Unmanned vehicles represent the new cornerstone of the
military. The U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS)
augmented its latest manned ground vehicles (MGVs) with
an array of unmanned air and ground vehicles. The U.S. Air
Force and Navy also have a number of unmanned vehicles in
the works and deployed around the world.
Because of their lower cost, these vehicles are quickly finding
their way into every military organization on the planet.
The U.S. Army expects 15 brigades to be equipped with complete
FCS vehicles by 2030.
The U.S. Air Force uses Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk
surveillance aircraft to provide high-resolution synthetic aperture
radar (SAR) images with 1.0/0.3-m resolution (WAS/
Spot) (Fig. 1). It can survey as much as 40,000 square miles in
a day, with a maximum endurance of 35 hours. Powered by an
Allison Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan engine, it also has a
ceiling of 65,000 ft. The 32,250-lb unmanned aircraft features
a 130.9-ft wingspan and a payload of 3000 lb as well.
Some of the rugged subsystems within the Global Hawk
come from Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing,
including the Integrated Mission Management Computer
(IMMC) and Sensor Management Unit (SMU). An IPv6 Gigabit
Ethernet network provides the communication between
various modules.
As with most remote-control vehicles, the Global Hawk
utilizes wireless communication. Consequently, pilots can be
located on the other side of the planet. Removing the pilot from
the aircraft’s equation requires additional hardware, but it eliminates
an even greater amount of hardware needed to support a
human occupant.
The MQ-1 Predator (Fig. 2) and the MQ-9 Reaper
(Predator-B) are medium- to high-altitude, long-endurance
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that pack a punch. In addition
to surveillance chores, they can be armed with a range of
payloads including the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb
and the AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles.
The 432d Air Wing from Creech Air Force Base (AFB),
located near Indian Springs, Nev., is the first wing that’s totally
dedicated to operating the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.
The U.S. Air Force UAV Battlelab flight test and development
facility at Creech AFB is dedicated to developing UAVs. It’s
one of six original Air Force battlelabs operated under the Air
Warfare Center.
The Predator, smaller than the Global Hawk with its 66-ft
wingspan, can carry smart bombs in addition to heavy sensor
packages up to 1.5 tons on external hard points. Though not
as fleet as an F-16, the Predator’s endurance of 14+ hours
puts it in high demand on the battlefield.
As with the Global Hawk, Predator crew size isn’t limited
since it operates at a remote site. Shifts of pilots and operators
can handle a single vehicle, and work on unmanned vehicles
in general is moving toward a single pilot controlling multiple,
semi-autonomous vehicles at once.
This can also allow specialists to quickly move between
input sources by simply clicking on the appropriate window of
their command console. Having a team available means pilots and operators can be fresh even when the vehicle has been in the
air for half a day.
YOU’RE IN THE ARMY NOW
The air may be great for junior birdmen, but plenty of unmanned
vehicles roam down on the ground, too. There’s even a range of
small unmanned ground vehicles (SUGVs) like the Dragon Runner
from Foster-Miller (Fig. 3) or iRobot’s PackBot (see “Real-
World Robotics: An Appetite For Construction” at www.electronicdesign.com, ED Online 8076).
Standing only 5 in. tall, the Dragon Runner will give the Energizer
Bunny a run for its batteries. It’s designed to operate even after
being tossed through a window two or three flights up, over a wall, or
down a flight of stairs. This lets operators place the robot close to its
target before it proceeds under its own power. For great video of the
Dragon Runner in action, go to www.automatika.com/downloads/DR_Tough_Cookie.avi.
Foster-Miller’s 350-lb Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System
(MAARS) is the follow-up to the popular Talon and Talonbased
Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection
System (SWORDS). These platforms address a range of applications,
from explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) to offensive capabilities
like the Predator, albeit with bullets instead of missiles.
Land-based vehicles tend to have more challenges than airor
water-based vehicles because terrain and obstacles are major
issues. Aircraft often die when they hit obstacles. Underwater
vehicles operate in a similar open environment, but at slower
speeds. Likewise, surface water vehicles function in a relatively
open 2D environment.
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