UAV's Robotics PAGE5

Israel's long-range UAV 'no gamechanger'
by Staff Writers
Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Feb 23, 2009
Israel's new monster unmanned aerial vehicle will undoubtedly allow the country's military chiefs to look deep inside Iran to provide detailed intelligence but it's not likely to be a wonder weapon to knock out the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.

The Israeli air force formally inducted the Heron TP -- dubbed the "Eitan," which is the Hebrew word for "strong" -- into its inventory Sunday, announcing that it had the range to operate over Iran.

The inference appeared to be that like its Israeli and U.S. counterparts blasting militants in the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, this 4.5-ton pilotless behemoth would add significant firepower to any Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure without endangering pilots.

That was certainly what the media picked up on. But in its current configuration, the Eitan, built by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, is primarily designed to conduct long-endurance, high-altitude electronic surveillance missions well above commercial air traffic.

"With 24- to 36-hour endurance and the ability to operate above 40,000 feet, the Eitan certainly provides a noteworthy new capability for Israel," according to the U.S. global security consultancy Stratfor.

"But the UAV is something IAI has long been capable of designing and producing and it does not materially alter Israel's ability to strike Iran."

Stratfor noted that although the Eitan could reach Iran it would have to fly through Iraqi airspace to get there but that is "the most politically sensitive " route "since it likely would upset the delicate balance of power the United States is trying to help create with March 7 elections."

And the Israeli craft "does not have the capability to fly around the Arabian Peninsula, reach Iran and return to Israel."

The Eitan is the biggest UAV in the Israeli arsenal. It's 79 feet long with a wingspan of 86 feet, roughly the wingspan of a Boeing 737 airliner. It has a powerful 1,200-horsepower turbo-prop engine and can carry a 1-ton payload.

For surveillance missions this would comprise a suite of electronic systems, targeting hardware, sensors and cameras, although presumably it could carry weapons to make it an attack UAV.

In terms of endurance, the Eitan has roughly the same capability as the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, the latest variant of the Predator UAV that has been used to eliminate leaders of al-Qaida and the Taliban with salvos of AGM-114 Hellfire ground-to-air missiles.

But the Reaper, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Air Force, is designed as a hunter-killer.

"While there is little doubt the Eitan can be fitted with Hellfire missiles and perhaps even configured to carry 500-pound bombs, Israel's challenge is delivering 5,000-pound bunker-busters to Iran in order to damage key nuclear facilities," Stratfor noted.

"Another challenge for Israel is sustaining an air campaign at that distance over a week's time when political circumstances and Iranian reprisals could limit Israel to much less."

Intelligence and surveillance would play a vital role in any strike the Israelis might mount if the political decision to attack Iran was made.

Analysts say the Eitan would be extremely useful in providing accurate bomb damage assessment, an important element in the kind of military operation the Israelis would have to mount against Iran.

The Eitan actually began flying three years ago but was basically designed for the export market where Israel is a world leader in UAV technology.

The Heron TP was sold to France as a Predator substitute, since the waiting list for the U.S. craft was so long -- and still is -- that the French military needed a UAV system urgently for its forces in Afghanistan.

They currently operate three Heron TPs, renamed Harfangs acquired in 2009, and a fourth is on order.

Micro CoMPASS Payload Tested Onboard Hermes 90 UAV

Recent flights demonstrate enhanced Micro Compass payload day and night video imagery quality performance, robust tracking and Laser Range-Finding (LRF) capabilities of mobile and stationary targets

by Staff Writers
Haifa, Israel (SPX) Feb 24, 2010
Elbit Systems has announced that it completed a series of successful flights of its enhanced Micro CoMPASS electro-optic payload with advanced capabilities as part of Elbit Systems' Hermes 90 unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

The Hermes 90 UAS flight series demonstrated day and night enhanced capabilities such as excellent target recognition capabilities, both day (CCD) and night (FLIR), tracking of both mobile and stationary targets and an accurate Laser Range-Finder.

The enhanced Micro CoMPASS also offers a new innovative 3-axis configuration allowing an impressive level of stabilization and high-quality high-resolution imagery for a payload of its compact size.

The payload's thermal night camera features continuous zoom, allowing a wide observation field, thus providing immediate mission intelligence and fast detection/recognition ratio to maximize overall system agile response and sensor to shooter loop capability.

This flight series underscores the maturing and addition of advanced mission capabilities to the Hermes 90 UAS. Hermes 90 draws on the rich experience and performance proven capabilities of Elbit Systems' Skylark and Hermes UAS families, operational in the Israel Defense Forces and other modern armies worldwide.

