New Report Just Published The UAV Market Report: Forecasts and analysis 2008-2018

Companies mentioned in this report Report details AAI Aerovironment Alenia (Finmeccanica) Allen Vanguard Corporation Applied Research Associates Aeronautic Defence Systems BAE Systems Boeing Cyber Flight CIRA Dragonfly Air systems Dassault Aviation EADS-Dornier EMT EADS-Germany Elbit Systems Euro MC Finmeccanica Foster Miller FanWing Flying Robots Galileo Avionica General Atomics Giat Gates Techno Honeywell Kestral Aerospace Israel Aircraft Industries Integrated Systems iRobot Internet Aviation Supply Lockheed Martin Maggit Micro Drones Northrop Grumman Nim Bus Qinetiq Rafael Ratheon Rhinmetall Defence Electronics Saab Singapore Technologies Sagem SA SkyShips Selex Galilio SAIC Thales Sirehna Survey Copter United Defense Tasuma U-Tacs UTRI Warrior Vough Airdraft V-TOL Aerospace Yamaha

Chapter 5.0 Top 10 UAV Manufacturers - Report details

5.1 BAE Systems

5.2 Boeing

5.3 EADS

5.4 Elbit Systems

5.5 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

5.6 Honeywell

5.7 Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)

5.8 Lockheed Martin

5.9 Northrop Grumman

5.10 Sagem SA

5.11 Thales

Italian Air Force completed first satellite-guided UAV flight between two bases

Cagliari, Italy - This system will allow to operate the Predator from long distances (WAPA) - The first satellite-guided flight of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Predator-A of the Italian Air Force between two of its bases (Amendola, Foggia and Decimomannu, Cagliari) has been successfully completed on August 3. The aircraft landed at 10:43 am, local time. The operation, dubbed "Shardan 2009", will end on August 7. After flying through a specifically opened flying lane using a satellite navigation system, once approaching Decimomannu Air Base control has been passed to the ground station to perform landing operations. This transfer for the first time allowed the Air Force to test the possibility to operate a UAV from long distances. Furthermore it is a valid test for all the national airspace control and management system, both for military and civil purposes. "With the landing at Decimomannu -the Air Force said in a note- Italy becomes the only nation in Europe to develop the capability to remotely operate aircraft like the Predator. This capability will be used soon to control from Italy aircraft deployed in Afghanistan". For further information see also AVIONEWS. (Avionews)

Portable Ku-Band Ground Data Terminal Antenna System from TECOM

Field-proven Portable Ku-Band UAV data link terminal from TECOM offers low-cost solution for future military and homeland security UAV requirements. The GDT-2100 is a military-grade, lightweight portable tracking antenna system for ground-based Ku-band data link transmit and receive communication that is currently in active service by US forces in overseas operations.

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) August 5, 2009 -- TECOM Industries, Inc., a Smiths Interconnect business, today announces the commercial launch of the GDT-2100 Ku-Band Ground Data Terminal Antenna (GDT) System. The GDT-2100 is a military-grade, lightweight portable tracking antenna system for ground-based Ku-band data link transmit and receive communication that is currently in active service by US forces in overseas operations.

This standard COTS system comprises a 4-foot antenna, Ku-Band feed, two-axis positioner, integrated control system, tripod mounting base and transit cases. The positioner features continuous azimuth travel and highly effective tracking using pointing commands derived from GPS position information. RF beam autotrack configurations are available for applications where GPS position information is not available.

Used by mobile ground forces to exchange imagery and data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) utilizing CDL (Common Data Link) or other Ku-Band data links, the GDT-2100 also supports data link relay, and UAV command and control missions.

To date, several hundred GDT-2100 and variant systems have been fielded to support multiple UAV platforms. This ruggedized, portable system offers reliable field-proven performance, at a low cost. In addition to future military UAV applications, the GDT-2100 is an affordable solution for non-military UAV missions such as disaster monitoring, border surveillance, drug interdiction, and law enforcement. Delivery times are typically significantly less than industry standard.

The GDT-2100 can be seen at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America 2009 in Washington DC on August 10-13 at the TECOM booth #1027. Detailed specifications and literature is available at www.tecom-ind.com.

