Forum: Drones

Nice photos. I really like the view of the tailhook and side view of this UAS.

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BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman to Develop Anti-Jam ‘NAVWAR Sensors’ for the U.S. Air Force

http://defense-update.com/20111004_bae- ... force.html

"The U.S. is embarking on a development of a future Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to better cope with hostile electronic attacks....

...Designed to replace traditional GPS elements in airborne GPS/INS systems the NAVWAR Sensor will be compatible with existing embedded GPS receivers, and offer 10 meter CEP location accuracy even under heavy jamming....

...Designed to operate in hostile electronic environment, the future receiver will also offer situational awareness acting as a signals intelligence sensor, enabling GPS jammer detection, characterization, geolocation and reporting of GPS jammers....:

ETC. at the jump....

Lockheed Martin Powers on the GPS III Pathfinder
U.S. Air Force's GPS III Acquisition Approach Continues to Yield Excellent Results

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/pres ... s_gps.html

"NEWTOWN, Pa., October 10th, 2011 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE : LMT] team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System has turned on initial power to the program’s pathfinder spacecraft, known as the GPS III Non Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST). The milestone gives the team high confidence in meeting the scheduled launch of the first GPS III satellite in 2014.

The GPS III program is the lowest risk solution to constellation sustainment and the most affordable path to meet the needs of military, commercial and civilian users worldwide. GPS III will improve position, navigation and timing services and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy and reliability...."

Military jamming of GPS in Scotland suspended By Steven McKenzie BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter 10 Oct 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-h ... s-15242835

"Jamming of global positioning signals (GPS) during Europe's largest military exercise has been suspended, following complaints from fishermen. The Royal Navy issued warnings in September and October that GPS in parts of Scotland would be disrupted during Exercise Joint Warrior. But Western Isles fishermen said the first they knew was when their equipment went offline last Friday. The Royal Navy said the military would seek to address their safety concerns....

"...The spokesman said temporary jamming was routinely practiced in military exercises and was an essential part of preparation for operations...."

http://www.kinlochbervie.info/klb_docs/ ... 202011.pdf (1.8Mb)

Dang spazs, I'm wondering now if Blackberry went down from jamming, however not necessarily from some NATO exercise in Scotland? (maybe move next year's EJW exercise to Norway, or Canada, Greenland??)

Anyway, shout out to BAE... man those guys are everywhere - Anti-Jam NAVWAR systems, USAF helmets, DEWS management suites for next-gen F-15, etc, etc... Thumb

I wonder if Galileo has the same susceptibility to EW as GPS. I remember there was a huge conflict between the US and EU over the system, and we have (had?) a policy that Galileo satellites would be shot down if the system was being used in attacks against the US.

Care to expand on that southernphantom or maybe post a link? I never heard this about the Galileo satellites before!

X-47B UCAS First Cruise Flight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... H_PxXNREgg

"Uploaded by northropgrummanmedia on Oct 27, 2011
Musical revue of the first "cruise" flight of the U.S. Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstration aircraft. During this flight, conducted Sept. 30, 2011 flight, the aircraft's landing gear was raised and lowered for the first time, a key milestone in the envelope expansion phase of flight testing. The X-47B was designed, developed and produced by Northrop Grumman, the leader in unmanned systems."

US Navy wants carrier-based X-47B drone to have aerial refueling capability

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... rUflr2Qtoc

"Uploaded by NMANewsDirect on Nov 7, 2011

DOWNLOAD: http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/SingleItem ... 7_OINT_001

The US Navy is looking to add aerial refueling capability to its carrier-based X-47B stealth drone, which would extend the range at which carriers could strike targets and make them less vulnerable to attack. With refueling, the X-47B could remain airborne for up to 100 hours and posses a combat radius of 3,000 nautical miles. A fighter jet typically has a range of 400 miles and because it is limited by crew endurance can remain airborne for up to 10 hours. Source: Wired"
___________________

X-47B Drone Gets Upgrade By David Axe 07 Nov 2011

http://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blo ... s-upgrade/

"...The approximately 450-mile striking range of today’s carrier air wings could force the Navy to sail into China's main defensive zone in order to launch strikes on Chinese targets, thereby placing the carriers at risk.

But an unpiloted aircraft could fly as long as its equipment functioned and its onboard supply of lubricants and other fluids held out – ranging potentially thousands of miles over several days of flight. Carriers with armed, aerially-refueled drones could strike targets anywhere in the Pacific from mid-ocean safe zones.

