Drones Compendium - Armada June July 2014

Drones

Post-Afghanistan Era

Textron Systems Unmanned Systems is a business of Textron Systems.© 2014 AAI Corporation. All rights reserved.

FARTHER AND FASTEREXTENDING HUMAN CAPABILITIES

Where it’s unsafe or uncertain for humansto go, Textron Systems gets you there. Formore than 25 years and nearly a millionflight hours, our mature, expeditionary andmulti-mission unmanned systems have extendedhuman capabilities in challenging or dangeroussituations, enabling you to see, understand and act decisively whenever time is critical.

textronsystems.com/us

I N G E N U I T Y A C C E L E R A T E D

03

In addition, the change from anuncontested operating environment toone in which (in the event of war) a hi-tech enemywould use advancedweapon

systems to deny drone access, will prioritisesurvivability over cost. This new situationwill act as a catalyst for the development ofstealthy and hypersonic penetrating drones,andmayresult in the early retirementof largenumbers of suddenly obsolete products,possibly to be released to carefully selectedsegments of the internationalmarket.

Many nations are critically examiningAmerica’s use of armed drones, which(when combined with electronic andhuman intelligence-gathering) has proved acost-effective way to decapitate terroristgroups, though not without collateralcasualties and damage.

There are doubts over the legality ofdrone strikes, especially those outsiderecognised conflict zones. Indeed, somecommentatorswould like to see the politicaland military leaders responsible tried forwar crimes.

It is against this background that someofthe leading Nato countries are formalisingtheir attitudes to armeddrones,whichmanyobservers view as a development renderedinevitable by progress in air defence systemsand the growing value placed on (friendly)human lives.

Some nations with colonising pasts arebuyingdrones that are suitable only foruse inuncontested airspace, perhaps envisaging anenduring duty to intervene in Africanaffairs, if only to maintain access to crucialrawmaterials.

Looking further ahead, several Europeannations are already participating in thedevelopment of advanced Ucav projects,seeing them not only as natural successorsto manned attack aircraft and eventuallyfighters, but also as affordable means toretain hi-tech aerospace teams.

As a growing number of nations aroundthe world buy increasingly capable drones,one multi-billion-dollar question is: whowill supply those oil-rich nations that theUnited States does not want to see operatingsuch drones?We may be seeing somethinganalogous to that period in the fightermarket, when America tried to restrictmany international buyers to thelightweight F-5. Who will provide today’sdrone marketing equivalent of theyesterday’sDassaultMirage fighter?

I LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDEInternational developments and co-operations are nowbecoming sowidespreadit becomes difficult to allocate them a trueorigin, not to say continent. This isparticularly true of the smaller to mediumtypes, which the following typify, althoughthe trend will inevitably spread to the largersub-Male orMale types,which aswe explain

The Post-Afghanistan Era

Compendium Drones 2014

Attitudes towards drones are changing with the withdrawal from Afghanistan andwith a general switch of attentions to the Asia-Pacific region. The relative freedom withwhich drones have been operated over south-west Asia will be replaced by severerestrictions on their use in the airspace of their owner-nations, where integration withmanned aircraft poses many (as yet) unresolved problems.

Eric H. Biass and Roy Braybrook, inputs from Paolo Valpolini

“There are doubts overthe legality of dronestrikes, especially thoseoutside recognisedconflict zones”

“Who will providetoday’s drone marketingequivalent of theyesterday’s DassaultMirage fighter?”

Breathtaking view of an X-47B catching its arrestor lineonboard the Harry Truman. Apparently the two

demonstrators have consistently been catching the thirdcable. (Northrop Grumman)

further down,may leaveEurope abandonedby thewayside if its nations keepdisagreeingon a common design instead of many ofthemendingupbuying the same types fromAmerica or Israel, which must be theepitomeof absurdity – especially that certainnations like France and Germany havegathered quite valuable experience in thelarge drone field, notably with the SagemPatroller, which has been flying for a whilenow without having experienced a crash todate, at least to our knowledge.

A recent example of this internationaltechnological cross-feeding is theannouncement made by NorthropGrummanof itsRotaryBat inearlyMay.Alsocalled theR-Bat for short, this bird combinesan rotary-wing airframe developed and

produced by Yamaha with NorthropGrumman’s extensive expertise in the fieldofcontrol and intelligence gatheringequipment, notably through its experiencewith the US Navy Fire Scouts – both theSchweizer- and Bell Helicopter-based types.The Yamaha Rmax (the airframe’s originaldesignation) itself is notdevoidof experienceeither, because in its crop-spraying form itapparently has fleet-logged more than twomillion flight hours over more than 2.4million acres of Japanese farmland.

Literally on theheels of theR-Bat, anothernewcomer arrived in the form of the Apexfrom L-3, with mixed DNA. A tail-lessblended wing and fuselage with downward-pointingwinglets, theApex,particularlywithits neck-mounted secondary wing (not a

canard) looks like a scaled-down Harpy-cum-Bat mixed bred – only that it’s a lotsmaller andelectrically powered (courtesyofAxi of the Czech Republic). The airframe isin fact derived from the upward-lookingwinglet equipped, well-proven and widelyexported Israeli Aeronautics mini Orbiter.The Apex is currently offered with theControp T-Stamp gimballed electro-opticalsensor, but able to use American payloadsthrought a anL-3-developed interface.

The T-Stamp uses a cooled infraredsensor, the extra power consumption ofwhich compared to an uncooled type,according to an L-3 official contacted by theauthor, offsets the slight penalty on thebird’sseven-hour endurance due to the higherresolution these offer. More striking is thenews that L-3 says that the Apex has alreadybeen demonstrated to several potentialcustomersover thepast 18months and that ishas already been acquired by an Americangovernment operator. For more technicalspecifications, please refer to our fold-outtable herewith inserted.

The Arrow Lite comes third in this list ofnewcomers, manufactured by StarkAerospace, Israel Aerospace Industries’American company based in Columbus

04

The Stemmemotorglider-based Patroller nowflies with the “Expanded Performance” Euroflir410 electro-optical stabilised pod said to nearthe best of L-3 and Flir in performance. ThePatroller’s simultaneous comint and imagerydata transmission was demonstrated in 23flights inmid-2013. (Sagem)

Launched from a small trailer-mountedcatapult and parachute retrieved, the 28-kiloand 4.2-metre wingspan L-3 Apex has a rangeof over 100 kilometres. Its Czech-made Aximotor is powered by lithium-polymer batteries– a bold solution but hence the comfortableendurance of seven hours. (L-3)


Grossing out 93 kilos, the R-Bat is beingmarketed by Northrop Grumman and Yamaha as a anintelligence gathering and observation drone able to carry a payload of 19.5 kilos. It is 3.65metres long, offers an endurance of over four hours and a datalink range of 130 km.

(which actually produces the famousHunterforNorthropGrumman).

Thehand-launchedwas developedwith aspecial target, which was to provide the“Program Manager for Tactical OperationsSupport, (PM TOS), Combatting (sic)TerrorismTechnicalSupportOffice (CTTSO)“,withanobservationmeans foruseby“specialoperations and tactical units of dominance”.Here too, and in spite of being recentlyunveiled, theArrowLite is already inuse,withdeliveries of 13 systems including 39 aircraftandgroundequipmentdelivered todate.Thecustomer is believed tobe theUSArmy.

Thenewdroneannouncementcamea fewdays after the introduction by Stark

Aerospace of a new electro-optical payload,namely the Stark Lite 200, a two-axislightweight multiple sensor unit actuallydeveloped by Next Vison as the Orion. ThisIsraeli companyhas signedanagreementwithStark Aerospace to see this item marketed astheStarkLite in theUnitedStates.

I ITALIAN JOBSWith themergingofUtri’s capabilitieswithinSelex ES drone business at Ronchi deilegionari (Trieste) almost completed, themicro- andmini-drones of the former start-up company have shifted from prototype tofully industrialised iems with the firstnowbeingdelivered to the ItalianArmy.

Acquired within the Army digitisation

programme known as Forza NEC, the twomicro vertilift drones have been deeplymodified with customer inputs. The“Pinerolo”Brigade, the firstMediumBrigadeequipped with the Freccia 8x8, is the first toreceive the the Spyball-Bmicrodrone.

The Spyball-A had two counter-rotatingfixed-blades rotors, each powered by anelectric brushless motor. Though the new Bmaintains the ducted-fan architecture, itfeatures a single twin variable-pitch bladerotor and engine, counter-torque spin beingreined in by fixed fins in the lower duct flow.According to Selex ES engineers two factorsdictated the change: first is a lack of reliablemathematic models to simulate counter-rotating rotors aerodynamic interference,and secondly thebetter roll andpitch controlprovided by variable-pitch blades. TheSpyball-B couldhave lost the “ball” part of itsnamedue to its newaspect. Its launchweight

The Asio-B, here seen with its console and datalink will soon enter service with Italian ArmyCavalry units. The upper cruciform structurecontains the batteries. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The Stark Lite, a.k.a. Orion, carries a high-resolution day camera able to click out 10Megapix stills, a 640x480 LWIR sensor and a300mWoutput laser for a weight of 240 grams.

According to Stark, the new 6.6-kilo Arrow Lite is made airworthy some 60 to 90 secondsfrom unpacking from its waterproof case. Electrically powered, it uses a two-axis gimballedelecro-optical sensor. (Stark Aerospace)

The Spyball-B, seen here with all its ground systems, is being delivered to the Italian Armyfor its infantry units. (Selex ES)

05Compendium Drones 2014

has nearly doubled at two kilos, with anexternal diameter expanded from250mmto480 for a ducted fan length of 356 mm.Horizontal speed has doubled from four toeight metres per second. Once tilted thedrone’s payload faces downwards andincludes a 0.025 Lux sensitivity camera with640x480 resolution and46° field of view, canbe replaced by a 320x240 uncooled thermalsensor. Lythium-polymer batteries, locatedin a cruciform structure installed above therotor, provide a half an hour endurance,operational rangebeing around2.5 km.

The larger four-legged Asio-B will soonequip Italian Army cavalry units, but alsofeatures a single variable-pitch blade rotor,but with three blades. Empty weight isincreased from 5.5 to 6.5 kg, while payloadcapacity grows from 0.8 to 1.5 kg. Theexternal diameter is of 620 mm versus 450mm for the A-version. Height is slightlyreduced, 0.6 versus 0.7meters; partly due tothe army’s decision to give-up the perchingoption, and keeping only a bottom payload.Twosensors are currently offered, a low-lighttwo-axis stabilised CCD camera with a x10optical zoom with a viewing angle of 5.4° to50°, or a 35° field of view 320x240-pixeluncooled thermal camera. A laser 1,500-meter capable rangefinder comes onoption.Operational range is 3.5 km, ceiling is 2,100metres and operational altitude 100 metres.Also equippedwith four legs, its take-off andlanding procedures are similar to those ofthe Spyball-B.

Bothdrones arequalified toStanag4703 -

Edition 1 adapted to ducted fain air vehicles,while the command and control softwareobtained Level B Development AssuranceLevelunderRTCADO-178Bstandard.Theyuse the same command and control stationcomposed includinga7-inch touch screen tocontrol both the drone and payload. AruggedisednotebookknownasCoreUnifiedControl System can be linked to the GCS totake over payload control, prepare missionsand interfacewithhighercommandechelons.

The systems acquired within the currentForza NEC contract have already beenproduced and are awaiting the acceptance ofthe pilots’ training syllabus before beonghandedover to themilitary.

A third drone, but with fixed wings, hasbeen added to the Forza NEC suite. Knownas the Crex-B, is also a development of theearlier Utri Crex-A, although with lessdramatic mods. Mainly itswingspan wasincreased by 30cmmetres to 1.7metres. Theremarkably powerful brushless motor wasretainedwhichallows it tobe launched fromalight armoured vehicle, just passing itthrough the hatch, without exposing theoperator to theenemyfire.Maximumspeed is110 km/h, cruise speed is around 36 km/h,while endurance settles at around75minutesat sea level. TheCrex-Bhas a ceiling of 3,100metres while its operational altitude isbetween 30 and 500 meters over ground. Athigher altitudes the colour camera equippedwith ax10optical zoomcanbeused, viewingthrough a cone of between 4.6° and 46°. Thealternative thermal sensor is a 320x240 pixelcamera with a 40° field of view and a x2digital zoom. A laser illuminator can beadded.Producinganalleged65dB level from50 metres, it is nearly inaudible in an urbanenvironment and its aerodynamic efficiencyof over 6:1 allows the motor to be switchedoff to glideover anareaof interest. TheCrex-Buses the samegroundcontrol systemas theAsio andSpyball.

Assembly of the Profalk prototype hasstarted. Intended foruseby small naval units,its design has been altered to adopt fuselageducted fans, a Prandtl wing and a tail-mountedpropeller.

