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Switchblade - U.S. Army Kamikaze UAV. Forty years - from drones to a swarm of war Messenger of the Olympic gods

Original taken from milkavkaz to Small drone UAV-kamikaze as lethal military assistance to Ukraine

In a previous publication, we already touched on the so-called “lethal military assistance” that Ukraine may receive in the event of a full-scale offensive by the Russian Federation, we also considered means for waging a sabotage war in the rear of Russian-terrorist forces. We supplement this publication with an overview of the combat capabilities of small strike UAVs that can be used for sabotage purposes, causing significant damage to the enemy and consider models produced in the USA and used by the US Army.

Small strike UAVs have a number of advantages when carrying out a sabotage war in the rear of the Russians:

1. Mass and dimensional characteristics allow them to be transferred and used by reconnaissance and sabotage groups (RDG) by searching and defeating: operational tactical missiles, MLRS, air defense systems, radars, helicopters at field airfields, ammunition depots, and carry out targeted liquidation of the enemy’s military command .

2. A flight radius of 3-10 km allows the RDG to search and destroy targets over a wide area and hit targets while at a safe distance.

3. Small size, the use of composite materials, flying at low altitude and low-noise make it difficult to detect them during the flight / attack of the target.

Thus, receiving these funds as foreign military aid with proper use can cause significant damage to the enemy and affect the course of hostilities.

Unmanned aerial vehicle Switchblade (USA)

Switchblade UAV was developed by AeroVironment to improve the accuracy and firepower of combat infantry units. Switchblade is designed as an unrecoverable UAV that contains an explosive charge and destroys its target by crashing into it. At its core, it is a kamikaze drone, which entered the arsenal of the American army, and has already established itself in real combat operations. In addition to other methods that are already used against ground targets, SRC Inc. created for Switchblade special software that combines a drone with sensors to intercept enemy UAVs.

Weight: 2.7 kg;
Length: 61 cm;
Flight range: up to 10 km;
Flight speed: 101-158 km / h;
Flight time: up to 10 min;
Working height: 152 m above ground level (maximum 4.5 km);
Preparation for launch: 30 sec;

Penetration: 50 mm;

Kit weight: 5.5 kg (UAV, launcher and bag for transportation);
Navigation: GPS;

Dimensions: The drone is folded inside the pipe along with the wings, which unfolds as soon as the device takes off. Together with a carrying bag and a launcher, it easily fits in a backpack, which makes it small and light enough even for one soldier. The compact size of the drone allows it to be launched from various places, including from sea and air platforms.

Range and flight time: The small size of the UAV limits its flight time, which does not allow the use of UAVs for reconnaissance purposes. But at the same time, compactness gives other advantages: Switchbladeflies quietly and quickly. It is very difficult to intercept. This quality makes the drone effective for hitting targets at a long distance, which makes it possible to conduct active combat operations even in conditions of dense enemy fire.

Target Detection: equipped with a color camera, thermal and acoustic sensors, and GPS for the possibility of detecting, tracking and hitting targets, and can also be programmed to intercept movable targets (for example, other drones).

UAV control features: Control is carried out using the ground control station (NSU). She also manages flights and other UAVs developed at AeroVironmen: Wasp, RQ-11 Raven, and RQ-20 Puma. A common controller allows you to combine reconnaissance and combat drones into a single system in which devices exchange information about targets.

Warhead Power: The drone is equipped with an explosive charge, which is the equivalent of a 40 mm grenade. This is enough to hit light armored vehicles and enemy personnel. In the event of a change in purpose or cancellation of a mission, the operator can safely land the drone with the possibility of reuse.

In 2011, the U.S. Army signed with AeroVironment for the supply of Switchblade ultra-compact drones. The contract value amounted to 4.9 million dollars. At the end of 2012, 75 drones were delivered to army units in Afghanistan, but there were few of them. According to Defense News, the US Army has already spent about $ 10 million on the purchase of Switchblade drones. The last contract for the supply of Switchblade for $ 5.1 million AeroVironment received in May 2012.

Miniature strike UAV Textron T-RAM / Textron BattleHawk (USA)

The BattleHawk Squad Level Loitering Munition UAV is equipped with one 40-mm explosive projectile with a highly effective explosive, and a video camera mounted in the front of the device will allow the operator soldier to accurately point this drone at the target.

Weight: 5.5 kg with launcher;
Length: 45 cm (in flight), 56 cm (launcher);
Warhead: analogue of 40 mm cumulative-fragmentation grenade M430A1.
Penetration: 50 mm;
Shard radius: 5 m;
Speed: up to 100 km / h;
Flying time: 30 minutes:
Flight range: 5 km;
Working flight height: 152 m;
Maximum height of sweat: 3 km above sea level;
Navigation: GPS;
Auto tracking of the target and pointing at it before the defeat.

When folded, BattleHawk is in a special launch tube, with which it weighs about 2.3 kilograms. Such a low weight of the device is achieved due to the fact that all the elements of its design are made of lightweight plastic reinforced with carbon fiber, which makes it just as invisible to the rays of any radar. After the charge pushes the BattleHawk out of the tube, its wings spread, the electric motor that rotates the blades of the small propeller turns on, and the apparatus sets off for flight, ready to perform its task.

