By: TomcatViP
- 3rd June 2015 at 20:12Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
They should pitch it in France, we are looking for anti mini UAV system
It seems to be only a system for point and High value target. Nothing easily adaptable to site situation. Also, GPS guided MiniOffensive UAV ar eonly a minimal fraction of the threat.
Is there an RFP published somewhere or is that again a Copains/Copains acquisition project?
By: halloweene
- 4th June 2015 at 07:26Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It seems to be only a system for point and High value target. Nothing easily adaptable to site situation. Also, GPS guided MiniOffensive UAV ar eonly a minimal fraction of the threat.
Is there an RFP published somewhere or is that again a Copains/Copains acquisition project?
i think theres an RFI, best way would be to check on ixarm portal
Northrop Grumman rolled out NATO's first RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the Allied Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme on 4 June.
The roll-out marks a major milestone for NATO's efforts to bring a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV into service to provide persistent ISR capabilities to the alliance for both military and peacetime missions.
The UAV is the first of five on order collectively by 15 of the 28 NATO allies under a USD1.7 billion contract signed in May 2012. Although only 15 nations are involved in the purchase of the aircraft, all members of NATO will participate in operating and supporting AGS in service.
A formal roll-out ceremony took place at the company's Palmdale, California, facility on 4 June. When they enter service the UAVs will be based out of Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, Italy. In total 600 multinational personnel are planned to be based at Sigonella to operate the AGS capability, with construction of the facility to host the aircraft and personnel beginning in early 2014.
The maiden flight of the first AGS is scheduled to take place in Autumn/September, before the transfer of the first aircraft to Sigonella in 2016. Production of the fifth and final AGS is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017. Initial operating capability at Sigonella is planned to be declared in the 2Q17, with full operating capability following in 1Q18.
The countries funding the AGS programme are: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United States. The original contract was signed by 13 nations, with Poland and Denmark joining in October and December 2012 respectively. Although purchased by 15 nations, the AGS programme will provide ISR to all 28 members of the alliance. The programme is overseen by the NATO AGS Management Agency, with Northrop Grumman acting as prime contractor.
The AGS is a modification of the US Air Force Block 40 Global Hawk and features components provided by all of the 15 participating nations. Significant changes to the USAF Block 40s include the installation of a Link 16 wideband datalink from Selex ES, and an uprated Rolls-Royce North American AE 3007H turbofan. Additionally in a departure from the way the US military operates its Global Hawks, the NATO AGS will feature two different types of deployable control centres: known as the Mobile General Ground System (MGGS) and the Tactical General Ground System (TGGS). The MGGS and TGGS are entirely the produce of the European contractors involved in the programme. The software controlling the UAV also differs from the US examples, with the test readiness review of the AGS' software beginning immediately prior to the rollout of the first AGS.
The principal sensor on the AGS is the same as the USAF's Block 40 Global Hawks - the Northrop Grumman Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP), now known in USAF service as the AN/ZPY-2. This X-band radar provides at least six different operating modes: ground moving target indicator (GMTI), synthetic aperture radar, air track, concurrent moving target indication, cued search, and ground high resolution radar. Although the MP-RTIP is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, on the Global Hawk it's also uses mechanical steering to sweep between facing the port and starboard sides of the UAV.
With the aircraft to be based in Sicily, Italy's Directorate of Air Armaments and Airworthiness is responsible for military type certification of the AGS.
The AGS programme is only the third time that the NATO alliance has collectively purchased military equipment to jointly operate. The first was the NATO E-3 component, which currently operates 17 Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft out of Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany. The second was the Strategic Airlift Capability, comprised of the three Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft of the Heavy Airlift Wing based at Pápa Air Force Base in Hungary.
Together the AGS and E-3 component will provide NATO with a robust airborne ISR capability, with the E-3 providing high-fidelity airspace surveillance and the AGS providing high-fidelity surface surveillance capabilities.
Although persistent ISR is perceived as a concept specifically suited to the low-intensity conflicts that NATO nations have fought in recent years, the AGS programme significantly predates either the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. While that is testament to the longevity and multimission value that NATO will accrue from the AGS programme, it also puts into perspective the fact that it has taken well over 20 years for the alliance to organise itself to buy just five UAVs.