About TECOM Industries, Inc.
TECOM Industries, Inc., part of Smiths Interconnect, is a leader in innovative design and manufacturing of high performance antennas and antenna systems for aerospace, defense and commercial wireless applications. TECOM's antenna systems meet challenging RF requirements in telemetry, electronic warfare and broadband communications in the most demanding and severe environments. As a key partner to customers, the TECOM team is adept at development and production of high volume antenna systems with excellent quality, reliability and on-time delivery. TECOM is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA. For more information about TECOM, visit our web site at www.TECOM-ind.com.

About Smiths Interconnect
Smiths Interconnect www.smithsinterconnect.com is a leading provider of specialised electronic and radio frequency products for the wireless telecommunications, aerospace, defence, and medical markets. It is part of Smiths Group www.smiths.com, a global leader in applying advanced technologies for markets in threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications and engineered components. Smiths Group employs around 22,000 people in more than 50 countries.

Landing Gadget Could Let Drones See Like Pilots

By David Hambling

August 4, 2009 |

12:41 pm |

Categories: Air Force, Drones, Gadgets and Gear

One big difference between Army and Air Force drones is that many of the Air Force’s robo-lanes can’t land themselves. That’s contributed to a number of Air Force Predators crashing, when humans run into problems, bringing the drones up or down.

But there may be a way of providing autolanding capability without the weight and expense of conventional systems. Computer vision company 2d3 is developing a new system to allow drones to see their way to a safe landing, using their own cameras rather than radio beacons or radar.

Human pilots are trained to land using visual information, but for machines this is a first. Even though they may have cameras, that mass of whirling light and dark shapes is meaningless to the drone itself. It’s only the operator who realizes that the images show the drone is about to plunge into the ground.

The Visually Assisted Landing System (VALS) will mean that drones do not need to fly blind. It detects features using the aircraft’s camera and translates their motion into height and orientation data which is fed into the navigation system.

VALS mimics the way a human pilot works. It automatically picks out features on the ground, specifically the runway markings. VALS then tracks the way these features change from frame to frame and builds up a 3D model of what they represent, so that relative motion can be calculated. It can then feed height, attitude and other data to the landing system. Combined with GPS and basic runway data, VALS can land anywhere in the world without preparation.

Of course, there have been plenty of machine vision projects in the past, many of them aimed at letting robots find their way around. Vision systems were a key element of the Darpa’s Grand Challenge for unmanned ground vehicles; but making sense of scenery is difficult and researchers found that other sensors (such as ladar, laser-based radar) were more useful. The big problem is speed, with various work-arounds being sought to rapidly identify the key features of an image and translate them into three-dimensional shapes. The limits of processing power tend to mean that autonomous ground vehicles are stuck at painfully slow speeds using visual data alone.

VALS has the advantage that it’s looking at a tidy, structured scene -– runway markings -– rather than chaotic natural scenery. Of course, runway markings are designed to be as visible and unambiguous as possible; VALS simply takes advantage of this. With the aid of some clever software, it means that it can run at thirty frames per second, fast enough to cope with the approach rate of a landing aircraft.

In addition to the Predator, VALS can be fitted to smaller unmanned aircraft such as Shadow and Scan Eagle. Flight testing will start later this year, on a manned aircraft acting as a surrogate for an unmanned craft.

“Ultimately, the goal is to produce a small device which can simply be installed onto any aircraft,” Jon Damush, President of 2d3, told Danger Room. “Feed the camera into one end, runway data into the other, and the box will produce relative position and orientation information and feed it to the autopilot through a serial link.”

The makers, 2d3, are previously known for other applications which involve extracting data from visual systems, such as image stabilisation and adding special effects to film. (”Much of the 2d3 technology currently applied in other sectors began life as an entertainment market based solution,” says their web site.)

VALS will be competing with more conventional autolanding systems for drones, like the Tactical Automated Landing System made by Sierra Nevada Corporation. This consists of a three-pound transponder carried by the aircraft, plus a mobile ground unit that can be carried in a Hummer and deployed by two men in fifteen minutes. For a Predator, three pounds is pretty negligible. But it’s a significant weight for some of the smaller craft.

As drones get smaller and camera systems get better, we are likely to see a lot more efforts like VALS to leverage existing hardware and give drones their own vision. Lining up with a runway is relatively simple; later systems are likely to be able to carry out increasingly sophisticated tasks, such as identifying and tracking objects on the ground without human intervention. One day those objects on the ground may be specific vehicles — not to mention individual human beings.