As speed increases, theducts are closedbya slat system, a solution adopted in Israel byUrbanAero for its AirMule. No details havebeenprovided regardingdimensions, but thefuselage shouldbeabout twometres longandthe wingspan slightly more. The take offweight should be around 25 kg. The plan ispartly financed by the Italian Ministry ofDefence and the aim is to provide a systemthat canbe easily used fromthe flight deckofsmall ship. The technological demonstratorshould fly by late 2014.

I AMERICAN ROADMAPUseful clues regarding the way ahead fordrones are given by the Pentagon’s“Unmanned Systems Integrated RoadmapFY2013-38”, although this provides noinformation on ‘black’ programmes such astheUSAir Force’s newNorthropGrummanstealthy subsonic penetrator.

Todigress, thisRQ-180 is believed tohaveoriginated in December 2005 as a larger,long-range/endurance spinoff from the USAir Force/Navy J-Ucas, which led to the

06

A tentative drawing of the Profalk droneintended to serve on small naval unitsthanks to the adoption of a ducted fanconfiguration. (Selex ES)

Currenly under qualification, the Crex-Bshould replace Aerovironment Raven-A and -Bin service with the 41st Regiment of the RSTABrigade. It might soon be joined by a Crex-BKwith higher performances, a greaterwingspan, an endurance of over 100minutes,and able to carry two different payloadsat the same time.

The Northrop Grumman X-47B began flight trials inFebruary 2011 andmade the first arrested recovery of adrone to a carrier at sea on July 10, 2013, when it landedaboard CVN-77, USS George HWBush. (US Navy).


08

same company’s X-47B carrier-capabledemonstrator. It is thought that the RQ-180(of necessity) represents a major advance inall-aspect radar response, with specialattention to low- and high-frequencyemitters, in order to penetrate ‘denied’airspace. From financial records, the maindevelopmentcontract isdeducedtohavebeenawarded toNorthropGrumman in2008.

Details are provided in the Roadmap ofthe US DoD mid-2013 inventory of 10,964drones. In Group I (up to 9.0 kg) there were7,332 RQ-11 Ravens, 990 Wasps and 1,137Pumas, all by AeroVironment, and 306HoneywellRQ-16T-Hawks. InGroup II (9.0to 25 kg) there were 206 Boeing/InsituScanEagles. InGroup III (25 to 600kg) therewere 499 AAI RQ-7 Shadows, 18 Socom-operated Expeditionary UAS, and 20 NavyMarine Stuas.

In Group IV (over 600 kg, below 18,000ft) the Department of Defense had 237General Atomics MQ-1s, and 44 MQ-5Hunters and28MQ-8FireScouts, both typesproducedbyNorthropGrumman.

All Fire Scouts arenowMQ-8CsbasedontheBell 407 airframe, the “C”nowbelongingtohistory, althougharound20of the 30builtincluding prototypes – all owned by the USNavy – are still flying although they areplanned to be phased out around the 2018-2019 timeframe.

The switch from the Schweizer 333helicopter to the Bell 407 was motivated bytwo factors. First a requirement for extrarange was issued as early as 2009, andSikorsky, who owns Schweizer, hadannounced its intention to terminate theproduction of the ‘333. The new Fire Scoutgained more than range (10 hours on a hot

day), but also extra capacity. It now carries aFlir Brite Star II gimballed electro-opticalsensor, and trials of with TelephonicsAN/ZPN-4 radar started in early May 2014.The helicopter can also carry thehypespectralCobraminedetector andcouldprove a usefull platform for sigint. Theacquisitionof a total 119Fire ScoutCs isnowplanned by the Navy, but the US MarineCorps is now said to be eyeing the newperformances offeredby theC.

The longer range MQ-8C Fires Scoutcould now also attract the interest of foreignnations, particularly thosewith huge coastalwaters to monitor like Australia, where itcould perform missions at a fraction of thecost of the SH-60, particularly in anti-submarine warfare missions involvingsonobuoys where the Fire Scout definitelyhas an edge regarding endurance.

In Group IV (over 600 kg, below 18,000ft) the Department of Defense also had 237GeneralAtomicsMQ-1s.

Talking of Predators, General Atomics isworking on what it calls a “Nato certifiablePredator B”. The aim is to come up with adrone based on the Block 5 version of theextended range Predator B that wouldcomply with the Nato nations’ individualstandards and their airspace.The “CertifiableB”will have to feature adual regard radar, anADSsystemand,off course, a traffic collisionavoidance system (also known as Tcas). Thedual regard radar is currently beingdevelopedand is currently in flight testphase.It has the ability to detect what are termed“co-operating” and “non-co-operatingtargets”. The drone is also being enhanced tooffer more electrical power and endurance.General Atomics aim is to have the newaircraft readyby2017or 2018.

InGroupV (over 600 kg, above 18,000 ft)there were 112 General Atomics MQ-9Reapers and 35 Northrop GrummanRQ/MQ-4sGlobalHawks.

The Roadmap makes it clear that,althoughAmerican drone development willconcentrate on technologies to ensure

In February 2014General Atomicsreceived a $ 117.3millioncontract under theMQ-9Accelerated ExtendedRange effort tomodify38 US Air Force drones tothis MQ-9 ExtendedRange standard.(General Atomics).

Based on the Bell 407, the US Navy’s Northrop GrummanMQ-8C first flew inOctober 2013. The second development aircraft (BuAer 168455, shown) followedon February 12, 2014. (Northrop Grumman).

Perch-and-stare drones require developmentof variousmodules, including bird-like legs andfeet, as tested here under AFRL funding, usinga quadcopter. Theywill next be applied to asparrowhawk-type drone. (Vishwa Robotics).


dominance in A2/AD (anti-access/areadenial) environments, “determinedadversaries will target critical, less protectednodes such as South Asia, Africa and theMiddle East”, where existing assets mayremain applicable, but enemy unmannedsystemswill complicate operations.

The report says little regarding newAmerican types of drone, although it givescredence to the idea of a small bird-like,perch-and-stare design that can rechargeitself on power cables. Some might regardthis as unrealistic, in view of Darpa’s crowd-sourcing UAVForge contest of 2012 toproduce a soldier-portable, perch-and-stareISR drone with beyond line-of-sightcapability. Some 140 teams were reduced tonine for the fly-off, but (partly due tocommunicationproblems)nodronewasableto land on the flat roof of a structure in thetarget area and complete the mission, so the$100,000prizewasnot awarded.

However, the US Air Force ResearchLaboratory is continuing to pursue thisdream, and is funding academic and

commercial entities to develop thebiomimicry modules required for a man-madebird that canwatch fromabuildingorapower cable or the branchof a tree.

A recently released video shows aquadcopter landing and locking itself on to abranch, using bird-like legs and feetdeveloped by Dr Bhargav Gajjar of VishwaRobotics.Thenext stage aims to combine theleg/foot system with a remotely-controlledsparrowhawk lookalike.

I UCAS DBeforemoving on to theUclass programme,a few words should be said at this stage onthe UCAS-D. The initial aim of thisprogramme was to demonstrate the abilityof a tail-less and stealthy aircraft to operatefrom an aircraft carrier, with all the radiofrequency interference this entails. Whathas been achieved so far by NorthropGrumman with the X-47 B was carried out“under very prescribed environment “, touse the company’s ownwords.

The first of twoX-47Bs built aircraft took

to the air on 4February 2011 andhad its firstland-based catapult take-off on 29November 2012 at Pax River Naval AirStation. This achieved, the real acid test,other than taking off from a deck, was toreturn on the deck and catch the arrestingline. This truly historical eventwas achievedon 10 July 2013 on the George H. W. Bush(CVN77). So far, during deck-landing tests,the aircraft have consitently landed bycatching the third arresting line.

The next step for the programme is toexplore the interactionswithother aircraft inwhat would be a “normal” mix of drone andother aircraft in “normal life”, which couldinitially prove a little bit more complex thanonecould imagine,particularlyon thepartofthehumansideof things.Alsopartof this is tosee how the whole mix reacts in tests duringincreasingadverseweather conditions.

As absurd as this might first sound whentalking of a blind aircraft for which day ornight shouldnotmakeanydifference, a seriesofnightoperationsarealsoplanned. In factnomore than a few seconds are required torealise that it is the humans, not the aircraft,thatwill be put to hardwork in this instance.Indeed if adequate reflexes are not quicklyacquired on such a dense and tightoperational environment at night, havoccouldquicklywreck in.

Current plans are to keep the two aircraftoperating beyond the 2015 timeline with aview to study risk-reduction for futureprogrammes, in other words continue toclimbupthedrone-carrieroperation learningcurve. Another area is the explorationanddemonstrationof autonomous air refuelling.The second aircraft has provision to beoutfittedwith thenecessarygear, and the final

The US Navy plans a technology demonstrationprogramme for a stealthy UnmannedCarrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance andStrike aircraft, possibly like this LockheedMartin project. (LockheedMartin).

Next test series on the X47-B’s plate include night carrier operations and in-flightrefuelling, with actual fuel transfer. (Northrop Grumman)

If ever a picture ever illustrated the notion of man-machine interfacing in amilitaryenvironment this must be the one: theman in yellow shirt on the left is actually hand-signalling and “talking” to the aircraft. As bymiracle, the aircraft obeys, but only thanksto theman in green who observes the instructions as if he were inside the aircraft,mirror figuring (of course) the inputs in his remote control unit. (Northrop Grumman)


10

aim is to indeed perform wet tests involvingactual fuel transfer.

I UCLASSThe principal new design referred to in theRoadmap is the US Navy’s Uclass(Unmanned Carrier-Launched AirborneSurveillance and Strike) project, which is tobecome the first drone systemtobedeployed(as distinct fromtested) aboard a carrier.

In August 2013 Naval Air SystemsCommandawarded$15million,nine-monthPDR(preliminarydesignreview)contracts toBoeing, General Atomics AeronauticalSystems, Lockheed Martin and NorthropGrummanfor theUclass air vehicle segment.These contracts led to the release of a draftrequest for proposals for the Uclasstechnologydemonstration (TD)programmeinSpring 2014, but companies involvedwereunauthorised to provide any further details.It is understood, however, that the finalrequirementswill still need tobedelivered.

TheUSNavyplans to invest anestimated$3.7 billion in the Uclass TD programmeduring the period FY14-20 to develop,construct and field between six and 24aircraft as an initial increment of Uclasscapability. First flight isdue inearly2017, andsea trials are to begin in late 2019. Earlyoperational capability is planned for 2020.

However, because the US Navy regardsthe Uclass as a technology developmentprogramme, it does not plan to hold aMilestoneB review (whichwould trigger keyoversightmechanismsoncost, schedule andperformance) until FY20, when the maindevelopment contractwill be awarded.

The General Accountability Office is lessthan ecstatic about the Navy’s oversight-evasive approach, especially as the Uclass iscritically dependenton thedevelopment anddelivery of other assets, such as Common

Control System software and JPALS (JointPrecisionApproach andLandingSystem).

Controversy erupted after the Pentagon’sJoint Requirements Oversight Council inDecember 2012 downgraded Uclass stealthrequirements, eliminated in-flight refuelling,and cut warload from 24 115-kg GBU-39SDBs to just two225 kgbombs.Whereas theoriginal concept called for a long-range strikeaircraft, able to attack inland targetswhile thecarrier remained at a safe distance, theemphasis now appears to be on persistentcounter-terrorist ISR in lightly contestedairspace. The Uclass air vehicles on a carriermust be able to maintain one ISR orbit at2,200kmor twoorbits at 1,100km,orattackalightly defended target at 3,700kmradius.

The emasculation of Uclass has raisedsuspicions that the original concept wasviewed as so expensive that it carried a highrisk of cancellation, or that it posed a threatto manned aircraft programmes. Anothertheory is that its long-range strike missionhas alreadybeenassignedby thePentagon toa secretUSAir Force land-baseddrone.

I BIGGER PICTUREIn terms of roles andmissions, theRoadmapcites the transport of supplies to forwardareas, the resupplyof sea-basedassets and thesupport of special operations forces asespeciallywell-suited tounmanned systems.

One building-block for such drones wastobeDarpa’sTransformer (TX)programme,unveiled in 2009. The TX was to be a four-seat, lightly armoured, terrain-independenttransport, a wheeled vehicle that could flywhennecessary,with transit speedsup to370km/hr. Itwas to be highly automated, so thatno pilot’s licence would be required for theoperator. However, service interest wasevidently less than enthusiastic.

In 2013 Darpa replaced the TX with theAerial Reconfigurable Embedded System(Ares), a utility/transport drone that couldcarry a series of payloadmodules, for troopsor cargo up to 1,360 kg, casualty extraction,or ISR missions. Another module is to be alight tactical groundvehicle.Areswill achievevtol through the use of two tilting ductedfans, requiring landing zones only half thesizeof thoseneededbyequivalenthelicopters(although at the cost of greater grounderosion). Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Workshas been chosen as the lead design andsystems integration contractor for Ares,workingwithPiaseckiAircraft.

