A broad-sweeping view of the security environment throughout the Asia pacific region – and therefore relevance of technologies like UAVs to a number of foreseeable strategic scenarios – came from Adm. Premvir Sara Das, a retired Indian naval officer who is now head of a maritime security co-operation group concerned with Asian and pan-asian affairs. Adm Premvir scoped out the trends: moves away from nation state actor influence to non-traditional threat concerns, sectarian insurgencies and asymmetric strikes - the day to day concerns faced by managers of today’s overall security environment. But he’s thought hard about UAVs and believes that while they are a key part of the equation there is risk ahead. ‘The time may be coming when they have to be evaluated on their cost benefit analysis basis,’ he says.’ His thesis – or one of his thoughts – is that the environment faced by UAVs operated today by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan is a relatively benign one (in that there is no counter-threat by the insurgent actors) and that wrong conclusions about their effectiveness could result. Not enough work has been done for the Admiral’s taste on survivability and understanding what it could mean in a more coercive hostile operating environment. One result he foresees: maintaining a mix of manned and unmanned systems is the choice for military services now and well into the future.
Source and more info: shephard
After spending years developing a robotic spy plane that operates at 65,000 feet and costs $123 million apiece, Northrop Grumman has developed a new perspective on aerial surveillance.
In a more down-to-earth approach, the company has been developing small robotic “flying wings” in San Diego that are designed to operate in flocks of four or more aircraft. Such aircraft would be made at a fraction of the cost of the Global Hawk, Northrop’s high-altitude spy plane, and would fly less than 1,500 feet above the ground.
The concept behind the new unmanned aircraft, dubbed “Killer Bees,” is based on an idea that can be found in almost any casino. Mounted in the ceiling above each gaming table is a small, relatively inexpensive camera linked to a sophisticated surveillance network.
Source and more info: tmcnet
An MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle watched as three insurgents appeared to be planting a homemade bomb along a road near Balad Air Base, Iraq, Tuesday. When their motives were confirmed, the UAV launched an AGM-114 Hellfire missile against the group.
The Predator monitored the three insurgents for about a half hour, while they used a pickax to dig a hole in the road. The three then placed what appeared to be an explosive round into the hole, and they then strung wires from the hole to a ditch on the side of the road.
When it was clear the individuals were placing a bomb, the Predator launched the 100-pound Hellfire missile, killing all three insurgents.
“This is a prime example of how airpower is supporting the fight on the ground,” said Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad. “We’re able to provide a persistent view of the battlefield to commanders on the ground and, if called upon, put a weapon on a target within minutes.”
Source and more info: aero-news
Students are invited to submit their ideas for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) suitable for exploring Mars – the best designs will win a place at the Euroavia Design Workshop to be held at the Erasmus User Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, between 16 July and 5 August 2006.
All European aerospace students with a minimum of two years study can participate in the contest. Students are required to submit a paper (of between three to ten pages) on the topic of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Mars.
The authors of the 25 best papers will be invited to participate in the three-week design workshop at ESA’s research and technology centre (ESTEC). During the workshop they will create a preliminary design of a UAV for Mars with the assistance of specialists from the industry and other institutions. Selected participants will be hosted at no cost. Financial support for travel to/from Noordwijk is also available.
Source and more info: esa
Piloted remotely from a Nevada air base half a world away or by soldiers on the scene, unmanned aircraft have become so indispensable in Iraq and in the war on terror that by next year the U.S. could be spending nearly seven times more on the vehicles than it did before the 9/11 attacks.
The aircraft were heavily used after last month’s bombing of a mosque in Samarra, Iraq, highlighting how prevalent they have become for a military thirsty for vehicles that can drop bombs or hover over targets without risking pilots’ lives.
When Iraq erupted in ethnic violence after the February 22 attack on the sacred mosque, the planes — known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs — lingered over trouble spots so officials could used the crafts’ video cameras to see where crowds were gathering and whether they were armed or violent.
Source and more info: cnn
This slender-wing aircraft is the Altair UAV, which had its checkout flight in June 2003 at El Mirage, Calif. The Altair was developed for NASA by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for long-endurance, high-altitude missions. It will be used to test collision-avoidance technologies that are necessary for UAVs to fly in the U.S. national airspace–and share skies with general aviation pilots and commercial flights.
Credit: NASA
Piloted remotely from a Nevada air base half a world away or by soldiers on the scene, unmanned aircraft have become so indispensable in Iraq and in the war on terror that by next year the U.S. could be spending nearly seven times more on the vehicles than it did before the 9/11 attacks.
The aircraft were heavily used after last month’s bombing of a mosque in Samarra, Iraq, highlighting how prevalent they have become for a military thirsty for vehicles that can drop bombs or hover over targets without risking pilots’ lives.
When Iraq erupted in ethnic violence after the Feb. 22 attack on the sacred mosque, the planes - known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs - lingered over trouble spots so officials could used the crafts’ video cameras to see where crowds were gathering and whether they were armed or violent.
Underscoring their importance, spending on the planes is expected to total at least $12 billion over the next five years. The spike in annual spending - from $300 million in 2001 when terrorists attacked America to perhaps $2 billion next year - will pay for at least 132 UAVs, including a new version for the Navy, beefed up models for the Army and a major effort to solve technical problems.
Source and more info: forbes
An unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) used by Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) for surveillance and reconnaissance missions crashed down colliding against the television antenna in a private house Tuesday morning at about 10.15 in Poonthodam Maharambaikulam, in Vauniya.
The aircraft, N226LK, named “Superstar” with GPS support, was launched from the Vanni SLAF airbase in Vavuniya Tuesday 10 a.m crashed down in Maharambakulam 4 km northeast, losing remote navigation from its head quarters.
Having struck the antenna the aircraft veered and fell outside the private house. People of Maharambakulam flocked to see the fallen UAV.
On information given to Vavuniya police by the Village officer, the aircraft was recovered by the SLAF and Special Task Force troopers of the Police, said witnesses.
Source and more info: tamilnet
Geneva Aerospace successfully completed six consecutive auto landings of a Dakota UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) at the United States Army Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona. This flight test was the next phase under Geneva’s current contract with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and the United States Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab (UAVB).
The test served as the precursor to flying the Berkut UAV which will utilize Geneva’s proven integrated avionics technologies, as well as the auto landing capability. The Berkut test flight is tentatively scheduled for early 2006.
Source and more info: tmcnet
About 130 military, government and industry representatives began a two-day conference sessions here, part of the Asia pacific UAV conference and exhibition designed to probe the state of UAS developments across he region. Sessions are ranging widely, and from the host nation aspect emphasized the way Australia is now building on conceptual structures in the UAS field. A new and more comprehensive document – a roadmap (which almost certainly will spawn a series of others) will soon be ready for internal consumption within the Australian defence community, said Dr Peter Maguire speaking on behalf of the Joint UAS planning team within the Australian DoD. Maguire’s work is more far-reaching than earlier work, and is, he said, keenly anticipated by industry both within and outside the country – groups he admits have been denied firm objectives for UAS development so far. He anticipates briefing the document within the next two or three months. Michelle Yeaman, from Booz Allen and Hamilton’s Australian operation - in a thoughtful presentation – said the arrival of UAV systems in an Australian context could have broad ‘cultural’ outcomes for national defence going beyond the technological implications only. Specifically, she saw these having an impact in two main areas: innovation and de-centralisation of the data sharing and intelligence function.
Source and more info: shephard