ALSO:

• Darpa’s Smart, Flat Camera Is Packed With Beady Eyes
• Special Forces’ Gigapixel Flying Spy Sees All
• Don’t Tape Me, Bro! Taser Launches Headcam for Cops
• Camera Spots London Suspect; Second Bomb Found
• Army Wants ‘Psychologically Inspired’ Robot Vision
• DARPA Vision: “Unblinking” Spy Drones, Veggie-Powered Killer Bots …
• Software Swarm to Spot Rockets Before They’re Fired

Stryker Brigade's Gas Micro Air Vehicle Pilots Bring 'hover and Stare' Capability to Battlefield

56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division

Story by Sgt. Doug Roles

Date: 08.03.2009
Posted: 08.03.2009 12:47

TAJI, Iraq – A new unmanned aerial vehicle with "hover and stare" capability gives the high ground to 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team units on Camp Taji, Iraq. Soldiers piloting the Gas Micro Air Vehicle can use it as an extra set of eyes near a patrol or can send the UAV miles ahead to scout beyond the horizon and send back real-time video.

"Independence Brigade" pilots who have used the prototype in Iraq over the past seven months have provided feedback to manufacturer Honeywell. Company engineers have used that input to make modifications to a forthcoming GMAV model.

"It's exciting to hear their ideas that come back," Kevin Bogert, a Honeywell field service engineer working at Camp Taji, said. "For a prototype configuration it's done very well."

"The beauty of the system is you can hover and stare," Bogert said, adding that the GMAV can take snapshots, record video and help Soldiers mark targets.

GMAV can share its video with other computers, allowing Soldiers in multiple locations to view the same footage.

Bogert began instructing nine 56th SBCT Soldiers on the system in mid-December at Fort Polk, La. Training continued when the brigade arrived in Iraq. With trained pilots in its ranks, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard brigade has been able to utilize the GMAV system to a greater extent than its predecessors at Camp Taji.

"The 56th was the first unit to fly missions," Bogert said. "We, Honeywell, were flying the missions for the 25th Infantry Division."

Sgt. Blake Myers of Girard, Pa., with 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, became the first person to fly the GMAV on April 25 while part of a combat unit on a mission outside a base. Honeywell technicians had previously piloted the GMAV from Camp Taji. Myers termed flying GMAV "a blast."

"You have to think three-dimensionally," Myers said. "You have to forget about your left and right and think about the bird's left and right."

"GMAV brings more of a hovering capability. With GMAV I can go right up to the target," Myers added.

Myers said the first flight in April was in support of a mission at a factory near Taji. He explained that as the mission began, he spotted a man armed with an AK47 rifle with the GMAV. He said the man turned out to be a security guard and said use of the GMAV alerted the Soldiers to the presence of a friendly in the area.

"This bird was involved in the Nassir factory [mission]. I always kept it ... ahead so I was facing them [Stryker Soldiers]," Myers said.

Made in Alburquerqe, N.M., the Honeywell micro UAV operates off a two-stroke engine similar to the power unit of a lawn trimmer. Ducted airflow from the unit's fan guides the GMAV through its vertical takeoff and flight.

The system weighs about 45 pounds. Though it is designed to be man-portable, with component carriers attaching to a Soldier's body armor system, 56th SBCT pilots typically don't pack the equipment on their backs. They've been loading the equipment into vehicles and setting it up upon arrival at a mission site.

"Guys are flying this more and more out the back of a Stryker," Bogert said.

Bogert explained that Soldiers here are using the "Block One" configuration, the prototype. Honeywell's "Block Two" fielding of GMAV is to Navy EOD teams in Afghanistan.

Bogert said the "Block Three" configuration, due to the Army in late summer, will cut Soldier exposure time by means of an electronic refueling system.

The new system will be fuel-injected and have its camera mounted on a multi-directional swivel. The prototype's camera is stationary, meaning pilots must move the vehicle to move the camera.
The GMAV is started by a pull cord, similar to a lawnmower, and is moved from its starting base to a takeoff point.

Honeywell has produced 16 of the prototype systems, at a cost of about $400,000 each. Each system includes two UAVs and the control apparatus. Bogert said three systems have been issued for use by 56th brigade. One of those is used by the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment at Camp Liberty.

