APRIL 23, 2009--The shutterless 384 x 288-pixel, 25-µm-pitch MICROCAM thermal imaging camera module weighs 26 g (1 oz) and features a 4 x 4-cm (1.57 x 1.57-in.) board size, along with <0.6 W power consumption. The XTi shutterless technology combined with the MICROCAM provide a solid-state IR imager with no mechanical moving parts or interruption to vision.
Thermoteknix
Cambridge, UK
www.thermoteknix.com
| Tuesday, 10 February 2009 15:56 |
| AISC publicly released today the development roadmap for its ground breaking UAS Toolbox for Matlab/Simulink. The roadmap outlines development plans for the next two versions due out in the second and fourth quarters of 2009 respectively These updates will added powerful functionality to the already jammed packed toolbox. Included in Version 2 are functions for visulaization of data in Google Earth, mass properties build up, generalized flight performance, and propulsion performance for electric, piston and turbine engines. Version 3 will include an interface with AISC's Aircraft Matcom (a soon to be release port of Aircraft DATCOM to Matlab) and two tools commonly used in stability and control analysis and flight simulation. If you have not purchased the UAS Toolbox, don't wait! These updates are inlcuded in your software maintenance which is included in the purchase price for the first year. |
Pirate depredation has forced commercial shippers like Maersk and DryShips (Nasdaq: DRYS) to cope with ransom requests costing into the millions of dollars. Because the sea lanes that the pirates prowl are key to the international Gulf Oil trade, major oil shippers such as Frontline (NYSE: FRO) have had to reroute their vessels to avoid the bandits, lengthening voyages and increasing costs. Insurance rates for everyone involved are going through the proverbial roof.
Equipping ships with water cannons and licensing private groups to hunt down pirates might be innovative, low-cost measures, but as long as the area remains lawless and next to vital shipping lanes, the U.S. and other nations will have to improve their ability to patrol the area.
But who's going to stop it?
Last week, I argued that the most logical solution is to arm the merchant vessels. In a fight between a rowboat manned by four AK-toting thugs and a 20-story-tall commercial liner with a crew of 20 similarly armed, there should be no contest. Or, alternatively, that Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) could find a market for its Active Denial System to zap attackers until they flee the unbearable sensation of heat.
Fools replied with suggestions that ranged from installing electrified guardrails on-deck to equipping tankers with the Phalanx weapons system (which would be more like smashing a gnat with a sledgehammer). But given shipowner intransigence about arming their crews and national security concerns, the more firearms-intensive options seem to have fallen into disfavor.
But if we cannot arm the merchant mariners, what is the answer? Former presidential contender Ron Paul suggests we adopt a 19th-century solution to the piracy problem: issuing letters of marque to vessels interested in playing privateer, thus creating government-approved pirate hunters.
The Wall Street Journal opinion page suggests a 20th-century idea -- forcing vessels sailing the Gulf of Aden to travel in convoys. NPR recently ran a story suggesting such low-tech deterrents as high-powered water cannons and slippery foam applied to ship surfaces.
All fine ideas, worthy of consideration. But as an investor, I have to admit that I'm still having trouble finding one that I can invest in. There are ideas, however, that do offer investment opportunities.
The ocean is a big place. (In other breaking news, it's also wet.) The three dozen or so military vessels currently operating off Somalia and tasked with ending the pirate threat have a big job ahead of them. How big? Roughly speaking, there are over a million miles of ocean off the East African coast. (To put that in perspective, it's like tasking a handful of police cruisers with maintaining order in a territory stretching from Dallas north to Minneapolis, east to Philadelphia and south to Orlando.)
Sure, adding ships to the constabulary flotilla is one solution, and I suspect it's contributing to Defense Secretary Robert Gates' enthusiasm for the Littoral Combat Ships being developed by General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). But let's face it -- mass production of these vessels is still a ways off. The companies that can provide solutions today are the ones that will profit.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) offers one technology that seems admirably suited to expanding search capabilities at sea. In contrast to most defense contractors' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) offerings, which resemble model airplanes, Northrop's new Fire Scout UAV is more like a mini-helicopter -- a much better concept for take-off from a small warship's flight deck.
The U.S. Navy has already given Northrop the green light to begin low-rate initial production, and is busy testing the system. Seems to me, the African coast would be a dandy place to put the Fire Scout through its paces.
Another UAV maker who could benefit from this aquatic testing ground is our very own Motley Fool Rule Breakers recommendation AeroVironment. As recently as last year, the company was lamenting the dearth of a market for its Aqua Puma UAV -- a "model airplane" variant, but unlike most other UAVs, it's capable of landing on water. Ring any bells?
