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03 Jul 19. Orca XLUUV: Boeing’s whale of an unmanned sub. The US Navy has awarded Boeing contracts worth a total of $274.4m to produce five Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs). Based on Boeing’s Echo Voyager prototype UUV, the 15.5m-long submersible could be used for mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and strike missions. Berenice Baker finds out more.
When it comes to robot submarines, the US Navy believes in the principle of go big or go home. It needs much larger, longer-range and longer-endurance robot submarines to operate across vast tracts of ocean entirely autonomously.
Its vision is to have them swim from port to an area of operation, loiter there, establish communications, deploy payloads then navigate home. The smaller tactical UUVs the navy currently uses can prove expensive as they need a manned support vessel nearby and have limited endurance.
In October 2017 the US Navy selected Boeing and Lockheed Martin to participate in the design phase of its Orca XLUUV and in May awarded Boeing a contract modification to deliver five of its XLUUVs and associated support elements.
US Naval Sea Systems Command spokesperson Alan Baribeau said of the selection: “The Orca XLUUV is a multi-phased accelerated acquisition featuring a full and open competition to industry to design, fabricate, test and deliver systems to the US Navy. The navy selected the best value of price and technical capabilities.”
Echo Voyager to Orca: Boeing’s XLUUV
Boeing is basing its design on its Echo Voyager, a prototype XLUUV the company funded and designed itself for testing purposes only. Boeing says lessons learned from Echo Voyager have been incorporated into the Orca design to improve reliability and reduce risk.
A Boeing spokesperson said: “The vehicle has more than 2,500 hours of ocean testing. Echo Voyager completed its first phase of sea testing – or Alpha sea trials – in 2017 when it operated off the coast of Southern California for about three months to undergo system evaluations and testing.
“During that time, the Echo Voyager test team conducted a series of functional tests to verify Echo Voyager’s ability to operate on the surface, just beneath the surface and undersea. Ocean testing tasks included charging the battery, controlling the vehicle in currents and wave action, submerging the vehicle and returning to the surface. Echo Voyager returned to sea in 2018 through early this year for Bravo sea trials, designed to expand the operational envelope from the initial test series.”
According to Boeing, Sea Voyager offers a range of 6,500 nautical miles and months of operation on a single fuel module. As GPS operation is only possible at the surface, it uses a Kalman filtered inertial navigation unit aided by a set of doppler velocity logs, and depth sensors to navigate underwater.
The 45.4 tonne vessel offers a modular payload capacity of up to 56.6 cubic metres and 7.3 tonne dry weight over a maximum length of 10.4m, and mission payloads are powered by an 18kW battery.
Baribeau says: “The modular design for the initial Orca XLUUV will enable current and future payloads, sensors, autonomy and other systems to be able to be integrated over the vehicles’ life cycle.”
While the Boeing Orca XLUUV is intended to perform a variety of missions, the US Navy has not revealed specifics of its intended operations or any stealth capabilities.
Delivery of the five units will take place sequentially, with the first planned for the end of financial year 2020 and the contract expected to be completed by December 2022. According to Baribeau, the Orca XLUUVs will undergo a rigorous integration and test plan with the contractor and an independent government testing and military user assessment before operational use.
XXL across the pond
The US Navy’s Orca may not be the biggest autonomous fish in the ocean for long. The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) launched a two-stage £2.5m competition in April seeking solutions that inform future capability and understanding of the utility of XLUUVs. The first stage will carry out research and development of an autonomous control system using an existing platform, and the second stage will test these over the duration of two years.
Ultimately the MOD is looking for a solution to carry out covert intelligence gathering and provide an anti-submarine warfare barrier. It will need to operate independently for a minimum of three months at distances of up to 3,000 nautical miles from where it is first deployed, and carry and deploy payloads of up to two cubic metres and two tonnes. (Source: naval-technology.com)
03 Jul 19. First US Army Battalion with Black Hornets Heads to Afghanistan. Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division will be the first infantry Army battalion to employ pocket-sized drones at the squad level on their upcoming Afghanistan deployment.
Troops with the Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat team were issued Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System this spring and provided training on how to use the drones, which resemble miniature helicopters.
The 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, is planning to employ the machines next month in Afghanistan, while other elements of the brigade wait to see how best to leverage the system, a brigade spokesman told Stars and Stripes.
The hand-held devices are expected to become standard kit for units across the Army, providing near-real time video that will allow soldiers to better survey their surroundings and detect enemies in combat.
