GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
US Air Force defends RQ-1 Predator targeting accuracy as US Army plans to test armed Hunter unmanned air vehicle
The US Navy is focusing its plans for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) on developing a family of systems comprising three tiers: tactical, medium-altitude endurance and high-altitude endurance. But the US Air Force and army face challenges in their UAV plans.
Under the tactical tier, the USN wants an expeditionary capability for real-time targeting, battle-damage assessment, reconnaissance, signals intelligence, nuclear, biological and chemical sampling, short-haul communications relay and mine countermeasures.
The vehicle will be operated from austere land bases and possibly ships. It will have limited stealth and sensitive technology, and will be attritable (inexpensive and numerous enough to be expendable), according to a senior USN official.
Under the medium-altitude endurance tier, the USN wants to field a UAV capable of performing strike support missions in a medium-threat environment, with growth to a limited weapons capability for strike and suppression of enemy air defences.
This system, which could result from a melding of the navy's multi-role endurance and UCAV-N naval unmanned combat air vehicle programme, would require more stealth and manoeuvrability, and would be based on aircraft carriers, the official says.
Under the high-altitude endurance tier, the USN is looking for a long-range, long-endurance UAV capable of performing wide-area surveillance, reconnaissance, maritime patrol, stand-off strike support, signals intelligence, and long-distance communications relay duties.
This UAV will be "a very expensive asset and hence not attritable at all", the official says. The USAF's Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an option and "a very attractive one", he says.
While the USN refines its UAV vision, the USAF has made moves to defend its General AtomicsRQ-1 Predator medium-altitude endurance UAV against a report criticising its targeting accuracy.
A senior USAF official says the vehicle's sensor suite has been improved since initial operational test and evaluation was conducted in April last year. He confirms that the air force is interested in General Atomics' turboprop-powered Predator-B.
Funds for testing an armed Predator ran out before moving-target tests of laser-guided Lockheed Martin Hellfire missiles could be conducted, but the US Army plans to drop Northrop Grumman Brilliant Anti-Tank self-guided submunitions from an AAI Israel Aircraft Industries Hunter interim tactical UAV next year.
Development of the US Army's objective tactical UAV, the AAI Shadow 200, had been threatened by a spate of crashes.
An independent review has concluded that the failures were not systemic, a senior official says, and the army is continuing with its plans for initial operational test and evaluation scheduled for April.
Source: Flight International