Manned aerial vehicles
Flying robots probably offer the cheapest way to observe vast stretches of the sea. But manned aircraft can do the job, as well. Enter Boeing (NYSE: BA) and its new P-8 Poseidon sub hunter, which despite its namesake is also an effective shipping interdiction tool for the Navy. Last I heard, the aircraft was slated to begin testing this year. Thanks to the Somali pirates, now we've got just the place to do it.
And if the current order isn't enough to do the job, the Navy can always fill the gap with a few of the planes the P-8 is supposed to replace, Lockheed's P-3 Orion.
Come to think of it, a head-to-head competition might be just the thing to catch us some pirates, and put to rest some criticisms of the Pentagon acquisition process at the same time.
Looking for other high-tech defense prospects for your portfolio? Check out Motley Fool Rule Breakers, where we're looking into options in everything from unmanned airplanes to bombproof trucks to bulletproof soldiers. Thirty-day free trials are available on demand.
BINGEN, Wash., April 23 (UPI) -- The Canadian Department of National Defense has contracted Insitu to deliver its small unmanned aerial vehicle technologies.
U.S. company Insitu was contracted to provide its ScanEagle small UAV technology for use by the Canadian armed forces in Afghanistan. Under the $30 million contract, Insitu will deliver its ScanEagles as part of an effort by the Canadian Department of National Defense to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Insitu said that as part of the deal, its technicians will provide training for Canadian forces along with maintenance and other engineering support services.
"We are proud to continue our excellent working relationship with the Canadian forces and to help further develop their expertise in unmanned aircraft systems," Greg Davis, Insitu small UAV program manager, said in a statement.
"The collaborative plan we've put together includes several evolutionary steps in technology that will mitigate government expense for improved system capability."
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 | Skylark I is a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. It is designed as a manpacked system for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance. Skylark is launched by hand. The payload consists of daylight CCD or optional FLIR for night operations. During operation, it sends real-time video to a portable ground station. Recovery involves a deep stall maneuver, landing on a small inflatable cushion. It has a range of 10 km. Skylark is in operation with the militaries of Israel, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Australia, Netherlands and Canada. It has been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. |
"Welcome, Unmanned Aerial Systems," said Tim Rogers, A.A.E., Salina Airport Authority executive director, to the attendees of the Third Annual Kansas UAS Symposium. "The Salina community has been preparing for the development of UAS technology and the Salina Airport Authority has a strategic plan to facilitate this technology."
Rogers and almost 100 others made up the who's who of the UAS community that met in Wichita to exchange ideas and see what they had to offer one another as the future of UAS technology arrives.
"The commitment for facilities to grow for this technology goes beyond the planning stage," Rogers explained. "We have built a 69,000-square-foot hangar building, complete with office spaces and maintenance capabilities, and the Authority can finance up to $20 million in construction for new aerospace and aviation businesses."
Aside from the astonishing amount of square footage, unique assets like Crisis City and close partnerships with Fort Riley, the Kansas National Guard Great Plains Joint Training Center and the Kansas State University at Salina College of Aviation and Technology, make the Authority the ideal location for UAS development, testing and training.
"We have probably the best collegiate aviation fleet in the United States," said R. Kurt Barnhart, Ph. D., Kansas State at Salina head of the department of aviation. "Our role is expertise, working daily in the national airspace system."
With the backing of the City of Salina, Saline County and the Salina Chamber of Commerce, the Authority is able to support the aviation community on a broad spectrum of playing fields including military operations, civilian enterprise and technological development.
"When Tim Rogers says he's all about supporting, he is absolutely right," said Brig. Gen. Norman E. Steen, Great Plains Joint Training Center commander. "We at the National Guard are all about supporting the people of the United States but we wouldn't be able to do that without the support of Tim Rogers and the Authority."
A Kansas company is developing a 35-pound unmanned aerial vehicle for use in disaster relief and other civilian applications. The Aerosonde UAV from Flint Hills Solutions is designed to launch from atop a vehicle traveling 50 mph. Kirk Demuth, the company's 24-year-old "chief UAV pilot," first learned to fly a traditional airplane, but he says unmanned vehicles are the wave of the future. "This is where the aircraft industry is going to be focused," he says. Wichita Eagle (Kan.), The (04/19)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
The pictures reveal a stealthy design powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B; the same engine that powers the Cessna Citation XLS business jet. The UAV's 20m (66ft) wingspan is swept at 17°, allowing a maximum speed of over 400kt (740km/h), General Atomics says. Operating altitude can exceed 60,000ft, the company adds.