'Smart Defence' and 'Pooling and Sharing' are the current bywords of future and present NATO projects. With 15 nations pulling together, AGS should serve as a testament to what the alliance can do when it gets its act together. However, the time and cost of getting to the present day milestone should also serve as a warning to NATO leaders that these phrases are not a panacea to quickly solve critical sovereign capability shortfalls.
Nevertheless, AGS should provide a significant improvement to the alliance's intelligence picture for conducting operations in the ground and maritime domains. Neatly encapsulating the impact that persistent HALE ISR had made to the US military, Bob Zeiser, campaign lead for HALE systems - Europe at Northrop Grumman stated that during the 1990/91 Gulf War US strike aircraft would often return from sorties "with all their weapons and no fuel". However with HALE ISR in the 2003 Gulf War US strike aircraft would instead return "with none of their weapons and most of their fuel".
i don't know why some are talking about Swarm or depicting small UAS here. The NOCA doc is clear as stated by the link: "provide long range, high speed strike capability in remote regions where forward basing is difficult or prohibited,". The word Swarm is nowhere to be seen.
The picture on that link is very confusing. You are not going to achieve that with a tuned-up commercial drone*.
The effort is based on existing technology and which ones could be discarded to achieve the cost objectives and the ability to be discarded without compromising sensitive tech. The attritable part is scalable (I guess in function of the defenses).
Here are the interesting part of the objectives:
offer dramatic reductions in cost in order to bring “mass” to the engagement, and achieve a cost imposing effect
on future adversaries.
It would reverts the "Militants" Vs Predator equation forcing them to get more armor and more defensive gears and driving the cost to sustain their objectives dramatically up.
*I know that this particular one is not. But the range of perf are.
It's interesting but range is too short, cost is too high and explosive laden GPS guided UAV are not what could be the more lethal targets to be expected in a civil defense scenario.
Yes, MBDA's "innovation" can be useful to protect a high value target, such as an head of state, on a duly selected topography. But did terrorist have switched their targets? And what happens when direct line of sight is lesser that 100m such as in the middle of a city? And what happens when you fire a Laser on a place surronded by a crowd such as the typical case when head of states are on the move ? Protect one and fry dozen ? Is that that the new motto?
The key in Urban area is obviously not the Laser.
So this product can be useful in some restricted scenario only. It's not even useful to protect an airport given that the admissible range of engagement is to short.
Hence, if we had to give Wingnut hats, the special today would go for the Project manager at MBDA who presented -to the public this deadly lethal weapon in such a way...
By: mrmalaya
- 24th June 2015 at 11:16Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Video from Paris talking about FCAS UAV. Aims are to be operational by 2025-2030 and with an engine equivalent to the M88 producing around 5t dry thrust (according to RRSnecma)
Also interesting to note that the French are talking about operating alongside Rafale not a new manned type....
There is much more about this project from the French side at the moment, possibly because we have just had the Paris airshow and possibly because anything in the UK will be hush hush until the dust settles on the SDSR in October/November.
More snippets from the show:
"The FCAS is a "large platform," said the DGA expert. This drone will have a 16-meter wingspan (just over 50 feet), as compared to the Rafale's 10.86 meters (35.6 feet)."
"The DGA, however, insisted that the FCAS is "meant to become a European program, and the door is open to appropriate partners." :apologetic: https://news.vice.com/article/meet-the-drone-that-carries-out-the-airstrikes-before-the-airstrikes
Posts: 5,905
By: TomcatViP - 3rd June 2015 at 20:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It seems to be only a system for point and High value target. Nothing easily adaptable to site situation. Also, GPS guided MiniOffensive UAV ar eonly a minimal fraction of the threat.
Is there an RFP published somewhere or is that again a Copains/Copains acquisition project?
Posts: 4,168
By: halloweene - 4th June 2015 at 07:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i think theres an RFI, best way would be to check on ixarm portal
Posts: 3,106
By: FBW - 4th June 2015 at 12:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/06/03/admiral-frustrated-by-delay-in-competition-to-build-carrier-drones/
Navy in budget crunch, and lack of direction on UCLASS requirements.
Posts: 4,168
By: halloweene - 4th June 2015 at 14:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Btw in the meanwhile nEURO, is ending its "furtivity" tests in Italy and will soon go for live fire tests in Sweden
http://www.portail-aviation.com/2015/03/100eme-vol-du-neuron-et-fin-des-essais.html
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 4th June 2015 at 18:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Alenia claims success in UAV sense-and-avoid tests
Posts: 4,619
By: mrmalaya - 5th June 2015 at 10:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Northrop is nearly ready to deliver the first NATO RQ-4B:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/northrop-unveils-nato-1-global-hawk-destined-for-europe-413126/
[ATTACH=CONFIG]238023[/ATTACH]
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 5th June 2015 at 21:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Boeing just patented a drone that can fly forever
Posts: 5,197
By: SpudmanWP - 5th June 2015 at 23:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If it can hover, then why not just land?
