Mini and Small UAV - The Army's UAVs

[Kirkhill]

Canadian Forces Purchases Mini UAV System


(Source: Canadian Department of National Defence; issued May 4, 2004)


OTTAWA --- As part of its continuing exploration into the potential utility of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Canadian Forces (CF) recently purchased the Silver Fox mini UAV system produced by Advanced Ceramics Research of Tuscon, Arizona. Thales Systems Canada is the prime contractor in the acquisition of this system, which is for a two-year period of combined concept development and experimentation. This contract was awarded to Thales on April 5th.

Acquired after a competitive evaluation, the decision to purchase this modular, 'plug-and-play' mini UAV is notable in that the Canadian Forces' UAV experimentation to date has been through the leasing of different platforms produced by various manufacturers. The decision to purchase this system â “ at a cost of $649,000 for the system, including training and service support -- was made for the flexibility that this approach would provide. This system is expected to be delivered to the CF by mid-July 2004.

The Canadian Forces, through the Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre (CFEC) at Shirley's Bay, Ontario, has been investigating the use of UAVs to address a recognized capability deficiency in the areas of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Command and Control. In support of this goal CFEC, through a series of synthetic and live experiments conducted since 2001 and by using leased UAV systems, has been obtaining data and knowledge to determine how UAVs can be used to resolve this deficiency.

Another difference is that the Silver Fox mini UAV system â “ which is unrelated to the current operational use of the Sperwer UAV system on Operation Athena in Kabul, Afghanistan -- will be a collaborative, CF -wide experimentation that will permit Canada's navy, air force and army, as well as Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), to enhance their understanding about the potential use of mini UAVs in the modern battlespace.

The flexibility obtained as a result of purchasing the already-available Silver Fox mini UAV system means that the CF will be able to trial a variety of payloads and communications suites, to experiment with this platform in various operating environments e.g. off a Canadian naval vessel, and to contribute toward doctrine development on the operational employment of UAVs.

While the Silver Fox mini UAV system â “ which will include the UAV platforms themselves plus associated payloads, ground control stations, remote video terminal, spares support for two years, ground support equipment, documentation, training and shipping containers â “ will be based out of the DRDC facility at Suffield, Alberta, it will be operated across Canada by various CF organizations on a shared basis. As an example, the Silver Fox mini UAV system will be employed during one of the phases of the upcoming comprehensive Atlantic Littoral ISR Experiment, slated to take place in the Baffin Island and across Atlantic Canada beginning later this August.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.3629701.1081871598.QHwM7sOa9dUAAGWDMHQ&modele=jdc_34

 

[Kirkhill]

Report on the effectiveness of the 4.5 pound (2 kg) Raven UAV at company and battalion level.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.4308111.1089903978.QPadasOa9dUAAESlMZk&modele=jdc_34

Small UAV Provides Eyes in the Sky for Battalions
 
 
(Source: US Army; issued Feb. 17, 2005)
 
 
KUWAIT --- The Raven could very well be â Å“the little engine that couldâ ? of the unmanned aerial vehicle fleet. 

Weighing in at four and a half pounds with a five-foot wingspan and stretching a mere 38 inches in length, the Raven is by far one of the smallest vehicles in the Army, but its aerial reconnaissance value has quickly earned the respect of battalion commanders in Iraq and has filled a niche at the battalion level when larger UAVs are unavailable. 

â Å“The system is developing the confidence of the leadership,â ? said Maj. Chris Brown, Kuwait Raven Equipping Detachment officer in charge. â Å“We had one commander's team find an IED (improvised explosive device) on its first mission, and the commander has been sold ever since.â ? 

The Raven flies various missions that aid in force protection. It is flown to search for IEDs, provide reconnaissance for patrols and flies the perimeter of camps. 

â Å“When a company or battalion can't get the larger UAV, such as the Hunter, Shadow and Inet, the Raven works very well,â ? said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Steve Schisler, Raven integration and customer service officer. 

