Spy In The Sky The Future Of Warfare - Part 2 by Gary 'Flyboy' Wright Introduction I was a bit stuck as to what to write about for this article, but guod kindly asked me to do a follow-up article to my first Future Of Warfare piece that I wrote for the start of January this year. I thought I had just about covered everything in the first one, so I asked guod to give me an idea as to what to write about - as my head was just totally mush from all my other projects at the time I decided to start on this. I essentially needed a fresh perspective. He came up with the idea of doing a piece on aerial reconnaissance and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, especially the Predator UAV and its history, and also what other ones are out there. If you can remember, I did touch on UAVs in the first article. I must admit, this area is not really a strong point of mine at the minute. My specialty is mainly military attack helicopters (as many people know from my posts here at the SimHQ Forums), and futuristic weaponry in general. I have never took the time out as of yet to learn UAVs and related in detail. Well, here goes. Be warned though, unlike my first article this is not coming straight out of my head, I am having to refer to various sources to be sure of facts and figures. I'm sure you'll excuse me, won't you? I must also stress, that information regarding the very latest systems is subject to change or verification, so don't hold onto my every word as far as minute details go. Let's cut to the chase and get on with it then. Now, how to start. Let's begin by quoting the Wikipedia article on unmanned aerial vehicles. Forgive me, but I am using Wikipedia as a sort of guide here, and I like to use that site in particular as my first stop on any subject I'm not 100% clued up on. This about sums it all up... "An unmanned, aerial vehicle (UAV) is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. UAVs are currently used in a number of military roles, including reconnaissance and attack." If at this point you are already lost, I advise you to walk away now, as it doesn't get much easier from here. A History Lesson Early versions of what were later called UAVs, or, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, have actually been around since the early 1900s. It's hard to believe I know, given that this current trend has only been successful and popularised for a few years now. Of course, the first achievements were not like today's high-tech gadgetry. Oh no, they were 'simply' remotely-controlled aerial targets. The earliest known UAV was A. M. Low's 'Aerial Target' which debuted in 1916. Later on, the first scale RPV (Remote Piloted Vehicle), was developed by film star and model airplane enthusiast Reginald Denny in 1935. During World War II, technology advancements meant that this new interest could be taken a step further. Remote-controlled airplanes were made and were used to train anti-aircraft gunners. This would of been an invaluable practice aid, as at that time I guess the only other way of training was to shoot at the actual enemy. Not good for new recruits in need of some much needed target practice. After all, manning a WW2-era anti-aircraft gun was anything but a mastered art. All 'drones' up to this point, were of course, propeller-driven. UAV monitoring and control : Pic Shortly after the technology surge that surfaced during WW2, jet engine technology was applied to RPVs. Planes such as Teledyne Ryan Firebee I of 1951, emerged, but this was still all new so was of little consequence, at least until the Vietnam-era. During the '80s and '90s, components had started to become much smaller and much better, and as with all things technologically superior, gained interest with the US military. The main advantage of such aircraft over standard ones was the fact that they would, or should, be much cheaper to manufacture, maintain and run - not to mention no need for aircrew members. First tier productions were largely of surveillance-type, and only had limited capability due to the still maturing avionics, radar and camera equipment. We're now into the '00s and UAVs have taken on a whole new dimension. They are now so advanced that they are actually used not only for spying, but also, wait for it... actual combat. The MQ-1 Predator is probably the most recognized of this new type, designated UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle). It is fitted with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, and because of this, is capable of taking out large numbers of people, tanks, SAM threats and buildings. Types UAVs no come in all shapes and sizes, from the small, almost model-airplane propeller sort that are launched by hand - right up to remotely-piloted light jet aircraft that use runways to take-off. Some are no more than a miniaturized WW2-looking plane, going to the extremes of stealthy and streamlined spacecraft. Performance varies from only being capable of flying a few hundred feet off the ground, to having the ability to nearly touch the edge of space. One example of the small type is the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven, which is a remote-controlled miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (or MUAV), and is launched by hand and powered by an electric motor. A soldier launching a Raven in Iraq : Pic This class of aircraft is not limited to fixed-wing types, there are even remote-controlled helicopters, such as the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout. We will look