Several other experimental programmesare being pursued to ensure thecontinuation of America’s full-spectrumdominance in drones.

The US Naval Research Laboratoryrecently launched from a torpedo tube on asubmerged submarine (USS Providence,SSN-719) its XFC (Experimental Fuel Cell)drone, which flew a sortie of several hoursduration, streamingback live video.

The renowned SkunkWorks, workingwithPiasecki Aircraft, is leadingDarpa’s Ares project,aimed at providing terrain-independentsupplies for sea-based assets, forward areasand special forces. (LockheedMartin).

The US Navy seeks the ability to launch an ISRdrone from a submerged submarine. In late2013 this XFC (Experimental Fuel Cell) airvehicle developed by NRL was launched fromthe USS Providence, SSN-719. (US NavalResearch Laboratory).

General Atomics’ contender for the US Navy Uclass is the stealthy Avenger, of whichthree prototypes have flown. This example has the stretched fuselage introducedwiththe second. A fourth, for the US Air Force, was to fly in early 2014. (General Atomics)


12

Another potentially significantmaritimedrone development is Darpa’s Tern(Tactically ExploitedReconnaissanceNode)programme, aimed at achieving Predator-like ISR performance from 25,400-tonneLCS-2 class ships. Having awardedpreliminary contracts to AeroVironment,Aurora Flight Sciences, Carter AviationTechnologies,MaritimeAppliedPhysics, andNorthrop Grumman in late 2013, Darpaenvisions full-scale demonstrations in 2017.

In 2013 Darpa awarded four 22-monthPhase One contracts for its Vtol X-Planeprogramme to launch a new type (or types)of high-performance vtol aircraft. Thecontracts went to Sikorsky (teamed withLockheed Martin) for its Unmanned RotorBlown Wing, to Aurora Flight Sciences forLightningStrike, Boeing for its PhantomSwift,and Karem Aircraft for a project ofwhichnodetails are currently available.

This$130million,52-monthVtolX-Planeprogramme aims to achieve flightdemonstrationsaroundearly2018withanairvehicle capableof cruisingat over 555km/hr,with a payload representing over 40% of its4,500-5,443 kg gross weight. It seems likelythat the demonstrators will be unmanned,although(if successful) theymay lead tobothmannedandunmannedproductionaircraft.

Another ground-breakingBoeingprojectis the long-endurance Phantom Eye, whichhas a 45.7-metre wingspan and two 2.3-litretriple-turbocharged Ford engines burningliquid hydrogen, which is contained in twospherical tanks of 2.44-metre diameter. Thecurrent 4,516 kg demonstrator version wasdesigned to stayaloft for fourdaysat65,000 ft.Flight tests began in June2012.

An alternative approach to persistent ISRis represented by the 5,080-kgAurora FlightSciences Orion, which uses two AustroEngines AE300 turbo-diesels. The Orionwas designed to achieve a maximumendurance of 120 hours (five days) at 20,000

ft with a 454 kg payload, reducing to 24hours at 6,500 km radius.

The Orion was selected by the US AirForce for itsMediumAltitudeGlobal ISRandCommunications (Magic) Jctd programme,which is sponsored byCentcom. It cruises at124-157km/hr andhas a “dash” speedof 222km/hr. Ferry range is 24,000 km. It first flewon August 24, 2013. Orion has some strikepotential, being able to carry a loadof 450kgunder eitherwing.

The US armed forces have spent billionson little-publicised efforts to develop theuseof small drones inAfghanistan. For example,the 1.0-kgAurora SkateGen-2, a slab-like airvehicle with two articulated power units inthe leading edges, has been deployed forsmall unit and fob (forward operating base)force protection missions, sponsored by theAir ForceResearchLaboratory.

In 2013 Navair (Naval Air SystemsCommand) placed a $31.3 million contractwith Nasc (Navmar Applied Sciences) tosupply24118-kgTigerSharkdrones and fourground control stations for use in its‘Copperhead’ anti-IED programme inAfghanistan. Other such programmes are‘Speckles’, based on the 20-kg Sensitel SilverFox, ‘Sand Dragon’, using the 100-kgNorthrop Grumman Bat-12, ‘Hawkeye’,using the 200-kg Schiebel S-100, and‘Sentinel Hawk’, based on the 61-kg

The Vtol X-Plane programme is Darpa’sattempt to bridge the gap between helicoptersand fixed-wing turboprops. This tail-sitting

Sikorsky/LockheedMartin project, designatedUnmanned Rotor BlownWing, is one of four

shortlisted projects. (Sikorsky).

In the quest for endurancemeasured in days,one of the leaders is the Aurora Orion,powered by Austro Engines turbo-diesels, anddesigned to remain five days at 20,000 ft.(Aurora Flight Sciences).

One of several mini-drones successfullytested in Afghanistan, the innovative

Aurora Skate was deployed under AFRLfunding for use in force protectionmissions. (Aurora Flight Sciences).

“The US armed forceshave spent billions onlittle-publicised efforts todevelop the use of smalldrones in Afghanistan.”


www.schiebel.net

RADAR + ESM + EO/IR equipped with

Maritime Supremacy Full 360 Degree Longrange Overview

RADAR

EO/I

R ESM

DA

TALIN

K

14 Compendium Drones 2014

Boeing/Insitu RQ-21 Integrator. All theseefforts are coordinated by the Jieddo (JointIED-DefeatOrganisation).

The Roadmap foresees developments inmanned-unmannedsystemteaming (MUM-T) as allowing effective drone operations atgreater standoff distances. Althoughcurrently prohibited by policy, it foreseesunmanned systems being employed withinthe 2013-2038 timeframe in casevac, therecovery of human remains and in urbanrescue operations. Projected mission areasfor American drones also include air-to-aircombat, electronic warfare and Seadmissions. The report envisions drones beingused to place ground sensors accurately, andtodeploy “attackbots” to trackpersonnel.

The application of weaponry to smallerdrones will expand with the availability ofmore lightweight missiles, such as the EO-guided 2.5-kg Spike developed by the USNavalAirWarfareCenter incooperationwithDRSTechnologies, and the laser-homing13-kg IAI Lahat. Other weapons in the 13-15 kgcategory include the BAE Systems APKWSand the Lockheed Martin Dagr, guidedderivativesof theGeneralDynamicsHydra-70rocket projectile. At the lower end of thespectrum, theAeroVironmentSwitchblade isa tube-launched, electro-optically guided,

electrically powered one-kilogram loiteringmunition with an endurance of up to 40minutes.

Further in the future, warheads will bemade smaller and more powerful throughthe use of nanoparticles, which haveproportionally more surface area and thusincreasedcontactwithother chemicals in theexplosive.The results are a faster reactionrateandamorepowerful detonation.TheUSAirForce is exploring techniques to allowincreased amounts of nano-aluminiumpowder in explosive (or propellent) mixes,using a solvent.

I BLASTS FROM THE PASTThe Department of Defense is seriouslyinterested in attack drones like thosepioneered by Israeli with the Harpy. Earlierknown as “suppression of air defence”weapons (or Sead weapons), they are nowrenamed “air domination systems” by thePentagon. To this category belonged theRaytheon vertically launched Nlos-LS Pam(Non-Line-Of-Sight Launch System,PrecisionAttackMissile), but the40kmrangeweapon programme was terminated afterdevelopmentwas completed in late 2010.

However, it appears from the Roadmapthat the Pam is to be reborn anddeployedbythe US Army for use against stationary andmoving armoured vehicles. The US Navyplans to use the Pam on the LCS (LittoralCombat Ship) and the USV (UnmannedSurface Vehicle) to defeat threats such assmall attack craft.

The US Air Force is considering variousairdominationconcepts, including the45-kg

(class)AFRL/LockheedMartinLocaas (Low-Cost Autonomous Attack System), a verysuccessful technology demonstrationprogramme thatwas completed in2005.Theconcept has recently been revised to includeman-in-the-loop functionality, to allow in-flight retargeting and the abortingof attacks.

A further development would see fourpowered Locaas carried by a “mothership”designated Smacm (Surveilling MiniatureAttackCruiseMissile).Poweredbya turbojet,the Lockheed Martin Smacm is designed tobe carried internally on existing stealthfighters and future Ucavs. It would providetargeting, surveillance and communicationssupport at a radiusofover450km.

Turningtodronepropulsion, theRoadmapcites as mid-term goals the introduction ofgeared turbofans, variable-cycle engines, andhybrid turbo-electrical power. In the longerterm, planned advances include fuel cellsusingnon-hydrocarbonfuels.

Significant technological advances areexpected to include the introduction ofoptical communications, especially in thecontext of high-flying drones. This will offerfargreaterbandwidthand improvedanti-jamperformance, although the narrowbeamwidthofsuchsystemscausesproblemsinmaintaining pointing accuracy. A recentDarpa programme has successfullydemonstratedhybridoptical/radio-frequencyair-to-air links at ranges in excessof 200km.

I MORE TECHNOLOGYOnnavigation, considerable efforts arebeingmade to improve GPS, make it available tomore platforms, minimise susceptibility to

Using the patented wingtip-grabs-cablerecovery system of themanufacturer’s well-proven ScanEagle, a Boeing/Insitu RQ-21AIntegrator drone returns to LPD-19, USSMesaVerde. (US Navy).

Differing from the US Air ForceMQ-1B Predator, the US ArmyMQ-1C Grey Eagleintroduces a heavy fuel engine, Sar/Gmti radar, communications relay facility, increasedweapons and a tactical communications data link. (General Atomics).

15

jamming, anddevelopalternatives tobeusedin the presence of jamming. The M-codemilitaryupgradedGPSwill beavailable soon,and is required for all new US-DoDacquisitions, starting inFY17.

Darpa’s PINS (Precision InertialNavigation System) project uses an ultra-cold atom interferometer to provide jam-proof, near-GPSaccuracy for futuremilitaryplatforms. Testing on amanned aircraft wasdue to start in 2013. The High DynamicRange Atom (HiDRA) programme seeks todevelop an inertial measuring unit with adrift rate of only 20 metres/hour in a highlymobile vehicle.

Achievinggreaterautonomyinunmannedsystemshasbeenassignedhighpriority,beingviewed as “critical to future conflicts thatwillbe fought and won with technology”. Twoimportant aspects of this are autonomousdeck operations for future US Navy drones,andairbornesense-and-avoid(SAA)systems,whichwill requirenewsensors.

Themain factors inwinning approval forany unmanned DoD to transit America’sNAS (National Airspace System) are thedrone’s airworthiness and the use of an SAAsystemthat complieswith civil requirements.

In the case of the US Army’s GeneralAtomics MQ-1C Grey Eagle, the aircraft isalready certified to a standarddefinedby theArmy’s own TAA (Technical AirworthinessAuthority), but the cost of certification tomanned aircraft standards was judgedprohibitively expensive. Each transit ofNASthus requires a Certificate or Waiver ofAuthorization, and airspace monitoring byGBSAA (Ground-Based Sense-And-Avoid)radar for potentially conflicting air traffic.

It may be noted that since July 2013GeneralAtomicshasbeen flyinganImprovedGrey Eagle with 50% improvements inpayload and fuel capacity. Coupled with theintroductionofa153-kWLycomingDEL-120engine inplaceof the123-kWCenturion1.7,this new version offers unarmed missions inexcessof 50hours.

I RUSSIAAmerica has undoubtedly established amassiveglobal leadacross thecompletedronespectrum. IfRussia (whichcurrentlyhasonlyaround500militarydrones) enviesAmerica’slead, consolation should be taken from thefact that this lead was achieved inefficientlyand at enormous cost. Some of the keyproducts were basically what themanufacturers wanted to produce, hastilyprocuredoutside thecarefully choreographed

acquisition process that has been one of thePentagon’s major contributions to post-waraerospacedevelopment.Manyof thesedronesare highly scenario-dependent, some wouldsayobsolete.

In addition, there has long been criticismof duplication of efforts in America. A

recent report claims that the fourAmericanarmed services are currently developing 15different air vehicle platforms and 42different sensor payloads.

A few Soviet military drones weredeveloped, notably the supersonic,expendable 35,600-kg Tupolev Tu-123Yastreb, introduced in 1964. This wasfollowed by the much smaller, subsonic6,215-kg Tu-141 Strizh and the 1,230-kgTupolev Tu-143 Reis, of which 950 wereproduced, to serve from 1976. TheimprovedTu-243Reis-D followed in the late1980s. Operators reportedly include NorthKorea. The 138-kg Yakovlev Pchela-1 (Bee-1) was the drone element of the tactical ISRStroi-P system,whichwas introduced by theRussian Army in 1995, and was used in thefirst Chechenwar.

Drone systems came low on Russianpriorities, but the 70-kg Vega/Luch 9M62drone, the air element of the 1K133 Tipchaksystem (developed to replace thePchela/Stroi-P) was used on a small scale inthe 2008 conflict withGeorgia. TheTipchaksuffered several losses and serious technicalproblems.Georgia enjoyedbetter situationalcoverage, primarily due to the use of 550-kgElbit SystemsHermes 450s.

