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HALEUAVsComeofAge
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AUVSIReview2007
CurrentEdition/BackIssues
TheHighAltitude,LongEndurancemissionprofilewasnevermeanttobeusedwith
mannedplatform,butisperfectlysuitedforunmannedsystems.Onlyfewmannedaircraft
Channels:
arepreparedtoflyandoperateatthesealtitudes.ThethinairattheTropopauselimits
Armoredvehicles
theuseofconventionalengines,butopensnewhorizonsforsurveillance,
C4ISR&NetCentric
communicationsandelectroniceavesdroppingactivities.Afterovercomingthetechnical
CombatAircraft
obstacles,missionplannerscouldbenefitfromunobstructedoperationsataltitudeswell
FireSupport
abovecivilianormilitaryairtraffic.Atthesealtitudes,theatmosphereiscalm,thethinair
FutureCombatSystems
causesreduceddrag,resultinginlessenergyrequiredtomaintainhighergroundspeed.
HomelandSecurity
Aircraftflyingattheseloftyaltitudesarewellabovethejetstreamandotherhighvelocity
InfantryWarfare
currents,averaging4080knotsinspeed,withpeaksofupto160knots.These
Logistics&Support
currentsencounteredatthehightroposphere,ataltitudesbetween20,000to35,000ft.,
NavalSystems
usuallyaffecttheperformanceofaircraftoperatingatmediumaltitudes.(more...)
PrecisionStrike
Today'sNewsPhoto:
Protection&Survivability
SpecialOperationsCT
Training&Simulation
UnmannedSystems
DefenseExhibitions
UnmannedAircraftwill
introduce'SeaChange'
AddtoTechnorati
Favorites
Seed
forAirStrike,ISR
RelevantLinks:
UpcomingEvents
UAVSystems
TheUSNavyBroad
AreaMarine
Surveillance(BAMS)
Program
Untiltheearly2000s,onlyfewmannedplatformscouldsoartosuchheights.Oneofthe
firsttoexplorethesealtitudewastheLockheedU2strategicreconnaissanceaircraft,
designedinthelate1950s.Adecadelater,theSR71Astrategicreconnaissanceaircraft,
unofficiallyknownasthe"Blackbird,"wasusedaslongrange,advanced,strategic
reconnaissanceaircraft.ThefirstflighttookplaceonDec.22,1964.Thenthe'Blackbird'
servedfor22yearsprovidingstrategicreconnaissancemissionsandwasretiredin1990
onlytoreturnfiveyearslatertofillacriticalreccegap.Throughoutitsnearly24year
career,theSR71remainedtheworld'sfastestandhighestflyingoperationalaircraft.
TheSR71flewatmorethanthreetimesthespeedofsound(Mach3)ataltitudesin
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HALEUAVsComeofAge
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Aerospace
excessof80,000feet(approximately15mileshigh).
ThesuccessoroftheU2,theU2R'DragonLady'isstilloperationaltoday.Designedfor
AvionicsTechnician
TeledyneTechnologies
USCAElSegundo
highaltitudeintelligenceandreconnaissancemissions,thisaircraftcanflyabove70,000
ManageSensorResources
VerificationTestAnalyst(15
100)
RaytheonCompany
USCOSchrieverAfb
today.ItsmissionpayloadsincludehighestresolutionSARradarinservicetoday,as
ElectronicTechnician
OrbitalATK
USCAVandenbergAfb
extensivelyduringoperationIraqiFreedomin2003andprovidedimportantdamage
feetandcarrysomeothemostadvancedlongrangereconnaissancegearavailable
wellassophisticatedSIGINTsystems.Providingnearrealtimeimageryandsignals
intelligencetowarfightersandnationalauthorities,the'DragonLady'wasused
assessmentinformationafterHurricaneKatrinastrucktheGulfofMexicoin2005.
SatelliteGroundSystem
InfrastructureSystemsEngineer
RaytheonCompany
USCOAurora
WiththearrivaloftheRQ4AGlobalHawk,themissionsofU2Rwerereducedtothose
specificserviceswhichcouldnotbesupportedyetbytheunmannedplatform.These
missionswillbetransferredtotheGlobalhawkfleetinthenextdecade,astheRQ4B
SatelliteGroundSystem
IntergrationEngineer
RaytheonCompany
USCOAurora
(Block20,30and40)aircraftarefielded,capableofcarryingheavierpayloads,including
Sr.ContractsManager(W
CommercialContracts
ExperiencewithLargeAircraft
OEM'sandPrograms)
OrbitalATK
USUTClearfield
SIGINTandadvancedSARpayloads.