Using remote control, a human operator located on the ground in a safe place can control the BattleHawk, which moves at a speed of about 100 km / h. A charge of onboard batteries lasts for 30 minutes of flight. The main objective of the BattleHawk is light enemy ground fortifications, conventional and lightly armored vehicles, for which a small charge is enough.

In the case of BattleHawk, a 40-mm grenade warhead with an increased number of ready-made fragments is installed in the bow of the UAV. The total weight of the apparatus in this case is 3 pounds (1.36 kg). The device must barrage in the air, and when a video image of a target is detected by the UAV, it is aimed at it from the control station. The UAV is designed to defeat enemy forces and vehicles. It is transported in a plastic pipe with a diameter of 6 inches (15.24 cm), launched manually or using a miniature pneumatic catapult.

Several system enhancements have been made since the introduction of BattleHawk as Tactical Remote Aerial Ammunition, or T-RAM, in 2011. Textron representatives assure that the cost will be significantly lower than other systems of a similar size and purpose.

Miniature shock UAV MBDA TiGER (USA)
The MBDA TiGER drone is equipped with two 40-mm explosive shells with a highly effective explosive, and a video camera mounted in the bow of the device will allow the soldier-operator to precisely point this drone to the target.

Weight: 1.3 kg;
Warhead: two 40 mm cumulative-fragmentation grenades M430A1 grenades;
Warhead mass: 0.45 kg;
Penetration: 50 mm;
Shard radius: 5 m;
Inflatable wings;
Wingspan: 60 cm;
Diameter: 5 cm;
Length: 30 cm;
Vertical stabilizer: 7.6 cm;
Launcher weight: 1.8 kg;
Speed: 48 km / h (minimum), 80.5 m / h (cruising), 128.9 km / h (maximum)
Maximum flight height: 6 km;
Minimum flight height: 121 m;
Flying time: 12 - 15 minutes;
Flight radius: 3.2 km;
Attacks of fixed and moving targets;
Attack of targets behind buildings and walls;
Navigation: GPS;
Auto tracking of the target and pointing at it before the defeat.

The small size, low altitude and composite materials of which the UAV is made make it difficult to distinguish for the proton. Compared to Switchblade UAVs and BattleHawk UAVs, the MBDA TiGER has a short flight range, but a more powerful warhead, two 40 mm cumulative-fragmentation grenades, instead of one.

UAV white color or camouflage.
launcher (transport container) in a backpack and UAV.
starting device (transport container), UAVs and control terminals.
warhead, two 40 mm cumulative-fragmentation grenades M430A1.

Miniature shock UAV UVISION WASP (Israel)

The UVISION WASP UAV is equipped with a high-explosive explosive warhead, and a video camera mounted in the bow of the device will allow the operator soldier to precisely point this UAV to the target.

Weight: 3 kg;
Warhead: 0.5 kg;
Flight range: 5-10-40 km;
Flying time: 30 minutes;
Working height: 300-600 meters.

UVISION WASP is one of the modifications of the Hero-30 unmanned aerial vehicle, designed to accurately hit targets. The UAV weighs only 3 kg (about a third of the mass falls on the battery, another third - on the warhead).

The drone is launched using a portable pneumatic launcher. The cruciform wings provide the super-maneuverability of this drone, capable of flying low over terrain with complex terrain or around obstacles. Working height - 300-600 meters.

Hero-30 is able to "lead" the target day and night using a small rotating camera, transmitting information to the operator, which can be located at a distance of several tens of kilometers (the maximum distance to date is 40 km), and waiting for the command to "attack".

If necessary, the operator can collect information and interrupt the "mission" by returning the drone (a special network is used to ensure a soft landing). The electric motor guarantees a UAV flight lasting 30 minutes.

The Hero-30 UAV can get closer to the target, allowing the operator to accurately identify it and decide on the strike.

Hero-30 will be produced in various modifications: 1) against enemy manpower, 2) against infrastructure, 3) against armored vehicles, anti-aircraft batteries, etc. A distinctive feature of this "Kamikaze UAV" is the ability to determine the zone of vulnerability of the target and deliver a point strike: that is, for example, an object in a building can be attacked through a window. It is also noted that the pneumatic launcher is designed in such a way that there is no risk of warhead detonation at launch.

Structures like Hezbollah, ISIS and the like can buy, get weapons by robbery or racket, but they cannot become a society in which it will be possible to build a real modern network-centric army.

Anniversary year

Forty years ago, in 1975, the first Israeli UAV Mastiff of the Tadiran ltd. The Mastiffs, along with the Scout UAV (IAI ltd), did a good job in Operation Artsav 19 during the First Lebanon War in June 1982. It was the world's first use in battle of tactical UAVs with equipment capable of transmitting information in real time.

Then, in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, Syrian air defense systems were good and the planes were no worse. The Syrian air defense system was completely Soviet and at that time - the latest. And the air defense calculations were quite professional, they were prepared by Soviet officers.