Russia unsuccessfully tried to acquire the1,250-kg IAIHeronI, a failureprobablydue toAmerican pressure on Israel. However, inApril 2009 (allegedly after Russia gave Israelassurances that it would not sell S-300 air

This Irkut-10 tactical ISR drone is bungee-launched from a short rail and recovered byparachute. Ten systems have been sold toKazakhstan, and the Irkut-10 is built underlicence in Belarus. (Irkut).

If Russia (which currentlyhas only around 500military drones) enviesAmerica’s lead,consolation should betaken from the fact thatthis lead was achievedinefficiently and atenormous cost.


One of the Russian leaders in themini-drone category is the Izhevsk-based Zala Aero.Users of this Zala 421-16EM are believed to include the once-notoriousMVD, theMinistryof Internal Affairs. (Zala Aero).

16

defence systems to Iran) a contract wassigned by Rosoboronexport and IAI,covering the purchase of twelve 5.6-kg BirdEye 400s and four 426-kg Searcher IIs. Asecond contract (probably for similarquantities) was signed later in the year,bringing the total value toover $100million.

It has been reported that Russiaabandoned plans also to buy the 160-kg I-View Mk150, much as Australia dropped itsplan to adopt the 250-kg I-View Mk250 in2008. The I-View series is no longermarketed, its role being taken over by laterprojects, such as the 12.0-kg mini-Panthertilt-rotor vtol drone, which can be operatedfrom locationsmuch closer to the action.

In 2010 a $ 400 million contract wassigned by Oboronprom (of which Russian

Helicopters is a subsidiary) and IAI, grantingthe former rights to assemble the Bird Eye400 and Searcher II at the Urals Works ofCivilAviation (UWCA) inYekaterinburg. In2011 theRussianMoDplaced an orderwithUWCA, including around $ 40 million fortheproductionof 27BirdEye 400s under thename ‘Zastava’ and $ 270 million for tenSearcher IIs under the name ‘Forpost’.(These numbers presumably refer tocomplete systems).

Having purchased a production licence, itseems likely that theoriginal intentionwas forthe Zastava to be produced not only for theRussianArmybutalso for theAirborneForces(VDV), the Federal Security Service (FSB),Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and theMinistryofEmergencySituations (MChS).

I RUSSIAN-BORN TYPESIn2010 theRussianArmyrana seriesof trialsto compare domestic drones in the ’mini’ (25km) and short-range (100 km) classes. Theoriginal twelve companies provided 22differentdesigns,which for the secondphasewere reduced to eight drones: the 7.0-kgOrlan-3M and 14.0-kg Orlan-10 fromVega/STC, the5.3-kgT23Eleron-3and15.5-kg T10E Eleron-10 from Enics, the IzhmashNavodchik-2, and the 2.5-kg Zala 421-08Strekozaand4.5-kgZala421-04MLastochka.

In late2013theRussianministryofdefenceplaced a $ 3.0 million order with Enics inKazan for the delivery of 17 systems with 34Eleron-3SVair vehicles. This followed a2012order for the 250-kg Vega/Luch Korsar(Corsair),whichevidently satisfies the100kmrequirement. In an intermediate category,Enics is developing the 68-kg T92M, but thishasnotyetbeenordered.

In2013 theRussianAirForceAcademyatVoronezh began receiving the 18-kg Orlan-10 fromVega’s Special TechnologyCentre inStPetersburg.Deliveries of theForpost to theAcademyaredue tobegin this year.

Other local drones ordered by Russia arebelieved to include the Zala Aero 421-04M,which is used by the MVD, as is the 10.0-kgZala 421-16E. Kazakhstan is known tooperate the3.0-kg Irkut-2Mand8.5-kg Irkut-10.The latter isbuiltunder licence inBelarus.

The VDV has been testing the 1.3-kg T-4produced by the Omsk-based Popov RadioFactory.The90-kgTransasDozor-4hasbeenheavily marketed to the Border GuardService of the FSB. Gorizont in Rostov-on-Donhas a licence to assemble the Schiebel S-100 drone helicopter, aiming to sell it to theBorder Guards, the MChS and the MVD.The Gorizont Air S-100 was used alongsidethe Zala 421 to ensure security for the 2014WinterOlympics at Sochi.

Kamov, nowpart of RussianHelicopters,has been Russia’s leader in dronehelicopters, beginning with the private-ventured 250-kg Ka-37, which first flew in1993 and led to the 280-kg Ka-137 of 1998.In 2010 Russian Helicopters exhibited

Compendium Special OPS 2014

The Zala 421-22 is able to continuemissions if one of its eight motors fails. It wasone of the systems used by Russia’s MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) to ensuresecurity for the Sochi 2014Winter Olympics. (Zala Aero).

A rare glimpse of future Russian drone helicopter developments was provided at UVS-Tech2010 at Zhukovsky, which includedmockups of the 700-kg Ka-175 Korshun (on the left),300-kg Ka-135 (upper right) and 3,000-kg Albatros, all now classified. (Russian Helicopters).

The 4.5-tonne (class)Altius-M is the subjectof a $ 35 million contract,and is apparentlyintended to rival theturboprop GeneralAtomics MQ-9 Reaper

models of three newdesigns, the 300-kgKa-135, the 600-kg Ka-175 Korshun, and the3,000-kg Albatros. All use contra-rotatingrotors, and are due to fly by 2017.

In order to improve drone development,Russia launchedprogrammes in threeweightcategories in 2011: the one-tonneInokhodets, the 4.5-tonneAltius-M, and the15-tonne Okhotnik. These projects arereportedly led by Transas, Sokol and UnitedAircraft (UAC) respectively.

The most interesting is the “sixth-generation” Okhotnik (Hunter), for which$600 million is earmarked, and which isexpected to involve Sukhoi and RAC-MiG(and possibly Tupolev). It may benefit fromearlier design work on the ten-tonne RAC-MiG Skat (Ray), a mockup of which wasunveiled in 2007.

The 4.5-tonne (class) Altius-M is thesubject of a $ 35 million contract, and isapparently intended to rival the turbopropGeneral Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. To reduceattrition it will have two engines, 373-kWRED Aircraft A03 diesels. The one-tonneInokhodets (Orion), forwhich a$29millioncontract was signed in 2011, will be broadlyequivalent to the General Atomics MQ-1Predator.Whereas the two larger designs arelong-term research and developmentprojects, this last programme is expected tolead toproductionby2018.

The Russian defence minister hasrecently stated that Roubles 370 billion ($9.0 billion) will be spent on acquiring newdrones by 2020.

I PRCFor many years China’s dominant droneentity was the Northwestern PolytechnicUniversity (NWPU) UAV Institute, itsproducts marketed through the ASNTechnology Group. It has produced over 40drone designs in four production series, andhas so far delivered more than 1,500 airvehicles and fulfilled over 90% of thedomestic market. For so-called tacticaldrones, the army generally uses rocket-boosted launches from truck-mounted railsand recoverybyparachute.

The ground forces use several variants ofthe truck-launched ASN-206, including theASN-207 (identified by its mushroom-shaped dorsal antenna housing) and theASN-215. The group’s more recentdevelopments include the 320-kg ASN-209Silver Eagle, which entered Navy service in2011, and is reportedly being licence-built inEgypt, and the 800-kgASN-229A.

Another leader was the BeihangUniversity UAV Institute (originally BeijingUniversity of Aeronautics & Astronautics,BUAA),whichbeganby reverse-engineeringa long-span (9.75-metre) Ryan AQM-34N(Model 147H) Firebee, one of several lost bytheUSAirForceoverVietnambetween1967and 1971. The resulting 1,135-kg WZ-5entered service with the PLA in 1981, andwas exported as theCH-1.

China intensified its drones efforts after1999, following their use by several Natoforces inoperations overKosovo andSerbia.Later considerationsmust have included the

fact that theWestwasdevelopingUcavs, andthat drones offered China a credible meansto target US Navy aircraft carriers for cruiseandballisticmissiles.

The Beihang concern has more recentlyproduced the1,200-kgBZK-005Maledrone,using a twin-boom pusher propellerconfiguration. The Predator/Heron-classBZK-005 is believed to be in service with thePLANavy. InSeptember2013 Japan’s fightersshadowedaBZK-005close toOkinawa.

One Chinese drone that resembles thePredator series is the 1,150-kgAVIC/Chengdu Yi Long/Wing Loong or

17

China’s canard-configuration 630-kg Casc Rainbow-3 or CH-3 ISR and attack drone is thoughtto have inspired Pakistan’s smaller 480-kg GIDS Shahpar. (Armada/RB)

Drones designed by the Northwestern Polytechnic University (NWPU) have so fardominated the Chinese tactical dronemarket. One example is the 320-kg ASN-209 SilverEagle, which serves with the PLA Navy. (Armada/RB).

Compendium Special OPS 2014

Payload: 300 kg

Sar, EO/IR

t-o/recov: vtol

1x572 hpP&WC

PW207D

10.67

10.97

2540 30 24

A160T Hummingbird

Boeing


Payload: 50 kg

EO, Sar, elint,comint. Modifiedstructure forRobonics cat.launch

t-o/recov: cat-para

65hpRotax562UL

3.50

4.20

250 15 20

Sperwer Mk 2

Sagem

Payload: 50 kg

Optronic daysight (M-Tek)

t-o/recov: cat-para

1x TTL-Wae 342

3.11

5.21

125 16 3.00

Vulture

ATE

Payload: 8 kg

Hi-resolutionCCD or nightcamera

t-o/recov: cat-para

8 hpn/a

2.56

4.00

40 10 4.00

Aerolight

Aeronautics

Payload: 19.5 kg

T Contropinfrared + day

To/recov: vert-vert

3.65

3.13

93 n/a 4+

R-Bat

Northrop Grumman

21 hpYamaha

Payload: ~0.220 kg

day + infrared+laser illum

To/recov: hand-belly

1.10

2.47

~3 ~15 2.75

Arrow Lite

Stark Aerospace

Payload: n/a

Video, IR

t-o/recov: hand-belly

n/a

0.28

0.40

0.32 10 1.00

Wasp III

Aerovironment

Payload: 20 kg

GimballedEO/IR(variousmanufacturers)

t-o/recov: cat-para

UEL AR74-1230

3.81

4.50

145 13.00 4+

Sojka III

VTULaSTV

Payload: 363 kg

Lynx sar, L-3Wescam EO/IR,sigint, ESM,Hellfire,GBU-12, GBU-38(export: ISR only)t-o/recov: conv-conv

1x AseTPE331-

10Ttp

10.36

20.12

4763 50 30+

Predator B, Reaper MQ-9

General Atomics

Payload: 1.2 kgHigh-resolutionstabilised CCD(typically ContropM-Stamp)

t-o/recov: cat-para

brushless

1.00

2.20

6.50 18 3.00

Orbiter

Aeronautics

Payload: 2700 kg

t-o/recov: vtol

1500hpT5317A1

15.8

15.8

5200 23 12+

K-Max

Lockeed Martin-Kaman

Payload: n/a

Dcompass +Amps (Elbit), Sar,satcom

t-o/recov: conv-conv

1x UELAR-80152 hp

6.10

10.52

449 20 20

Hermes 450

Elbit Systems

Payload: n/a

EO, IR, laserdesignator, Sar,GMTI, radar

t-o/recov: vtol

1x R-R250-

C20W

7.01

8.22

1430 20 8.00

Fire Scout MQ-8B

Northrop Grumman

Payload: 81.6 kg

EO-IR+ laserpointer & laserdesignator


1x UELAR 801R

49 hp

3.9

6.92

340 22 18

Shadow M2

AAI

Payload: var

custom

t-o/recov: vert-vert

4.0

3.30

180 n/a 6-8

Apid 60

Cyb Aero

2-cyl 2strHirth

heavy fuel55hp

Payload: n/a

Sony day or BAEuncooled IR

t-o/recov: air-expen-dable

8 hp

0.90

1.75

6.4 25 1.5

Coyote

BAE Systems

Payload: .25 kg

Stabilised panand tiltday/night colouror IR


0.45

1.7

<2 9 1

Crex-B

SelexGalileo

Payload: 59 kg

EO/IR, laserpointer, laserrange finder &laser designator

t-o/recov: conv/cat/rato-para

1x UELAR 74138 hp

3.66

6.22

211 18 9.00

Shadow 200 RQ-7B (ext.wing)

AAI

Payload: 50

electro-optical,Pakistani origin


4.2

6.6

480 17 7

Shahpar

Gids

4-cylRotax 912ULS100hp

Payload: 204 kg

MTS-A EO/IR,Lynx sar, singint,esm, GPS, INS,Hellfire


1x Rotax914

115 hp

8.23

17

1157 25 40

Predator A MQ-1

General Atomics

Payload: n/a

Radar, IR plusguided bombs intwo internal bays


1x Adour

9.30

12.50

~6000 35 n/a

Neuron

Neuron

demonstrator

Payload: 30 kg

Mosp EO orEL/M-2055B

t-o/recov: cat-para

n/a

4.10

7.10

250 20 8.00

I-View

IAI Malat

Payload: 25 kg

Elbit EnhancedMicro Compass

t-o/recov: conv/cat-conv

14 hp2-stroke

4.00

5.00

110 15 15+

Hermes 90

Elbit Systems

Payload: 136 kg

Flir Brite Star IITelephonics sarCobra ASW

To/recov: vert-vert

12.70

~36

2731 16 12

Fire Scout MQ-8C

Northrop Grumman

Armada International’s


Payload: n/a

CCD camera(various manufs)AthenaGuidestar 311system

t-o/recov:cat-net/para

2-cyl 2-s6.70 hp

2.26

2.36

<40 10 6+

Luna

EMT

Payload: n/a

TV or LLTV orelint

t-o/recov: cat-conv

Samana/Trud

P-03232 hp

2.77

3.26

130 8.20 2.00

Pchela 1

Yakovlev Design Bureau

Payload: 0.2 kg

Day or IR, auto-pilot.


