U(C)AV ontwikkelingen

[Harald]

Deze "Blackjack" had Nederland toch ook aangeschaft ?

RQ-21 Blackjack Can Now Strike With Miniature Precision Munitions

Being able to employ precision-guided munitions provides an entirely new business case for what has been a reconnaissance drone.



The Boeing Insitu Integrator drone, also known as the RQ-21 Blackjack within the U.S. military, recently demonstrated its ability to drop a pair of small, precision-guided Shryke munitions. The demonstration comes as part of a larger effort to give the relatively small Integrator drone kinetic capabilities, which has taken important strides in recent months.

Insitu announced the successful demonstration, and released video footage of an Intergrator with the registratopm N76NT performing said tests, on December 12. Where and when it took place exactly remains unclear.

The test itself involved dropping two inert GPS-guided Shryke munitions from Integrator, which were trained on specific targets on the ground. The demonstration was conducted in collaboration with Corvid and L3Harris Technologies.

"The two rounds of munitions were seamlessly fitted into Integrator's CG [centre-of-gravity] payload bay and several mission sorties were executed demonstrating advanced navigation, targeting, and payload delivery systems," Insitu's Vice President of Programs, Engineering & Flight Justin Pearce said.



Integrator is a multi-mission, long-endurance uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV). The baseline configuration has a wingspan of 16 feet and a length of 8.2 feet. It features a maximum endurance of over 24 hours and a ceiling of 19,500 feet, and can travel at a maximum horizontal speed of 90+ knots (over 103 miles per hour).

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/rq-21-blackjack-can-now-strike-with-miniature-precision-munitions

[Harald]

MoD tells me @RoyalAirForce expects to fly @GeneralAtomics #Protector #drone in civil controlled airspace from 2024, with arrival of Military Type Certificate from the UK Military Aviation Authority. Flights currently restricted to segregated airspace. @JanesINTEL story to come.

https://twitter.com/GarethJennings3/status/1726929763326189812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1726929763326189812%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

[Master Mack]

Misschien een uitschuifbaar hoekdek aan de KD lassen zodat het toestel tegen de wind in langs de Bos kan starten. Jaja ik sla weer door😁

[Ace1]

Zou het mogelijk zijn om met aanpassingen deze Drone vanaf de KD te laten starten en landen. Ik weet niet of het zinvol is maar zou het kunnen.

Marineschepen.nl heeft de lengte van het vliegdek van KD naar de hangaar berekend.

Ongetwijfeld zal vanuit Nederland ook met interesse worden gekeken naar de tests bij onze westerburen en bij de Amerikanen. Starten en landen binnen 91 meter is nog iets te lang voor het grootste vliegdek van de Nederlandse marine, maar komt behoorlijk dichtbij. Het formele helidek van het schip is (door Marineschepen.nl berekend) ongeveer 86 meter, het totale dek van hangardeur tot einde dek is zo'n 120 meter. De ontwikkelingen gaan echter hard en er komen ongetwijfeld meer van dergelijke toestellen op de markt.

https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Tests-vanaf-Brits-vliegdekschip-met-drones-310523.html

[Harald]

Vangnet. Weet ik veel. Maar ik keek naar het filmpje en het leek mij dat het toestel aan een korte start en landing genoeg had.

Dat vond ik ook al, hij was snel in de lucht.
Ik dacht ook al kabels over het dek en een landings/vanghaak aan de UAV, maar dat lijkt niet nodig. Maar het lijkt met wel zo veilig, ook zo'n vangnet.
De zee is niet altijd mooi rustig en met een stampend en rollend schip moeten ze ook kunnen landen. 

[Master Mack]

Vangnet. Weet ik veel. Maar ik keek naar het filmpje en het leek mij dat het toestel aan een korte start en landing genoeg had.

[Sparkplug]

Zou het mogelijk zijn om met aanpassingen deze Drone vanaf de KD te laten starten en landen. Ik weet niet of het zinvol is maar zou het kunnen.

En hoe wil je deze dan laten landen op een schip zoals de KD? De Mojave heeft een spanwijdte van 16 m. Dat zou misschien nog op een LHD/LHA kunnen. Een MQ-9B heeft al een spanwijdte van 24 m. Die wil je liever op een schip met een hoekdek.

[Huzaar1]

Denk het niet.

Overigens vraag ik me tot vandaag nog af wat precies de toegevoegde waarde van de KD is. Voor een logistiek oat schip veel te geoot en veelzijdig, en duur. En we hebben al 2 van die joekels.

Lijkt me wijs voor de KD een koper te zoeken en zsm zelf aan drone carrier capaciteit te gaan werken. Roep dit al zo'n 15 jaar.

De toekomst ligt in onderwater drone carriers.

[Master Mack]

Zou het mogelijk zijn om met aanpassingen deze Drone vanaf de KD te laten starten en landen. Ik weet niet of het zinvol is maar zou het kunnen.

[Sparkplug]

Mojave uncrewed air system successfully flown from HMS Prince of Wales (lang artikel)

https://www.navylookout.com/mojave-uncrewed-air-system-successfully-flown-from-hms-prince-of-wales/

[Harald]

CCA Loyal Wingmen Drones To Cost Quarter To Third Of An F-35

We are slowly learning more about the Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative, including cost and operational performance targets.

