UAV

Equally important is the control and flexibility of UAVs. We are currently developing a family of UAVs that is tactically-oriented, survivable and supportable. This family of UAVs is a primary factor in enabling commanders at every level to control their fight. The Tactical UAV (or Outrider UAV) focuses on the close battle, providing targeting, situation development and battle damage assessment in direct response to the brigade/Task Force (TF) commander. The Air Force-operated Predator UAV focuses on the deep battle, supporting the division out to 150 Km and the Corps battle out to 300 Km.

In May 1998 General Atomics was awarded a Block 1 Upgrade contract to expand the capabilities of the Predator system. System upgrades include development of an improved relief-on-station (ROS) system which allows continuous coverage over areas of interest without any loss of time on station, secure air traffic control voice relay, Ku-band satellite tuning and implementation of an Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS). The upgrade also covers a more powerful turbocharged engine and wing de-icing systems to enable year-round operations. The upgraded Predator, the RQ-1B, has been operational in the Balkans since April 2001. The Predator B has an operational ceiling of 45,000ft and maximum payload of 750 lb. Predator B has been flight tested with Hellfire II anti-armour missiles and can carry up to 14 missiles. Flight trials have also taken place with the General Atomics Lynx SAR (synthetic aperture radar) payload. Lynx also features ground moving target indicator technology. The USAF has also ordered two versions of Predator B with turbofan jet engines.

Mission Planning for the Global Hawk has been developed by the Tracor Aerospace company GDE Systems Inc. The mission control ground station includes a shelter measuring 8 x 8 x 24 ft housing the communications, command and control, mission planning and image processing computers with four workstations for the mission control staff and officers. The Mission Control Centre has data up- and down-links to the Global Hawk vehicle directly and via the Ku satellite and the UHF satellite systems.

In February 2001, the Hellfire-C laser-guided missile was successfully fired from a Predator air vehicle in flight tests at Nellis air force base, Nevada. In November 2002 in Yemen, a Predator UAV was used to drop a Hellfire missile which destroyed a civilian vehicle carrying suspected terrorists.

RQ-4A Global Hawk is a high altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial reconnaissance system which provides military field commanders with high resolution, near-real-time imagery of large geographic areas. The program is funded by the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) and managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Air Force.

Some topics in this essay:
Global Hawk, Defence Systems, Air Force, Spirit II, Northrop Grumman, UHF Ku-band, RQ-1A Predator, Reconnaissance Technological, UPGRADE PROGRAM, Force XXI, global hawk, air force, synthetic aperture radar, synthetic aperture, aperture radar, air vehicle, northrop grumman, ground station, predator uav, mission control, mission planning, ground control station, moving target indicator, battle damage assessment, global hawk carry,