As a result, the Syrian - 82nd mixed anti-aircraft missile brigade and three anti-aircraft artillery regiments, armed with air defense systems "Square", S-75M "Volga" and S-125M "Pechora" and, in addition, 86 Syrian MiG-21, MiG 23 and MiG-23M turned into scrap metal, although their tactical and technical data were quite good (of course, scrap metal is also needed as a secondary raw material for processing). They could not inflict losses on the Israeli side.

It was impossible to attribute the catastrophe as usual to the incapacity of the Arabs: even the Israelis admitted that the Syrians fought well this time, in addition, Soviet instructors were sitting next to the Syrians in the booths of the destroyed air defense systems.

“The main military adviser - adviser to the Minister of Defense of Syria was Colonel General G. Yashkin, who arrived in Syria from the post of deputy commander in chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Air Force deputies - Lieutenant General V. Sokolov, Air Defense - Lieutenant General K. Babenko, EW - Major General Y. Ulchenko subordinated to him. Thousands of Russian officers were at all levels of command and control of the Syrian forces - from batteries and companies to the Syrian Ministry of Defense. ”[I]

So what's the deal? Simply, the IDF has already fought in a new way.

The “Mastiffs” and “Scouts” broadcast live images to command posts, provided the IDF with the opportunity for unmistakable decisions to launch missile strikes, interfered with how the “bait” caused the air defense system to fire itself, diverting it from manned combat aircraft.

As a result of this operation, the active introduction of drones into modern armies began.

Israel has long been a major supplier of drones to the world market. Today, competitors are stepping on their heels, UAVs are developed and manufactured in many countries - in the USA, France, Great Britain, China, but Israeli companies still keep the bar and produce a number of the most advanced models covered with strict measures of secrecy.

Many of Israel’s achievements in this area will be available on September 7 in Rishon Lezion at the third air show, exhibition, and conference dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Israeli UAVs.

Israeli companies sell drones in 49 countries - 80% of drones produced in Israel are exported. This is understandable, Israeli tactical and strategic UAVs are well-deserved. But today, mini-and micro-UAVs for special forces are of particular interest.

Special Weapons for Special Forces

The organizational decision to create a commando brigade is, as they say, good, but not enough.

Armed UAVs, giants with a wingspan of under 20 m, turned out to be too big for special forces: too large a caliber of weapons, an asphalt runway needed, and no matter how strong the guys served in the special forces, you won’t carry these devices on yourself. Such UAVs have their own tasks. For the special forces, new weapons are needed, and in this regard, the role of mini- and micro-class drones is difficult to overestimate.

The traveling special forces units for providing close-range reconnaissance and obtaining instant operational images are especially interested in cheap, easily transported, and unpretentious, expendable (single-use) UAVs, including those used as kamikazes for delivering strikes. If it is already spent, then not without reason.

What weapons the new team of Israeli commandos will be equipped with is not yet known, but there are developments in the Israeli military-industrial complex, there is a lack of funding, mainly and as always.

One of the solutions was proposed by the Israeli company Uvision with UAV “Hero-30” - a portable knapsack system weighing 3 kg. The UAV is placed in a container and launched using a pyrotechnic charge. After the shot, the UAV spreads 8 wings (four large wings with a wingspan of 67 cm in the middle part and four closer to the tail part) with a unique cruciform configuration. Two screws operating almost silently - they rotate by electric motors in opposite directions, and cruciform wings provide the super-maneuverability of this drone, which can fly low over terrain with difficult terrain and go around obstacles.

The Hero-30 is capable of reconnaissance day and night - in its bow there are electron-optical and infrared cameras, but not only - when it receives the command to attack, it turns into a bomb, the weight of the warhead is from 0.5 kg to 1 kg. Its radius of action is up to 40 km, speeds from 60 to 160 km per hour, it can barrage in the region for about 30 minutes.

“Hero-30” was presented at the air show at “Le Bourget-2015” and has already been delivered to an unnamed buyer, details about its application are not disclosed.

"Ghost" (Ghost) - a solution fromIAI

Israel Aerospace Industries has proposed its solution - UAV Ghost ("Ghost"), equipped with rotary engines and capable of hovering over a certain point on the ground.

Why was he called the "Ghost"?

The fact is that the use of electric motors made it possible to achieve a significant reduction in the noise of the apparatus and thermal visibility, while composite materials made it radio-transparent. These properties are most useful for long-term observation of objects at low altitude.

Meet the Ghost:

The mass of the drone is four kilograms, along with day and night vision video cameras. The range is determined by the capabilities of the signal broadcast and is today 4 km, speed - up to 60 kilometers per hour, flight duration - about an hour. The video signal from the Ghost cameras is broadcast to the control panel of the device.

It is important to distinguish shock unmanned aerial vehicles from more familiar drones, which were originally created for reconnaissance and information collection, and subsequently equipped with various weapons. This is combat aircraft, which must without danger and reproach carry out dangerous combat missions without a pilot on board. As such, it represents a very popular combination of combat aircraft and UAV technology. Its creation required the tremendous efforts of leading Western armies and their industrial partners, which gave rise to a number of technological demonstration programs that are beginning to transform into development projects aimed at increasing operational capabilities.