“This kind of technology will be a life-saver for us because it takes us out of harm’s way while enhancing our ability to execute whatever combat mission we’re on,” said Sgt. Ryan Subers, who received the training, quoted in an Army statement. “I’m very grateful for technology like this and to be a part of the first unit to use it.”
The Army initially bought Black Hornets, made by Oregon-based FLIR Systems Inc., for testing with Special Forces units in 2016. The devices are extremely light, nearly silent and have a flight time of up to 25 minutes, the company’s website said.
At a demonstration in Norway during a NATO exercise last fall, a FLIR official said the drone, which weighs less than two ounces, can be deployed in less than one minute and has a range of over a mile. It’s intended to eliminate battlefield blind spots with the aim of saving troop’s lives and avoiding unintentional damage or deaths.
“With this system, you can [positively identify] enemies, you can look for [improvised explosive devices] on your route,” said Kristian Molander, a FLIR supervisor and operator, in a video interview. “If you’re taking fire from areas you can’t see, you can use this system to identify stuff before you move into the line of fire.”
Teaching a soldier to fly it takes two minutes, Molander said. Training an instructor takes less than three days.
Wireless commands and data sent between the drone and its controller are encrypted to protect it against hacking, the Army said in a statement last May in which the service said it had ordered about 60 systems. (Source: UAS VISION/Stars & Stripes)
03 Jul 19. Thales Presents Spy Ranger 550. Thales showcased for the first time Spy’Ranger 550 at the Paris Airshow, a new addition to our range of mini Unmanned Air Systems for tactical surveillance and intelligence. Given the complexity of the digital battlefield and the multiplicity of threats, friendly forces need to leverage the power of digital technology to gain a crucial tactical edge, while staying safe and making a key contribution to wider joint or combined forces operations.
Spy’Ranger is a latest-generation mini-UAS with the only EO/IR imaging system in the world capable of transmitting high-definition electro-optical and infrared imagery in real time. The system draws on a decade of experience of micro- and mini-UAV systems with the French armed forces and offers particularly high levels of endurance. It is deployed with the Spy’C automatic command-and-control software already adopted by the French land forces.
Designed to operate in extreme, non-permissive environments, this new-generation system gathers and transmits accurate, operational beyond-line-of-sight image intelligence for joint battlegroup and brigade-level units. It is interoperable with France’s multi-sensor image interpretation and dissemination system (MINDS/SAIM) to generate imagery that can be used directly in operational C4I systems for frontline mission planning and multi-sensor manoeuvres by forward units. (Source: UAS VISION/YouTube; Website)
02 Jul 19. Portuguese Army receives first RQ-11B Raven UAS. The Portuguese Army Material General Support Unit took delivery of the first eight AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven Digital Data Link (DDL) lightweight hand-launched tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) on 27 June, the army general staff’s force planning division has told Jane’s. The UASs will be delivered to Artillery Regiment No 5’s Surveillance Systems Company. Twelve UASs were purchased by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) on behalf of the Portuguese Army under a USD5.9m multiyear contract awarded on 20 August 2018. This includes 36 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 36 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads, 12 ground control stations, 36 EO payloads for training purposes, 12 initial spare parts kits, and 18 remote video terminals (RVTs) with radio systems, as well as a comprehensive training package. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 June 19. Global civil drone fleet to increase 12.6% a year to 2028 – Teal Group forecast. The Teal Group’s 2019 World Civil UAS Market Profile and Forecast projects that non-military UAS production will total USD88.3bn over the next decade, soaring from USD4.9bn in 2019 to USD14.3bn in 2028, a 12.6% CAGR in constant dollars The study includes forecasts of commercial, consumer and civil government systems.
“Commercial use will surpass the consumer drone market in 2023, becoming the largest segment,” says the company. “It will grow more than eightfold to reach USD9.5bn in 2028.
“The growing promise of the civil market is attracting the world’s leading technology companies, driving ever faster development of systems and business applications,” said Philip Finnegan, Teal Group’s director of corporate analysis and the study’s author. “As corporate clients move from proof of concept to fleet deployment the market will soar.”
Civil governments are deploying an increasing number of systems. The U.S. and European governments have new pilot programs for protecting land and sea borders. The UN and other peacekeepers are deploying protection systems.
Firms in aerospace, data analysis, semiconductors and telecommunications are driving the diverse market. Venture capitalists and companies like Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Apple have poured USD455m into drone startup investments in 2018 (USD2.6bn since 2012). U.S. start-ups received 67% of the total, enabling them to take the lead in drone analytics. Chinese firms (15% of total investment) are focusing on continuing their lead in hardware, moving from consumer to commercial systems. Europe lags at 9%.
