Aviones sin piloto (RPAS, UAS, UCAS, drones)

[champi]

El Shepherd Mil de Expal, que puede ser asociado al Techfire, que es un sistema que proporciona soluciones balísticas, por ejemplo al mortero de 81mm EIMOS: https://www.maxam.net/es/expal/producto ... epherd_mil

El SHEPHERD-MIL de EXPAL es un dispositivo de reconocimiento aéreo autónomo con forma de ave y silencioso, que incorpora dos cámaras Día/Noche y permite el despegue y aterrizaje automático, así como navegación guiada por “waypoints”.

SHEPHERD-MIL está integrado en el sistema de información de apoyo de fuegos TECHFIRE de EXPAL, como complemento del Observador Avanzado.

Su capacidad de vuelo y camuflaje, junto con la posibilidad de equiparlo con cámaras y software de geolocalización, permite la aplicación del SHEPHERD-MIL en misiones de control y seguridad.

El aparato en cuestión pesa unos 2,85kg, y puede volar durante 60' a una distancia máxima de 15km.

[Orel]

La empresa española GMV nos habla del segmento de tierra de los Predator españoles:
https://www.infodefensa.com/es/2019/03/ ... rados.html

El USArmy inicia otra campaña de pruebas MUT (manned-unmanned teaming) entre helicópteros y drones para el FVL. Recuerdo que hace poco nos contaron que en experiencias previas no se había conseguido lo esperado (probando unión entre Apaches y RQ-7):
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... or-456658/

Hablando del XQ-58A Valkyrie y del programa LCAAT para drones baratos desechables: en este caso se trata de misiles pero al fin y al cabo es tecnología aplicable a drones, y más aún cuando esos drones se parecen a misiles de crucero: Lockheed recibe un contrato de 90 mill. de dólares para investigar tecnologías de desarrollo y fabricación rápida (por tanto más barata) de 4 misiles: JAASM, LRASM, JAGM y Hellfire:
http://alert5.com/2019/03/15/lockheed-m ... -missiles/

Saludos

[Orel]

NATO is to receive the first of five Northrop Grumman high-altitude drones in the third quarter after years of delays, giving the alliance its own spy drones for the first time

the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) drone would be delivered to an air base in Sigonella, Italy, followed by four additional systems, including drones and ground stations built by Airbus, later in the year.
NATO plans to use the aircraft, a derivative of Northrop’s Global Hawk drone, to carry out missions ranging from protection of ground troops to border control and counter-terrorism. The drones will be able to fly for up to 30 hours at a time in all weather, providing near real-time surveillance data.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato ... SKCN1QZ20M

[Orel]

Tras el contrato del Pentágono de 2017 para un primer demostrador de 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT), la empresa Sierra se lleva otro contrato para un segundo. Se trata del desarrollo de los primeros drones blanco furtivos, para poder entrenar más eficazmente contra amenazas de quinta generación.
Nota mía: estos diseños serán potencialmente utilizables para desarrollar UCAS (drones de combate) a futuro, al igual que la empresa Kratos ya está usando drones blanco anteriores para desarrollar UCAS:

The Department of Defense ordered a second stealth aerial target demonstrator from Sierra Technical Services on 13 February.
The so-called 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) is a high-performance, fighter-size unmanned air vehicle that is intended to represent stealthy aircraft threats from advanced adversaries such as China or Russia. The Pentagon is considering using follow-on production versions of the aircraft for air-to-air and ground-to-air weapons evaluation, pilot training, and ground forces training

The target drone is about 12.2m (40ft) long and has a 7.3m wingspan, sitting less than a metre off the ground. It is designed to be launched and landed using a conventional runway, and has a maximum gross weight of 4,350kg (9,600lb) with full fuel. The lightweight aircraft is designed to sustain up to +7.5g and -2g. It should be able to reach Mach 0.95, have a flight endurance of 1.5h and a maximum operating altitude of 40,000-45,000ft.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... bu-456793/

[champi]

Contrato de cuatro MQ-9 para Holanda: https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... /1792112//

...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $123,293,911 undefinitized contract action for MQ-9 Block 5 procurement. This contract provides for four MQ-9 unmanned air vehicles, four Mobile Ground Control Stations, spares, and support equipment. Work will be performed predominately in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2020. This contract involves 100 percent foreign military sales to the Netherlands. Foreign military sales funds in amount of $38,928,607 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-F-2310).
...