While the U.S. Navy is in the process of redefining its UCLASS (Unmaned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike) system for less aggressive tasks, such as a deck carrier, the TARANIS and nEURON demo systems appear to be the ancestors of unmanned aerial vehicles. first generation UAVs in the UK and Europe as part of the FCA3 program (Future Combat Air System - a promising combat aircraft).

Dassault nEUROn at the air show in France in 2013

Currently, four large American companies participating in the UCLASS program are participating in deck-based drone operations: Northrop Grumman with an X-47B based UAV, Boeing with a Phantom Ray based UAV, Lockheed Martin with its Sea Ghost and General Atomics with Sea Avenger.

It is worth seeing here what the various technology demonstration programs have achieved, but no doubt Northrop Grumman’s X-47B recognition has reached its peak. This aircraft recently demonstrated amazing technological maturity, taking off from aircraft carriers among manned platforms and refueling in the air on its own as part of the UCAS-D fleet program, which followed the closure of the J-UCAS program in 2006.

As a refinement of the X-47A PEGASUS project, which Northrop Grumman produced under the J-UCAS program and which first took off in 2003, the X-47B was to demonstrate that it complies with all the rules and regulations of service on an aircraft carrier. First of all, it is about compliance with the requirements of the Command of the Naval Aviation Systems, improving reliability, resistance to damage, organizing logistics within the aircraft carrier and flight control systems, the necessary operational parameters and flight qualities. In addition, he needs a traction attachment to the catapult, a tail hook and a stronger chassis.

In order to work safely in conditions of powerful electromagnetic fields of the deck of an aircraft carrier, the drone had to pass electromagnetic compatibility tests. The first launch from a ground-based ejection installation was carried out in the Pataxent River flight test center in November 2012, the first landing with immediate take-off after touching using relative navigation GPS the device made in March 2013, and the first landing on the model of the deck of an aircraft carrier using an aerofinisher two months later.

Although the U.S. Navy wanted to decommission the experimental samples, it was decided to continue flights further. In 2013-2015, the aircraft carrier underwent three more test phases, mainly with the aim of demonstrating the ability of the UAV to work “seamlessly” with the aircraft carrier’s wing, which includes about 70 different aircraft. The goals of these stages were achieved, 16 precise approaches were made, five departures to the second round, nine landings with an immediate take-off after touching, two landings with an aerofinisher and three take-offs using a catapult.

During tests at sea on the decks of two ships, a large number of takeoffs and landings were made. All goals were achieved, including the successful first night operations on deck and the first night flights, launches and returns at 90-second intervals mixed with HORNET fighters. In April 2015, the X-47B drone performed the first independent air refueling using the standard cone-rod system paired with the KS-707 refueling aircraft from the Omega Air Refuelling fleet (a private company providing air-to-air refueling services to the US military) . A key technology in this process is the Refueling Interface System (RIS) refueling interface system on board a refueling aircraft, with which the UAV exchanged messages during a test flight. The drone independently maneuvered in order to combine the fuel rod and the cone. Successful refueling actually marked the completion of the development of a new apparatus.

Modified Omega Air Boeing 707 acts as Northrop Grumman X-47B driller, April 2015

Ghosts, Ghosts and Phantoms

While few reliable facts are available about Lockheed Martin's Sea GHOST drone based on the RQ-170 SENTINEL, the company revealed its priorities in the UCLASS program, most of which undoubtedly relate to the RAQ-25 reconnaissance and attack tanker STINGRAY. These include providing affordable, reliable and continuous intelligence, surveillance and information gathering, as well as “full adaptability” in order to carry out operations in any scenario and in any combat situation. The company also focuses on the control of unmasking signs, implying multispectral stealth, engine gas emission control and radio emission.

Lockheed Martin also emphasizes its intention to integrate technology proven on manned and unmanned systems, including the “maximum reuse” of hardware and software from devices such as the F-35C, RQ-170 SENTINEL and others. According to the company, the drone concept, based on an open architecture, is aimed at reducing the time and cost of integrating systems, because you can reuse proven hardware and software tools and systems without unnecessary costs.

Controlling several devices by one operator is considered very important for working with UAVs. As part of the UCLASS project, in July 2013, these capabilities were demonstrated to the Navy Aviation Command. The control system of the UAVs themselves and their sensors developed by Lockheed Martin, integrated with other systems for planning, operational management and intelligence gathering of the US Navy, was able to provide operators with a comprehensive picture of the combat mission.

How close the Boeing UCLASS project, and possibly the currently competing UAV RAQ-25 CBARS (Carrier Based Aerial Refuelling System) to the PHANTOM RAY platform, has not been publicly discussed. However, since the beginning of this century, the company has achieved a lot and gained vast experience with UCAV technology, mainly with the X-45 options for the J-UCAS program and in the competition for the UCAS-D program, which it lost to Northrop Grumman. Boeing used the software developed for the offshore UCAV variants, installing it on board the F / A-18D HORNET fighter to demonstrate automatic landing on an aircraft carrier.