Despite the advantage it brings to the fight and the engineering specification involved in keeping the unit aloft, Soldiers have nicknamed the ungainly-looking GMAV the "flying beer keg" among other names.

"We've had it called the 'flying trash can,' also the 'flying mosquito,'" Bogert said.

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Control Panel

Israeli UAV undergoes trials in Brazil

The Israeli Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) underwent trials in Brazil last week to evaluate its capabilities for use against drug trafficking, border security and natural resource theft.

The Heron, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, is already supporting missions in Afghanistan on behalf of the Canadian military. It arrived in Brazil last month and flew under challenging and unpredictable weather conditions in one of the most difficult areas of Brazil - the state of Parana. The Heron was the first UAV to fly in this region of southern Brazil.

The Heron is capable of remaining in the air close to two days without refueling. It can fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet, making it a difficult target for standard anti-aircraft weapons, and can carry a 250 kg payload.

The Heron has a wingspan of 16.6 meters and weighs 1,200 kg., with an operational range of hundreds of kilometers and the ability to fly in all weather conditions, as well as at night.

The IAI-Brazilian partnership began two years ago after the Brazilian Federal Police began issuing tenders for a UAV. The police team said the Heron system could successfully complete missions under difficult climate and terrain conditions, and had more advanced flight and loitering capabilities than other UAV systems.

Several ministers from the Brazilian government as well as senior Brazilian military officers were present during the demonstration. IAI recently founded a joint venture with the Brazilian corporation Synergy Group, EAE, which will be active in the Brazilian market as well as other potential Latin American markets.

Successful Demonstration in Brazil of IAI's Heron UAV

Heron UAV in Brazil during the demonstration 13:43 GMT, August 3, 2009 Heron UAV in Brazil during the demonstration A successful demonstration of Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System took place last week in Brazil. The demonstration was done at the request of the Brazilian federal police, which is testing UAV use for several purposes, including border security, and smuggling, natural resource theft, and drug trafficking concerns. The demonstration took place under challenging, unpredictable weather conditions in one of the most difficult areas of Brazil to fly in: the state of Parana, and the region of San Miguel de Iguacu. Despite this, the system performed flawlessly in all its tasks, and was able to fulfill the customer's requests. It is especially important to note that the Heron was the first UAV system in the world to fly in this region of southern Brazil. The Heron was easily integrated into the demonstration airspace, which sees a lot of commercial air traffic, and was fully coordinated with the local Air Traffic Control. Approximately two years ago, the Brazilian federal police organized a professional, high-level team, which included police pilots, engineers, and professionals, to investigate the capabilities of international UAV manufacturers, and find a UAV system that would best fit the specific needs of the Brazilian government. Following a series of tests, the team decided that IAI's Heron UAV was best suited to what the police wanted: relaying data and intelligence in real time, carrying a number of sensors simultaneously, and employing satellite communications and Automatic Takeoff and Landing (ATOL). The police team emphasized that the Heron system can successfully complete missions under difficult climate and terrain conditions, and has more advanced flight and loitering capabilities than those offered by other UAV systems. Several ministers of the Brazilian government and Brazilian armed forces officials, who were in attendance at the demonstration, praised the Heron's abilities. The demonstration was also attended by high-ranking military and civilian representatives from a number of Latin American countries, who were invited by the Brazilian federal police. IAI recently founded a joint venture with the Brazilian corporation Synergy Group, EAE, which will be active in the Brazilian market as well as other potential Latin American markets. This joint company will provide an opportunity to expand the Brazilian technological base, will act as a hub for technology and expertise, and will provide maintenance and customer support services for IAI's various systems in use in Latin America, including the UAV. There have been several successful demonstrations of the Heron UAV's capabilities, the last of which took place in El Salvador with the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). In that demonstration, the UAV's capabilities in maritime patrol were proven under very difficult weather conditions, including strong winds, heavy cloud cover, and rain.

Israel's ITL claims South-East Asia military UAV sale

By Peter La Franchi

Israel-based ITL Optronics says it has secured an initial sale of its Lightener hand-launched mini-UAV to a South-East Asian defence force. The deal comprises one system of three UAVs with options for another five to eight systems depending on the outcome of operational evaluations.

The order was locked down in late 2006, according to company officials attending the DSEi exhibition in London.

