UAVs UK - factsheet. The Variants. Desert Hawk

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Charles Armstrong
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1 FS 70 UAVs UK - factsheet The Variants Desert Hawk Battery powered and hand launched. Can fly for around one hour at feet within a 15km radius of its ground control system. Used for battlefield surveillance. 160 have been delivered to Afghanistan, completing over 2,000 flights. Its GPS system allows the operator to simply click a place of interest on a map to direct the vehicle. Its main body is made of high-density foam and costs about 150. The motor only engages after the UAV has been propelled into the air, and reaches a speed of over 50 feet per second. Originally developed under a U.S. Air Force contract as the Force Protection Airborne Surveillance System. The Desert Hawk system is designed to be sensor-centric: the operator focuses on controlling what the sensor is looking at rather than flying the air vehicle. Developed by Lockheed Martin. Electric motor (Aircraft-batteries, GCS-batteries or AC input) Dimensions: length 32 in, wingspan 52 in. Weight: 3kg. Structure material: Mould-injected expandable polypropylene Launch: Bungee/rail Recovery: Automatic landing Operational range: up to 10 Km Altitude: up to 500 Ft Endurance: up to 1 hour Airspeed: Knots Payload capability: Combined E/O Pand IR or a set of three color E/O Page 1 of 6

2 cameras Maximum launch density altitude: 7500 Ft Operates from a 100m x100m clearing without a runway Recent developments: 22 (Gibraltar) Battery RA took the Desert Hawk 3 UAVs into operational service in Iraq last year. The Desert Hawk operators deployed across the British area of operations including Basrah Palace, Maysaan Province, the Iranian border, and often operated with front line infantry units using their own infantry skills to support these units. The detachments flew in excess of 1,000 operational Desert Hawk flights across southern Iraq. Hermes 450 A medium-sized UAV with a range of 150km. Can fly for up to 16 hours. Flown over 5000 hours since delivery. Fitted with electro-optical and infra-red cameras. Developed by Elbit Systems Ltd. Powered by a 52 hp rotary UEL engine Dimensions: length 6.1m, wingspan 10.5m. Weight: 450 kg Launch: Prepared and semi prepared runways Recovery: Prepared and semi prepared runways or parachute Endurance over 20hrs. Altitude over 18kft. Max speed 95 KTAS. Dual payload capability - up to 150 kg, 1.6 kw (EO, IR and Laser designator SAR GMTI and other) Fully autonomous or manual flight Structural composition: Fully composite Highly mobile, quick deployment Page 2 of 6

3 Fully redundant flight computer, avionics, mechanical and power supply Recent developments: 22 (Gibraltar) Battery RA took the Hermes 450 UAVs into operational service in Iraq. The Hermes operators provided new and invaluable support to 1 Mechanised Brigade, accumulating over 3,000 flying hours. 57 (Bhurtpore) Battery RA deployed to Afghanistan in April 2007 with Desert Hawk. The Battery provided UAV imagery directly into the Brigade Headquarters and operated across the whole British area of operations. Watchkeeper Currently under development by Thales Aerospace, under an 800m contract. Due to come into service in Will be made up of 54 air vehicles and 13 ground control systems. Based on Hermes 450 (see above), but will differ in its automatic landing capability and multiple payload configuration. Will be able to fly in all weathers and deploy from both prepared and unprepared runways. Payloads include the Compass EO payload, comprised of four electro-optical systems (visual, Infra-Red (IR) laser rangefinder and designator), offering advanced scan modes and automatic target tracking, and the Thales I-Master Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)-Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), radio relay, COMINT etc. When multiple payloads are carried, an EO/IR payload is mounted in the lower front section while SAR or other electronic sensors are mounted in the lower aft section. Anticipated Structually similar to Hermes 450 Composite structure. Range: up to 200km. Altitude: up to 16,000 ft for SAR missions, 10,000 ft for EO/IR missions. Optimized for long range, long endurance (+16 hours) multi-payload missions. Launch: automatically deployed from short airstrips or catapult. Recovery: automatic landing. Page 3 of 6

4 Designed for fully autonomous operation. Payload: up to 150kg. Herti (High Endurance Rapid Technology Insertion) Used for surveillance and reconnaissance. Developed by BAE Systems. Deployed in Afghanistan. Extremely high levels of reliability without need for an operator or pilot to control the aircraft from the ground. Powered: pusher propeller mounted at the back, Dimensions: length 6m, wingspan 12m. Endurance: up to 25 hours. Range: 1,000km. Weight 750kg. Speed (cruising): 125knots. Fully autonomous. Launch: automatically deployed from short airstrips. Recovery: automatic landing. Recent Developments: BAE Systems has been investigating an armed version of HERTI. A High Altitude, Long Endurance version is also a possibility. MQ9 Reaper Key features: Came into service in When airbourne in Afghanistan is flown from Nellis Airforce Base, Nevada. Developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. RAF initially bought three Reapers, are in process of adding a further ten. Purpose-designed hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, highaltitude surveillance. Page 4 of 6

5 Armed. Deployed in Afghanistan. Powered: Honeywell TP turboprop engine, 670 kw Dimensions: length 11 m, wingspan 20m. Weight: 1676 kg empty; 4760 kg max. Launch Type: runway Recovery: runway Altitude: up to 50,000 ft Endurance: 15 hours Range: 3682 miles Fuel Capacity: 1,300 kg Payload: 1700 kg. Speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 knots) 6 Hardpoints under the wings, can carry a payload mix of 680kg on each of its two inboard weapons stations, kg on the two middle stations and 70-90kg on the outboard stations. Recent Developments: On 22 April 2008 it was announced that the RAF deliberately blew up a Reaper after it crash landed over Taliban territory in Afghanistan. Commanders immediately despatched an elite unit to remove "sensitive items" from the unmanned Reaper spy drone. The items were thought to be a high-intensity camera and memory chips. Taranis Key Currently under development by BAE Systems.. Due to fly in Will be one of the world s largest UAVs. Will be fully autonomous, and be able to taxi itself onto a runway and take off. Two internal weapon bays. Will be capable of delivering weapons to a battlefield in another continent with a high level of autonomy. Page 5 of 6

6 Anticipated Dimensions: length 11.35m, wingspan 9.94m. Weight: approximately 8 tonnes. Delta-wing shape and tricycle-type landing gear. Other News The Army's only tactical unmanned air vehicle regiment, 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, have said farewell to the Phoenix UAV surveillance aircraft which has most recently been used on operations in Iraq. The Phoenix UAV's were bought into service in 1999 as part of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Phoenix officially goes out of service on 31 March 2008, to be replaced by the WATCHKEEPER system in During the interim the Lydian Hermes 450 System will be used and is currently operating in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Disclaimer The views of authors are their own. The UK Defence Forum holds no corporate view on the opinions expressed in papers or at meetings. The Forum exists to enable politicians, industrialists, members of the armed forces, academics and others with an interest in defence and security issues to exchange information and views on the future needs of Britain s defence. It is operated by a non-partisan, not for profit company. UK Defence Forum papers are archived at - the last three years being accessible only to members and subscribers. Prior to that they are in the public domain subject to usual conventions. Members wishing to comment on papers can access a noticeboard via the members area of the website April 2008 Page 6 of 6

Aeronautical Systems Center

Aeronautical Systems Center Global Hawk Program Overview Michael Johnston 303 AESG/LG DSN: 787-4047 Comm: 937-255-4047 michael.johnston@wpafb.af.mil RQ-4A Global Hawk System Global Hawk: High-altitude,