Schisler explained that the Raven is best employed in conjunction with ground forces. "If you have guys doing a mounted or dismounted patrol in a city or a small town, you can have the Raven flying overhead providing far-sight security.â ? 

He continued, â Å“The patrol can't see past the building 100 meters in front of them, but the Raven can. The Raven can see beyond the building ... to where two terrorists with their AK-47s are running to engage the patrol. 

The soldiers can then respond to the intelligence rather than respond to an attack." 

The UAV is small and can be transported easily in three small cases that fit into a ruck sack. The crew can bring it with them and operate wherever the patrol goes. 

The Raven three different cameras that attach to the nose of the plane, an electrical optical camera that sends data either through a nose camera or a side camera, an infrared camera in the nose, and a side-mounted IR camera. 

The IR technology is still too big to fit into the nose section of the plane, Brown said. 

The camera does not have a zoom and is unable to lock on a target but provides enough resolution to show someone carrying a weapon. 

"You have to select what camera is going to be best for the mission at hand,â ? Brown said. â Å“For example, if you're flying over a city and there are shadows, the IR camera can penetrate the shadows and show the hotspots.â ? 

He added, "The average Apache pilot would say that the IR on this is better than the Apache, and I would have to agree," 

One of the advantages of the Raven is that it provides real time data that can be recorded to a video camera. 

The Raven has about 45 to 60 minutes of flight time on a battery. The kit comes with spare batteries and a charger that plugs into a Humvee so they can land it, pop in a spare battery and get it back in the air. 

Schisler's role with the Raven had him travel throughout Iraq to provide customer service to units who flew the UAV. The longest continuous operation Schisler recalled was for more than 10 hours, where they would land the plane, change batteries and launch the aircraft again. 

Where large UAVs need space to taxi and land, the Raven is launched by hand and requires one pilot and a second person to monitor the incoming information. 

Brnow said, â Å“The Raven is not MOS specific, but rather the question is who can the unit use?â ? 

One example Brown gave was the food service specialists in Iraq have a smaller role because the food services are contracted to Kellog, Brown and Root. 

"One of the best pilots in the 1st Cav. is a cook, but that doesn't mean we don't have ... scouts operating the Raven,â ? he said. â Å“Some of these kids have been raised with Playstation in their hands and are better able to handle watching a screen and controlling the aircraft.â ? 

A single Raven costs about $35,000 and the total system costs $250,000 but that is a cheap OH-58C, Brown said. "With this system, we replace a helicopter and crew that's down range and put a system at risk rather than people,â ? he added. 

-ends- 

 

[pbi]

These things are coming in our Army: it is only a matter of time-they are getting cheaper and more capable all the time. It will (ideally) give each sub-unit commander the ability to add UAV to his surveillance plan. Our planned light armoured recce veh will likely carry one as integral gear. Once they progress to armed UAVs, a whole new set of tactics becomes possible.

Cheers

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Found this on Yahoo News today:

Yahoo News Canada

 

[Pte_Martin]

sounds interesting

 

[Trinity]

sounds interesting

sounds like something else to carry! 

 

[Armymedic]

Oh yeah baby,
whats another 20 Kgs amongst friends?

 

[48Highlander]

Hey looks like our discussion on MAV's might have made it somewhere after all

 

[darmil]

A great tool. ;D

 

[GO!!!]

believe it when I see it!

 

[Jarnhamar]

No more need for parachutes. Just turn the plane on and guide to the ground huh

 

[GO!!!]

Considering my current circumstances, that sounds pretty good!

 

[pbi]

These systems were developed by the US a couple of years ago. While they could be manpacked, that really isn't the main point about them. The main point is that they will now give the coy, pl or even section commander the ability to see "over that hill" without having to risk life as much or as often. The potential is fantastic.

Cheers

 

[Jarnhamar]

All kidding aside, what's the turn around information on these suckers?

