span wing, redesigned nose gear, andincreased fuel. (AAI)

TheUSArmy andMarine Corpsmaintain aninventory of 364AAI RQ-7B Shadow200

drones, representing 91 four-aircraft systems. Itis also used by the Australian Army, the ItalianArmy and the Swedish Army (as theUAV04

Ornen). Three systems have been requested byPakistan. (AustralianDefence Force)

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operators on the ground to simultaneouslylook in opposite or different directions.

I SHIP OPERATIONSTheoperationof drones fromawide rangeofships (including destroyers and cruisers)poses special problems in launch andrecovery. In the case of the 20-kgBoeing/Insitu ScanEagle, launch isperformed by a pneumatic catapult, and itis recovered by flying it to engage a verticalropewith awingtip claw.

In 2005 the US Marine Corps validatedan urgent operational need for a SmallTacticalUAS (Stuas) or Tier II to replace thecontractor-supplied ScanEagle service. In

July 2010 the Boeing/Insitu Integrator wasselected to form the basis for the RQ-21AStuas, and the company was awarded a $43.7 million two-year developmentcontract, which included the constructionof six air vehicles.Two four-aircraft Goco (government-

owned, contractor-operated) Integratorsystemswere handed over in February 2012,one to the US Marine Corps Air-GroundCombatCenter (MCGAGCC)atTwentyninePalms, California, and the other to Navair at

I LIGHTER ATTACK DRONESCollateral damage has become an extremely sensitive subject over the pastdecade, which may sound strange if one measures the immense increasein achieved air-to-ground weapon accuracy during this period. Theproblem is that now even Hellfire-sized missiles or Aasm laser guidedweapons are deemed too powerful, as demonstrated during the recent airattacks against Libya. Illustrating one of the answers to this problem byarming smaller drones with air-ground guided missiles, this 45-kgRaytheon Cobra trials vehicle (below) is shown in this Raytheon picturecarrying the same company’s 5.9-kg STM (Small Tactical Munition), which isbeing developed for platforms such as the AAI RQ-7 Shadow 200. Anothermethod is to actually turn the drone into a guided weapon like theAerovironment Switchblade. This Aerovironment picture shows the a lamortar launch of the 0.9-kg backpackable, electrically-powered loiter-attack drone that transmits to the operator colour or infrared video, allowingpost-launch target lock-on and the accurate delivery of an ATK warhead.The Switchblade has been ordered by the US Army and Air Force.

Displayed for the first time at the Paris AirShow last year, the Selex Galileo Falco Evo(an apocope of Evolution) features a Picosarsynthetic aperture and electronicallyscanned radar, an Eost 46 gimballed turretand a Sage elint suite (see thewintips) – allfrom the same company. (Selex)

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PatuxentRiverNAWC,Maryland. Deliveriesof theproduction-standardRQ-21AStuasaredue tobegin in2013.Turning to hand-launched drones, the

leader in this category is the 1.9-kgAeroVironment RQ-11 Raven, a smallerderivative of the company’s FQM-151Pointer. In2005 theRavenwon theUSArmySuas (SmallUas) contest, and in the followingyear entered full-scale production.TheUSArmyhas an acquisitionobjective

of 2200Raven systems. TheRaven air vehiclenow costs around $35,000 and a completethree-aircraft systemapproximately$250,000.

AeroVironment has supplied around10,000 Raven air vehicles to customers thatinclude the US Army, Marine Corps, AirForce, Special Operations Command andNational Guard, and the military forces ofvarious friendly nations. International usersare known to includeAustralia, Britain, theCzech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Iraq,Italy, the Lebanon, the Netherlands,Norway, Pakistan, Spain andUganda.Orders for the Raven continue to rain in,

with a last contract announced inApril fromtheUSMarineCorpsworthover$3.5million.As said above, it would be impossible to

review all hand-launched drones herewithout ending up with a tedious

catalogue. All things considered, thesuccess of these featherweights is moredependent on electronic miniaturisation(for both sensors and onboard electronics)and progress on electricmotor and batterydevelopment than on pure airframe designand construction. In fact virtually all theaircraft in the lighter end of the spectrumare built out of Styrofoam or similarmaterial and can be consideredexpendable after a few hard landings; theyare in fact built in such a way as to allowone to extract the vital electronic innardsand easily and quickly transplant them intoa fresh airframe. Most of these have beenexamined in past Armada and DroneCompendium editions (with othersdescribed in the fold-out table containedin this issue), but a fairly recent model has

reappeared in the form of the Crex-B.Initially known as the Crex it wasdeveloped by Utri in Italy. This firm hassince been taken over by Selex Galileo,which hasmatured it into the Crex-B.The Crex-B’s most interesting feature

given its weight – less than two kilos – is thefact that it not only carries a stabilised pan-and-tilt camera but also one that capable oftarget tracking and data relaying to theground via digital datalink. Now ready forproduction, the two-hour enduranceCrex-Bis currently being evaluated by the ItalianMinistero dellaDifesa.