Among the main features of the Hermes 90: "fly by camera" flight mode , easy, user-friendly operation, over 15 hours endurance, mission range of more than 100 kilometers, and the highest payload weight capacity in this class of UAS.

The Hermes 90 has automatic dual launch and recovery methods, including integral launcher for point launch and recovery on non-prepared surfaces without using any dedicated ground equipment, as well as strip take off and landing.

The system enables full integration with any C4I system, for fast imagery dissemination as well as easy coordination among the operational forces in the field. Thanks to these capabilities, the Hermes 90 is highly suited for various missions and particularly maneuvering forces, as well as homeland defense and other non-military missions.

The Hermes 90 UAS has already performed successful flight tests with a heavy fuel engine (HFE), a basic requirement and an important capability for maritime UAS operations when operating from ships.

Elbit Systems continues to add mission capabilities to the Hermes 90 such as the enhanced Micro CoMPASS payload and will integrate and test in the near future a laser designator to compliment the present capabilities

The U.S. configuration of the Hermes 90 system, named STORM, is being offered for the joint USN/USMC Small Tactical UAS (STUAS) program by UAS Dynamics, LLC, a Charlotte, SC based company, jointly owned by Elbit Systems of America, LLC and General Dynamics Armaments and Technology

Products, Inc..

STORM offers a solution based on advanced, mature UAS designs adapted by UAS Dynamics to meet U.S. requirements.

Northrop Grumman Demonstrates VADER Dismount Detection

Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER).

by Staff Writers
Linthicum MD (SPX) Feb 23, 2010
Northrop Grumman has successfully completed flight testing of its new Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER), capable of tracking vehicles and foot traffic over a wide area.

VADER is being developed by Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector for use with medium altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial systems and smaller manned aircraft. When deployed, VADER will provide U.S. Army ground commanders with real-time accurate Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery.

"The outstanding success of these radar sensor demonstrations clearly shows the capability of VADER to add enhanced tracking of combatants to the Army's mission," said Steve McCoy, vice president of the sector's Advanced Concepts business unit.

"The flight tests not only proved that the system can detect individuals walking over a wide area, but it can track over varying ranges, altitudes and platform speeds as well."

More than 120 flight tests have been conducted over an 18-month time period. The flights demonstrated multiple GMTI radar modes, including detection of vehicles, watercraft, people and animals. In addition, SAR imagery was collected against stationary targets of interest. The Army's test and evaluation command is currently assessing the results of the VADER flight tests.

Northrop Grumman was awarded the VADER development contract in 2006, with the first system test flight accomplished ahead of schedule last year in Maryland. During those flight tests, high resolution SAR imagery and GMTI data were collected and processed on a radar ground station to show vehicle motion on the ground.

The VADER program is sponsored by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Office (JIEDDO) and has been managed by both DARPA and Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) in conjunction with Army Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate. DMEA awarded follow-on contracts to Northrop Grumman in January 2009 to improve the capability and support testing by the Army.

VTOL, ducted-fan UAV for security monitoring of the London Olympics

Published 24 February 2010

A U.K. company developing a ducted-fan, VTOL UAV says the ability of the vehicle to take off vertically and maneuver around the tops of buildings would make it ideal for security monitoring at the London Olympics and other urban law-enforcement mission; the U.K. start-up says that compared to other UAVs, the Flying Wing can work more aptly against wind gusts, making it suitable for helping troops in mountainous Afghanistan

We have written several stories about the advantages for law enforcement, first responders, and search and rescue units of manned and unmanned systems based on ducted-fan technology (“U.K. Start-Up to Demo Serious Flying Robo-Saucer in 2009,” 27 August 2008 HSNW; “Israeli Ducted-Fan Sky-Jeep in Flight Trials,” 13 January 2010 HSNW; “The First True Flying Car: DARPA’s Transformer TX,” 27 May 2009 HSNW, and more).

Siobhan Wagner writes that a UAV that can take off vertically and maneuver around the tops of buildings has been proposed for security monitoring at the London Olympics. The concept and design for the aircraft is by VTOL Technologies, a small U.K. technology research and development firm based at SEEDA’s Reading Enterprise Hub.

The single fixed-wing aircraft, dubbed Flying Wing, would lift off the ground with four thrust vectoring ducted-fan units. Wagner quotes Ashley Bryant, managing director of VTOL Technologies, to explain that once in the air, these units are designed to flip back, allowing the aircraft to fly forward at high speed. Bryant added that the thrust can be controlled individually for each unit, giving the Flying Wing the ability to maneuver around tight spaces. These thrusters would also enable the aircraft to hover, launch from a moving vehicle, or even use reverse thrust to land on a ship’s deck.