XM300/400ES

0.60

0.66

<1.00 low 0.50

Spy Arrow

Thales

Payload: 18 kg

Cots EO(manufacturernot determined)


n/a

n/a

4.48

70.31 15 5.00

Aerosky

Israel Aerospace Industries

Payload: 16 kg

Cloud Cap T2EO, Cloud CapPiccolo autopilot,two drop loads

t-o/recov: cat-belly

190-cc10 hpHonda4-str

2.87

5.26

75 n/a 16

T-20

Arcturus

Payload: n/a

EO plusI-Master radar


UELAR 801

38.8 kW

6.10

10.51

450 15 30

Watchkeeper

U-Tacs

Payload: 5 kgVarious, stabilisedEO-IR-laser pointer,comms relay,meteor sensosrs

t-o/recov:cat-belly/net

4hpheavyfuel

2.10

3.6

15.20 15 12

Aerosonde Mk. 4.7

AAI-Aerosonde

Payload: 2040 kg

EO, IR, Sar,GMTI, ESM, IO


P&W F100

11.58

18.90

20,215 40 40+

X-47B (Ucas-D)

Northrop Grumman

demonstrator

Payload: 40 kg

CCD, IRstabilised turret

t-o/recov: conv/cat-conv/para

Rotax 503UL-2V

49.6 hp

4.02

5.81

300 12 6.50

Siva

Inta

Payload: n/a

Day TV


2xAveox1005/6Y

1.73

1.16

2.04 1.00 1.00

Dragon Eye RQ-14A

Aerovironment

Payload: 1360 kg

360 degreeMFAS aesaradar,satcom etc


1xRRAE30007 H

14.53

39.9

14628 60 36

Global Hawk Triton (Bams)

Northrop Grumman

Payload: n/a

EM, TV, Sar(variousmanufacturers)


2x Rotax914

100 hp

9.39

15

1496 25 24

Hermes 1500

Elbit Systems

Payload: n/a

FlirRheinmetallDefenceElectronics

t-o/recov: rato-para

1x 30 hpSchrick

SF2-350S

2.26

3.41

161 11.50 3.50

KZO

Rheinmetall

Payload: 204 kg

Lynx sar, Sigin,ESM, EO/IR,satcom, GPS,INS


Rotax 914turbo

8

17

2300 25 40

Predator XP

General Atomics

Payload: 2.7 kg

Colour & CCDcameras, flir

t-o/recov: cat-para

4-cycleJP5 or FP8

1.46

2.38

9.1 16 10

Silver Fox

BAE Systems

Payload: n/a

GimballedEO/IR

t-o/recov: auto vtol

4x

0.80

0.80

1.30 1500 0.33

Scout

Datron

Payload: n/a

Stabilised day orIR

t-o/recov: cat-cable

1x 1.5 hp2-stroke

1.19

3.05

18 16 15

Scaneagle

Boeing

Payload: 1588 kg*

*internal,2948kg tot,Lynx sar, EO/IRturret, widerange of GBUs


4,800lbtPW54B

13.4

20.11

7167 53 20

Predator C Avenger

General Atomics

Payload: n/a

Euroflir 410,Thales sar


1x115 hpRotax914F

8.50

18

1050 25 30+

Patroller

Sagem

Payload: 300 kg

EO gimbal, Sar-GMTI (Elbit),satcom, air-to-ground weaponssingint, elintt-o/recov: conv-conv

1x Rotax100 hp

15

15

970 33 40

Hermes 900

Elbit Systems

Payload: 1.0 kg

day/IR, sigint

t-o/recov:hand-belly

1x572 hpP&WC

PW207D

0.9

1.5

7.5 10+ 1.5

Desert Hawk III

Lockheed Martin

Payload: 536 kg

Gimballed multi-EO/IR, Sar,satcom +2hardpoints

t-o/recov: conv/conv

6-cylLycoming~300 hp

10.36

19.81

2268 30 40.00

Firebird

Northrop Grumman

Payload: 34 kg

EO/IR, sar,sigint, weaponsoption

t-o/recov: cat-net

16hp2-stroke

Hirth

1.90

3.6

100 20 14

Bat 12

Northrop Grumman

Payload: 1.5 kg

Low-level dayor uncooledinfrared

t-o/recov: vtol

1xelectric

n/a

0.62

8.00 6 0.50

Asio

Selex Galileo

Compendium of Drones


Payload: n/a

Day or IR

t-o/recov: hand orcat-belly

n/a

0.80

2.20

5.60 n/a 1.00

Bird Eye 400

IAI Malat

Payload: 8 kg

Infrared, Mpegrecorder


1xelectric

0.82

1.00

2.20 4.00 1.00

E-Swift Eye

Cyberflight

Payload: 245 kg

TV & IR, custom(IAI Tamam,various)


1x1200 hpP&WC

PT6-67A

14

26

4650 45 36

Heron TP

IAI Malat

Payload: n/a

Colour camera,multi-sensor,electronic survey

t-o/recov: conv-conv/arrestor

1x 4-cyl2-stroke50 hp

n/a

7.00

280 18 10

Seeker II

Denel

Payload: 40 kg

EO/IR

t-o/recov: vtol

2-str Hirth55 hp

4.00

4.70

230 13 ~6.00

Skeldar V-200

Saab

Payload: n/a

2 x EO, Sar


2x R-R250 tp

n/a

22

n/a 50 24

Mantis

BAE Systems

demonstrator

Payload: max 40 kg

EO/IR, soon Sar,sigint

t-o/recov: auto vtol

Hirth 2-str58 hp

4.00

3.30

200 11+ 6+

Pelicano

Indra

Payload: 1.2 kg

E-O Controp

To/recov: hand-conv

1.5

3.00

7.5 15 3.00

Skylark I-LE

Elbit Systems

Payload: 0.45 kg

Sony FCB-IX11AEO, DRS E3500IR cameras

t-o/recov: vtol

2-stroke3W engine

4 hp

0.40

0.33

6.80 10.50 0.70

T-Hawk Mav

Honeywell

Payload: 50 kg

Stabilised EO


Zanzottera2-piston490ia38 hp

4.50

6.50

200 18 14

Aerostar

Aeronautics

Payload: 5 kg

EO


6 hp

2.47

3.98

30 10 6.00

Yarara

Nostromo Defensa

Payload: n/a

Day or IR


1xelectric

0.60

1.46

4.0 low 1.00

Aladin

EMT

Payload: n/a

TV, IR, targetinglaser (Vega)

t-o/recov: cat-para

Hirth12 hp

2.40

3.40

50 70 4.00

Tipchak (1K133)

Luch

Payload: 1.00 kg

Day or IR

t-o/recov: cat-para

Electric

0.62

1.60

3.90 1.00 2.00

Zala 421-12

Zala Aero

Payload: 200 kg

Denel Argos orGoshawk/Avi-tronics elint orSar


1x Rotax914 orSubaruEA-82T

10

15

1000 25 24

Bateleur

Denel

Payload: 250 kg

EO or EW


1x Rotax914

115 hp

4.00

16.3

1150 25 24

Eagle 1/Harfang

EADS-IAI Malat

Payload: 1360 kg

Block 20: sar,EO+IR wide areasearch/spot.Block 40:MR-RTIP sar/MTI radar


1x R-RAE3007 H

tf

14.53

39.90

14,628 65 36

Global Hawk RQ-4B Bk 20-40

Northrop Grumman

Payload: 1360 kg

EISS (integratedsar, EO + IR),Asips (sigint),satcom


1xRRAE30007 H

14.53

39.9

14628 60 36

Global Hawk RQ-4 Block 30

Northrop Grumman

Payload: n/a

TV & IR, custom(IAI Tamam)


1x Rotax914

115 hp

8.60

16.61

1100 30 50

Heron

IAI Malat

Payload: 10 kg*

*incl fuel,modular pallet


2.5hpHonda

2.27

3.3

21.5 15 >20

Penguin B

UAVFactory

Payload: ~500 gr

Gimballed EO,IR


600W

1.40

2.80

5.9 500 2.00

Puma AE

Aerovironment

Payload: n/a

Day, IR

t-o/recov: rato-expen.

1x EnicsM44D

pulse jet

1.42

2.56

n/a n/a 0.50

R90

Enics

Payload: 120 kg

TV & flir(IAI Tamam)


1x 73 hp

5.85

8.56

426 19 16

Searcher II

IAI Malat

Payload: n/a

day or IR

t-o/recov:bungee/hand-belly

1x572 hpP&WC

PW207D

1.48

2.10

1.52 12+ 2

Mantis

Indra


Payload: 450 kg

EO or EW


Fuel Cell8 motors

25.4

78.94

4127 65 168+

Global Observer GO-2

Aerovironment

Payload: n/a

EO, IR(IAI Tamam)

t-o/recov: cat-conv

1x Goe-bler-Hirth

38 hp

4.60

5.70

274 14.8 5.00

Ranger

Ruag

Payload: n/a

TV & IR(IAI Tamam)


2x 57 hpdual

7.01

10.44

885 18 20.5

Hunter MQ-5B

Northrop Grumman

Payload: n/a

EO, IR


1xAveox 27

1.04

1.31

1.82 14 1.50

Raven RQ-11

Aerovironment

Payload: 100 kg

EO & Sar


n/a

10

15

n/a 8.00 16

Seeker 400

Denel

Payload: 1.1 kg

E_O Controp

To/recov: cat-para

~1

3.00

11 15 3+

Bird Eye 650

IAI

Payload:

Day + infraredT-Stamp ContropOperationalUS Army

To/recov: cat-para

~1.90

4.20

28 18 7.00

Apex

L-3

Axi

Payload: 50 kg

Day, IR, elint,comint, laser,rangefinder,laser pointer, Sar

t-o/recov: vtol

1x 55 hpAustroAE50R

3.09

3.40

200 18 6.00

Camcopter S-100

Schiebel

Payload: 70 kg

EOST 45(typical), Picosarand Gabbianoradars

t-o/recov: conv/cat-conv

UELAR 68275 hp

5.30

7.20

450 15 14

Falco

Selex Galileo

Payload: n/a

TV & flir(IAI Tamam,Versatron)

t-o/recov:conv/rato-conv

1x 27 hpSachs SF2-

350

4.24

5.12

210 15 6.50

Pioneer

IAI-AAI

Payload: 9.1 kg

Various

t-o/recov: conv-conv/para

1x2-stroke28 hp

2.57

1.90

150 10 6.00

Sentry HP

DRS Technologies

Payload: 9 kg

Stabilised EOnot defined

t-o/recov: cat

n/a

n/a

4.20

65 15 5.00

Skylark II

Elbit Systems

Payload: 100 kg

EO/IR, Sar,EW, comint


UELAR 68275 hp

6.2

12.5

650 20 18+

Falco Evo

Selex ES

Payload: 0.50 kg

TV or flir Photon,gas sensors


1x 300Wtype n/a

1.05

1.50

3 - 4 low 1.00+

Mass

Patria

Payload: 0.90 kg

CCD camera orIR


1xelectric

1.80

2.70

3.60 0.6+ 1.00

Pointer

Aerovironment

Payload: 23 kg

infrared, marker

t-o/recov: cat-snag

8 hp

2.10

4.80

59 20 24

Integrator

Boeing/Insitu

Payload: 9 kg

IR or TV ordroppable

t-o/recov: cat/belly-para

1x 15 hp2-stroke

1.83

1.83

62 8.00 4.00

Neptune RQ-15

DRS Technologies

Payload: 200 kg

Not defined,AthenaGuidestar 311nav. & ref.system


1 turbine

~7.00

~6.00

1100 30 n/a

Sky-X

Alenia

demonstrator

Payload: 1.8 kg

Day or IR


1xelectric

1.40

3.60

7.50 6.50 2.00

Tracker (Drac)

EADS

turbineor t-propengine

Electricmotor

pistonengine

Wankelengine

2-str 2-strokehp horsepowertp turbopropRx Rotax engine

elec electric enginegas gasoline engines/b solid booster-cyl -cylinder

tf turbo fantj turbo jetpj pulse jeth heavy fuel

take-off/recovery abbreviationspowerplant abbreviationsconv conventionalcat catapultpara parachutebelly belly land

rato rocket-assist t-ohand hand launchedvtol vertical t-o/landstovl short t-o vertical land

Payload: 34 kg

Flir (typical), alsosigint, elint,ladar


Zanzottera498i39 hp

4.48

6.00

240 n/a 12

Viking 400

L-3

Payload: 204 kg*

*internal,522kg ext,EO/IR, sar,4 Hellfire,satcom


Thielert165 hp

heavy fuel

8.53

17.07

1633 29 30

Gray Eagle MQ.1C

General Atomics

Payload: 200 kg

300T E-O turret(Savronicdatalink)


8

173

1750 30 24

Anka Block A

TAI

CenturionTMG 2.0heavy fuel

22

Pterodactyl-1, which first flew in 2007 andwas cleared for export in 2009. It hasreportedly been sold to five nations,including Saudi Arabia, the United ArabEmiratesandUzbekistan.Chinahasagreed tosell armed drones to Pakistan, which theUnitedStates has refused todo.