Further details about specifications and performance are not being released. But company officials acknowledge that a second aircraft is already in production with a 0.61m fuselage extension, raising overall length to just over 13.1m.
The first Avenger has completed at least three test flights, with the first flight recorded on 4 April at the Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, California.
The UAV is designed to operate in the same hunter-killer role as General Atomics' Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper, but with a significantly faster response time. The manufacturer confirms it is also developing a new full motion video sensor for the aircraft.
The Avenger could also carry General Atomics' Lynx synthetic aperture radar and a forward-looking infrared sensor adapted from the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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An Augusta company is working to integrate UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, for other uses, such as responding to disasters
Nearly two years ago, a tornado hit Greensburg, killing 11 people and destroying 95 percent of the town. The tornado kicked into high gear an effort to upgrade the state's response to disasters and to give responders a new tool -- unmanned aerial vehicles.
The UAVs can be equipped with thermal imagers, video cameras and other equipment to transmit data to the ground. That will help responders find victims trapped in rubblefaster, assess the scope of the damage more quickly and prioritize what should be done.
"The ability to save lives is what it's all about," said Roger Powers, president and CEO of Augusta-based Flint Hills Solutions.
The company is a defense contractor working on advanced technologies to develop and integrate UAVs into the national air space.
The third annual Unmanned Systems Symposium will focus on unmanned aerial vehicles, including their use
in emergency situations. Powers is organizing the event, which is expected to draw about 100 people to Wichita.
The most pressing need for unmanned vehicles is for response to fires, floods, ice storms and other disasters, experts say. Earlier this month, a military drone was sent up three times to give officials a bird's-eye view of the floodwaters near Fargo, N.D. It is the first time a UAV has been used in dealing with a flood in the U.S.
But UAVs have other potential uses. They're well-suited for dangerous, dirty or dull missions, such as flying through a biochemical hazard area, or where the work isn't exciting and could be automated, said Kurt Barnhart, aviation department head and executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University in Salina.
"It's for those who have a need to have an aerial view," such as surveying real estate, pipelines, power lines or for border surveillance, Barnhart said.
K-State Salina opened an Unmanned Aerial Systems Program office a year ago to advance the use of unmanned vehicles. It's working with Powers and the military.
The school offers a certificate program in unmanned aerial systems operations. In the future, it plans to offer a degree program, one of the first schools in the nation to do so.
The U.S. military has been using UAVs for years in Iraq and Afghanistan, using systems such as the Global Hawk or Predator.
The Global Hawk and Predator, however, are not suitable for emergency response situations, Powers said. They're too big, too expensive and take too many people to operate.
Flint Hills Solutions chose the smaller, 35-pound Aerosonde for its test vehicle. Depending on the systems desired, costs can range from $100,000 to $500,000.
The aircraft can fly 30 hours on a gallon of fuel and is launched from the top of a vehicle.
"You just need to find a north, south, east, west gravel road anywhere," Powers said. "Put it on the top of your car, go to 50 miles an hour, and it will take off."
The craft is controlled by operators on the ground.
"The only thing stopping it is airspace," Powers said.
Barriers to use
The use of unmanned aerial systems in the nation's airspace is a complex one. UAVs need access to the airspace and the ability to co-exist with other, manned aircraft.
In the short-term, a Federal Aviation Administration certification of authorization is needed to operate UAVs in a controlled area. The license has been applied for and approval is expected in the next couple of weeks, Powers said.
That will allow K-State and Flint Hills Solutions to test the technology and fly in an area north of Salina called Crisis City.
Once the certificate is in place, the FAA can expand their use to disasters by closing air space over an affected area to all but authorized air traffic.
In the future, however, more must be done to allow UAVs to operate in airspace like other aircraft. That's going to require "see and avoid" collision technology, which detects incoming obstacles or airplanes and avoids them.
"You have to be able to see the obstacle five kilometers out, recognize what it is and avoid the collision," Powers said.
The technology has been proven, but current systems are too big and heavy for use on the smaller UAVs.
Powers is working to scale down that technology and is opening a miniaturization lab at K-State to work on it and to incorporate FAA requirements into it. It's a two-year project, he said.
"Everybody's goal is to put see-and-avoid technology on the smallest UAV possible," Powers said. "That opens up the biggest market."
Economic development
The UAV market has potential for Wichita and for Kansas, Powers said.
Work can mean significant economic development and help in diversifying the economy, he said.
"It creates high-paying, high-technology jobs," he said.
It can mean work for local aircraft suppliers, engineers and others, Powers said. And Kansas could work to recruit a manufacturer.
"We believe that Kansas has all the right stuff to make us a viable player in an emerging $8 billion a year market," Powers said.