I ROTARY-WINGThree decades of fixed-wing sensor-platform drone operations haveconvincingly demonstrated their value,taking terrestrial intelligence to a completelynew level, while eliminating the risk toaircrews in such missions. Fixed-wingdrones have also shown useful potential indelivering air-ground munitions, althoughthere is clearly a longway to go indevelopingUcavs suitable for a full-scalewar.Although rotary-wing drones began

operations earlier (the anti-submarineGyrodyneQH-50CenteringUSNavy servicein 1963, two decades before the IAI Scout),theyhave so far playedonly aminor role.However, there is now a widespread

feeling that, 50 years after the Gyrodyne(which admittedly had a high accident rate),

An undisclosed (but small) number of Northrop Grumman Bat 12s are being operatedwith the US service in Afghanistan. The Bat 12 is catapult-launched and recovered by flyinginto a net atomake it runway-independent. (Northrop Grumman)

The Raytheon Killer Bee Block II nowincorporates a number of aerodynamic andinternal space improvements, justifying itsnew Block II suffix. Plug-and-play payloadmodules are now being looked into.(Armada/EHB)

“The Raven air vehicle nowcosts around $35,000 and a

complete three-aircraft systemapproximately $250,000”

34 Compendium Drone 2012

progress in avionics and other technologieshas opened the door for two majorcategories of drone helicopters.Firstly, sensor-equipped, armed rotary-

wing drones can now operate from shipsthat are far too small for conventionalhelicopters, and thus have access to manymorenaval platforms. Asmentioned earlier,the US Navy plans to buy 28 NorthropGrumman MQ-8C Fire Scouts, which willbe cleared to use the BAE Systems Apkwslaser-homing 70mmrocket projectile.Secondly, the demand for cargo drone

helicopters to resupply ground forces inAfghanistan is seen as having widerimplications, andopening a valuablemarketsector. TheUSMarineCorps is conductinga six-month assessment of the UnmannedK-Max in Afghanistan, the first cargodelivery taking place on 17December 2011.TheUSArmywill probably follow theUS

Marine Corps lead, and (if the accidentstatistics are favourable) we may well seenavies using drone helicopters routinely toresupply ships at sea. The commercial sectormay follow, usingdrones to resupply oil rigs.Preparing the next step, the USOffice of

Naval Research (ONR) has invited bids forthe five-year Autonomous Aerial

Cargo/Utility System (Aacus) programme.This vehiclewould be able to carry out fully-autonomous landings in austere locations,selecting its own route and landing point,and avoiding obstacles. Aacuswould carry a725 kg load over a 200 km distance at aspeed of 185 km/hr, by day or night and inall weather conditions. Unlike K-Max, itwill have capacity for internal payloads,allowing for casualty evacuation in the longterm. Contract awards were scheduled for

April 2012, with flight demonstrations tofollow in FY2014.The US Army Cargo UAS concept

appears to be aimed at a larger, fasteraircraft, with a 2270-3630 kg payload, a 555km range and a 465 km/hr cruise speed. Itwill be designed to take off and land at aheight of 12,000 ft and a temperature of 35deg Celsius. Contractors were invited topresent their ideas in January 2012.The implication may be that the US

Army regards the hi-techBoeingYMQ-18A(A160T Hummingbird) as the way aheadfor drone helicopters, although the currentair vehicle is only half the size of K-Max.TheA160Thas already achieved 263 km/hr,and Boeing claims that it will eventually becapable of a cruise speed of 300 km/hr.Meanwhile, the US Army has loaned to

Sikorsky aUH-60MBlackHawk for fly-by-wire tests, and the company hopes to usethis aircraft to demonstrate an optionally-piloted resupplymission.The rest of the world is lagging behind,

but there are several rotary-wing droneprojectswith serious potential. In early 2012Russian Helicopters received $ 160 millionfrom the federal defence budget to startdevelopment of three rotary-wing drones.All three models have co-axial rotors,indicating thatKamovwill be responsible forall three designs. The heaviest is the 3000-kg Albatross, which is seen as being used ineither transport or strike roles, and beingready for flight trials by 2017.At around half the size of the Albatross,

Mil Moscow Helicopters has for severalyears been promoting the 1450-kgMi-34BPdrone, based on the four-seat Mi-34C.AgustaWestland plans shortly to fly a droneversion of the 1800-kg PZL-Swidnik SW-4.Further down the scale, Russian

Helicopters is developing the 700-kgKa-175

The Puma is Aerovironment’s second successstory although its origins can be tracedto the CldWar-era Pointer since its name isactually an acronym that stands for “PointerUgradedMission Ability”. It has recently beenadopted by both the USMarine Corps andthe US Air Force. (Aerovironment)

Selex Galileo’s Crex-B, which is beingevaluated by the Italian Ministry of Defence,has a wingspan of 1.7 metres for a weight ofless than two kilos, but carries pan andtilt cameras. (Selex)

The Kaman K-Max has been operating as acargo delivery vehicle in Afghanistan sinceDecember 2011 as part of a test programme.It is now envisaged to stretch this trial perionfor another fewmonths. (Kaman)

Korshun. A Chinese team led byWeifang Tianxiang AviationIndustry flew inMay 2011 the 757-kg V750 drone, based on the two-seat Brantly B-2B. Israel’sAeronautics is developing the 720-kg Picador, based on Belgium’stwo-seatDynaliH2S.