Artistic presentation of the UCLASS platform, which was included in the exposition of Boeing at Sea Air Space 2015

During its first flight on May 22, 2002, for example, the first of two X-45A drones demonstrated good flight performance and basic elements of air operations, in particular the operation of the control channel between the aircraft and the ground station. In April 2004, an X-45A demo hit a ground target with a 113 kg high-precision inert bomb dropped from an internal compartment. In August 2002, the first autonomous flight of several drones was made under the control of the operator. Flight tests were successfully completed in 2005 and the next year, two devices went to museums.

In April 2003, the DARPA Office of Advanced Defense Research announced that it wants to have a larger version that could meet the requirements of the US Air Force and Navy for the J-UCAS project; they became the X-45C platform. In May 2009, three years after the cancellation of the J-UCAS project, Boeing announced that it would proactively develop the PHANTOM RAY on the basis of the X-45C prototype as a flying testing laboratory for advanced technologies.

The Textron RQ-7 SHADOW, an armed reconnaissance drone, the workhorse of the U.S. Army, allows advanced forces not only to monitor and reconnaissance, but also to quickly destroy targets that appear for a short time before they can disappear, such as mortar groups, terrorists laying down IEDs, or packed with unknown than a pickup truck. It is also almost ideal for busy urban areas, where it is often impossible to drop a large bomb, such as a JDAM, or use other means of fire support, such as artillery.

The SHADOW complex consists of four UAVs with a targeted load, a launcher and ground control and support equipment, including a power source, communication equipment, automatic return facilities, video terminals, a canopy and a HMMWV car with a trailer. Each complex is equipped with one Maintenance Section Multifunctional MSM and is serviced at the brigade level of the mobile workshop. The basic target equipment is an optoelectronic / infrared station with a laser target designator.

The larger RQ-5 HUNTER drones were tested with VIPER STRIKE mini-bombs, and the MQ-1G SKY WARRIOR drones can carry up to four HELLFIRE missiles, but the U.S. Army has much fewer drones than can be said about the smaller RQ-7 SHADOWS . A typical combat load of a SHADOW UAV is just two missiles, one under each wing. Affordable weapons include a small-caliber mini-rocket GRIFFIN designed by Raytheon or VIPER STRIKE from Northrop Grumman. The Israeli LAHAT rocket, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), can also be mounted on this drone. Non-motorized weapons, for example, guided mortar shells, can also enter the combat load of a drone.

The GRIFFIN mini-rocket is ideal for situations where size and weight are critical factors.

The Turkish joint venture Kale-Baykar, created by the Kale Group and Baykar Technologies, developed the BAYRAKTAR tactical UAV, an intelligence and surveillance system originally intended for the Turkish armed forces. On August 5, 2014, he set a record for the duration of an independent flight when he flew 24 hours 34 minutes at an altitude of 5500 meters. In addition, the BAYRAKTAR TB2 drone successfully demonstrated the launch of the Roketsan MAM-L smart munition in December 2015.

SEA AVENGER

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Sea AVENGER drone differs from the rest in that it is a further development of the proven PREDATOR family of remotely piloted aircraft. These UAVs, originally created as platforms for continuous monitoring and information collection for flights in enemy free airspace, flew millions of flight hours, demonstrating their striking capabilities in real combat operations.

Sea AVENGER is nothing more than a variant of the PREDATOR C drone with the Pratt & Whitney PW545B engine, capable of operating from aircraft carriers. Its weight is 8255 kg, wingspan 20.1 meters and the length of the fuselage 13.4 meters. Although it has thickened, deeply recessed root parts of the wings with a certain gap with the fuselage and the internal compartment of the armament, a large relative lengthening of the swept wings, the front part of the fuselage is bulb-shaped due to the satellite antenna plus the V-shaped tail unit indicates its connection with the PREDATOR drone and hint that low visibility was not at the forefront in the design. However, the company says that “its unique design, reduced signs of visibility and speed” increase survivability in conditions with a higher level of threats and provide enhanced capabilities for reconnaissance and rapid armed response.

PREDATOR-C AVENGER drone with its weapons

The first flight of PREDATOR C in April 2009 was followed by a second flight in January 2012; In addition, the third and fourth apparatus are under construction. In May 2010, GA-ASI proposed a marine option for the UCLASS competition, winning one of four research contracts in August 2011.

In November 2012, the SAE AVENGER UAV (PREDATOR C) first flew under operator control from the new Advanced Cockpit Ground Control Station (ACGCS). ACGCS features a panoramic display and a multi-dimensional moving card designed to increase your level of ownership, as well as a built-in digital on-board instruction to reduce operator workload. As the company emphasizes, intuitive interfaces with better ergonomics are designed to simplify the identification of dangerous situations, they increase safety and reduce the pilot's reaction time and decision-making process. The system, which takes into account the wishes of the Ministry of Defense regarding increasing the level of uniformity, is designed to work with the entire line of UAVs GA-ASI.

