UNITED STATES - 2 APRIL 2009
MONROVIA, Calif. --- The U.S. Army Product Manager for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) and AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) recently conducted a continuous 30-hour demonstration of persistent surveillance of a point target using AV’s RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft system.
The demonstration at Camp Roberts, Calif. followed an inquiry from Pentagon officials regarding the potential for AV’s Raven small UAS to perform low-cost, tactically relevant persistent surveillance.
The continuous 30-hour duration represents a prolonged tactical level surveillance mission similar to what would typically be performed at the battalion or lower level. Using one standard production Raven baseline system, which consists of three aircraft and two ground control stations, the demonstration provided continuous surveillance using only two-person crews operating in eight-hour shifts. Employing the autonomous guidance capability incorporated into the Raven small UAS, operators rotated the aircraft over a surveyed point target, a residential building on the base, maintaining unbroken surveillance throughout the demonstration, and reported activity at the target site. In addition to recording the imagery, the demonstration team streamed a live video feed from the operation via webcast throughout the event.
According to Dean Barten, product director for Army SUAS, “This demonstration indicates that the Raven small UAS is capable of performing tasks normally assigned to limited, high demand, and higher echelon reconnaissance assets in a highly cost-effective manner. The Raven small UAS was employed and performed as it does every day in combat operations - reliably, without fanfare, in support of the soldiers in the fight.”
Barten said that in a testament to the Raven system’s reliability, over the course of the 30-hour demonstration, 27 sorties were flown with no system failures or mission aborts. The system operated flawlessly, despite the presence of high winds, air turbulence and rain, all while operating out of an unimproved area.
“Soldiers have in their rucksacks an immediately accessible, long-term surveillance unmanned aircraft system to give them extended bird’s eye views of a target so they don’t have to wait for larger unmanned aircraft systems that are in high demand,” said John Grabowsky, executive vice president and general manager of AV’s UAS segment. “The battle-proven Raven system could also support many important non-military applications for extended intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, such as border control, law enforcement, and communications and reconnaissance following a major storm.”
In order to maintain continuous surveillance, the Raven system operators rotated the aircraft over the target: one aircraft operating on an alternate control channel would relieve the orbiting aircraft prior to the latter’s rotation back to the launch/ recovery site. The Raven system’s daytime color electro-optical camera and nighttime infrared camera payloads were employed to ensure continuous situational awareness. The Raven system’s operations were conducted in varying weather conditions, including rain and temperatures ranging from low 70’s to mid 40’s (Fahrenheit).
The Raven systems used by the Army include three air vehicles, day and night sensors, two ground control stations, a laptop computer with mission planning and recording software and accompanying spares and a battery charger. The 4.2-pound Raven aircraft is powered by lithium-ion batteries.
In addition to its Raven system, AV’s small UAS product family includes Puma AE™ and Wasp™, which are also hand-launched and controlled by AV’s hand-held ground control station.
Each aircraft in AV’s family of small UAS is interoperable and tailored to address a variety of operational user needs. AV’s UAS logistics operation supports systems deployed worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness. AV has delivered thousands of small unmanned aircraft to date. International purchasers of Raven systems include Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
UAS: Raven
The Raven B system, an enhanced version of the battle proven Raven A system, is a lightweight solution designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for both military and commercial applications, requiring low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance intelligence.
The most advanced small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) deployed with the U.S. Armed Forces, the Raven can be operated manually or programmed for autonomous operation, utilizing the system's advanced avionics and precise GPS navigation.
With a wingspan of 4.5 feet and a weight of 4.2 pounds, the hand-launched Raven provides aerial observation, day or night, at line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers. The Raven delivers real-time color or infrared imagery to the ground control and remote viewing stations.
UAS: Puma AE
Puma AE (All Environment) is a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) designed for land based and maritime operations. Capable of landing in the water or on land the Puma AE empowers the operator with an operational flexibility never before available in the Small UAS Class.
The Puma AE is rugged for reliability, man portable for ease of mobility, and requires no auxiliary equipment for launch or recovery operations. The system is quiet to avoid detection and operates autonomously, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and Targeting data (ISRT).
Puma AE carries both an electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) camera on a lightweight mechanical gimbaled payload allowing the operator to keep "eyes on target." The air vehicle's modular design allows for alternative payload development to meet the needs of specific military or civilian applications.
