International Battlefield UAVs: Difference between revisions

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Two CL-327s can be carried and operated by a single HUMVEE light field truck or similar vehicle. The CL-327 was evaluated by the US Navy for the VT-UAV competition, but lost the competition. Bombardier is now promoting a still further improved version of the UAV, the "CL-427 Puma", with the same configuration but with the mushroom-shaped enclosures replaced by "weathervane" shaped fairings.
 
==FRENCHFrench UAVSUAVs: MARTMart, CRECERELLECrecerelle, & SPERWERSperwer==
* The French operate the CL-289 and the Israeli Hunter, as well as a number of French-designed UAVs. One of the earliest was the Altec "Mini-Avion de Reconnaissance Telepilote (MART)" series, with the MART II serving with French forces in the Gulf War. Details of the MART II are difficult to find, but pictures of it show it to be a relatively small tactical UAV, with a simple conventional configuration like that of a large RC model. It is catapult-launched, carries an imaging system, and appears to be recovered by parachute.
 
{| class="wikitable"
ALTEC MART II:
|+ ALTEC MART II
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
! Specification !! Metric !! English
 
|-
spec metric english
|Wingspan||3.4 meters||11 feet 2 inches
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
|-
 
wingspan |Length||3.42 meters 11||10 feet 27 inches
|-
length 3.2 meters 10 feet 7 inches
launch|Launch weight ||110 kilograms ||242 pounds
|-
speed 195 km/h 120 mph / 140 knot
|Speed||195 km/h||120 mph / 140 knot
ceiling 3,050 meters 10,000 feet
|-
endurance 4 hours
|Ceiling||3,050 meters||10,000 feet
 
|-
launch scheme Catapult launch.
|Endurance||colspan="2"|4 hours
recovery scheme Parachute with airbags.
|-
payload Imaging system.
|Launch scheme||colspan="2"|Catapult launch.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
|-
|Recovery scheme||colspan="2"|Parachute with airbags.
|-
|Payload||colspan="2"|Imaging system.
|}
 
Altec is now selling an improved version of the MART II, the "S-MART". It is slightly heavier, has 7 hours endurance, and can carry ELINT and jamming payloads.
* The French Sagem firm also produced a medium-sized UAV, derived from the popular Meggitt Banshee target, known as the "Crecerelle" ("Kestrel" or "Sparrowhawk"). Its configuration is much like that of the Banshee, with a pusher prop, a clipped delta wing, and a single tailfin, though its fuselage is more cylindrical. It is powered by a 20 kW (26 hp) rotary engine and has no landing gear, being recovered by parachute and airbags. The Crecerelle saw action with French forces during the Kosovo campaign in 1999. Meggitt sells much the same machine as the "Spectre".
 
The French Sagem firm also produced a medium-sized UAV, derived from the popular Meggitt Banshee target, known as the "Crecerelle" ("Kestrel" or "Sparrowhawk"). Its configuration is much like that of the Banshee, with a pusher prop, a clipped delta wing, and a single tailfin, though its fuselage is more cylindrical. It is powered by a 20 kW (26 hp) rotary engine and has no landing gear, being recovered by parachute and airbags. The Crecerelle saw action with French forces during the Kosovo campaign in 1999. Meggitt sells much the same machine as the "Spectre".
SAGEM CRECERELLE:
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
 
{| class="wikitable"
spec metric english
|+ SAGEM CRECERELLE
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
! Specification !! Metric !! English
 
|-
wingspan 3.3 meters 10 feet 10 inches
length 2|Wingspan||3.43 meters 7||10 feet 1110 inches
|-
height 0.7 meters 2 feet 4 inches
|Length||2.4 meters||7 feet 11 inches
launch weight 120 kilograms 265 pounds
|-
 
|Height||0.7 meters||2 feet 4 inches
speed 240 km/h 150 mph / 130 knot
|-
ceiling 3,050 meters 10,000 feet
|Launch weight||120 kilograms||265 pounds
endurance 5 hours
|-
 
|Speed||240 km/h||150 mph / 130 knot
launch scheme RATO booster.
|-
recovery scheme Parachute with airbags.
|Ceiling||3,050 meters||10,000 feet
payload Day / night camera in nose turret.
|-
guidance system Autopilot with GPS and radio control.
|Endurance||colspan="2"|5 hours
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
|-
|Launch scheme||colspan="2"|RATO booster.
|-
|Recovery scheme||colspan="2"|Parachute with airbags.
|-
|Payload||colspan="2"|Day / night camera in nose turret.
|-
|Guidance system||colspan="2"|Autopilot with GPS and radio control.
|}
 