Bryant said those features would make the Flying Wing not only ideal for security monitoring at the London Olympics but also military operations such as those in mountainous Afghanistan. Bryant said that, compared to other UAVs, the Flying Wing can work more aptly against wind gusts. This is due to the placement of outboard thrusters beyond the wing-tips. “With this design because we have these fans beyond the wing-tip, we can respond to problematic wind gusts very quickly,” he told Wagner.

The Flying Wing is expected to have a maximum flight time of two hours using lithium polymer cells as the power source. VTOL Technologies is currently looking into increasing the endurance by 50 percent in the next two years with fuel-cell technologies. VTOL Technologies has spent more than eight years designing and prototyping the Flying Wing, but Bryant said further development work will require additional funding.

Wagner notes hat in 2008, VTOL Technologies secured a six-month contract, worth more than £120,000 from the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s Center for Defense Enterprise (CDE). The funding was not renewed last year due to MoD budget cuts. “Bryant is still confident he will receive development funding and when that happens it is likely his UAV will be ready for commercial deployment within 18 months,” Wagner writes.

Boeing 'Phantom Eye' Hydrogen Powered Vehicle Takes Shape

The jig load assembly, model of a liquid-hydrogen engine and fuselage skins for Boeing's Phantom Eye demonstrator in St. Louis are part of the high altitude long endurance aircraft being assembled by teams in Boeing's Phantom Works division. Other work on Phantom Eye is being done in Irvine and Huntington Beach, Calif., and in Seattle.

by Staff Writers
St. Louis MO (SPX) Mar 09, 2010
Boeing has begun to build Phantom Eye - its first unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high altitude long endurance (HALE) demonstrator aircraft.

"The essence of Phantom Eye is its propulsion system," said Darryl Davis, Boeing Phantom Works president. "After five years of technology development, we are now deploying rapid prototyping to bring together an unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV] with a breakthrough liquid-hydrogen propulsion system that will be ready to fly early next year."

Phantom Eye's entire propulsion system - including the engine, turbo chargers and engine control system - successfully completed an 80-hour test in an altitude chamber on March 1, clearing the way for the propulsion system and UAV to be assembled.

The twin-engine Phantom Eye demonstrator will have a 150-foot wingspan and be capable of flying for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet while carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. Phantom Eye is designed to maintain a persistent presence in the stratosphere over a specific area, while performing missions that could include intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and communication. Boeing also is developing a larger HALE that will stay aloft for more than 10 days and carry payloads of more than 2,000 pounds, and building "Phantom Ray," a fighter-sized UAV that will be a flying test bed for advanced technologies.

"We believe Phantom Eye and Phantom Ray represent two areas where the unmanned aerial vehicle market is heading, and rapid prototyping is the key to getting us there," said Dave Koopersmith, Advanced Boeing Military Aircraft vice president. "These innovative demonstrators reduce technology risks and set the stage for meeting both military and commercial customers' future needs."

Phantom Eye evolved from Boeing's earlier success with the piston-powered Condor that set several records for altitude and endurance in the late 1980s. Boeing, as the Phantom Eye system designer, is working closely with Ball Aerospace, Aurora Flight Sciences, Ford Motor Co. and MAHLE Powertrain to develop the demonstrator.

Phantom Ray evolved from the X-45C program. It is scheduled to make its first flight in December.

Unmanned helicopter to monitor the consequences of nuclear disasters

Published 8 March 2010

Engineering students at Virginia Tech designed a UAV for flying into American cities blasted by a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb; the unmanned helicopter’s main mission would be to assist military investigators enter an American city after a nuclear attack in order to detect radiation level

Unmanned helicopter awaiting launch prep // Source: zazzle.com

The Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS) at Virgiinia tech University has a new fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed by an aerospace master’s student in his spare time. Justin Murtha wanted to test his reliability design process for UAVs and ended up creating a new fleet for Virginia Tech.

Of special interest to first responders would be a six feet long UAV, weighing 200 pounds, which is designed to fly into American cities blasted by a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb. The helicopter’s main mission would be to assist military investigators in the unthinkable: Enter an American city after a nuclear attack in order to detect radiation levels, map and photograph damage.

“It’s for a worst-case scenario,” said project leader Kevin Kochersberger, a research associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Virginia Tech Unmanned Systems Laboratory. His team consists of several graduate and undergraduate students from the mechanical engineering and electrical and computer engineering departments.