The UAV is operated from AeroVironment's (AV) battle proven Ground Control Station (GCS) with a communications range of 15 km and flight endurance of 2 hours. AV's common GCS provides Puma AE users compatibility with the Raven and Wasp UAS platforms.
UAS: Wasp III
The Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is a small, portable, reliable, and rugged unmanned aerial platform designed for front-line day/night reconnaissance and surveillance. Wasp is the result of a multi-year joint development effort between AV and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
With a wingspan of 72 cm and a weight of 430 grams, the Wasp is AV's smallest UAS. Wasp can be manually operated or programmed for GPS-based autonomous navigation.
To ensure system interoperability, Wasp uses the same advanced technology found in other AV small UAS systems, such as Raven RQ11-B, Swift and Puma, and is controllable through a common Ground Control Station.
Stratospheric Persistent UAS: Global Observer (current project)
Global Observer is being developed to establish a new category of UAS, the first operational configuration able to provide stratospheric global persistence with no latitude restrictions. Global Observer's unique combination of both extreme flight duration and stratospheric operating altitude is designed to deliver advantages in cost, capacity, coverage, flexibility, and reliability that make it a compelling complement to existing satellite, aerial and terrestrial assets.
Missions: Communications Relay & Remote Sensing
Features: Stratospheric Global Persistence (all latitude)
Endurance/Range: Up to 1 week
Payload: Up to 400 lbs. for GO-1 & 1,000 lbs for GO-2
Operating Altitude: 65,000 feet
Propulsion System: Liquid hydrogen powered
Global Observer is designed to address an urgent national security need for a persistent stratospheric platform and provides a means to satisfy numerous high value civil and commercial applications. Mission applications include communications relay & remote sensing payloads for military or commercial customers, as follows:
*Persistent, global, stratospheric loitering capability for defense and homeland security missions.
*Low-cost, rapidly deployable telecommunications infrastructure and GPS augmentation.
*Hurricane/storm tracking, weather monitoring, wildfire detection, and sustained support for relief operations.
*Aerial imaging/mapping, for commercial and environmental monitoring, agriculture crop management and harvesting optimization.
*Multiple communication and remote sensing applications have already been demonstrated from this operating position, including high definition broadcast (HDTV) video, and third generation (3G) mobile voice, video and data using an off-the-shelf mobile handset.
Source: AeroVironment, Inc.
MONROVIA, Calif. --- The U.S. Army Product Manager for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) and AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) recently conducted a continuous 30-hour demonstration of persistent surveillance of a point target using AV’s RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft system.
The demonstration at Camp Roberts, Calif. followed an inquiry from Pentagon officials regarding the potential for AV’s Raven small UAS to perform low-cost, tactically relevant persistent surveillance.
The continuous 30-hour duration represents a prolonged tactical level surveillance mission similar to what would typically be performed at the battalion or lower level. Using one standard production Raven baseline system, which consists of three aircraft and two ground control stations, the demonstration provided continuous surveillance using only two-person crews operating in eight-hour shifts. Employing the autonomous guidance capability incorporated into the Raven small UAS, operators rotated the aircraft over a surveyed point target, a residential building on the base, maintaining unbroken surveillance throughout the demonstration, and reported activity at the target site. In addition to recording the imagery, the demonstration team streamed a live video feed from the operation via webcast throughout the event.
According to Dean Barten, product director for Army SUAS, “This demonstration indicates that the Raven small UAS is capable of performing tasks normally assigned to limited, high demand, and higher echelon reconnaissance assets in a highly cost-effective manner. The Raven small UAS was employed and performed as it does every day in combat operations - reliably, without fanfare, in support of the soldiers in the fight.”
Barten said that in a testament to the Raven system’s reliability, over the course of the 30-hour demonstration, 27 sorties were flown with no system failures or mission aborts. The system operated flawlessly, despite the presence of high winds, air turbulence and rain, all while operating out of an unimproved area.
“Soldiers have in their rucksacks an immediately accessible, long-term surveillance unmanned aircraft system to give them extended bird’s eye views of a target so they don’t have to wait for larger unmanned aircraft systems that are in high demand,” said John Grabowsky, executive vice president and general manager of AV’s UAS segment. “The battle-proven Raven system could also support many important non-military applications for extended intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, such as border control, law enforcement, and communications and reconnaissance following a major storm.”