The company also says that demonstrator Lightener system were used operationally during last year's war in southern Lebanon. An undisclosed number of systems were loaned by the company to the Israeli army to meet urgent operational requirements during that conflict.

ITL is currently offering Lightener for the Israel's Ground Forces Command's estimated 100 million shekel ($23.9 million) Skyrider requirement for a close-range surveillance and reconnaissance system. That competition follows three years of operational concepts development using a number of Elbit Skylark 1 systems.

Lightener development began almost four years ago as a private venture by a small Israeli firm which was in turn bought by ITL Optronics 18 months ago.

The electric UAV has an endurance of three hours. The airframe uses a unique offset fuselage and combined sensor and propulsion module, with the large battery pack located in the forward lower airframe to stabilise the UAV.

ITL says the UAV development effort has paralleled that for its Advanced Integrated Soldier System (AISS). AISS fully integrates the UAV and its ground-control system into the soldier's own personal area network and links directly to the individual micro-tactical computer (MTC), personal combat net radio, GPS navigation system and sensor systems such as those mounted on the individual combat weapon.

The remote viewing terminal for the Lightener sensor system is a lightweight monocular hand-held device (HHD) which can also be used to display data from a rifle-mounted night sight, infra-red sensors or to interrogate MTC data. The HDD, development of which began three years ago, incorporates four functional control buttons and a joystick that can vector the UAV.

The HDD field of view is also synched to the UAV sensor turret, meaning physical repositioning of the HDD unit cues sensor turret movement, reducing the physiological disorientation effects of sensor imagery shifts.

Russian company develops heavy UAV for military use

© RIA Novosti

12:3804/08/2009

MULTIMEDIA

• Photo:

  Moscow hosts UAV exhibition

MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Kronshtadt defense company has developed a new- generation heavy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for military purposes, a senior company official said on Tuesday.

"The Kronshtadt engineers have developed a heavy Dozor-3 UAV with a lift-off weight of 600 kg and a payload of 100 kg, which could be used as a strike aircraft," said Viktor Godunov, member of the company's board of directors.

"It can carry various types of reconnaissance equipment and weaponry," he added.

The Russian military stressed the need to provide its Armed Forces with advanced means of battlefield reconnaissance in the wake of a brief military conflict with Georgia last August, when the effectiveness of Russian military operations was severely hampered by the lack of reliable intelligence.

According to various estimates, the Russian military needs up to 100 UAVs and at least 10 guidance systems to ensure effective battlefield reconnaissance.

At present, Russia's Vega Radio Engineering Corp. is the only domestic company which manufactures UAVs for the Russian Armed Forces.

The company's new-generation Tipchak mobile aerial system has been designed for reconnaissance and target designation purposes on the battlefield in any weather conditions. The first Tipchak system was put in service at the end of 2008.

Tipchak operates up to six UAVs launched from a pneumatic catapult. Each UAV has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and a 3-hour endurance. It can provide targeting for artillery and theater-based ballistic missiles at distances up to 350 km (about 220 miles).

The new Dozor-3 UAV takes off and lands as a regular aircraft, and has a 6-hour endurance.

Russia Russia has also bought 12 unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel in a recent deal worth $53 million.

Civilian Focus For Dominator II UAV

The Dominator II (“Oz”), developed by Israel-based Aeronautics, is the world’s first UAV based on a certified civilian aircraft.

The Dominator II is based on the manned DA-42 aircraft manufactured by Austrian Diamond Aircraft, and which has logged over 360,000 flight hours and is a fully certified all-weather civilian aircraft. Over 640 manned units of this type have been produced since 2005. The Dominator II is the world’s first UAV based on a manned aircraft with full civilian certification. If until now the global UAV market focused predominantly on the defense sector, the Dominator II is the first UAV also designed for the civilian market. The fact that the UAV is based on an existing platform with many hours of accumulated operating experience lends the Dominator II high credibility and efficiency, and actually paves the way for UAVs to enter the civilian market, which to date has abstained from operating UAVs, as they have lacked civilian aircraft certification for these systems.

Aludra UAV Will Be Launched Early Next Year in Malaysia

SEMPORNA, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- The ALUDRA UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) deployed by the Malaysian Joint Forces in Ops Pasir at Pandanan and Sipadan Resorts will be launched early next year.

Defence Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the UAV was capable of sending data and photographs to the operation centre for analysis so that quick follow-up action could be taken.