The cooperation among K-State the Kansas National Guard, the FAA and private industry positions Kansas well, he said.
"We're at the right time at the right place with the right people to be a major player in this market," Powers said.
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or mmcmillin@wichitaeagle.com.
Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2009
The used Predator recently purchased by North Little Rock was on display last fall at a Little Rock Air Force Base open house.
Dear Otus,
As a retired Navy flier, I was fascinated by the story in the paper last week about North Little Rock Police Department's new $78,000 remote-controlled helicopter. I know I'll sleep better at night knowing that bird is patrolling the skies.
But I thought I read where Mayor Hays had plans to purchase a surplus unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to patrol city parks. Whatever became of that?
- Cmdr. Pete Mitchell USN
(Ret.),
North Little Rock
Dear Pete,
You remember correctly. North Little Rock bought the surplus Predator in January from the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. It was a steal at only $9.52 million since the cost per unit (CPU) for a new Predator system runs about $30 million.
But wait, there's more.
The Air Force includes a computer-packed Ground Control Station Vehicle (GCSV), which is a nicely tricked-out T-series GMC van with desert camo, four state-of-the-art Saitek X52 flight control system joysticks and around the clock tech support from the manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.
The city is saved big bucks by using the C-band line-ofsight data link and not having to fund the PPSL (Predator Primary Satellite Link). Also, the city won't require the two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles that usually come with the aircraft. They cost $68,000 apiece.
Mayor Hays thought the missiles would be overkill for Burns Park patrol, even with unruly soccer mobs.
For those who may believe such an aircraft is a frivolous expense in these tough economic times, the mayor has asked them to consider that had the Predator been patrolling high above Riverfront Park during the dark early hours of March 26 when the Salty Parrot was sunk by unknown miscreants (he suspects saboteurs from Little Rock's River Market District), the city would not be out the $2,487 it's costing to refloat and repair the historic party barge and karaoke bar.
But wait, there's more.
As an added economic bonus, North Little Rock's Predator system will employ local youth as Parks & Recreation personnel. It was determined that the only qualified civilian operators of the aircraft were members of the North Little Rock High School West Campus Video Gamer Club, the Charging Wildcat Avatars.
Each club member is proficient in Microsoft FlightSim X or FS2004, with merit badges in the FSX UAV Predator Add-on ($34.95).
Initially, the 17 juniors, 11 seniors and nine sophomores will be hired by the city to man the Predator from a "command bunker" (a small unused hangar) at North Little Rock Airport. They are currently in training, flying the Predator over Camp Robinson after school and on weekends and hoping to be ready for the big unveiling May 22 during Riverfest 2009.
The plan is for the Predator to fly low upriver during the Willie Nelson concert. Willie will coordinate by singing his hit song "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" from 1980's Honeysuckle Rose. Bring your camera.
The Predator, which has been christened the Savannah Lou II, is not yet on public display, but was seen by hundreds of thousands when it appeared at Little Rock Air Force Base during the open house last October. Mayor Hays noticed the small "For Sale" sign on the craft and at first thought it was a joke.
Not so. It turns out that this veteran UAV (serial No. 94-555) entered service in 1995 and saw action in Operation Nomad Vigil in Bosnia and Serbia.
The Predator comes with a Multi-spectral Targeting System, a color nose camera, a variableaperture TV camera for daytime, and a variable aperture infrared camera for low light/night.
There is also a digitally enhanced catadioptric telephoto lens that can read the Titleist name on a golf ball at 1,500 feet and a 600 million candlepower spotlight that could light up Dickey-Stephens Park enough to allow them to play ball.
For those concerned about privacy, the cameras will only be looking for scofflaws. Otherwise, the Predator, which can loiter for 11 hours on five gallons of ethanol, will cruise at 2,500 feet. At that height, you won't even be able to hear the engine.
Until next time, Kalaka reminds you that the mayor plans to use the plane to ensure the fun remains in Funland.
Disclaimer: Fayetteville-born Otus the Head Cat's award-winning column of
humorous fabrication
appears every Saturday. E-mail:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
The Office of Naval Research's "Ion Tiger" UAV will test a hydrogen-powered fuel cell design, which can travel farther and carry heavier payloads than earlier battery-powered designs. Credit: The Office of Naval Research
Nearly undetectable from the ground, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used by the military to scan terrain for possible threats and intelligence. Now, fuel cell powered UAVs are taking flight as an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored program to help tactical decision-makers gather critical information more efficiently... and more quietly.
It's not everyday you meet someone with the title "chief UAV pilot."
But Kirk Demuth, 24, flies unmanned aerial vehicles for a living for Flint Hills Solutions in Augusta.