While funding still goes for new drones focused on specialized markets, increasingly the venture capital funding is shifting from hardware to software and services that will make drones more useful. Funding is being used to develop the scale needed to serve large corporations.
As a market segment, industrial inspection will lead the commercial market over the next decade. Construction will be the largest segment of industrial inspection. All 10 of the largest worldwide construction firms are deploying or experimenting with systems.
Agriculture, the most established commercial market thanks to Japan’s use of high value spraying UAVs, has tremendous potential, but will grow more slowly than other sectors. It still will rank second to industrial inspection.
For more information
https://www.tealgroup.com/index.php/about/press-releases
(Source: https://www.unmannedairspace.info)
01 Jul 19. UUV Aquabotix Ltd (ASX:UUV or UUV.AU) (“Aquabotix” or the “Company”), a publicly-traded leader in the emerging industry of unmanned underwater vehicles, notes the recent events at major maritime lanes globally.
The Recent Events
In the recent weeks, attacks on six tankers occurred close to the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the vulnerabilities of this strategic waterway which transports approximately 20% of the world’s oil. In response to these attacks, commercial vessels are ramping up their security measures, and navies are providing additional assistance in securing the Strait. The United States has deployed additional forces in the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, and just last week, India deployed warships in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf to provide protection to shipping vessels. In addition to government-provided support, shipping companies are coordinating with private maritime security companies to increase guards on their ships. John Thompson, co-founder of Ambrey, the largest provider of security personnel to ships based in the UK, is reported to have indicated that he expects the number of security guards deployed on vessels to increase by approximately 25% in the coming weeks, based on the number of inquiries Ambrey has received following these attacks.
Recent Developments
The United States Armed Forces are at the forefront of proactively meeting these challenges. In May, Aquabotix announced that it had been awarded an approximately US$150,000 contract for the purchase of its SwarmDiverTM system along with training and test support for the United States Military. This hardware and services sale will enable the users to evaluate operational use of Aquabotix’s product in theatre for a potential more substantial deployment.
This award represented the fourth (4th) order placed by the United States Armed Forces related to the SwarmDiver family of vehicles since the product’s launch just over a year ago. Industry insiders will recognize that this is a significantly accelerated timetable, relative to typical procurement timelines in the defence technology industry.
As the United States Armed Forces evaluate and qualify product for use in theatre, it is not uncommon for other global militaries to follow their technology implementation plans. Allied forces oftentimes elect to jointly maintain interoperability of platforms, and governmental users without available budget for rigorous testing may look to the implementation of technology by the United States Military to inform their procurement decisions. For these reasons, having a qualified product for operational use would support the case for wide-spread adoption of Aquabotix’s technologies in the maritime defence and security industry.
Among these other developments, Aquabotix, leading the way in micro-sized swarm robotics for naval applications, recently launched its SwarmDiver EDGE™ product line designed specifically to enhance commercial and military security measures for vessels traveling through potentially dangerous waterways.
SwarmDiver EDGE™ can be used to alert for threats like manned and unmanned vehicles, including militarized vehicles and hobby drones with explosives, or swimmers planting improvised explosive devices. This system is equipped with high intensity lights to create a visual boundary and act as a first line deterrent along a shoreline, around a vessel or docking area, or near any other item of interest. This capability can be used to ensure the security of vessels and other targets of interest to opposing forces in ports or through geographical bottlenecks, like the Strait of Hormuz.
The SwarmDiver EDGETM system was demonstrated in Abu Dhabi, UAE, earlier this year at the region’s leading naval defence and maritime security exhibition (NAVDEX) and in private settings for a select group of potential customers and esteemed guests. The system was well-received by government and commercial end-users alike, and it was generally acknowledged that Aquabotix is one of the very few companies offering commercially-available autonomous security measures and micro-sized unmanned underwater vehicles that has demonstrable and proven product ready for use rather than “vaporware” concepts.
Employing advanced technologies such as the SwarmDiver EDGE™ has many advantages over traditional security guard services working alone. The ability of the system to provide a visual deterrent may be sufficient to keep adversaries from targeting a vessel, instead opting for one with perceivably fewer challenges to approach. When approach is made despite this initial deterrent, the maritime drones may be better positioned to detect nefarious activity than security personnel who are naturally susceptible to fatigue and lapses in attention. Providing alerts and active response to threats either undetectable to or potentially unnoticed by security personnel onboard a vessel, this cost-effective solution enables security forces to identify and respond to attempts at attacks more effectively, making these journeys more secure than imagined before.