"Although I am happy with the UAV, I hope that it can be improved particularly the area of coverage and length of flying time during operations.

"We have to make some improvements so that the UAV is suited to the local climate, wind circulation and topography," he said after visiting Kem Sri Wangsa and witnessing a test drive of the ALUDRA UAV here Monday.

Zaid said Malaysia needed six UAV for surveillance and intelligence work to assist the army, air force and navy in protecting the country's 1,700 kilometre coastline.

He added Malaysia also had a prototype UAV which did not need a runway to take-off, thus saving the cost of building infrastructure.

The ALUDRA UAV was manufactured by Unmanned Systems Technology Sdn Bhd (UST).

US Air Force to hold UAS symposium at UND

Grand Forks, N.D. (AP) The Air Forcehas chosen the University of North Dakota as the site of an unmanned aerial system symposium.

The conference Tuesday through Thursday will be at UND's Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research. Officials from about 100 U.S. universities will be invited to take part.

The main topic will be the Air Force's 40-year plan for implementing unmanned aerial systems.

India to obtain more UAVs for spying

Rajat Pandit , TNN 3 August 2009, 02:50am IST

NEW DELHI: Defence ministry has approved another major induction of spy drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for armed forces, with surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions becoming critical on the western and eastern fronts as well as along the huge coastline. Army, for instance, is going in for two more “troops” (6-8 birds each) of advanced Heron UAVs from Israel for
Rs 1,118 crore after getting the nod from the Defence Acquisitions Council headed by defence minister A K Antony.

The 1.13-million strong force has also projected a requirement of seven “troops” of the Rustom drones being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation and Aeronautical Development Establishment in a Rs 1,000 crore project with Israeli help.

As a MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) drone, Rustom will be capable of operating for 24 hours, with a 300-km range and a 10,000-metre maximum altitude. Army, of course, is already inducting the indigenous Nishant and Lakshya UAVs.

Similarly, Navy’s case for two more Israeli UAVs at a cost of Rs 386 crore has also been approved, in addition to the ongoing Rs 1,163 crore joint project between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and DRDO for NRUAVs (naval rotary UAVs).

Navy is already using its UAV fleet of eight Searcher-II and four Herons for maritime surveillance up to 200 nautical miles. “To be operated from warship decks, the NRUAVs will further extend the surveillance out at sea,” said an official.

Moreover, as reported earlier, Army also wants to induct a “large number” of man-portable “mini” and “micro” UAVs for short-range surveillance and NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) detection in the battlefield.

With Army planning to induct these miniature spy drones right down to the battalion-level by 2017, it’s keen they also be capable of carrying explosives for “hard kill” of “light targets”.

Apart from regular infantry units, Para (Special Forces) battalions will also get these “stealthy” drones for covert missions beyond enemy lines and counter-terrorism operations. The armed forces had gone in for a major infusion of Israeli UAVs after the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2002 Operation Parakram in the wake of Parliament terror attack.

At present, they have over 100 UAVs, primarily Israeli ones like Searcher-II and Heron, as also some “killer drones” designed to detect and destroy enemy radars by functioning like cruise missiles. While the aim in the 11th Plan (2007-2012) period is to also induct armed drones like the American ‘Predators’, which are being successfully used to take on Taliban in Af-Pak region with their ‘Hellfire’ missiles, the eventual objective is to have full-fledged UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles). The plan, as of now, is to further boost the snooping capabilities of armed forces as well as fully-integrate UAVs with weapon platforms for delivering precision-guided munitions.