The company is working on technology for UAVs to operate in the nation's airspace and to commercialize their use for civilian markets.
As pilot-in-command, Demuth works at a computer on the ground when a small, 35-pound Aerosonde UAV tested by Flint Hills Solutions is in the air.
Although Demuth's not in the cockpit, flying an unmanned air vehicle takes the same kind of piloting knowledge needed to fly other types of aircraft.
He checks weather briefings, has to know rules and regulations, and takes care of preflight information. Demuth goes through a preflight-checklist and makes sure components are working before flight.
The unmanned aerial vehicle is launched from the top of a vehicle. Once the vehicle reaches 50 miles an hour, it will take off.
Demuth can see how unmanned vehicles can be valuable in disaster situations, such as when a tornado hit Greensburg, he said.
"It's chaos after one of the things go through," Demuth said.
With proper equipment on board, a UAV can give responders information on what they have to deal with and how widespread the damage is to help them decide where to allocate resources, he said.
Flying is a passion for Demuth, who earned his private pilot's certificate at age 17.
He grew up on a farm near Ford and graduated from Kansas State University in Salina in 2007, earning his instrument and flight instructor's ratings.
Rather than becoming a pilot flying traditional aircraft, Demuth took a job with UAV manufacturer General Atomics in California.
There, he flew the chase plane to act as an observer during Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles development and testing.
"I got a lot of knowledge about UAVs and what it takes," Demuth said.
There's a lot of opportunity for pilots of unmanned aircraft, he said.
"This is where the aircraft industry is going to be focused," Demuth said.
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or mmcmillin@wichitaeagle.com.
"We are close to signing," Klabin said April 17 at the Latin America Aerospace and Defense Show.
Under the proposed memorandum of understanding, Santos Lab would market the drone with demonstrations to Brazil armed forces, and possibly later maintain and produce the equipment locally, he said.
There is presently no Brazilian request that Santos Lab would seek to "educate the armed forces in the UAV domain" he said.
Although Scan Eagle was designed for naval surveillance, the aircraft is versatile enough to be used by other services, Klabin said.
Santos Lab specializes in unpiloted aircraft and developed the Carcara UAV, which was delivered to the Brazilian Marines two years ago and is still operating.
The military currently has thousands of robots operating overseas, including unmanned aerial scouts and small-payload bombers, bomb disposal 'bots, and even robots roaming around with machine guns. Now there's another robo-copter being tossed into the mix — the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS), an unmanned helicopter armed with a .338-caliber rifle.
The fundamentals behind the ARSS were actually thought up five years ago, but a turret system that would be accurate enough to pick off targets from a distance was only recently possible thanks to a team at Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory. Now, hooked up to the underside of a Vigilante 502 UAV, the 'copter handles all the flying by itself while a remote operator lines up each shot using — of all things — an Xbox 360 controller.
Talk about real war-gaming. I suppose it's a testament to the Xbox 360's controller design that it could be used to adjust the precise aim of an aerial sniper. Now all the military needs to do is make a video game front-end, and we'll be living Ender's Game.
April 10, 2009
Afghanistan maybe the testing ground for a new, advanced but as yet undisclosed UCAV programme.
Pictures shown exclusively to Unmanned Vehicles magazine and taken at an airbase in the war-torn country reveal a large flying wing-type design, adopted by UCAV designers, but not yet seen on an operational type.
The image shown in the link below has been drawn directly from the photograph but none of the experts consulted by UV had any concrete idea of what the system might be.
The image shown to UV was taken from a long distance, as the aircraft taxied in on a hazy day, but the image was clear enough to show that this UAV’s design is like no other UAV in current operational service.
Amongst the distinctive features of the type is the ‘fat’ wing chord, and a large central fuselage fairing. The aircraft engine nozzle is the same half moon shape as the Lockheed P175 Pole Cat, but the wing is not cranked on its trailing edge like the Pole Cat is.
The fuselage fairing could support a large squared off intake, but is more likely to house a large satellite communications and sensor mix. Two large blisters either side of the central fairing are likely to the intakes for a single turbofan engine. These features probably won’t help the aircraft’s radar cross-section, although this probably isn’t important considering the theatre of operations in which it is flying.
The large doors inboard of the main landing gear may be bomb bay doors, indicating a strike capability for the type.
There are clearly the technological capabilities to build something like this inside Northrop Grumman, Boeing or Lockheed Martin. Looking at the shaping, our analyst said he would be inclined to think this comes from either Northrop or Lockheed.
The shaping is also suggestive of UCAV concepts around the start of the 2000s.There is a whole raft of wing design work that has gone on since 2002 in terms of how the X-47B has evolved, and the sorts of designs that Boeing was working with prior to the ending of that effort.