The Wing Loong was preceded by thecanard-configuration 630-kg CH-3,developed by the CASC (China AerospaceScience & Technology Corp) EleventhAcademy, aka the China Academy ofAerospaceAerodynamics (CAAA).TheCH-3 flew in2004 and (like theWingLoong)hastwoweaponpylons.

The CAAA also developed the 1,350-kgCH-4 or Sky Saker, which also follows thePredator layout, buthas fourweaponpylons.The CH-4 is reportedly in service with thePLAand is being evaluatedbyAlgeria,wheretwohave crashed.

Later products in the CH-series includethe 110-kg CH-91, which has a twin-boomconfigurationwith invertedvee-tail, the 300-kg CH-92 and the 18-kg CH-803. The tube-launched 9.0-kg CH-901 is intended forspecial forces, and can be used either forreconnaissanceor as awingedgrenade. It hasaone-piece swing-wing, and the tail surfacesfold forward into thebody.

Turning to jet-powered drones ofbroadly Global Hawk configuration, the1,700-kgAVIC/GuizhouWZ-2000 first flewat the end of 2003. The Chengdu Sky WingThree is thought to be in the seven-tonneclass, and was seen making taxying trials in

2008. It is expected to lead to lead to a largerdrone named Long Haul Eagle, in the 14-tonne category.

TheChinaAerospace Science& IndustryCorp (CASIC) has developed through itsThird Academy the HW-100 SparrowHawk, HW-200 Ascender and HW-300Blade drones. Its latest known project is theHW-600 Sky Eagle, which in attack versionbecomes the WJ-600. The Third Academyspecialises in cruise missiles, so it is nosurprise that the HW-600 looks like aBoeingAGM-86Alcmwith a fixedwing. Inan animation shown at Zhuhai in 2010, thistruck-launchedWJ-600 is shown launchingmissiles at ground vehicles and providing

targeting of ships for artillery rockets andcruisemissiles.

Aiming to achieve extremeendurance/range with an ISR drone,Chengdu and Guizhou have adopted atandem joined-wing arrangement for the7,500-kg Xiang Long (Flying Lizard), whichhad itsmaiden flight in 2009.

At the top of the technology scale, theLijian (Sharp Sword) is a stealthy combatdrone reportedly designed by Shenyang andbuilt by Hongdu, and reminiscent of the X-47B. It is evidently being developed for boththe PLA Air Force and Navy, primarily toensure aerial access to the South China Sea.First flight took place in November 2013. Apromotional animation illustrates use fromanaircraft carrier.

In1994China importedabatchof 135-kgIAI Harpy truck-launched anti-radiationloiter-attackdrones ina$55milliondeal, andmore recently developed its own versionswith different seekers. China is also believedto have purchased one Vulture artillerysupport system from ATE in South Africa.Photographic evidence supports reports that18 200-kg Schiebel S-100 drone helicopterswere purchased in 2010 for use by the PLANavy. In early 2014 CybAero announced aEuro 5.5 million sale to China of 180-kgApid-60s for use fromships.

I ASIA PACIFICDespiteYamahaMotor’s commercial successwith the crop-spraying 67-kgR50 and 94-kgRmax helicopters (the latter being deployedwith the JGSDF to Iraq in 2005 andAfghanistan in 2007), Japan has donerelatively little to develop its own military


South Korea has developed a number of drones for military and civil purposes,including this 120-kg Sunwung Engineering Remo-H, which evidently serves as a targetfor the Republic of Korea Army. (US Air Force)

The 220-kg Changhe Aircraft Industries (CAIC) U8E drone helicopter made its internationaldebut at the 2013 Dubai Air Show, but its merits were placed in doubt by the PLA Navy’s use ofthe 200-kg Schiebel S-100. (CATIC).

drones. However, as seen earlier, the Rmaxhas beenusedbyNorthropGrummanas thebase for the development of the R-Batobservationdrone.

The US Air Force is to deploy two 14.6-tonne Northrop Grumman RQ-4 GlobalHawks to Misawa AB in northern Japanfrom May 2014, and the JASDF hopes tooperate one of these aircraft jointlywith thatservice in 2015. Japan’s FY14-18 mid-termdefence programme includes funding forthe purchase of three Global Hawks, whichwill be used primarily to monitor Chinesemaritime activities around the disputedislands. They will also have special infraredsensors to detect ballistic missile launches.(In February 2014 Australia’s defenceminister recommended the purchase ofsevenRQ-4Cs).

South Korea plans to sign a contract forfour Global Hawk Block 30s before the endof this year.The65-kgElbit Skylark II and IAIHarpy anti-radiation attack drone havealreadybeen imported.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) isresponsible for most in-country dronedevelopments,notably thecorps-level 290-kgRQ-101 Night Intruder 300, which enteredservicewith theRoKArmyin2002(followinguse of a small number of IAI Searchers). KAIhas recently been selected to develop areplacement for theRQ-101, for service fromaround 2020. It will be equipped with a US-supplied Airborne Weapon SurveillanceSystem (AWSS) with an infrared seeker todetect artillery rocket launches.

Another KAI project is the 25-kg DevilKiller loiter-attack drone,which first flew in2011. In 2010 Korean Air AerospaceDivision (KAL-ASD) was awarded a $ 30million contract to develop the KUS-11division-level drone.

Drone developments in Taiwan aremainly performed by the Chung-ShanInstitute of Science & Technology (CSIST),whose Chung Shyang II tactical air vehicleis thought to have entered service around2011. Some 32 air vehicles in eight systemscurrently equip three battalions of theRepublic of China (RoC) Army. CSIST hasalso developed the hand-launched 2.1-kgCardinal II.

I SOUTH-EAST ASIAIn 2012 Indonesia bought four 500-kg IAISearcher IIs, which are used primarily tocounter piracy in theMalacca Strait. InApril2013 plans were announced for the localdevelopment of the 120-kg Wulung drone

for the IndonesiaAir Force, to bedesignedbythe Agency for the Assessment &Application ofTechnology (BPPT) andbuiltby IndonesianAerospace.

In 2007 Malaysia’s CompositesTechnology Research Malaysia (CTRM).Ikramatic SystemsandSystemsConsultancyServices established a joint venture namedUnmannedSystemsTechnology (UST).TheUST website lists its products as the 200-kgAludra of twin-boom pusher configuration,the 2.1-kgAludra SR-08 flyingwing, and theIntisar 400 helicopter, which is probably inthe 100-kg class.

The 500-kg Yabhon Aludra, employing acanard configuration, is a joint developmentby UST and Abu Dhabi’s Adcom Systems.Two are being used, alongside two AludraMk2s and twoBoeing/Insitu ScanEagles, onbehalf of the Royal Malaysian Air Force incontractor-operated ISR missions over theEasternSabahSecurityZone (Esszon).

Reports in2013 indicated thatMalaysia isconsidering collaborating with Pakistan onthe development of a long-range/endurancedrone.

The Philippines Army, in co-operationwith theObiMapua company, developed the14-kg Assunta. However, plans to use thisdrone were evidently dropped in favour ofacquiring two 180-kg Emit Aviation BlueHorizon IIs, built under licencebySingaporeTechnologiesAerospace (STA).

In late 2013 the Philippine Armyannounced that its counter-insurgency

operations had employed two types of low-cost drone, the$6,700KnightFalconand the$3,400 Raptor, both developed by itsResearchandDevelopmentCommand fromthe Skywalker RC model produced by theHongKong-based companyof that name.

Beginning in 2002 the Philippine Armyhas received ISR information fromAmericanoperated drones, notably the GeneralAtomics 520-kg Gnat 750 and 1,020 –kgPredator-A used by the CIA, and the 5.9-kgAerovironment Puma, the 20-kg SensitelSilver Fox and 18-kg Boeing/InsituScanEagle flownby theUSmilitary. Predatormissions in the Philippines included anunsuccessful Hellfire strike in 2006 againstIndonesian terrorist Umar Patek, who waslater convictedof the 2002Bali bombing.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force(RSAF) began receiving 40 IAI Searchers in1994, to replace the 159-kg IAI Scout, ofwhich Singapore had received 60. TheSearcher equipped No 119 Sqn at MuraiCamp from1998, but in 2012 the unit beganconverting to the 1,150-kg IAI Heron I. TheotheroperationalRSAFdroneunit isNo116Sqn atTengah,which introduced the 550-kgElbitHermes 450 in 2007.

Singapore’s 5.0-kgSkyblade IIIwas jointlydeveloped by ST Aerospace, DSO NationalLaboratories, DSTA and the RS Army, withwhich it is in service. Later ST Aerospaceprojects include the70-kgSkyblade IV,whichenteredRSArmy service in 2012.The9.1-kgSkyblade 360 uses fuel cell technology to


The General Atomics Predator XP is an unarmed version offered for export. In early2013 it was announced that the United Arab Emirates had signed a $ 200millioncontract for an unspecified number. (General Atomics).

24

achieve an endurance of six hours. The new1.5-kg SkyViper drone helicopter is stillundergoing trials. At the SingaporeAirshowin February 2014 the company unveiled itsquad-rotorUstar-Xandhex-rotorUstar-Y.

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) isbelieved tohavepurchased in late2010a210-kgAeronauticsAerostar systemforevaluationagainst the220-kgG-Star,developed fromthe150-kg Innocon Mini-Falcon II by the Thai-based G-Force Composites. The Aerostarappears to have won, as around 20 furtherdrones were purchased in 2012. The RTAFAcademyhasa smallnumberof65-kgSapuraCyber Eyes, purchased from Malaysia’sSapura Secured Technologies, which has itsdrone R&D performed by its CyberFlightsubsidiary inPerth,Australia.

In 2010 the RTAF launched theTigershark drone as an R&D programme.The Royal Thai Army, which earlier usedfour Searchers, has received twelve 1.9-kgAeroVironmentRQ-11Ravens.

Vietnam has so far lagged in the use ofdrones, although the Institute of DefenceTechnology did develop and test the M-100CT and M-400CT targets in 2004-2005.The Vietnam Academy of Science &Technology (Vast) produced five designs,ranging from4.0 to 170 kg, and tested threeof them in 2013. It now appears thatVietnam will buy the 100-kg Grif-1, whichwas developed by the JSC 558 AircraftRepair Plant in Belarus, and first flew inFebruary 2012.

I SOUTH ASIAIndia is amajoruser of Israeli drones, havingreceived at least 108 IAI Searchers and 68Heron Is, plus numerous Harpy and Haroploiter-attack weapons. The Searcher II hasreportedly been licence-built in India since2006. In late 2013 the purchase of 15 moreHerons for $ 195 million was approved byCabinet.

The Defence Research & DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) is the driving forcebehinddronedevelopment in India.Around100 examples of its Lakshya target have beenproduced, but it appears that no more thantwelve Nishant ISR drones have so far beenbuilt for the IndianArmy.TheRustomseriesis intended to replace theHeronand serve asthe basis for an attack drone. Thesubstantially new Rustom II is due to flyaroundmid-2014.

Pakistan benefits fromanumber of smallprivate companies that are active in thedrone field. For example, Satuma has


Developed and produced by the GIDS consortium, the 480-kg Shahpar-3 is equippedwith the Aero Zumr-1(EP)multi-sensor turret. It has been in service with the Pakistan Air Forceand Army since 2012. (GIDS)

TheDRDONishant (Dawn) ISRdrone first flew in 1995, but stillappears to be only in verylimited service with the IndianArmy and Central Reserve PoliceForce. (Armada/Roy Braybrook)

One of the products of Pakistan’s Satuma(Surveillance And Target Unmanned Aircraft)is the 245-kg Flamingo, which has a 30 kgpayload and amaximum endurance of eighthours. (Satuma).