The company emphasizes that the unification of materials and avionics with PREDATOR B contributes to a further reduction in the cost of AVENGER, while its advanced capabilities enable it to be used in massive swarm attacks. This aircraft is currently undergoing extended flight tests.

An option with an increased range should be completed this year, it will have a wingspan of 23 meters and an increased fuel supply in order to increase the flight duration to 20 hours.

In February 2013, the UCLASS project was transformed into the unmanned tanker RAQ-25 Carrier CBARS (Based Aerial Refuelling System), which the US Navy wants to call STINGRAY. It will also have reconnaissance and "limited strike capabilities", although, according to some reports, these strike capabilities may be delayed to the next option. The creation of an unobtrusive unmanned tanker makes some sense, since the F-35 fighter cannot work far from American bases without the support of tankers, and existing tanker aircraft are unlikely to survive in the difficult combat situation with a high level of threat in which the Russian S- 300 and S-400 or their analogues or other modern means of blocking the zone. In addition, the combat stability of the UBLA swarm can be significantly increased if you take the same type of inconspicuous tanker with you.

The tactical UAV SHADOW 200 was selected by the US Air Force and Navy for reconnaissance, surveillance, target designation and evaluation. It was reported that in January 2016, the U.S. Army issued a $ 97 million contract to Textron Systems for the modification of the RQ-7B SHADOW tactical drones. At the moment, several Arab countries are interested in acquiring armed variants of SHADOW

NEURON and TARANIS show their abilities

In addition to the United States, Europe also does not forget about shock drones. It implements the European program for demonstrating nEURON technology under the leadership of France, in which Italy, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland also participate. The project was launched in 2003, the main partnership agreement was signed in 2006, and the first flight the only device made in France in December 2012.

In November 2015, the Swedish Defense Procurement Authority announced that the nEURON pilot reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicle passed a series of flight tests at the Vidsel test site, which aimed to determine what the inconspicuous UAV looks like for ground and air systems, including the GRIPEN fighter, and, According to the curator of the GRIPEN project in the Office, "see if nEURON is as good as the French say about him."

Beauty nEURON - the fruit of European efforts

Two series of test flights, 11 and then 8 conducted by the Swedes, allowed the GRIPEN C / D and GRIPEN E fighters, the latest version of the ASC 890 Saab ERIEYE long-range (radar) detection and control aircraft, as well as the UndE (GIRAFFE) aerial reconnaissance radar, to determine the distance, with which you can find the drone nEURON. Measurements were made by other ground-based radars and infrared systems. UABA also made three bombing approaches, firing three test inert weapons. All results of these tests were classified.

And before that, a series of tests were carried out at the Decimomannu training ground in Sardinia, which Finmeccanica reported on completion in August 2015. These tests in real conditions included 12 “top-secret” sorties, focused on testing combat capabilities. Tests confirmed the effective reflection area (EPO) and infrared signs of drone visibility. Flight missions included flying at various altitudes, interacting with various threats, both ground and air, including Eurofighter TYPHOON. As was the case with tests in Sweden, little information was published, but Finmeccanica said the tests confirmed the “excellent” performance and high operational reliability of the nEURON UAVs.

In turn, these tests were based on a series of tests that were carried out at a training ground on the French island of Istres, which ended in February 2015 with the hundredth flight of this aircraft. At the first stage, these tests were focused on expanding the range of flight modes, including flying with open bomb compartments, the operation of optoelectronic equipment, and evaluating communication channel parameters. At the second stage, its IR and electromagnetic signatures were evaluated when working on air defense objects.

The British independent project TARANIS was officially unveiled in July 2010, after being included in the UK defense strategy in December 2005. A 8,000-kilogram HAWK trainer demonstration sample first took off at the Woomera test site in Australia in 2013 after passing preliminary tests for unmasking signs in England in 2012 where its EPO and infrared signatures were checked.

UAB Taranis at the air base in England, in the background Typhoon fighter, 2015

The successful completion of the second phase of flight tests was announced in July 2014. The drone was completely in stealth configuration, all antennas were replaced with signature control options, and the nose bar of the receiver of the air signal system was removed. An LPD / LPI communication system was also used (with a low probability of detection / low probability of interception).

TARANIS completed its third and final series of trials in November 2015, the purpose of which was to confirm its small EPO. According to BAE Systems, the platform met all test objectives and anticipated flight conditions.

Key technologies developed within the project include a remote control system for a platform with a high degree of instability and built-in sensors needed to replace very visible sensors in the air system and air pressure receivers. The company also mentioned the successful integration of on-board support equipment, engine and communications equipment into an inconspicuous platform, and, as technical problems are resolved, systems critical from a safety point of view.

NEURON plus TARANIS equals FCAS?