Kochersberger and his team re-engineered a remote-controlled Yamaha-built UAV RMAX helicopter to fly in fully autonomous mode. They also created flight control software algorithms that will direct the helicopter to radioactive sources on its own accord. To carry out various missions, the researchers outfitted the helicopter with various “plug-and-play payloads” as the vehicle’s weight capacity is limited. The payloads are easily loadable and unloadable boxes that fit snugly under the helicopter’s main body, carrying devices that would detect radiation levels in the atmosphere and on the ground, and take video and still images of damage. Flight control software would allow the mission to be changed mid-flight.

One payload is unique: A miniature tray-like robot on treads that can be launched via a tether wire from the helicopter to collect evidence. The helicopter would hover over the robot, and pull it back via the wire. A student team is building this robot, which will boast not only “chunk” sampling capability, but also a miniature vacuum which could suck up dust and dirt.

The robot is expected easily to maneuver any terrain, including expected bomb craters, as part of its investigation, said Michael Rose, a graduate student in mechanical engineering. The team plans to make the robot water proof, in the event that it comes across water — busted water mains, lakes, rain puddles, etc. “The electronics must be protected from the harmful elements,” Rose said.

The group also designed a downward-looking stereo camera system mounted to the helicopter, to image affected areas. The cameras would allow for computerized 3-D terrain mapping of affected areas, an absolute necessity to understand the characteristics of the blast. It is expected that the helicopter will have night vision capabilities, and enhanced imaging technologies that improve vision through smoke and fog as the project progresses, Kochersberger said.

Unmanned helicopter to monitor the consequences of nuclear disasters

Published 8 March 2010

The project, already funded at $735,000 with an additional $650,000 allocated for 2010, is overseen by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency and spearheaded by the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory. Plans call for the helicopters to be mission-ready in three years. Department of Defense personnel already have visited Virginia Tech to watch a demonstration as the craft zeroed in on a small, planted radioactive source at Kentland Farm, several miles from the Virginia Tech campus. More testing is underway, with another DoD demonstration planned for 2010 in Savannah, Georgia.

Cyber espionage targets UAV manufacturers

Published 8 April 2010

A report tracking cyber-espionage -- and cyber-industrial espionage -- against U.S. defense contractors finds an intriguing trend: targeting UAV technology; UAVs are likely to remain a principle target of foreign collection activities, particularly given the growing market in UAVs, the report notes

Defense contractors are under consistent attack by foreign intelligence services attempting to gather intelligence-related information, according to a report by the Defense Security Service (DSS). Cyber espionage threatens the U.S. national security and economic welfare.

“United States defense-related technologies and information are under attack: each day, every hour, and from multiple sources. The attack is pervasive, relentless, and unfortunately, at times successful,” writes Kathleen Watson, director of DSS. “As a result, the United States’ technical lead, competitive edge, and strategic military advantage are at risk; and our national security interests could be compromised.”

The report — Targeting U.S. Technologies: A Trend Analysis of Reporting from Defense Industry — East Asia and the Pacific region were hosts to the highest number of intelligence collection attempts. “For the fifth year in a row, reporting with an East Asia and Pacific nexus far exceeded those from any other region suggesting a continuing, concerted, and growing effort to exploit contacts within United States industry for competitive, economic, and military advantage,” the report states.

Attempts to gather intelligence information were traced to over half of the countries in the world. After East Asia and the Pacific, the Near East and Europe and Eurasia were of greatest counterintelligence concern. Despite their overall decline, “European and Eurasian cyber actors remain some of the most active targeters of United States technology.”

Additionally, efforts by commercial entities to gather intelligence have grown which “likely represents a purposeful attempt to make the contacts seem more innocuous, shifting focus from government collectors to commercial or non-traditional entities.”

Direct requests for information served as the primary tool for intelligence gathering. This was followed by suspicious Internet activity and solicitation. “Facilitated by ever increasing world wide connectivity, the ease of inundating industry with overt e-mail requests and Web page submissions made direct requests a premier vehicle for solicitation and/or collection,” the report states. “While not all direct requests for information or services represent organized collection attempts, exploitation of this medium provides collectors an efficient, low-cost, high-gain opportunity to acquire classified or restricted information.”

The report also found that information systems, aeronautics, lasers, and optics and sensors were the highest collection priorities.

DSS has also seen increasing attempts to target UAV technology as well. This is seen more as an effort at economic espionage by the DSS. Targeting of UAVs is non-region specific, broadly based, and spans all phases of research, development, and deployment,” the report said. “It is highly likely that this interest and probable targeting is the direct result of a growing and increasingly competitive world market for UAV systems.”

UAVs are likely to remain a principle target of foreign collection activities, particularly given the growing market in UAVs, the report notes.