.../...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/cca-loyal-wingmen-drones-to-cost-quarter-to-third-of-an-f-35

[Sparkplug]

Turkey's Bayraktar TB3 Drone Has Taken Its First Flight

The drone will serve as the primary fixed-wing capability of the Turkish Navy's amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu from 2024 on.

by Oliver Parken| PUBLISHED Oct 28, 2023 4:13 PM EDT

Turkey's Baykar company says its Bayraktar TB3 armed drone has completed its first flight. TB3 is slated to become the primary uncrewed platform of the Turkish Navy's 'drone carrier' TCG Anadolu, providing both light strike capabilities and persistent surveillance at sea.

The drone took to the sky for its inaugural flight on October 27, according to Baykar. This took place at the Çorlu Flight Training and Test Center, which is located in northwest Turkey.

.../...

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-bayraktar-tb3-drone-has-taken-its-first-flight

[Harald]

Drones at sea: GA counts down to UK Mojave aircraft carrier trial next month

"The intent is to launch the [Mojave] aircraft from the aircraft carrier and if conditions are suitable, we'll look at recovering it," said Jaime Walters, vice president of international strategic development at GA-ASI.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) wants to use a forthcoming Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) UAV demonstrator trial off UK aircraft carrier Prince of Wales to shape development of a MQ-9B STOL configuration program.

As part of a four-month deployment by the warship to the eastern US seaboard, designed to mature operations with drones, fighter jets, helicopters and tiltrotors, Mojave for the first time will take-off and attempt to land on the vessel's 901-foot-long deck, weather permitting.

"The intent is to launch the [Mojave] aircraft from the aircraft carrier and if conditions are suitable, we'll look at recovering it," said Jaime Walters, vice president of international strategic development at GA-ASI. "This is an experimentation so we don't want to push the envelope too hard. We think this will really be the kick starter to a future MQ-9B STOL configuration and development program."

.../...

https://breakingdefense.com/2023/10/drones-at-sea-ga-counts-down-to-uk-mojave-aircraft-carrier-trial-next-month/

[Harald]

T-600 Drone Deploys Sting Ray Lightweight Torpedo

BAE Systems and Malloy Aeronautics have demonstrated the capabilities of the T-600 heavy lift uncrewed air system (UAS) during a large NATO exercise in Portugal to integrate the very latest maritime technologies across allied forces.





BAE Systems press release

The T-600 is an electric-powered demonstrator aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, can carry a payload of 200kg and can travel at up to 140km/h. It also has a range of up to 80km depending on payload. It is around the size of a small car and is designed to be easily disassembled for transportation. During the multinational exercise, the demonstrator successfully released an inert Sting Ray training variant anti-submarine torpedo during a flight mission at sea for the first time.

The exercise known as REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Uncrewed Systems) involved 15 NATO partners, along with Ireland and Sweden. It provides a safe and controlled area to test concepts, requirements, new and advancing technologies in respect of Maritime Uncrewed Systems.

.../...

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/09/t-600-drone-deploys-sting-ray-lightweight-torpedo/#prettyPhoto


https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/t-600-electric-uncrewed-demonstrator-aircraft-achieves-significant-milestone-at-nato-exercise?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=baesystemsair&utm_campaign=SocialCT&utm_content=Post&utm_term=b64984b8-1bc1-44e8-97c3-b19a8759600d

[Harald]

Army picks Griffon, Textron to proceed with RQ-7B Shadow replacement competition

Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems have been selected to move ahead with the second phase of the Army's Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (FTUAS) Increment 2 competition, the service announced today.


The Griffon Aerospace Valiant (shown above) and Textron Systems' Aerosonde are proceeding onward for the Army's FTUAS Increment 2 competition.

After selecting five companies for the first phase of its RQ-7B Shadow replacement completion earlier this year, the Army evaluated "submissions against requirements of performance, Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), cost, schedule, risk... and Army priorities" before conducting a preliminary design review, the Army wrote. Ultimately, it opted to cut AeroVironment, Northrop Grumman and Sierra Nevada Corporation from the next competition phase, and only award Griffon and Textron with deals for the Increment 2 of the program, which starts today.

"During this period, the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Management Office will continue to evaluate project agreement holders' weapon system designs leading to a critical design review, which will establish the final system design and initial product baseline," the Army said.

After that critical design review, there are additional agreement options covering flight demonstrations and MOSA verification before the duo deliver production representative FTUAS for developmental testing and operational demonstrations, to include soldier touch points.

"These systems will undergo numerous evaluation activities such as environmental testing, electromagnetic environmental effects testing, transportability testing, MOSA verification, flight testing, and technical manual verification," the Army said. The ultimate goal, it added, is to field a new unmanned aircraft fleet with increased maneuverability, enhanced command and control, a reduced logistics footprint, and is less noisy.

Textron Systems is offering its Aerosonde UAV for this phase of the FTUAS program, while Griffon is offering up its Valiant, according to previous Army pictures.

Meanwhile, the Army's to pare down the field to these two contenders means AeroVironment's interim solution, the Jump 20, is out. Last year the service awarded the company with a $8 million contract to buy one Jump 20 system, which includes six air vehicles, ground data terminals and ground control stations. The Pentagon also announced plans to send that unmanned system to Ukraine.

https://breakingdefense.com/2023/09/army-picks-griffon-textron-to-proceed-with-rq-7b-shadow-replacement-competition/