The nEURON and TARANIS programs reached their final stages at the same time, and the UK and France announced their intention to allocate £ 750 million for the development of prototypes of the ready-to-operate UAV within the framework of the project for a single promising combat air system FCAS (Future Combat Air System). In the summer of 2014, £ 120 million was allocated for a feasibility study, and full-scale development was due to begin in 2017. Given the delays and cancellations of programs, plus the redefinition of the combat mission of the new platforms that American industry had to deal with, Europe can deploy a ready-made modern specialized UAV at the same time or even earlier than the United States.

Heron

According to reports, the HERON reconnaissance UAV of the Israeli company IAI is able to remain in the air for more than 24 hours, flying at altitudes of the order of 10,000 meters. The IAI claims a flight duration of more than 40 hours and a record continuous flight of 52 hours. The maximum flight range of the drone is about 3000 meters, it can carry a maximum target load weighing 250 kg.

Such a large drone of the MALE class (medium altitude and long flight duration) can accept a very different target load, designed to perform a variety of tasks. This can be an optical-electronic station for reconnaissance intelligence, radar with a synthesized aperture for ground surveillance, marine search radars and sensors, antennas and equipment for electronic reconnaissance and information collection, laser target designators and even radio transmitters. HERON can designate targets for fighters, helicopters and missiles. HERON drones can also be equipped with air-to-surface missiles that detect, track, and destroy targets deep inside enemy territory.

HERON -1 UAI

India already operates a fleet of unarmed UAVs HERON and SEARCHER, using them for surveillance and information gathering. The adoption of armed UAVs in the Indian army will be a serious expansion of its capabilities and will allow to clear large terrorist camps or individual objects on enemy territory with minimal risk. In 2015, the Indian government approved the purchase of ten armed UAVs from IAI for $ 400 million as part of the Modi Administration Expedited Program. Ten HERON TP drones joined other Israeli platforms armed with the Indian Air Force, HARPY ammunition, SEARCHER reconnaissance vehicles and unarmed HERON-1 UAVs. The country also implements its own drone development program under the designation RUSTOM 2.

HERON leased drones of various options worked in Afghanistan in the Australian, Canadian, French and German contingents. They are also in service with the US Armed Forces Command in Central and South America. There is confirmed and unconfirmed sales information for HERON drones in Brazil, Ecuador, Singapore and Turkey.

The small guided munition GRIFFIN is already available for the modernization of manned rotorcraft; quite possibly, it will soon also be integrated into unmanned aerial vehicles of vertical take-off and landing

User Expansion: Barrage Options

Another unmanned kinetic concept is becoming increasingly popular. These are the so-called barrage of ammunition, which allows the armed forces to quickly respond to targets that are subject to immediate destruction. In essence, barrage of ammunition allows reconnaissance assets to destroy targets in a timely manner and with high accuracy. One of such ammunition is the AeroVironment SWITCHBLADE strike drone, which according to the company is a high-precision solution with guidance outside the line of sight, causing minimal indirect damage. This system was evaluated by the US Marine Corps. The company representative noted that “this miniature, remotely controlled or autonomous platform can either plan or fly on a silent electric motor, providing real-time GPS and video coordinates for the purpose of collecting information, target designation or recognition of objects / terrain. The small size of the device and the silent engine make it difficult to detect, recognize and track even at a very short distance. SWITCHBLADE is fully scalable and can be run from a variety of air and ground platforms. ”

SWITCHBLADE is the first development under the Air Force and Special Operations Command for the LMAMS (Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System) special operations forces for miniature aerial lethal munitions. The device has a maximum flight range of up to 15 km and a flight duration of up to 20 minutes. It is equipped with forward and sideward CCD / IR cameras, a thermal imager and a combat weapon weighing 300 grams with a laser non-contact fuse. Other applicants for the LMAMS program were T-RAM from Textron Systems and SkyStinger from IATech. However, LMAMS still expects the status of a priority program, but industry experts say that this will happen no earlier than 2019.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has created advanced versions of its HARPY Barrage Ammunition, currently in service with many countries, including Israel and India. At Singapore Airshow 2016, IAI showed the newest members of its family of barrage-guarding munitions: HARPY NG, designed to counter modern air defense radars that have advanced significantly since the adoption of the previous version of this munition; GREEN DRAGON, tactical low-cost ammunition designed to arm small units and special forces in order to increase the level of ownership of the situation and lethal impact; and a quadcopter ROTEM L, which can carry a warhead weighing one kilogram, consisting of two grenades, which detonate when the drone comes in contact with the target. The warhead can be replaced by surveillance equipment (an infantryman can carry up to three systems, the range of stable communication with the device is 5 km and the flight duration is up to 30 minutes). Barrage ammunition, as a rule, is made according to the airplane scheme, has a high speed, so the rotorcraft configuration in this case is an innovative solution.

IAI systems can be equipped with a MicroPOP sensor head and a 4 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The next generation of ammunition is rapidly developing, undergoes extensive tests, and can be launched from any land, air and sea carriers.

Finally, UVision is completing the development of its HERO 120 ammunition intended for the destruction of tangible assets at close range. This option carries a warhead weighing 3.5 kg. The company says that its HERO 120 drone weighs a total of 12.5 kg, has a maximum flight duration of one hour and an over-the-horizon communication range of up to 60 km.