at this in more detail later. Roles For the future, UAVs are expected to fulfil all types of military role. Far from being limited to recon, they will as mentioned before, be used as attack platforms - be it offence or defence, but also in the logistical role. With this mission capability, these unmanned craft could be used to ferry ammo and supplies to frontline troops without ever having to risk the lives of pilots. Who knows, they may even get so good that they could do MedEvac missions and rescue wounded soldiers and downed pilots. Military usage of UAVs is now at its highest. This quote from Wikipedia explains more... "In 2005, tactical and theater level unmanned aircraft (UA) alone had flown over 100,000 flight hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom  (OIF). Rapid advances in technology are enabling more and more capability to be placed on smaller airframes which is spurring a large increase in the number of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) being deployed on the battlefield." One role of the UAV, would be to work alongside normal aircraft and provide real-time scouting and recon info. The UAVs would go deep behind enemy lines, and relay info and photos back to aerial or ground units that are back in a safe sector. Attacks could then be co-ordinated safely, and only the UAV would be in harms way. This type of role would be very well suited for use with the latest indirect fire weaponry, such as artillery or aircraft carrying the Hellfire missile, as the UAV could also be fitted with a laser designator. With such a device fitted, the scouts could sneak in, lase key targets and then have a unit fire on it from safety. It was this role of the UAV that partly led to the downfall of the Comanche helicopter program, as this state-of-the-art chopper was to work alongside Longbow helicopter gunships in the exact same role as I've described here for the UAV. And on a plus side, UAVs don't have anyone onboard - but the Comanche would have still needed two crew members in the cockpit. On a civilian and commercial level, UAVs are also playing a key role. Yeah, you'd think this sort of thing would only be used by high-tech military applications. No, in fact, some types of UAV are used for everyday tasks that may otherwise take hundreds of workers and man-hours. In Japan, the UAV market is growing rapidly amongst commercial enterprises, and it's said that unmanned aerial helicopters are used to harvest rice crops and one unit can do the work on ten trained people. Crop spraying and weather monitoring are also suitable roles. Summary I tried not to go too deep into any specific area in this article, and as I said, this particular subject is not a biggie with me at the moment. I say at the moment, because I have fads and fancies over different subject matter at different times. It's scary really, what with the fully autonomous aircraft mentioned here. It's yet another realized area of technology that makes film like The Terminator seem ever closer. Robots really could take over the world, if not handled properly. Of course, these machines look nothing like Arnie, but perhaps are more akin to the creations of SkyNet. I think it may be a while before we see actual UAV vs UAV aerial combat, although I'm sure it will be quite possible. It's really only the wealthiest and most technologically advanced armies of the world that are even beginning to put UAVs into service. At the end of the day, these unmanned vehicles are really made to take the strain off humans, and if they could be used in the combat role, would mean that people suffer less casualties, which can only be a good thing. I see a future where humans will no longer fight each other on the battlefield, well, of the more advanced armies anyhow. They will instead sit hundreds of miles away in the safety of their own countries, merely controlling the entities that are carrying out the war. No human lives will be lost, just hunks of metal (I use the term loosely). Oh yeah, I haven't mentioned any computer games throughout this whole article, and after all, I am writing this for a game simulation site. Well, let me address that now. As UAVs and similar aircraft types become more and more popular, I'm sure that in the future we will see them guesting in flight sims the world over. Already, fans of various combat flight sims have modelled UAVs to be added as mods. No doubt the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise will have a field day with it, and I'll bet anything there will be expansion packs based solely on remotely-controlled and/or unmanned aircraft. Don't say I didn't warn you. Whatever direction this cutting-edge and somewhat terrifying technology takes, one thing is for certain... the sky's the limit. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Specifics - Fixed-wing General Atomics MQ-1 Predator Probably the most famous UAV in service today is the MQ-1 Predator. It is used mainly in the recon role but can carry two Hellfire missiles for point strikes. This craft is actually remote-controlled by people and is not an autonomous sort. The Predator has been in use since 1995, and has seen service in the skies over Afghanistan, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq, and Yemen. A quote from Wikipedia: "During flight operations the crew in the ground control station is a pilot and two sensor operators. The aircraft is equipped with Multi-spectral Targeting System, a color nose camera (generally used by the pilot for flight control), a variable aperture day-TV camera, and a variable aperture infrared camera (for low light/night). Previously, Predators were equipped with a synthetic aperture radar for looking through smoke, clouds or haze, but lack of use validated its removal to reduce weight. The cameras produce full motion video and the synthetic aperture radar produced still frame radar images. There is sufficient bandwidth on the datalink for two video sources to be used at one time, but only one video source from the sensor ball can be used at any time due to design limitations. Either the daylight variable aperture or the infrared electro-optical sensor may be operated simultaneously with the synthetic aperture radar, if equipped." One role that older, stripped down models of the Predator has been used for in Iraq, is to be a decoy for Iraqi air defences. They have also been successfully armed with Stinger air-to-air missiles and have been used to 'bait' Iraqi aircraft... "An Iraqi MiG-25 shot down a Predator performing reconnaissance over the no fly zone in Iraq on December 23, 2002, after the Predator fired a missile at it. This was the first time in history a conventional aircraft and a drone had engaged in combat. Predators had been armed with AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and were being used to 'bait' Iraqi fighter planes, then run. In this incident, the Predator didn't run, but instead fired one of the Stingers. The Stinger's heat-seeker became 'distracted' by the MiG's missile and so missed the MiG, and the Predator was destroyed." A Predator in-flight : Pic Predator (drawing) : Pic Predator : Pic Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk In role and design, the Global Hawk is similar to the Lockheed U-2, the 1950s spy plane. It is a theater commander's asset to both provide a broad overview and systematically target surveillance shortfalls. The RQ-4 air vehicle is able to provide high resolution radar - that can penetrate cloud-cover and sandstorms - and Infrared imagery at long range with long loiter times over target areas. It can survey as much as 40,000 square miles (100,000 square kilometers) of terrain a day. Global Hawk : Pic Lockheed Martin/Boeing RQ-3 DarkStar The DarkStar was designed as a 'high-altitude endurance UAV', and made use of stealth technology to make it harder to detect. The DarkStar was fully autonomous, and could take off, fly to its target, operate its sensors, transmit information, return and land without human intervention. The RQ-3 carried either an optical sensor or radar, and could send digital information to a satellite while still in flight. DarkStar : Pic ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Specifics - Rotary-wing Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH The QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) was a small, drone helicopter built by the Gyrodyne Company for use as a long-range anti-submarine weapon on ships that would otherwise be too small to operate a full-sized helicopter. It remained in production until 1969. Several are still used today for various land-based roles. You may notice that it uses a co-axial rotor layout, and as no tail rotor is needed, permits a much smaller airframe design ideal for use on the confines of ship decks. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force is one of the users today. DASH : Pic Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout The Fire Scout is an unmanned robotic helicopter, for use by the United States armed forces. Northrop Grumman is developing the Fire Scout to provide the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps with reconnaissance, situational awareness and precision targeting support. The initial version was designated RQ-8A, and later, an enhanced version, the RQ-8B, was selected as the Class IV UAV for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems. Due to the aircraft's multi-role capability, it was renamed MQ-8B, and is fitted with stub wings so it can carry weaponry, and weapons available for carrying are expected to include Hellfire missiles and 70 millimeter (2.75 inch) folding-fin aerial rockets. The Army is also looking to use the Fire Scout to carry up to 90 kilograms (200 pounds) of emergency supplies to troops in the field. Fire Scout : Pic Boeing A160 Hummingbird The Hummingbird is a UAV helicopter, and its design incorporates many new technologies never before used in helicopters, allowing for greater endurance and altitude than any helicopter currently in operation. The A160 is in development as of 2008, but test flights already demonstrate successively greater endurance, higher altitudes, more extensive autonomy, and greater payload. The prototypes have already broken many world records for helicopter flight as the program moves towards the ambitious goals of a 2500-mile range, 24-hour endurance, and 30,000 ft altitude. Flights are largely autonomous, with the aircraft making its own decisions about how to fly itself so as to meet certain objectives, rather than relying on real-time human control. Maximum speeds are over 140 knots. Hummingbird : Pic ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sources Links For further reading, see: Unmanned aerial vehicle - Wikipedia : Link History of unmanned aerial vehicles - Wikipedia : Link Miniature UAVs - Wikipedia : Link Photos UAV monitoring and control : Pic Raven : Pic Predator in-flight : Pic Predator (drawing) : Pic Predator : Pic Global Hawk : Pic DarkStar : Pic DASH : Pic Fire Scout : Pic Hummingbird : Pic THE END