An artist’s impression of the aircraft can be viewed by clicking here.
By Darren Lake, Editor - Unmanned Vehicles
| Berlin, Germany - Two preproduction systems were delivered in late 2006 and at the end of 2007 (WAPA) - The German Armed Forces have just ordered nineteen additional Fancopter Systems from EMT, Germany. Two preproduction systems were delivered in late 2006 and at the end of 2007. The Fancopter, a Micro UAV with vertical take-off and landing capabilities was designed to be used for day and night reconnaissance in an urban environment. The small size of the air vehicle and its electric propulsion make it ideal for special operations in the open or inside of buildings, as well as for detection, close inspection and identification of IEDs, just to name but a few applications. The complete mission system can be carried in one backpack. The air vehicle can be fitted with a number of powerful sensors and it is easy to fly – no pilot experience is required. With a take-off weight of 1.5 kg its battery capacity allows up to 25 minutes of flight endurance or it will provide up to 3 hours observation time while perching. For operation in radio shade or in shielded structures the radio data link can simply be replaced with a glass fiber module. EMT is a system house specialized in the development, production and support of Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Systems. FANCOPTER benefits fully from the know-how, the technology and operational software of EMTs’ LUNA and ALADIN UAV systems. (Avionews) | |
| (050) 090414182136-1102846 (World Aeronautical Press Agency - 14-Apr-2009 18:21) | |
Global Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & Systems Market to Reach $5.6 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts | |
Global market for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles witnessed remarkable growth in the recent past, and is expected to sustain the growth during the forthcoming years. There appears to be no let up in the appetite for UAVs across the world. Moreover, several countries are seeking for a wide range of UAVs with enhanced capabilities for military as well as civilian applications. San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 15, 2009 -- Unmanned aerial vehicles represent a major force in the modern day battlefield, and have a crucial position, especially in military arsenals from the US and Europe to the Middle East and Asia. UAVs represent the fastest growing and the most dynamic growth segment within the aerospace industry. Global UAV funding is expected to witness growth in the near future, primarily driven by the rapid technological changes and developments, particularly in the information technology industry. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are known for their proven performance in areas such as surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance and have become a key element in today's military warfare. The new areas of application such as hunter-killer operations are supporting the UAV market to gain further ground. Research, development, test and evaluation aimed at developing new generation UAVs is prevalent in several countries across the world.
Key players dominating the global unmanned aerial vehicles and systems market include AAI Corporation, Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd., AeroVironment, Inc., Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A., Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, BAE Systems Plc, Bell Helicopters Textron, Inc., CybAero AB, Cyber Defense Systems Inc., EADS NV, Elbit Systems Ltd., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Honeywell Aerospace, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Northrop Grumman Corporation, QinetiQ Group Plc, Raytheon Company, Sagem D¥nse Sõrit Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Thales SA, The Boeing Company, and V-TOL Aerospace Pty Limited. The report titled "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) & Systems: A Global Strategic Business Report" published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of world market trends and drivers, market sizing data, industry issues and challenges. The study presents extensive commentary on the product overview, new product introductions, recent industry activity and key player profiles. The study offers market data analytics in dollar terms for R&D spending and Procurement spending, for major regional markets such as United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Rest of World. For more details about this research report, please visit http://www.strategyr.com/Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicles_UAV_and_Systems_Market_Report.asp. About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.: Global Industry Analysts, Inc. ### Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q3Jhcy1aZXRhLVN1bW0tUGlnZy1QaWdnLUNvdXAtWmVybw== | |
| See the original story at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/unmanned_aerial_vehicles/UAV_TUAV_EUAV/prweb2309294.htm |
ST. LOUIS: The ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS), a joint effort of The Boeing Company and its subsidiary Insitu Inc., last week flew its 150,000th hour in service with the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Forces, U.S. Navy, U.S. Special Operations Command, Australian Army and Canadian Forces. ScanEagle has provided persistent in-theater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to the joint forces in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2004. "Flying thousands of hours of ISR support in theater, month after month, requires a high degree of organization and teamwork," said Maj. Dan Griffiths, VMU-1 contracting officer technical representative, U.S. Marine Expeditionary Forces. "The execution of that task falls on the shoulders of the ScanEagle field service representatives in theater. Day in and day out, they do whatever it takes to meet daily requirements."
Jim Havard, Boeing ISR Services Marine Corps program manager, added, "We've learned lessons from our extensive ScanEagle operations that have helped us refine the system into a mature ISR asset that is safe, dependable and satisfies the intelligence requirements of our soldiers and sailors. These 150,000 service hours, along with numerous operational reports from our customers, confirm that ScanEagle has established itself as a critical capability for tactical ISR around the world."