The Uvision family of smart HERO ammunition that can deliver high-precision strikes in urban areas or at remote sites currently includes six options; of which the smallest unit is HERO 30, and the most high-tech is HERO 900. However, a Uvision representative said that his company is currently working on the seventh, larger version of the HERO 1250. With an estimated weight of 125 kg, the new version can carry a larger combat means of destruction compared to the HERO 900 model (photo below) weighing only 20 kg. He also said that the development of the HERO 1250 will complete faster than the development by the IAI of its new HAROP drone.

He stated that they will be able to offer the same capabilities as IAI with its HAROP, but for only a quarter of the cost. Uvision is confident that its HERO 120 will soon make its first flight with a weapon, which will make it the first device available to potential customers in the line of new systems, which also includes the HERO 70, 250 and 900 models. Meanwhile, the previous options Uvision HERO 30 and 400 have already been ordered by several buyers.

In recent years, the use of light small UAVs on the battlefield has expanded significantly. These tactical UAVs can do irreparable damage with their precision weapons:

(1) The IMPI-S high-precision munition (pictured at an exhibition in Cape Town) originates from Denel Dynamics's field-proven anti-tank missiles, short-range IMGWE and long-range MOCOR

(2) The Small Air Bomb Extended Range (SABER) ammunition is developed by MBDA and is distinguished by laser semi-active homing in the final section of the trajectory

(3) Tactical guided ammunition PYROS Small Tactical Munition (STM) weighs only 6 kg. Its universal warhead has a fuse that works in three modes: blasting at altitude, shock and with a delay

(4) Orbital-ATK's innovative HATCHET mini-bomb was developed with funding from the US Air Force Research Laboratory. The tiny ammunition, resembling a 20-mm artillery shell in size, weighs only 3 kg and at the same time maintains high accuracy due to its laser semi-active guidance. The media reported that even larger drones, such as the MQ-1 PREDATOR, can carry dozens of HATCHET mini-bombs to create the effect of a “cluster bomb”

(5) Pictured are the Thales Planning Free Fall Lightweight Modular Missile (FF-LMM) rockets in the U.S. called FURY; In the photo, the mini-rockets are mounted on the Harris BRU-S5 / A Smart Rack suspension assembly

Messenger of the olympic gods

The HERMES 450 mid-range drone (photo below) by Elbit Systems, an Israeli company, provides real-time intelligence data to ground forces. A UAV (length 6.1 m, wingspan 10.5 m and weight 450 kg) is designed to perform long-term tactical tasks. HERMES 450 can carry various target loads (150 kg, 300 A, 1.6 kVA) and effectively conduct visual and radio reconnaissance, operate as a radio relay and perform other tasks at the division and corps level. The drone body is equipped with two suspension units; optional suspension units on the wings are possible. In Israel, it operates as a drone with strike and reconnaissance capabilities.

Unarmed vehicles are operated by a number of foreign customers, including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Georgia, Mexico, Singapore, the US Border Patrol, and in the UK it operates as a reconnaissance vehicle under the designation WATCHKEEPER WK450B. According to the company, the HERMES 450 UAV can carry up to two Rafael SPIKE missiles.

FFLMM Planning Missiles Under Watchkeeper 450

HERMES 900 is a larger platform with a wingspan of 15 meters and a maximum take-off weight of one ton. Compared to the 450 model, it can fly at high altitudes up to 9000 meters, the flight duration is 30-36 hours, and the target load is 350 kg, which is twice the load capacity of the 450 model.

Israel recently announced that its HERMES 900 UAV received the local name Kochav (star), and the Israeli press points to the fact that the HERMES 900 can carry HELLFIRE missiles, since the payload of 350 kg of the drone allows this. It was reported that the HERMES 900 with two internal suspension components, in addition to the four underwing suspension components, was sold to an unnamed NATO country, but neither the Israeli Ministry of Defense nor Elbit Systems confirmed this information.

The U.S. Army has requested a large batch of Switchblade compact kamikaze drones for use in Afghanistan.

According to Lenta.ru, citing Defense News and a Pentagon spokesperson, the total cost of drones exceeds the budget.

The exact number of drones ordered is not specified. According to Colonel Pete Newell, at the end of 2012, 75 drones were delivered to army units in Afghanistan, but they were few.

Switchblade weighs 2.7 kilograms and reaches a length of 60.9 centimeters, so they can be worn in a backpack. They are launched using the launch tube, the flight of the UAV is controlled by the operator using the ground control station.

Switchblade can reach speeds of up to 157 kilometers per hour, cover up to 10 kilometers and stay in the air for up to 10 minutes. In this case, the UAV is designed for one-time use.

It detects the target using the built-in video camera, and then crashes into it and is undermined. As previously reported, the operator can cancel the task to destroy.

Switchblade - U.S. Army Kamikaze drone

According to Defense News, the US Army has already spent about $ 10 million on the purchase of Switchblade drones.

The latest $ 5.1 million Switchblade contract was awarded to AeroVironment in May 2012.