SAGEM is now selling an improved version of the Crecerelle named the "Sperwer", and it is being operated by the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, France, and Greece. The Swedes call it the "Ugglan (Owl)". Like the Crecerelle, it uses a pusher propeller and has clipped delta wings, but it is larger, has twin tailfins, a boxier fuselage, and an EO sensor turret under the nose. It is powered by a 29.5 kW (65 hp) two-stroke Rotax engine.
 
{| class="wikitable"
SAGEM SPERWER:
|+ SAGEM SPERWER
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
! Specification !! Metric !! English
|-
|Wingspan||4.3 meters||14 feet 1 inch
|-
|Length||2.7 meters||8 feet 10 inches
|-
|Launch weight||320 kilograms||705 pounds
|-
|Speed||240 km/h||150 mph / 130 knot
|-
|Ceiling||5,000 meters||16,400 feet
|-
|Endurance||colspan="2"|5 hours
|-
|Launch scheme||colspan="2"|Pneumatic catapult.
|-
|Recovery scheme||colspan="2"|Parachute with airbags.
|-
|Payload||colspan="2"|Day-night EO imagers in nose turret.
|-
|Guidance system||colspan="2"|Autopilot with GPS and radio control.
|}
 
Sagem has sold well over a hundred Crecerelles and Sperwers. Canada is the latest customer for the Sperwer, obtaining a system of four low-end UAVs during the summer of 2003 for use by Canadian forces in Afghanistan. The Canadians expect to buy more and use the type over the long term. Apparently Germany is obtaining the Sperwer as well.
spec metric english
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
 
Sagem is now working on a next-generation "Sperwer High Velocity (HV)", which is an entirely new UAV that is powered by a Microturbo TFS-18 engine, and has a sleek boxy fuselage with rear forward-swept wings, forward canards, and a dorsal air intake. Sagem is seeking French government backing for full development, and hopes to have the new UAV flying as early as 2005 or 2006.
wingspan 4.3 meters 14 feet 1 inch
length 2.7 meters 8 feet 10 inches
launch weight 320 kilograms 705 pounds
 
Matra BAE Dynamics developed a UAV named "Dragon", no relation to the BAI Dragon. The Dragon was roughly the same size as and similar to the Crecerelle, with the same pusher-prop delta configuration, except that instead of having a single tailfin mounted on the fuselage, the Dragon had a tailfin on each wingtip. It was intended as a jamming platform. It seems to have dropped out of sight, possibly because the French Army acquired the Crecerelle for the jamming mission.
speed 240 km/h 150 mph / 130 knot
ceiling 5,000 meters 16,400 feet
endurance 5 hours
 
launch scheme Pneumatic catapult.
recovery scheme Parachute with airbags.
payload Day-night EO imagers in nose turret.
guidance system Autopilot with GPS and radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
 
Sagem has sold well over a hundred Crecerelles and Sperwers. Canada is the latest customer for the Sperwer, obtaining a system of four low-end UAVs during the summer of 2003 for use by Canadian forces in Afghanistan. The Canadians expect to buy more and use the type over the long term. Apparently Germany is obtaining the Sperwer as well.
* Sagem is now working on a next-generation "Sperwer High Velocity (HV)", which is an entirely new UAV that is powered by a Microturbo TFS-18 engine, and has a sleek boxy fuselage with rear forward-swept wings, forward canards, and a dorsal air intake. Sagem is seeking French government backing for full development, and hopes to have the new UAV flying as early as 2005 or 2006.
* Matra BAE Dynamics developed a UAV named "Dragon", no relation to the BAI Dragon. The Dragon was roughly the same size as and similar to the Crecerelle, with the same pusher-prop delta configuration, except that instead of having a single tailfin mounted on the fuselage, the Dragon had a tailfin on each wingtip. It was intended as a jamming platform. It seems to have dropped out of sight, possibly because the French Army acquired the Crecerelle for the jamming mission.
 
==FRENCH UAVS: FOX, K100, HELIOT, & VIGILANT==