The 40-kg SatumaMukhbar (Urdu forInformer) short-range ISR drone is a scaled-down version of the same company’s 145-kgJasoos II (Bravo II), which has been theworkhorse of the Pakistan Air Force since2004. (Satuma).

developed the medium-range 245-kgFlamingo, the tactical-range 145-kg JasoosII (described as the country’s drone work-horse), the short-range 40-kgMukhbar andthe 7.5-kg Stingraymini-drone.

Global Industrial andDefence Solutions(GIDS) has developed the 480-kg Shahpar,200-kg Uqab, the Huma, and the 4.0-kgScout. TheUqab is operated by the PakistanArmy and Navy, and has recently beenjoined by the Shahpar, which resemblesChina’s CH-3. Another local developmentis the Burraq attack drone, by the state-owned National Engineering & ScientificCommission (Nescom).

Integrated Dynamics has developedseveral drone designs, including the BorderEagle, which has been exported to fivecountries, includingLibya.Thecompany’s0.8-kgSkycamhasbeenthesubjectofa ten-systemorder fromthePakistanArmedForces.

In 2006 Pakistan ordered five 420-kgSelex ES Falco systems with 25 air vehicles,which led to licence production by thePakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).The Pakistan Army and Navy operate the40-kg EMTLuna drone.

The Sri LankaAir Force operates two IAISearcher IIunits,Nos111and112UAVSqds.It earlier used the IAI Super Scout (from1996) andEmitBlueHorizon II.

I ISRAELIsrael has been a world leader in dronedevelopment for four decades, primarilydue to the successes of IAI/Malat, whichbegan manufacturing uninhabited aircraftin 1974. Israeli drones have accumulated

over 1.1 million operational flight hours inmore than 50 countries. According to theStockholm International Peace ResearchInstirtute, Israel was responsible for 41% ofdrones sold internationally in the firstdecade of this century.

The 1,250-kg Heron I (local designation‘Shoval’) first flew in 1994. The Heron isoperated by 21 countries, four ofwhichhaveused it in Afghanistan. The Heron familyhas accumulated over 250,000 operationalflight hours.

The latest version of the piston-enginedHeron is the 1,452-kg Super Heron HF(Heavy Fuel). The first of two protypes isbelieved to have first flown in October 2013(IAI being strangely reticent on this point)and was unveiled at Singapore in February2014. Powered by a 149 kW Dieseljet Fiatengine, it has an enduranceof 45hours.

The Super Heron was exhibited with theIAI Mosp3000-HD EO/IR/laser turret andIAI/EltaEL/M-2055D(Downsized)Sar/Gmtiradar. Also fuselage-mountedwere the ELK-1894Satcom,ELL-8385ESM/Elint andALK-

25Compendium Special OPS 2014

According to theStockholm InternationalPeace Research Instirtute,Israel was responsible for41% of drones soldinternationally in the firstdecade of this century.

One of the world’s most successful drones, theIAI Heron serves with 21 nations, four of whichhave used it in Afghanistan, as exemplified bythis Royal Australian Air Force aircraft.(Commonwealth of Australia).

As evidenced by this view of a Hermes 900,Elbit has the flxibility tomodify its aircraft tosuit customer required installations, amaritime Selex Gabbiano radar in thisinstance. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

The first of two IAI Super Heron HF (HeavyFuel)development aircraft (registration 4X-UMF)made its first flight in October 2013. The podunder the right wing serves the automatic take-off and landing system. (IAI).

The IAI Super Heronmade its public début atthe Singapore Airshow in February 2014, with afull range of equipment, including the EltaMosp 3000-HD sensor turret and EL/M-2055DSar/Gmti radar. (IAI)

Although the IAI Heron TP is believed to have first flown around 2004 and beenused operationally in 2009, the first Israeli Air Force unit (No 210 Sqn) was formallycommissioned only in December 2010. (IAI)

Seen here at its Pik test range on the Golanheights, the Elbit Hermes 900 first flew in2009, and appears to aimed at dominatingthe one-tonne ISR dronemarket category. Ithas already been selected by the IDF (IsraeliDefence Force) and four internationalcustomers. (Armada/Eric H. Biass).

26

7065 3D Compact HF Comint systems. Thebooms carried multiple antennae for theELK-7071 Comint/DF system, and a podunder the starboard wing housed a sensor forthe automatic take-off and landing system.

The much heavier (4,650-kg) turboprop-powered Heron TP or ‘Eitan’ was first used inan Israeli Air Force strike against a convoycarrying Iranian arms through Sudan in 2009.It is competing with America’s MQ-9 fororders from some major European nations.

Other IAI products include the 436-kgSearcher III. The Searcher has been used by14 nations, including Spain and Singapore,which operated it in Afghanistan. The vtoltilt-rotor Panther series is available as the

65-kg Panther and 12.0-kg mini-Panther. Atthe lower end of the IAI range are the 5.6-kgBird Eye 400 and 11.0-kg Bird Eye 650. Fuelcell power has been tested with the Pantherand Bird Eye.

Elbit Systems drones have accumulatedover 500,000 flight hours, largely due to the550-kg Hermes 450, which is used by twelvecountries and also provides the basis for theThales Watchkeeper. The new 115-kgHermes 90 first flew in 2009.

The 1180-kg Elbit Hermes 900 also had itsmaidenflight in2009,andwasselectedin2012as the Israeli Air Force’s nextgenerationdrone.

The Ha Avir has recently named it Kochav(Star). It is also used by Chile, Colombia,Mexico and one other country. Switzerland isdue to choose between the Hermes 900 andHeron I by mid-2014. More than 50 examplesof the Hermes family were built in 2013.

Elbit’s smaller electrically powered dronesinclude the 7.5-kg Skylark I-LE. It is the IDF’sbattalion-level drone, but is also flown by over20 services, including French special forces.The vehicle-launched 65-kg Skylark II hasbeen selected as the IDF’s brigade-level drone,and has been tested with fuel cell power.

The leader of the Aeronautics family is the


One of themost successful of so-called tacticaldrones is the 220-kg Aeronautics Aerostar,which was introduced in 2001, and has so farbeen ordered by 15 nations. (Aeronautics)

Evenmore widely adopted than theAerostar, the Aeronautics Orbiter mini-droneseries, marketed for bothmilitary andparamilitary use, is in use by 20 services.(Aeronautics)

Although electrically powered, the 9.0-kg BlueBirdSpylite has an endurance of up to four hours.

Users include the Chilean Army and at least oneAfrican service. (Bluebird AeroSystems)

There is a growing demand for a ’winged grenade’ that can deliver its warhead accurately atmuch greater distance than the traditional lobbed variety. The BluebirdMicroB is a leadingexample. (BlueBird AeroSystems)

220-kg Aerostar, which has been purchased by15 customers, and has accumulated over130,000 flight hours. The company’s Orbiterseries isoperatedby20services,andconsistsofthe 7.0-kg Orbiter-I, the 9.5-kg Orbiter-II(used by the Israeli Air Force and Navy, andordered by Finland) and the 20-kg Orbiter-III.

The 40-kg Aerolight is flown by theIsraeli Air Force, the US Navy and others.The 720-kg Picador is a drone version ofBelgium’s Dynali H2S two-seat kithelicopter. It first flew in 2010 and is aimed atoperations from Israel’s corvettes.

BlueBird Aero Systems has developed the

hand-launched 1.5-kg MicroB, the 9,0-kgSpyLite, which is used by the Israeli DefenceForce and others (including the ChileanArmy), and the 11.0-kg WanderB, which isoperated from runways. In 2013 the companyannounced the 24-kg ThunderB, with anendurance of 20 hours.

BlueBird has the distinction of producingthe first operational fuel cell-powered mini-drone, the 10.0-kg Boomerang, which hasbeen purchased by the Ethiopean Army.

Innocon produces the 3.5-kg Spider,the joined-wing 6.0-kg MicroFalcon-LPand 10.0-kg MicroFalcon-LE, the 90-kg

selex-es.com

Selex ES. The power of one. Defence. Security. Smart systems.

Whatever your mission or location our family of unmanned air systems provides responsive, persistent real-time situation awareness, disseminating intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to ensure you are fully aware of what lies ahead. These scaled solutions, spanning mini, micro and tactical UAS, share a common control station that fuses sensor data into a single networked picture for real-time decision making.

Falco UAS. Reporting for duty

The 150-kg InnoconMiniFalcon II is normallyrail-launched, equippedwith either wheel ofskids to suit a runway landing or recovery to afield or beach. Take-off and landing areautomated. (Innocon)

The 60-kg BlueBird Blueye wasdesigned not only for tasks suchas delivering small urgent loadsto forward bases, but also as theaerial component of aphotogrammetric system,quickly providing accuratemaps.(BlueBird AeroSystems).

MiniFalcon I and 150-kg MiniFalcon II, andthe 800-kg Falcon Eye, which is derivedfrom a manned aircraft.

I OTHERMIDDLE EASTIran’s principal drone developer appears tobe Qods Aeronautics Industries (QAI), abranch of the Islamic Revolutionary GuardCorps (IRGC), although a series of operator-training and target drones have beenproduced by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing(Hesa), which is part of Iran AerospaceIndustries Organisation (IAIO).

The QAI Mohajer (Migrant)-1 ISR droneflew in 1981 and performed 619 sorties inthe war with Iraq, probably with a fixedcamera, although it could be turned into aloiter-attack drone with RPG-7 warheads.Over 200 improved 85-kg Mohajer-2s werebuilt. The Mohajer-3 or Dorna providedincreased range/endurance, and furtherimprovements came with the 175-kgMohajer-4 or Hodhod. This is used by the

Iranian Army and IRGC, was sold toHezbollah, Sudan and Syria, and is licence-built in Venezuela under the name Arpia.

The lighter (83-kg) canard-configurationQAI Abalil (Swallow) is used by Iran, Sudanand Hezbollah. Three were shot down overIsrael in 2006, one over Iraq (by the US AirForce) in 2009, and one over Sudan (byrebels) in 2012.

The QAI Shahed (Witness) -129 lookslike the Thales Watchkeeper, has anendurance of 24 hours, and is presumably inthe 1,000-kg class. It has two weapon pylons,and reportedly entered series production in2013. However, the largest Iranian drone isthe IAIO Fotros, which was unveiled in late2013. It has two weapon pylons and anendurance of 30 hours.

There appear to be several Iranian loiter-attack drones, including the Ra’ad-85, whichentered production in 2013, the twin-engined Sarir (Throne), and the Toophan-2, aHarpy lookalike.

New Iranian designs revealed in 2013included the Yasir, which appears to be aScanEagle copy with twin booms and aninverted-vee tail added. Iran’s only jet-powered drone is the 900-kg Hesa Karrar(Striker), which can carry one 200 kg or two113 kg bombs.

I ARABIAN PENINSULAThe United Arab Emirates’ Adcom Systemsfirst produced a series of targets, which weresold to several countries, including Russia,and then switched to ISR drones.

28

Adcom Systems has produced a series of high-performance target drones, which appear toaccount for the firm’s income. Russia is reputed to be one of its major customers.Seen here is the 570-kg Yabhon-X2000, which offers a cruise speed of up to 850 km/hr and anendurance of up to two hours. (Messe Berlin)


The 160-kg Adcom Systems Yabhon RX is atactical ISR drone that is rail-launched and isdesigned to land automatically on twotandem-mounted retractable skids, although itis also equippedwith an emergencyparachute. (Adcom Systems)

These were initially conventional designs,but Adcom became obsessed with highaspect ratio tandem wings, mounted on aserpentine fuselage. Whether this reallyachieves positive interference between thetwo wings is something that only Adcomknows. What is clear is that the release ofloads from either wing will produce alongitudinal shift in centre of gravity.

Adcom has considered various types ofpowerplant for this attention-catching droneseries. At Dubai last year the companypresented a mockup of its ten-tonne GlobalYabhon project, with two unspecifiedturbofan engines and a wide range ofweapons. There may be more sales interest(allegedly from Russia and Algeria) in thepreceding twin piston-engined, 1,500-kgUnited 40 Block 5 variant, which has alreadyflown and is claimed to offer the remarkableendurance of 100 hours.

I EUROPEFew European drones have been goodenough to achieve international sales, someexceptions being Austria’s 200-kg SchiebelCamcopter S-100, France’s 250-kg SagemSperwer, Germany’s 40-kg EMT Luna, Italy’s

Selex ES 450-kg Falco and Mirach targetseries, Norway’s 16-gram Prox DynamicsPD-100 Black Hornet (the first micro-droneto achieve operational status) and Sweden’s150/180-kg CybAero Apid 55/60.