[Orel]

Drón barato de un solo uso para logística (entregar carga):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlTNlLjw0gY

[champi]

Contrato para armar los MQ-9 franceses: https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... /1793336//

...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $8,925,748 undefinitized contract action for the France MQ-9 Block 1 Weapons integration effort. This contract provides for the production and integration of weapons kits onto the French Air Force MQ-9 Block 1 aircraft. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2020. This contract involves 100 percent foreign military sales to France. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $4,373,617 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-F-2388).
...

[Orel]

Preparando la llegada del Predator...
https://twitter.com/EjercitoAire/status ... 5612583936

Contrato para armar los MQ-9 franceses:

Tras los italianos... Ya podíamos unirnos.

[yasiw]

Entiendo que serian menos de 9 millones de dólares por dejar listos para recibir y operar armamento a ¿TODOS sus Predator?
No sé cuántos tiene Francia (se hablaba de un pedido de hasta 16) ni si son todos Block1, pero si es así no suena caro...

Enviado desde mi EML-L09 mediante Tapatalk

[Orel]

No sé cuántos tiene Francia

Francia tiene actualmente 5 Reaper Block 1, que pasarán a ser 12 en 2025 y, si se cumplen los planes, tendrán 24 en 2030.
https://www.defensa.com/otan-y-europa/f ... s-este-ano

[Lepanto]

Bélgica compra cuatro drones 4 MQ-9 SkyGuardian, el Departamento de Estado USA, aprobó una posible venta a Bélgica de los aparatos y otro equipo relacionado por un costo estimado de 600 millones de dólares. La Agencia de Cooperación para la Seguridad de la Defensa entregó la certificación requerida para notificar al Congreso sobre esta posible venta el 25 de marzo de 2019.

[Orel]

Otro programa para UCAS autónomo yanqui, el Skyborg, de nuevo de "estética" muy similar a los anteriores... evolución convergente. El AFRL (laboratorio de investigación de la USAF) ya tiene dos programas paralelos: éste y el Loyal Wingman (Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT)).
Y en EEUU también el X-45, el X-47, el MQ-25, el XQ-58...:

The US Air Force’s artificial intelligence Skyborg programme is working on fielding an unmanned combat air vehicle (UAV) testing platform with an early operational capability as soon as 2023.

“The primary goal of the Skyborg programme is to deploy a modular, fighter-like aircraft that can be used to quickly update and field iteratively more complex autonomy to support the warfighter,” says the AFRL. “Once fielded, Skyborg will enable warfighters to modularly adjust the payload and autonomy to support an array of missions.”
Skyborg is running in parallel with the AFRL’s Loyal Wingman programme, which is an effort to develop small, high-performance, but low-cost combat drones to fly alongside manned fighter aircraft.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ne-456953/

[Roger]

los británicos crean la Op Shader Service Medal para condecorar al personal que ha dirigido de forma remota los Reaper en la lucha contra el DAESH https://www.forces.net/news/recipients- ... -announced

https://www.forces.net/news/drone-crews ... ader-medal


This is the first time that Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems crews have received formal recognition with a medal.

Ground crew serving at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, from where UK airstrikes over Iraq and Syria are launched from are also eligible, as well as Army and Navy personnel providing logistic and communications support.

[Orel]

La USNavy estudia armar los VTUAS MQ-8C Fire Scout (los MQ-8B ya lo estaban):
https://www.janes.com/article/87501/nav ... ns-studies

El MALE chino TB001 armado más cerca de producción:
https://www.janes.com/article/87523/ten ... ssance-uav

Drón iraquí:
https://www.janes.com/article/87482/ira ... genous-uav

[champi]

Contrato de dos MQ-9 españoles: https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... /1800834//

...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $34,306,321 contract action for the Spain MQ-9 Block 5 procurement undefinitized contract action definitization effort. This contract provides for the procurement of two MQ-9 aircraft and associated equipment. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2020. This contract involves 100 percent foreign military sales to Spain. Foreign military sales funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-15-G-4040 003401).
...