GlobalHawkmaybe
dominatingthehighaltitudes
today,butinthenearfuture,it
ContractsSpecialist
OrbitalATK
USUTClearfield
willhavetosharethoseheights
withmoreunmannedplatforms.
ChiefNetworkEngineer(15
099)
RaytheonCompany
USCOColoradoSprings
RadioFrequency(RF)Systems
Engineer(multilevel)
RaytheonCompany
USAZTucson
BusinessDevelopment
Manager(BDM)NewMarkets,
InnovationandReleasibility
RaytheonCompany
USMAWoburn
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Onesuchsystemisthe
IntegratedSensorIsStructure
(ISIS)developedbyLockheed
MartinAeronautics.ISISwill
provideanewmodelforpersistent,autonomousISRplatform.Utilizingastationary
stratosphericairship,ISISwillestablishapositiononthe'highground'atanaltitudeof
70,000ft.Thisairshipwillbedeployedforlongmissions,stayinginpositionforone,five
oreventenyears.Itwillprovideapersistentearlywarningsensorabletodetectcruise
missilesatdistancesof600kilometersordismountedenemycombatantsatarangeof
300km.
SmallerbutbutnotlesseffectiveforitsproposedmissionistheGlobalObserverhigh
altitudeUAVsystemdevelopedbyAerovironment.Thisaircraftwasdesignedtoprovide
longdwellingstratosphericcapabilitywithglobalrangeandnolatituderestrictions.
Operatingattheseheights,theplatformsprovides'nearspace'capabilitycomparableto
satellites,providingservicessuchaspersistentISRandcommunicationsrelay,including
dedicatedcommunicationssupportandsatellitelinkredundancyforotherUAVs.
Anothersystemunder
developmentbyAuroraFlight
ScienceandBoeingisthethe
Orion,HighAltitude,LongLoiter
(HALL)UnmannedAerial
System.Thisstratospheric
platformwillbeabletocruiseat
analtitudeof65,000ftforabout
100hours,poweredby
reciprocatingenginesconsumingliquidhydrogenfuel.Withagrosstakeoffweightof
7,000lbs(3.175tons)HALLwillbeabletocarrypayloadsweighingabout400lbs
(181kg).TheU.S.Army/SMDCissupportingateamleadbyAuroraandBoeingasa
strategicpartner,developingtwoOrionHALLplatforms,todemonstratethenew
technology.Firstflightisexpectedby2009.AuroraandBoeinghavealsoteamedsince
2004onaBoeingledconceptdefinitionstudyofatwinengine,largerunmanned
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HALEUAVsComeofAge
platformdesignedformissionsoveraweeklong,carryingmultisensorpayloads
weighingupto2,000lbs.
Flyingattheedgeofspacein
thehighstratosphere,afuture
unmannedaircraftcouldone
daycarryweaponsorother
payloadsanywhereintheworld
withinfewhours,ordeploy
cargotolowerspaceorbit,
respondingwithinminutesto
urgentmissionrequirements.
Thesehighflyerswillbedesignedtocarryourfaststrikesdeepintoenemyterritory,
anywhereintheworld.SuchaprojectknownasFALCONispursuedbyDARPAandthe
USAirForce.LockheedMarin,thesystem'sdeveloperisplanningtoflythefirstFALCON
demonstratorbytheendof2018,andispreparingtohavesuchplatformoperationalin
about10years.
AsimilarplatformexpectedtobedemonstratedaroundthattimeistheX51WaveRider,
developedbyBoeing.ThisvehiclewilldemonstratecapabilitiessimilartotheFALCON,
asBoeingaimstocompetewithLockheedMartintofulfillthefutureUSAFrequirement
forglobalstrikewiththehypersonicatmosphericvehicles.ThewaveRiderwillintegratea
scramjetenginedevelopedbyPratt&Whitney,aboostrocketmotorderivedfroman
ATACMSmissilematchedwithanairframebuiltbyBoeing.Itwilldemonstrate
accelerationfromboost(Mach4.5+)toMach67cruise.
Topicscoveredinthisreview:
UnmannedSystemsFlightandGroundDemonstration2007
UAVsystems,includingCombatUAVs
Mini,MicroandExpendableUAVSystems
ThefutureUSMCTierIIprogram
HighAltitudeLongEndurance(HALE)Platforms
UnmannedTransportVehicles
MissionControlSystems&Applications
AdvancedpayloadsforunmannedSystems
UGVsandControlsSystems
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