Future possibilities include France’s1,050-kg Sagem Patroller (mentioned and

illustrated at the beginning of thisCompendium), Italy’s 6,145-kg Piaggio AeroP.1HH Hammerhead, Spain’s 200-kg IndraPelicano (developed from the Apid 60), andSweden’s 230-kg Saab Skeldar-200. TheSkeldar has actually taken the world bysurprise by chalking up its first order with an

One of the few twin-enginedMale drones beingmarketed is thetwo-tonne, tandem-wing Adcom Systems Yabhon United 40 Block 5.It made its public debut at Dubai in 2013, and allegedly sparked interestin Algeria and Russia. (Adcom Systems)

Brisbane, Australia

22-25 September

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW AND AEROSPACE & DEFENCE EXPOSITION

AVALON201524 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH 2015

AVALON MEANS BUSINESS www.airshow.com.auAUSTRALIAN SALES TEAM

Penny Haines T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0535 M: +61 (0) 407 824 400 E: [email protected] Macfarlane T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0544 M: +61 (0) 417 011 982 E: [email protected] Wouda T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0538 M: +61 (0) 418 143 290 E: [email protected]


international sale, to the Spanish navy to beprecise. It will be interesting to see how thePiaggio Avanti will fare as a drone due to theaircraft’s twin-wing configuration (which isnot canard!) in which the nose wing isdesigned to stall before the rear one, forcingthe aircraft to pitch down automatically torecover speed before a full stall occurs.

However, it is painfully clear that Europehas so far been limiting itself to a tiny fractionof the global drone market, with the possibleexception of the naval rotary-wing segment.For years there have been governmentstatements of intent regarding internationalco-operation on drones, but they have notbeen backed by significant funding.

One obvious gap in the market is for aMale drone designed to achieve low attrition,with two engines, redundant systems, anti-icing provisions, and a tail configuration thatallows for a nose-high attitude in proximityto the runway.

In 2010 there was an Anglo-Frenchagreement in principle to develop a Maledrone, the Telemos, which was generally seenas a development of the twin-turboprop BAE

Systems Mantis that first flew in late 2009.However, the Telemos would have competedwith the twin-jet Eads Talarion, a situationthat revived memories of other (Typhoon-Rafale) mutually damaging duplications.Funding was consequently minimal.

In December 2013 all 28 nations of theEuropean Union signed an agreement todevelop an unarmed ISR Male drone thatcould enter service around 2022. If properlyfunded and not bogged down in bureaucracy,this may be worthwhile, although the end-

product could face competition from anynumber of countries. This is motor-gliderterritory, not rocket science.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, onthe other hand, development of Ucavs doesrequire a high level of technology andfunding. The Dassault-led seven-tonneNeuron first flew on December 1, 2012,under a six-nation (France, Greece, Italy,Spain, Sweden and Switzerland), €535million programme, for which France ispaying half. The eight-tonne BAE Systems-

Originally developed for the United Arab Emirates, which ordered60 systems, the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 is one of Europe’s few

drone successes. The S-100 is here shown equippedwith the SageESM and Elint system by Selex SE. (Schiebel)

The Selex ES Falco is used by Pakistan (which produces it under licence), Jordan and SaudiArabia. In 2013 Selex received a three-year contract to provide support with the Falco for UNoperations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The fact that a number of nations that claimto have fully developed their own drones but still acquire western types offers proof that they arediscovering that developing a drone is not as easy a task as it may appear. (Selex)

“It is painfully clear thatEurope has so far beenlimiting itself to a tinyfraction of the globaldrone market”

e-magazine also available on

www.asianmilitaryreview.com www.defencesecurityindia.com

R E A D I T YO U R WAY

SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE YOUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE ONLINE

T R U S T E D M E D I A F O R G L O B A L D E F E N C E P R O F E S S I O N A L S

www.armada.ch

Asia Pacific’s Largest Circulated Defence Magazine

The Trusted Source For DefenceTechnology Information Since 1976

India’s Only Magazine on National Security,Strategic Affairs & Policy Matters

DEFENCE and SECURITYof INDIA

DSI

D


led Taranis, developed under a Britishnational programme jointly funded byBritish industry and Whitehall, flew onAugust 10, 2013. At that point £185 millionhad been spent. The Taranis is intended tolay the foundations for a Ucav that could beavailable beyond 2030 as a potentialTyphoon replacement.

The Franco-British summit meeting inJanuary 2014 resulted in a ‘Declaration onSecurity and Defence’, which included a

statement on a joint Future Combat AirSystem (FCAS). This followed 15-monthPreparation Phase studies by six industrypartners: Dassault Aviation, BAE Systems,Thales France, Selex ES, Rolls-Royce andSafran. The statement announced a two-year £120 million Feasibility Phase, to becomplemented by national work valued atGBP 40 million on either side, to develop thenecessary concepts and technologies.

The associated Memorandum of

Understanding on the next FCAS phase wasto be signed at the 2014 FarnboroughInternational Airshow. As a result, the twonations “will be ideally placed to decide by2016 whether to collaborate on ademonstration and manufacturing phases”. Inother words, times are hard and there is nourgency for a Ucav, but Europe cannot affordto lose existing technical teams.

Europe would be well advised to develophi-tech drones, since several low-costcountries want to establish a foothold in theaerospace business, and view low-tech dronesas an easy way in, with excellent salesprospects.BrazilandSouthKoreahaveprovedthat major aerospace industries can be createdfrom scratch, and countries such as Thailandand Vietnam want to follow their lead.

While major European powers arestruggling to retain some semblance ofaerospace capability, Turkey is slowlyemerging as a possible force in the dronebusiness. In late 2010 Turkish AerospaceIndustries (TAI) performed the maiden flightof its 1,500-kg Anka Male drone, which inBlock A form offers an endurance of 18 hours

Selex is developing a larger version of its Falco, known as the Falco Evo (for Evolution). Essentiallyfeaturing amuch larger wingspan and longer tail booms, its higher capacity and endurancewould enable it to perform longer range intelligencemissions, being equippedwith a nose-mounted Selex Picosar synthetic aperture radar and electronic warfare sensorsmounted in thewing tips. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

Withmuch help from its Arabic peninsula investors, Piaggio has embarked on the development ofa droned version of its P-180 Avanti business tandem-wing aircraft, seen here in full-sizemock-upfor at the 2014 Duvai Air Show. Its large diameter fuselage will enable it to accommodate awealth of comint, elints and sigin ystems, and extra fuel. It would have an endurance of 16 hourswith a 500-pound payload. Mission systems envisaged include a Selex SkyIstar, a chin-mountedFlir Starfire 380HD, and a Seaspray 7300 E Radar. (seen here) (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

“Europewould bewelladvised to develop hi-techdrones, since several low-cost countries want toestablish a foothold in theaerospace business, andview low-tech drones asan easyway in, withexcellent sales prospects.”

Having assisted CybAero with the Aspid-55,Saabwent on to develop the completely new235-kg Skeldar-V200, which has a heavy fuelengine, giving an endurance of six hours witha 40 kg payload. (Saab/Jonas Tillgren)

34

with an Aselsan Aselflir-300T EO/IR turret.The Block B version will add satcom facilities.If Turkish Engine Industries can increase thepower of its Thielert Centurion 2.0 engine,Anka may later be equipped with an Aselsansynthetic aperture radar. TEI has alsopartnered with GE Aviation in developing anew engine for the Anka.

In the longer term TAI hopes to develop alarger, turboprop-powered, armed derivativeof the Anka, but this probably depends on

American approval for supply of the engine.The existing aircraft would be restricted tolightweight weapons such as the RoketsanCirit laser-homing 70 mm rocket and itsprojected 23-kg Smart Micro-Munition. InJuly 2012 it was announced that TAI hadstarted design work on an armed derivativenamed the Anka +A.

In late 2012 it was reported that Egypt,unable to acquire Predators, had ordered tenAnka systems, but this report appears to bepremature. In October 2013 Turkey’sUndersecretariat for Defence Industriesannounced that his country had awarded TAIa contract for ten Anka systems, to bedelivered between 2016 and 2018. However,the latest Anka release from TAI states onlythat negotiations are in progress over theinitial series production of ten systems for theTurkish Air Force. TAI has also developedtwo target drones: the 70-kg Turna and jet-powered Simsek.

Turkey’s Baykar Makina has developedtwo mini-drones: the 4.5-kg Goezcu and theBayraktar Mini-UAS, of which the TurkishArmy has reportedly procured 200, andwhich is the subject of a ten-system $ 25million order from Qatar. Its other productsinclude the Bayraktar Tactical UAS and theMalazgirt drone helicopter. Vestel SavunmaSanayi has developed the 500-kg Karayel, the85-kg Bora and the 4.1-kg Efe.

The leading European Ucav project is thesix-nation Neuron programme, with DassaultAviation as prime contractor. The Neuron flewin December 2012, and is pictured here on itsfirst flight with landing gear retracted.(Dassault Aviation/M Brunet)

AFRICA AEROSPACE C3ARMADA DIGITAL 31AVALON AUSTRALIA 29ELBIT SYSTEMS 11IAI MALAT 7

LAAD BRAZIL 33SAGEM C4SCHIEBEL 13SELEX 27TEXTRON SYSTEMS C2

I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

CompendiumDronesSupplement to Issue 3/2014Volume 38, IssueNo. 3, June-July 2014

INTERNATIONALis published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd.Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd.Publishing Office:Media Transasia Ltd.,1205 Hollywood Centre,233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2815 1933

Editor-in-Chief: Eric H. BiassRegular Contributors: Roy Braybrook,Paolo Valpolini, Peter Donaldson, Wesley FoxChairman: J.S. UberoiPresident: Xavier CollacoSr. Manager International Marketing: Vishal MehtaManager Marketing: Jakhongir DjalmetovSales &Marketing Coordinator: Atul BaliCreative Director: Bipin KumarAsstt. Art Director: Ajay KumarProductionManager: Kanda ThanakornwongskulGroup CirculationManager: Porames ChinwongsChief Financial Officer: Gaurav Kumar

Advertising Sales Offices� AUSTRIA, BENELUX, SWITZERLANDCornelius W. BontjePh: +41 55 216 17 81, [email protected]� FRANCEPromotion et Motivation, Odile OrbecPh: +33 1 41 43 83 00, [email protected]� GERMANYSam Baird Ph: +44 1883 715 697,[email protected]� ITALY, NORDIC COUNTRIESEmanuela Castagnetti-GillbergPh: +46 31 799 9028, [email protected]� SPAINVía Exclusivas, Macarena Fdez. de GradoPh: +34 91 448 76 22, [email protected]� UNITED KINGDOMZena CoupéPh: +44 1923 852537, [email protected]� RUSSIAAlla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd,Ph: (7 3832) 180 885Mobile: (7 960) 783 6653Email: [email protected]� EASTERN USA – EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVERMargie Brown, Ph: (540) 341 7581,[email protected]� WESTERN USA –WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVERDiane Obright, Ph: (858) 759 3557,[email protected]� ALL OTHER COUNTRIESVishal Mehta, Tel: (91) 124 4759625, Mob: (91) 99 999 85425E-Mail: [email protected] Djalmetov, Mobile: (91) 98 995 50162E-Mail: [email protected]

Annual subscription rates:Europe: CHF 222 (including postage)Rest of the World: USD 222 (including postage)

Controlled circulation: 25,029 (average per issue)certified by ABC Hong Kong, for the period1st January 2013 to 31st December 2013.

Printed byMedia Transasia Thailand Ltd.75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II,Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue,Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1

Subscription Information: Readers should contactthe following address: Subscription Department,Media Transasia Ltd., 1205 Hollywood Centre233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2851 1933

Drones

Post-Afghanistan Era

AABBCC

ON THE COVER: Thanks to new battery andmotor developments, electric drones are increasinglybecoming interesting propositions. This 12.0-kg IAIMini-Panther takes off vertically, with lift provided bythree electrically driven propellers, two of which will tiltto provide accelerating transition to wing-lift flight. (IAI)


Exports of Turkey’s drones may well benefit from links with countries such as Egypt andPakistan. One promising product is Baykar Makina’s Bayraktar Mini-UAS, of which the TurkishArmy has ordered 200. (Baykar Makina)

PATROLLERTM, THE TACTICAL DRONEEXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTIONS

by Sagem

The long-endurance, multi-sensor tactical drone system

The new Patroller™ UAS from Sagem carries a wide array of sensors to address all your surveillance requirements, from real-time intelligence to protection of ground troops. Drawing on nine years of combat experience by our Sperwer UAS in Afghanistan, Patroller™ is a 1-ton tactical drone with 24-hour endurance, an EASA-certi� ed airframe and payload capacity exceeding 250 kg– not to mention extremely quiet operation. It integrates advanced mission-planning, reconnaissance, positioning, automatic target tracking and real-time data fusion functions, plus a NATO-compatible ground station. “Sagem’s new long-endurance drone carries the payload that matches your needs, for extra sensory perceptions!” www.sagem.com

Documents

Drones Compendium - Armada June July 2014