By not wasting the energy in the hover, it can land and recharge sooner.
Posts: 5,905
By: TomcatViP - 5th June 2015 at 23:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A flying system relying on buoyancy for flight is generally large. Hence you don't park it like a Vespa.
Boeing suggest a city based system.
Posts: 12,109
By: bring_it_on - 7th June 2015 at 01:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Northrop Grumman unveils NATO's first Global Hawk UAV
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 12th June 2015 at 17:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Fly-offs for French Tactical UAV Competition Begin This Month
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 13th June 2015 at 15:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Air Force wants UAV swarms
Posts: 5,905
By: TomcatViP - 14th June 2015 at 00:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i don't know why some are talking about Swarm or depicting small UAS here. The NOCA doc is clear as stated by the link: "provide long range, high speed strike capability in remote regions where forward basing is difficult or prohibited,". The word Swarm is nowhere to be seen.
The picture on that link is very confusing. You are not going to achieve that with a tuned-up commercial drone*.
The effort is based on existing technology and which ones could be discarded to achieve the cost objectives and the ability to be discarded without compromising sensitive tech. The attritable part is scalable (I guess in function of the defenses).
Here are the interesting part of the objectives:
It would reverts the "Militants" Vs Predator equation forcing them to get more armor and more defensive gears and driving the cost to sustain their objectives dramatically up.
*I know that this particular one is not. But the range of perf are.
Posts: 12,109
By: bring_it_on - 14th June 2015 at 16:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Revolutionary but Thorny U.S. Predator-Reaper Program
Posts: 593
By: Sanem - 14th June 2015 at 23:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
oddly no mention of the Avenger
did Marvel copy right it? :)
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 17th June 2015 at 21:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
MBDA Germany Targets Mini-UAVs With Laser
Posts: 5,905
By: TomcatViP - 17th June 2015 at 22:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It's interesting but range is too short, cost is too high and explosive laden GPS guided UAV are not what could be the more lethal targets to be expected in a civil defense scenario.
Yes, MBDA's "innovation" can be useful to protect a high value target, such as an head of state, on a duly selected topography. But did terrorist have switched their targets? And what happens when direct line of sight is lesser that 100m such as in the middle of a city? And what happens when you fire a Laser on a place surronded by a crowd such as the typical case when head of states are on the move ? Protect one and fry dozen ? Is that that the new motto?
The key in Urban area is obviously not the Laser.
So this product can be useful in some restricted scenario only. It's not even useful to protect an airport given that the admissible range of engagement is to short.
Hence, if we had to give Wingnut hats, the special today would go for the Project manager at MBDA who presented -to the public this deadly lethal weapon in such a way...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]238484[/ATTACH]
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 18th June 2015 at 18:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
PARIS: Sagem confident in domestic first sale for Patroller UAV
Posts: 25,376
By: Tango III - 22nd June 2015 at 17:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Paris Air Show 2015: Textron sees significant Arab interest in armed Shadow UAVs
Posts: 4,619
By: mrmalaya - 24th June 2015 at 11:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Video from Paris talking about FCAS UAV. Aims are to be operational by 2025-2030 and with an engine equivalent to the M88 producing around 5t dry thrust (according to RRSnecma)
http://player.piksel.com/v/m01303in?video_uuid=m01303in
Also interesting to note that the French are talking about operating alongside Rafale not a new manned type....
There is much more about this project from the French side at the moment, possibly because we have just had the Paris airshow and possibly because anything in the UK will be hush hush until the dust settles on the SDSR in October/November.
More snippets from the show:
"The FCAS is a "large platform," said the DGA expert. This drone will have a 16-meter wingspan (just over 50 feet), as compared to the Rafale's 10.86 meters (35.6 feet)."
"The DGA, however, insisted that the FCAS is "meant to become a European program, and the door is open to appropriate partners." :apologetic:
https://news.vice.com/article/meet-the-drone-that-carries-out-the-airstrikes-before-the-airstrikes