In order to maintain continuous surveillance, the Raven system operators rotated the aircraft over the target: one aircraft operating on an alternate control channel would relieve the orbiting aircraft prior to the latter’s rotation back to the launch/ recovery site. The Raven system’s daytime color electro-optical camera and nighttime infrared camera payloads were employed to ensure continuous situational awareness. The Raven system’s operations were conducted in varying weather conditions, including rain and temperatures ranging from low 70’s to mid 40’s (Fahrenheit).
The Raven systems used by the Army include three air vehicles, day and night sensors, two ground control stations, a laptop computer with mission planning and recording software and accompanying spares and a battery charger. The 4.2-pound Raven aircraft is powered by lithium-ion batteries.
In addition to its Raven system, AV’s small UAS product family includes Puma AE™ and Wasp™, which are also hand-launched and controlled by AV’s hand-held ground control station.
Each aircraft in AV’s family of small UAS is interoperable and tailored to address a variety of operational user needs. AV’s UAS logistics operation supports systems deployed worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness. AV has delivered thousands of small unmanned aircraft to date. International purchasers of Raven systems include Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
UAS: Raven
The Raven B system, an enhanced version of the battle proven Raven A system, is a lightweight solution designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for both military and commercial applications, requiring low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance intelligence.
The most advanced small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) deployed with the U.S. Armed Forces, the Raven can be operated manually or programmed for autonomous operation, utilizing the system's advanced avionics and precise GPS navigation.
With a wingspan of 4.5 feet and a weight of 4.2 pounds, the hand-launched Raven provides aerial observation, day or night, at line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers. The Raven delivers real-time color or infrared imagery to the ground control and remote viewing stations.
UAS: Puma AE
Puma AE (All Environment) is a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) designed for land based and maritime operations. Capable of landing in the water or on land the Puma AE empowers the operator with an operational flexibility never before available in the Small UAS Class.
The Puma AE is rugged for reliability, man portable for ease of mobility, and requires no auxiliary equipment for launch or recovery operations. The system is quiet to avoid detection and operates autonomously, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and Targeting data (ISRT).
Puma AE carries both an electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) camera on a lightweight mechanical gimbaled payload allowing the operator to keep "eyes on target." The air vehicle's modular design allows for alternative payload development to meet the needs of specific military or civilian applications.
The UAV is operated from AeroVironment's (AV) battle proven Ground Control Station (GCS) with a communications range of 15 km and flight endurance of 2 hours. AV's common GCS provides Puma AE users compatibility with the Raven and Wasp UAS platforms.
UAS: Wasp III
The Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is a small, portable, reliable, and rugged unmanned aerial platform designed for front-line day/night reconnaissance and surveillance. Wasp is the result of a multi-year joint development effort between AV and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
With a wingspan of 72 cm and a weight of 430 grams, the Wasp is AV's smallest UAS. Wasp can be manually operated or programmed for GPS-based autonomous navigation.
To ensure system interoperability, Wasp uses the same advanced technology found in other AV small UAS systems, such as Raven RQ11-B, Swift and Puma, and is controllable through a common Ground Control Station.
Stratospheric Persistent UAS: Global Observer (current project)
Global Observer is being developed to establish a new category of UAS, the first operational configuration able to provide stratospheric global persistence with no latitude restrictions. Global Observer's unique combination of both extreme flight duration and stratospheric operating altitude is designed to deliver advantages in cost, capacity, coverage, flexibility, and reliability that make it a compelling complement to existing satellite, aerial and terrestrial assets.
Missions: Communications Relay & Remote Sensing
Features: Stratospheric Global Persistence (all latitude)
Endurance/Range: Up to 1 week
Payload: Up to 400 lbs. for GO-1 & 1,000 lbs for GO-2
Operating Altitude: 65,000 feet
Propulsion System: Liquid hydrogen powered
Global Observer is designed to address an urgent national security need for a persistent stratospheric platform and provides a means to satisfy numerous high value civil and commercial applications. Mission applications include communications relay & remote sensing payloads for military or commercial customers, as follows:
*Persistent, global, stratospheric loitering capability for defense and homeland security missions.
*Low-cost, rapidly deployable telecommunications infrastructure and GPS augmentation.
*Hurricane/storm tracking, weather monitoring, wildfire detection, and sustained support for relief operations.
*Aerial imaging/mapping, for commercial and environmental monitoring, agriculture crop management and harvesting optimization.
*Multiple communication and remote sensing applications have already been demonstrated from this operating position, including high definition broadcast (HDTV) video, and third generation (3G) mobile voice, video and data using an off-the-shelf mobile handset.
Source: AeroVironment, Inc.
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