Whitney Million, Aquabotix’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We expect that the recent attacks in the Middle Eastern waters will result in governments around the world and commercial maritime industry participants accelerating their implementation of autonomous security measures. Aquabotix is ready to assist, and is working on assisting, qualified customers with their needs. We are actively working with a range of potential governmental customers, particularly those in closest proximity to these recent attacks, on additional contracts, and expect that the recent events may accelerate the timing of these further.”
28 June 19. The world’s top combat drones. Four of the top ten drones are produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. From Predator C Avenger to TAI Anka, Army-technology.com lists the world’s top ten combat drones based on payload capacity and weapons onboard.
The world’s top combat drones: Ranking the top ten
TAI Anka
MQ-5B Hunter
CAIG Wing Loong II
MQ-1C Gray Eagle
Yabhon United 40
CH-5
Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper)
MQ-9B SkyGuardian
Heron TP
Predator C Avenger
1. TAI Anka can be armed with Rokestan smart micro munition (MAM-L), air-launched missile launcher, and laser-guided CIRIT 2.75in rocket. Image courtesy of N13s013.
The Anka unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been operational with the Turkish Air Force since 2017. Developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the UAV is designed to meet the reconnaissance, surveillance, target recognition, and detection requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces.
The total payload carrying capacity of the Anka UAV is 200kg, which includes an identification friend or foe (IFF) system, laser designator, laser finder, and weapon payloads such as Rokestan smart micro munition (MAM-L), air-launched missile launcher, and laser-guided CIRIT 2.75in rocket.
The combat drone is powered by a 150hp turboprop PD170 engine developed by Turkish Engine Industries (TEI). It has a maximum take-off weight of 1,600kg, maximum altitude of 30,000ft, and endurance of more than 24 hours.
- MQ-5B Hunter
MQ-5B Hunter carries external weapons such as Northrop Grumman Viper Strike laser-guided munition. Image courtesy of Brion.
Designed and developed by Northrop Grumman, the MQ-5B Hunter multi-mission unmanned aircraft has been operational with the US Armed Forces for the last two decades, meeting all the standards set by the US Department of Defense.
The Hunter UAV is capable of carrying a total payload of 226.8kg. It can carry multiple sensors such as electro-optical (EO)/infrared (IR) and communication systems in addition to external weapons such as Northrop Grumman Viper Strike laser-guided munition.
Powered by a heavy fuel engine, the MQ5B Hunter has a maximum take-off weight of 884.50kg and a maximum service ceiling of 18,000ft. The unmanned aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 120k and endure for 21 hours. MQ-5C e-Hunter, a larger version of the MQ-5B, is capable of remaining airborne for up to 30 hours.
- CAIG Wing Loong II
CAIG Wing Loong II is in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicle, designed and developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), is the advanced version of Wing Loong I UAV. The aircraft serves the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Intended for surveillance, reconnaissance, and aerial strike, the drone can carry a maximum external payload of 480kg. It can carry up to 12 laser-guided bombs or missiles, including FT-9/50 bombs, GB3 250kg laser-guided bombs, and TL-10 missiles.
The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) aircraft can endure for 32 hours and cruise at a maximum speed of 199k. It has a maximum take-off weight of 4,200kg and a service ceiling of 32,480ft.
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle
MQ-1C Gray Eagle is capable of carrying four Hellfire missiles. Image courtesy of US Army.
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was developed as part of the US Army Aviation modernisation plan. Designed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), the aircraft is used to meet the reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) requirements.
The UAS is designed to carry a total payload of 488kg while its full fuel and external payload capacities are respectively 261kg and 227kg. The combat drone version can carry four Hellfire missiles. Other payloads include EO/IR sensors, synthetic aperture radar, and communication relay sensors.
Powered by Thielert 165 HP heavy-fuel engine, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle has a maximum take-off weight of 1,633kg. The maximum permitted altitude and a maximum speed of the UAV are 29,000ft and 167k, respectively. The UAS has a maximum endurance of 25 hours while the extended range version offers an endurance of 40 hours.
- Yabhon United 40
Yabhon United 40 features four under-wing pods to carry ammunition. Image courtesy of Vitaly V. Kuzmin.
The Yabhon United 40 MALE aircraft, also known as Smart Eye 2, is designed and developed by UAE-based manufacturer ADCOM Systems. The aircraft is in service with Algerian Forces and locally named as Algeria 54.