I BELOW THEHALF-TONNEMARKIn terms of experience, the lighter weight category is led by a longshot by Schiebel inAustria. The 200-kg SchiebelCamcopter S-100 isin operational service in various parts of the world and has beentrialled fromthe ships of several navies, notablyGermanandFrench,and is the first rotary-wing drone to have been allowed to fly in fulldronemode at an air show.Thiswas inParis three years ago andhassince repeated the performance. For a while now, and in co-operation with Austro Engine, Hans Schiebel embarked on thedevelopment of a heavy fuel version of the Wankel-type AustroEngine AER50R. Heavy fuel, however, does not necessarily implydiesel.On the contrary, the newversionuses three sparkplugs and a

Flying from a Bersagliere-class frigate off the coast of la Spezia, aCamcopter S-100 became the first helicopter drone to operate from aMarinaMilitare ship. Carrying an L-3WescamMX-10 turret above seastate three and in 25 km/hwinds, the Camcopter transmitted high-definition pictures in real time for the 4.5 hours of flight time. (Schiebel)

The Russian Defence Ministryhas launched development of

three Kamov-designedunmanned helicopters, all withcoaxial rotors. This mockupappears to represent the

mid-range Ka-175 Korshun.The rear end of the lightweight

Ka-135 is visible on theright. (Russian Helicopters)

36 Compendium Drone 2012

new electronic engine control unit (a.k.a.ECU, for acronymaficionados).Twoenginesare currently running and beat the feat ofproducing the same power – namely 50horses – as the petrol version, and yet nomodifications were required to the block orthe rotary piston. One of the engines is nowused in flight testing and Schiebel hopes toobtain certification this year. Incidentally,and according to Schiebel, the heavy-fuelengines will be “retrofittable” to earlieraircraft. Schiebel is now working on the S-200 project, which is believed to have amaximumtake-offweight of around600-kg,but the companyhasdeclined toprovide anydetails.On the other hand, after theGermanandFrenchnavies, theCamcopter S-100hasrecently added another feather in its rotor bybeing the first rotordrone ever to operatefroman ItalianNavy ship.In the 300-kg category, Russian

Helicopters is developing theKa-135. At theParis Air Showof 2011, Cassidian exhibiteda mockup of a 300-kg drone derived from

the CybAero Apid 60. CybAero has nowbuilt a flying prototype. Another derivativeof the Apid 60 is Spain’s 200-kg IndraSystems Pelicano.Compared with its Cyb-Aero Apic 55-

based Skeldar, the more recent and heavier230-kg SkeldarV-200 is, according to a Saabofficial recently interviewed byArmada, anentirely new aircraft designed by Saab,having “common features with Cyb Aero”,although it retains the same 55 horsepowertwo stroke, twin-cylinder Hith engine. TheSkeldar V-200 is still entirely a company-funded project. The type first flew in 2010,originally aimed at the Swedish Army, butmore recently the emphasis has been on amaritime version (at some time Saab usedthe V-200M designation, but this seems tohave been dropped). The V-200 wasunderwent test operations from an ice-breaker last autumn as part of what Saabcalls a series of “maturing flights”. Saab didnot comment on the number of V-200prototypes built so far, but just said that theaircraft are closer to pre-productionstandards and “open to tenders”. LikeSchiebel, Saab now appears to be eyeing the600 kg class, due to demands for greaterpayload and endurance.

Compendium Drone 2012Supplement to Issue 3/2012Volume 36, Issue No. 3, June/July 2012

INTERNATIONALis published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd.Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd.

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ON THE COVER: The US Air Force’s Global HawkBlock 40 is visually distinguished from the otherwisesimilarly sized Block 30 and 20 by its slab-sidedgondola that houses the new ZPY-2 aesa radar thatalso provides air moving target indication.

ARMADA SUBSCRIPTION 22

ELBIT SYSTEMS 09

IAI MALAT 05

ILA BERLIN 35

L-3 WESCAM 25

NORTHROP GRUMMAN 15-17

SAAB 13

SCHIEBEL C2

SELEX GALILEO 11

TEXTRON AAI C4

I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

The Saab Skeldar V-200 carried out aseries of operation tests from an ice-breakerin Sweden in the fall of 2012. (Saab)

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