The long-endurance, fully autonomous ScanEagle UAS carries inertially stabilized electro-optical and infrared cameras that allow the operator to track both stationary and moving targets. Capable of flying above 16,000 feet and loitering over the battlefield for more than 24 hours, the platform provides persistent low-altitude ISR.
ScanEagle is launched autonomously from a pneumatic SuperWedge catapult launcher and flies either preprogrammed or operator-initiated missions. The Insitu-patented SkyHook system is used to retrieve the UAS, capturing it by way of a rope suspended from a 50-foot-high mast. The system makes ScanEagle runway-independent and minimizes its impact on shipboard operations, similar to a vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle.
Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company located in Bingen, Wash., designs, develops and manufactures unmanned aircraft systems for commercial and military applications. Insitu created the first unmanned aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean, which completed the flight in 1998 on just 1.5 gallons of fuel. Visit www.insitu.com for more information.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.
The shipping industry may still be debating whether to provide weapons to the crews of merchant ships plying the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean, but the U.S. military has no such dilemma about how to protect its cargo. As it prepares to ship a lot of firepower halfway across the world, it is taking steps to make sure a specially-designated container ship doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
The Marine Corps is moving 24,000 tons of inventory to the secretive U.S. naval station on the atoll of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, southeast of Somalia. A large container ship will transport 1,628 TEUs — 20-foot shipping containers — in temperature and humidity controlled conditions as part of the long-established Afloat Prepositioning Force, a strategy for storing the tools of war, known as "prepo." The ship will simply sit at anchor in the atoll's blue lagoon and wait, in case there is a major conflict in the area requiring U.S. involvement. This particular project, not the first prepo at Diego Garcia, is scheduled to begin in November and last for five years. Born in the Cold War, prepo proved so successful in speedy delivery of assets during the first Gulf War and again in 2003 that the Pentagon has continued to expand the program so there is sufficient heavy equipment and ammunition pre-positioned to fight fast in a major theater of war. (See pictures of the fight against the pirates of Somalia.)
Such "prepo" shipments have always been well-guarded. But the ship's contents could make a very tempting target for the pirates. The manifest lists a cargo of missiles and bombs with a TNT equivalent or "net explosive weight" of 6,383,281 lbs — around a quarter of Hiroshima's A-bomb destructive power. It includes 11 containers holding 15,751 lbs of spontaneously flammable munitions like white phosphorous. In total around 80% of the cargo, or 1,300 containers, will be crammed with explosives. (See a brief history of pirates.)
Getting to Diego Garcia is likely to take ships through or near waters inhabited by pirates — and the hijacking of this ship would dwarf the Somali pirate hijacking of the Saudi tanker last year. To protect this cargo, at least 15 Navy personnel, known as an Embarked Security Team, will be bunked aboard the container ship. "That's half a platoon strength onboard and they will be packing an awful lot of ammo and huge amount of firepower," says one ex-special forces soldier. "They will be Navy Seals with side arms and MP5Ks [compact submachine guns] for close quarters, and rifles and heavy machine guns to repel armed attacks at distance." (See the top 10 audacious acts of piracy.)
The contract for the container ship is still up for bids. The commercial shipping line that wins the Marine Corps' prepo contract must be prepared to outfit its ship with heavy gun mounts, decontamination facilities for nuclear radiation and chemical spills and a repaint or name change.
Other Defense contracts have resulted in commercial ships getting some extra-special defense. Maersk (the owner of the Alabama, whose captain was rescued Sunday) won a deal last November to transport naval jet fuel from South Korea to the Indian Ocean in a 856-foot tanker, the Maersk Rhode Island. A 12-strong Force Protection team was tapped to travel on that. Involved in prepo for decades, the Norfolk, VA-based shipper last January also won a deal estimated at $316 million to deliver defense equipment, mail and PX merchandise globally.
While the Alabama was delivering non-military aid to Africa, Maersk operates it as part of the U.S. taxpayer subsidized Maritime Security Program. MSP subsidies, last year totaling $158 million, help ensure U.S. merchant ships and American crews are available for military movements when needed.
By now, you’ve probably heard of the robotic vehicles that are being put to the task in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unmanned drones fly miles above terrorists, spying and even dropping missiles. Robots trained in bomb disassembly have been a huge help to the US army so far. The best thing about robotics automation is that it protects human life and is therefore very cost-effective. However, there are many more surprises stemming from robotics technology that have yet to be unveiled. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington DC let us in on a few of these futuristic vehicles.