The multi-mission UAV is capable of carrying a maximum payload of 1,000kg, which includes sensors and surveillance systems such as camera platforms, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and sonar. The combat drone features four pods under the wing for carrying ammunition weighing up to 400kg. The unmanned aircraft also has provision for additional fitment of external payload near the belly of the fuselage.
Powered by a hybrid turbine-electric propulsion system, the aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 118k and can remain airborne for 120 hours. The maximum permissible take-off weight of the aircraft is 1,500kg.
- CH-5
CH-5 UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 3,300kg. Image courtesy of Xinhua/Bai Guolong.
The CH-5 UAV, also known as Rainbow UAV, is designed and developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The unmanned aircraft was introduced first in November 2016 and resembles the US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The combat drone is capable of carrying out combat missions, reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol, and target positioning. It has a maximum take-off weight of 3,300kg and payload capacity of 1,200kg. The hard-points on each wing can be attached with a quad pack of AR-2 SAL guided anti-armour missiles and two twin-packs of AR-1 SAL missiles.
Powered by a 330HP single engine, the aircraft can reach a speed of 118k and offer a maximum endurance of 60 hours.
- Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper)
Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper) can carry an external payload of 1,361kg. Image courtesy of Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson, U.S. Air Force.
The Predator B (MQ-9 Reaper) UAS is in service with the US Air Force, Nasa, the Royal Air Force and the Italian, French and Spanish air forces. Developed by GA-ASI, the remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is designed to comply with the STANAG 4671 Nato standards.
The Predator B combat drone is twice as fast as its predecessor Predator and can carry 500% more payload. It is capable of reaching maximum altitudes up to 50,000ft and has a maximum speed of 240k and endurance of 27 hours.
Powered by a Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine, the UAV can hold a maximum payload of 1,746kg, including an external payload of 1,361kg. It is capable of carrying multi-mission payloads such as EO/IR systems, Lynx multi-mode radar, multi-mode maritime surveillance radar, electronic support measures (ESM), laser designators. It can also hold various weapon systems, including GM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II bombs, and a GBU-JDAM kit.
- MQ-9B SkyGuardian
MQ-9B SkyGuardian can be armed with laser-guided bombs and/or AGM114 Hellfire missiles. Photo: Business Wire
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPA will enter service with the Royal Air Force as part of its Protector RG Mk1 programme in 2020. Developed by GA-ASI, the UAV is designed in accordance with the Nato STANAG 4671 UAV system airworthiness requirements and the UK Def Stan 00-970 design and airworthiness standards.
The UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 5,670kg and features nine payload stations, which can hold a maximum payload of 1,814kg. It is capable of carrying combat payloads such as 500lb GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs and/or AGM114 Hellfire missiles.
The SkyGurardian RPA features detect and avoid (DAA) system developed by GA-ASI. It is capable of flying at altitudes above 40,000ft with maximum speeds of 210k and remaining airborne for more than 40 hours.
- Heron TP
Heron TP has a maximum payload capacity of 2,700kg. Image courtesy of Boevaya mashina.
Heron TP, also known as Eitan, is an automatic taxi-take-off and landing (ATOL) drone designed and developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The combat drone is in service with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).
It is capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,700kg, which includes multiple mission systems such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), communication intelligence sensors, and combat payloads such as guided bombs and air-to-ground missiles.
Powered by a single Pratt and Whitney PT-6A 1,200bhp engine, the aircraft can endure for more than 30 hours while flying at a maximum speed of 220kt. The maximum permissible take-off weight of the aircraft is 5,670kg.
- Predator C Avenger
Predator C Avenger can carry Hellfire missiles and guided bombs and ammunition.
The Predator C Avenger is a remotely piloted aircraft developed by GA‑ASI. The first flight of the aircraft was conducted in April 2009. The combat drone has a maximum take-off weight of 8,255kg.
It is capable of carrying multiple sensor payloads attached to its wing hard-point mountings while its internal weapons bay can carry precision mutations and large sensors up to 1,588kg. The total payload capacity of the aircraft is 2948kg. Its weapon payload includes Hellfire missiles, guided bomb unit (GBU)-12/49 laser-guided bombs, GBU-31 GBU-32, GBU-38 38 joint direct attack munitions (JDMA) and GBU-39 and GBU-16/48 bombs.
The Predator C Avenger offers greater operational and transit speeds than Predator B aircraft. Powered by Pratt and Whitney PW545B turbofan engine, the combat drone is capable of reaching altitudes up to 50,000ft. It has a maximum speed of 400k and endurance of 20 hours. (Source: army-technology.com)
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