UK's latest Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) developments

The future of UK military aviation? - Artist's impression of Taranis concept UAV in flight. (Illustration: BAE Systems) 16:50 GMT, August 2, 2009 The UK Ministry of Defence's London headquarters, Thursday 30 July 2009, hosted an exhibition of the latest Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) giving military and civilian staff a chance to gather their own intelligence on the future of military aviation. Report by Shell Daruwala. Last week marked the centenary of aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot's 1909 first powered flight across the English Channel. Today, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract for the third phase of Typhoon - an aircraft so advanced that it takes a hugely complex suite of on-board computers just to keep it in the sky. Simultaneously, in the skies over Afghanistan, battlefield commanders' need for high quality round-the-clock real-time aerial intelligence is driving forward the development of a new breed of aircraft - the Unmanned Air Systems; autonomous robot planes which many believe could replace manned combat aircraft altogether within a generation. Cambridge and Harvard alumnus Quentin Davies, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, is clear about where he lies on the subject: "My own working assumption is that although we certainly need the manned combat aircraft, and are investing in some very good ones at the moment; we hope to sign the contract for the third phase of Typhoon [today] and, as you know, we are purchasing the first three JSF [Joint Strike Fighter] aircraft to take part in the training, testing and evaluation phase of that, and that will take us through to the 2030s, but beyond that I think the name of the game will be UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles]," he said. Surrounded by display stands with life-sized and scale models of a futuristic squadron of exotically-named aircraft (Hermes, Zephyr, Mantis, Taranis, HERTI...) that appear to have come straight from the set of a sci-fi movie, it is difficult to ground yourself in the reality that some of these systems are already proving their worth in theatre. Lockheed Martin's Desert Hawk III, operated by the Royal Artillery, is a relatively low-cost, hand-launched mini-UAS used for short-range, low-altitude intelligence-gathering, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capable of being operated day or night from a portable ground control station. Also operated by the Royal Artillery is the Elibit Systems Hermes 450, a medium-sized, medium-altitude UAV capable of remaining airborne for over 20 hours at a time, sending ISTAR information to battlefield commanders on the ground. Hermes is due to be replaced by the Watchkeeper UAS in 2010. Based on the Hermes, Watchkeeper brings a de-icing capability allowing it to fly for longer periods through the winter months and will be fitted with an advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) able to produce incredibly detailed imagery of the area of operations below. The now infamous Reaper Hunter/Killer UAV is operated jointly between the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force. It is currently the UK's only UAS capable of locating and engaging enemy targets on the ground. Reaper's payload is impressive and the UAV is able to carry various combinations of smart weapons including Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs. These are just three examples of UAS already in service. Some of the more advanced UAS such as Reaper use intelligent on-board systems based on technology found in the head up displays (HUD) of the latest manned combat aircraft to process incoming information and make autonomous decisions on what is important enough to send back to battlefield commanders on the ground. This saves analysts hours or days of processing the mass of data gathered during a single flight. One of the more advanced systems at yesterday's event was QinetiQ's spindly, solar-powered Zephyr high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV, which, in August 2008, completed an 82-hour flight, unofficially breaking the record for the longest unmanned flight. QinetiQ is developing the Zephyr to operate at altitudes in excess of 55,000 feet (16,800m) for months at a time. A QinetiQ spokesman said: "Zephyr is able to be fitted with a lightweight comms relay, effectively allowing it to act as a low-altitude satellite for battlespace communications." Through Government co-operation with industry partners such as QinetiQ, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Thales, the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) UAS Team has invested millions of pounds in the development of future UAS: "Almost all the systems on display here today have had some UK Government funding and we're on contract for quite a number of them," said Mr Davies. "We've got to work out the right solutions to the UAVs of the future and, quite clearly, that requires partnership. We really need to get the benefit of insights which industry have and, conversely, they need to know the lines along which we are thinking and what our specifications are going to be." Some of the fruit of these partnerships, like the addition of SAR to the Watchkeeper, will be ready to support battlefield commanders in the near future. Others, such as Taranis - a concept project designed to test the realms of possibility for UAV technology - may never see service. But Quentin Davies is certain that the investments being made today are laying the foundations for the future of military aviation technology: "Unmanned Air Systems go the whole range from purely tactical systems like, for example, Desert Hawk... which provides wonderful situational awareness to infantry deployed on the ground in dangerous situations, right the way through to [systems such as Mantis and Taranis] which really are the future of combat aircraft," he said. "I think most people would agree that [the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter or Joint Combat Aircraft as it will be known here in the UK] is likely to be the last manned combat aircraft and so future bombers and future interceptors and so forth in 20 or 30 years time will all be a result of the kind of investment which you're seeing in this technology today. "We shall be able to save the weight currently involved in having a pilot with an ejector seat and various systems that pilots have to have - we shall achieve greater endurance as a result, because pilots can't sit around for 18 hours or three days in an aircraft. We shall achieve many advantages from UAVs, but we are a very long way from being in a position today where we can replace manned combat aircraft systems with UAVs, but we must work on these things, we must invest in these things, and what you see here is a reflection of what we're doing."