Non-Subscriber Extract
Radio interference in Iraq hampers US UAV operations
By Nathan Hodge
19 March 2008
US Navy (USN) expeditionary units have discovered that some tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are susceptible to radio-frequency (RF) interference from communications systems and roadside bomb jammers.
In a recent naval expeditionary forces conference, two officers described how UAVs had encountered problems operating in Iraq's complex RF environment. In addition to radio and communications equipment, most US and coalition vehicles employ RF equipment to counteract some types of remote-controlled roadside bombs.
According to Commander William Guarini, the commanding officer of Riverine Squadron 1 (RIVRON 1), the Silver Fox UAV was "very susceptible" to electromagnetic interference. Advanced Ceramics Research developed the Silver Fox for the US Office of Naval Research as a low-cost UAV to provide overwatch to expeditionary units and cover ground convoys.
"In particular with our convoys, with our electronic countermeasure systems going off, they really degrade our range," he said. "And then we have a problem recovering [the aircraft]."
Iraq has few fixed facilities for launching riverine operations and around 80 per cent of RIVRON 1's missions require a tactical ground convoy. Cdr Guarini said that future variants of the Silver Fox would be marinised for waterborne recovery, helping to enhance operations.
"For the greater global missions of riverine forces, we need equipment that can land in areas of high density," he continued.
Image: US Navy Silver Fox (US Navy)