How cast can commanders on the ground get information from the spy planes? Does the information have to be sent back to some unit 50 KMs from the front line guys where it's examined and what not turning the instant information into hours old stuff?
I admit I'm pretty in the dark as to how these things work.

 

[Kirkhill]

Came across this report.  Might shed some light.  Raven is handled early by Shadow, Hunter, I-Gnat are all covered.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/congress/2005_hr/050309-schloesser.pdf

 

[CdnArtyWife]

It is my understanding that a live video, radar or IR feed would go to an ISTARCC do be deseminated there, then passed on to the unit. I could be mistaken, however.

 

[Kirkhill]

Perhaps it will depend on the Rules of Engagement?   Command may want to control response if the situation is unclear and developing.   An assault launched by a platoon independently may jeopardize either peace negotiations or a planned assault by a larger formation?     On the other hand, if the lower command has been given authority to act then it needs the info as it occurs.

In either case both lower and higher need the info "right now", not necessarily for the same reasons.


The Yanks seem to working hard to get that info into the hands of the people wanting to know what is behind the next wall or garbage can.

 

[Kirkhill]

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.4308111.1089903978.QPadasOa9dUAAESlMZk&modele=jdc_34

The Aussies too for that matter.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Be Deployed to Iraq
 
 
(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Nov. 3, 2005)
 
 
Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will be deployed to Iraq to provide increased protection for Australian Defence Force soldiers and will be a new ally in operational missions in the southern Al Muthanna province. 

Defence Minister Robert Hill said four Skylark miniature UAVs will be deployed to assist the second rotation of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG). A further two UAVs will remain in Australia for training and preparation purposes. 

"The miniature UAVs will be used on reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and provide real-time information about the terrain and activities in an area," Senator Hill said. 

"This will increase our troop's understanding of the Al Muthanna area, and increase their ability to respond to identified threats. 

"The UAVs that will deploy with the AMTG are a miniature, lightweight and portable system that is easy to recover and relaunch." 

Senator Hill said the Government was investing more and more on research and development of unmanned vehicle technology for use in future operations and for surveillance purposes. 

"These new intelligent and largely autonomous systems will in the future be able to carry out hazardous tasks traditionally reserved for warfighters which will reduce exposure and risks to Australian Defence Force personnel," Senator Hill said. 

"UAV are an increasingly important part of the modern battlefield, particularly because they increase the troop's ability to detect, respond and remain informed of activities across a wide area. 

"This information can then be used to warn our troops and help them avoid potentially dangerous situations. 

"The rapid acquisition and deployment of the miniature UAVs is another example of the Government's commitment to supporting our ADF personnel on operations. 

"The UAV will complement an already impressive array of equipment including the Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle, Australian Light Armoured vehicle and enhanced combat body armour already supplied to our soldiers in Iraq." 

The ADF has conducted extensive testing and evaluation of UAVs, including a successful operational trial of an Australian-designed UAV in the Solomon Islands in 2003. 

-ends- 

 

[Jarnhamar]

It would be wild if data from these suckers could be fed to the back of a LAV3

 

[Scotty Hortonville]

The information from a mini UAV would most likely be a real-time video displayed on a laptop right there at the operator.  It is very simple to set up a Remote Viewing Terminal RVT in the back of a LAVIII or in a command tent somewhere. 

Also the imagery is captured to the harddrive and can be burnt on to a DVD/CD quickly and sent wherever it needs to go.  And for those occasions when you see the Red/ Tan/ Stromian Horde hiding in a woodline, some software for imagery capture will allow you to take an immediate freezeframe photo complete with GPS reference, TDG captured on the photo.  These have to be taken off the computer following the mission but voila the info is there.

The technology exists to make it as close real-time as humanly possible.  Used correctly this sort of tool will save lives, aids a commanders planning cycle significantly.

Once used in a recce role, the possibilities are endless (as have been proven by our allies) to use them during FOO operations, FAC, etc etc.

The idea behind these mini UAV's is to have then hand launched, and not necessarily meant to be recovered.