It’s for that reason that a small contingent of analysts and officials fought to save the $1.5 billion X-47B development effort during a time, three years ago, when it was threatened by budget cuts and opposition from the Navy’s deeply traditional senior pilots. In 2008, analysts from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments gave the X-47 a 50-50 chance of being canceled in the next budget.

So CSBA analysts Robert Work and Tom Ehrhard produced a hard-hitting report extolling the X-47’s virtues. And in early 2009, the Barack Obama administration tapped Work to be the Navy’s new undersecretary. Work’s growing influence guaranteed the X-47’s survival, and the decision to add refueling gear ensured it would meet its maximum military potential.

The Navy aims to equip its carriers with an operational, X-47-style drone warplane beginning in 2018."

More at the URL above....

So are these extended range successors to the X-47B going to fly into enemy-controlled airspace beyond the reach of friendly fighter escort going to do so relying primarily on their stealth to avoid detection and destruction? Will they have some means of defending themselves BVR and WVR?

Best case is these robots would loiter over enemy territory for days at a time, providing continuous ISR and interdiction capabilities. Swarm logic would allow them to scoot off to a safe distance for A2A refueling then resume their station. Once they had expended their weapons, they would return to the carrier.. (begs the question though: do you still need a carrier if your robot plane has a 3000-mile combat radius?

Worst-case is we could see a reprise of the 8th AF conducting bombing raids over Germany before the advent of the P-51.

Perhaps only relevant because of the innovation pointing to further development of X-47B or similar capabilities.

Navy signs $17-million deal for armed drones By W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times Nov 8, 2011

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-d ... 8298.story

"The Northrop Grumman deal calls for placing laser-guided missiles on the Fire Scout helicopter, which has been restricted to reconnaissance missions.

In 100 years of naval aviation, only the most experienced combat pilots have performed the difficult task of launching an attack on a nearby target and returning the aircraft to a ship as it bobs in the ocean.

Now that tricky task is being turned over to unmanned drones.

With a $17-million contract, the U.S. Navy has taken the first step in arming its fleet of drone helicopters with laser-guided missiles to blast enemy targets. The Northrop Grumman Corp.-made MQ-8B Fire Scout would be Navy's first sea-based unmanned system to carry weapons when it's delivered within 15 months.

"It's a very significant moment in naval history,"....

...The Navy has an order for 168 Fire Scouts.

"Robotry is the future," said Simon Ramo, the 98-year-old co-founder of former aerospace giant TRW Inc. — now part of Northrop — and author of the upcoming book "Let Robots Do the Dying."

"Helicopters, generally speaking, are running more dangerous missions than other aircraft: They fly lower to the ground and at lower speeds," he said. "If we can get that pilot out of harm's way and still get a mission accomplished, then we're gaining a great advantage."

JUMP TO THE URL FOR MORE...

This is what they are talking about,

Quote:

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System laser-guided 70mm rocket – in production for the Navy since 2010 – will allow ship commanders to identify and engage hostile targets without calling in other aircraft for support.

"By arming Fire Scout, the Navy will have a system that can locate and prosecute targets of interest," said George Vardoulakis, Northrop Grumman's vice president for tactical unmanned systems. "This capability shortens the kill chain and lessens the need to put our soldiers in harm's way."

More after the jump Smile

http://defpro.com/news/details/29652

And a pic of the natural environment of the Scout of Fire from the previous LA Times article:

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2011-11/65953201.jpg

"The Northrop Fire Scout hovers over the deck of the guided-missile frigate McInerney. So far, the Fire Scout has been restricted to reconnaissance work. (MC2 Alan Gragg, U.S. Navy / May 8, 2009)"

The unique thing with the APKWS vs other SAL guided 70mm systems is that it is a bolt-on guidance system that can use ANY Hydra 70 warhead. The standard warhead is a Mk151 10 pound warhead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_P ... pon_System
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_70#Common_warheads

SpudmanWP wrote:

.. it is a bolt-on guidance system that can use ANY Hydra 70 warhead"/rocket". ..

Great news!. By now, most of the Helo Hellfire a/c launchers can carry and target any of the Laser seeker 2.75"/ 70mm rocket systems. The certification was moving ahead quickly and it will be interesting to see the UAVs carry this more "economical/ lighter" system. Hellfire is a classic system and with the Hydra70 joining it, it will give the "boots" more of that caliber of accurate CAS. With APKWS II in LRIP 2 last year, it will also be interesting to see the certification for fixed wing A-10C, AV-8B in the next two years.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/apk ... ase-02193/

Forum: Drones

F-35 newest competitor on the same flight deck!