“The good thing about this system is you don’t have to send a marine out and risk that life,” Captain James Lee said of his bomb-disassembling and reconnaissance mission robotic vehicles. The machines may cost $100,000 a piece, but they’re fairly durable, especially considering that duct tape and common materials can be used to patch them. The Packbot Scout Robot (developed by Robotic Systems JPO) quickly takes apart a bomb, saving an entire Humvee full of soldiers. The Dragon Eye and Raven B unmanned aircraft patrols the battlefields, even in adverse weather conditions. The Stalker (developed by Lockheed Martin) is especially keen for silent night operations, while the Golden Eye can hover for three hours, assessing the scene. The unmanned Predator drone is one of the most highly-touted autonomous robots used by the US military today.
Civilian robotic vehicles are also being developed for a number of uses. Sonar robotics technology is capturing never-before-seen images of deep sea beds with the Synthetic Aperture Sonar. Farmers use these vehicles to check on their crops. Forest rangers count trees and monitor wildlife in remote regions of their parks. Surface water vehicles are skimming the coasts, while underwater devices are recovering old shipwrecks and AWOL lobster traps that have fallen loose, thus threatening endangered marine animals.
The next batch of robotic vehicles set to be unleashed may surprise you. Seven hundred ton Caterpillar trucks are being developed by scientists from Carnegie Mellon University, enabling the trucks to move 240 tons of material from mining operations. Over the next five to ten years, the automated trucks are expected to debut, saving time and money. With a shortage of drivers, this new robotic innovation will likely hit the ground running.
Holloman Air Force Base graduated its first class of unmanned aerial systems pilots and sensor operators in a ceremony at the Stealth Landing Officers' Club Friday.
The second class of UAS has already started.
Lt. Col. James Merchant said the second class at Holloman hits the flightline for the more hands-on training component Monday. Merchant is 432nd Operations Group, Detachment 1 commander.
He said the second class has started because there is a four-week overlap in the 10-week classes. Airmen do academic training for four weeks, then flight training for six weeks.
Merchant anticipated 100 more students would go through the class by the end of the fiscal year, with the last group starting in September. He said that also meets the Secretary of Defense's directive, which was to have 60 students in or through the training in 2009. He said classes have about 20 students each.
Friday's UAS graduating class will be part of the fight in Afghanistan within three weeks. Most will be living in Las Vegas, Nev., and flying missions out of Creech. Merchant said they have a rotation of deployment overseas because of the delay in the satellite link used to control the MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers. They must have crews in theater that do the take-off and landing portion or the satellite delay could cause the aircraft to crash.
Al-Qaida was rumored to have threatened those flying the unmanned aircraft, Merchant said, so photos of the students and use of their full
Pending approval of the environmental assessment for UAS training at Holloman, Merchant said, Trainers will move here in a permanent change of station from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., to train airmen to operate Predator and Reaper unmanned aircraft.
A draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact was released at the beginning of the month and can be downloaded from www.accplanning.org.
Merchant said the move will bring three flying squadrons, a training squadron and a maintenance squadron. He said that equals about 600 to 800 airmen coming to Holloman. In addition, 300 to 400 students per year will go through the training at Holloman before being deployed to combat.
Over the past four or five years, the tendency has been for the Air Force to come up with a plan for the UAS, then add to it by another half or 100 percent, Merchant said. It is possible Holloman could wind up with many more than the 600 to 800 airmen planned for relocation so far.
Col. Jeff Harrigian, 49th Fighter Wing commander at Holloman, said the public comment period for the environmental assessment closes April 30. After that comments will be reviewed, but Harrigian said at this point everything appears to be on track.
"We haven't seen any surprises," Harrigian said. "So we're hoping it will be a pretty good turnaround after the 30th of April."
Harrigian said the Air Force's decision to consider Holloman as a preferred location for a second UAS training unit was in August 2008. And for the Creech airmen, as a temporary duty station, to be graduating a class by April was almost "unheard of" in most training organizations.
"Once the environmental is released, it'll be full afterburner ahead," Harrigian said. "To make sure we meet the requirements that the Secretary of Defense has laid out for us."
"It was a really gargantuan team effort between the 432nd Wing and the 49th Fighter Wing on making this happen," Merchant said. "It was almost an almost abnormal amount of cooperation that happened ... and the support from the folks downtown was spectacular."
Merchant said last year the Secretary of Defense directed that a second formal training unit for UAS be stood up and graduate its first class by May 2009. He said while graduating the class Friday followed that directive, they were also within the law because they had not moved permanently before the environmental assessment process was completed.
Merchant said if the environmental assessment does not go as anticipated, the Air Force can move the training unit elsewhere.
