Non-Subscriber Extract
AUVSI affirms renewed enthusiasm for unmanned aerial vehicles
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| 19 July 2002 |
By Kenneth Munson, Editor, Jane's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Targets
Thirty years old this year, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) staged its annual symposium on 9-11 July in the curiously chosen setting of Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Founded in 1972 as the National Association for Remotely Piloted Vehicles, it now has 2,500 members and 17 corporate members, representing 17 countries. More than 100 presentations were given, and the exhibition hall housed stands from 116 exhibitors, with a small outdoor static display for good measure.
Following the successes of Hellfire-armed MQ-1L Predators in Operation 'Enduring Freedom', weaponisation and other upgrades of current UAVs has inevitably been the focus of increased attention. The US Air Force Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB, Florida, has five such major programmes in hand: HERD (High Explosive Research and Development), PAD (Persistent Area Dominance), continuing development of the MQ-1L, plus weapons concept development for the MQ-9 Predator B and the Boeing X-45B/A-45 UCAV. The USAF's two initial Predator Bs have already demonstrated flight to 15,850 m (52,000 ft), and a production version would be capable of 24-hour endurance at 13,720 m (45,000 ft) with 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) of fuel and up to 14 Hellfires (compared to only two on the MQ-1L).
The AUVSI 2002 static display presented the US Army's present and future workhorses, the RQ-7A Shadow 200 and RQ-5A Hunter, together with a full-size mock-up of the Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus naval UCAV and Elbit/Silver Arrow's Hermes 180 and Hermes 450. Most Hunters were consigned to store in the late 1990s to make way for the ill-fated RQ-6A Outrider, but have been reincarnated following 'Nine Eleven' (current inventory is reported to be about 40 air vehicles), and are now being issued to each US Army Corps as interim ER/MP (extended-range, multi-purpose) UAVs pending development of a future UAV dedicated to such missions.
Presence of the two Hermes air vehicles, the chosen 'taxis' for the Thales team's submission, served as a reminder that the next stage of the UK's major Watchkeeper (Phoenix replacement) programme is imminent. BAE Systems has entered the Predator and Shadow 200, while Lockheed Martin favours the Eagle 1 and Crecerelle/Spectre. Northrop Grumman was still playing its own choice of air vehicle(s) close to its chest, although sources expect an announcement during the 22-28 July Farnborough Air Show. The four teams are shortly to be down-selected to two finalists, probably in August.
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| The Silver Arrow Hermes 180 and (at rear) Hermes 450 are Thales' chosen air vehicles for the UK's Watchkeeper competition. (Photo: Ken Munson) |
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| Features of the DRS Technologies Neptune include recoverability from the sea. (Photo: Ken Munson) |
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| Flip-out flying surfaces enable the AeroVironment GLUAV to be launched from a gun barrel. (Photo: Ken Munson) |
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| Powered by a Rotax engine, the Snow Goose leaflet dispenser is guided by parafoil and can be air-dropped from a C-130. (Photo: Ken Munson) |