Current and future of unmanned aircraft (period 1)

In the past few years, unmanned aerial combat vehicles have become increasingly involved in military campaigns around the world. In particular, the US military has deployed armed unmanned aircraft to destroy the Taliban in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is actually a variant developed from unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. In addition to the ability to carry missiles and bombs, UCAV also plays a reconnaissance role, tracking targets.

Currently, the US military is the only country in the world that has widely used UCAV in its role of attacking the Taliban in Iraq, especially the border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The following are two UCAVs (unmanned aerial combat vehicles) that the US military deployed in anti-Taliban operations:

Unmanned aerial combat vehicles MQ-1 Predator (Wild animals)

MQ - 1Predator (beast) is an unmanned aircraft system, long operating time, mid-range flying ceiling; The main task is armed scouting, early warning and identification of targets to be assisted by other forces.

Unmanned aerial combat vehicles MQ - 1 Predator (beast).

MQ - a 'beast' is a system, not just an aircraft; The operation includes: four unmanned aircraft, ground control center, data transmission satellite system and together with the maintenance team to be operated 24 hours a day.

MQ - 1 's basic control knots include three members: control pilots, electronic sensor officers and intelligence task coordinators.

An MQ - 1 'beastly' is installed with an infrared camera on the nose of the aircraft (often used for ground-based pilots), a high-resolution TV camera that changes the lens itself, an infrared camera instead change lenses and other sensor parts depending on specific tasks. In addition, MQ - 1 is also equipped with a multi-spectral viewfinder system.

In particular, unlike other unmanned muscle reconnaissance, MQ - a 'beast' armed with two AGM - 114 Hellfire laser guided anti-tank missiles (hell fire). AGM - 114 missiles have a range of 500m - 8,000m.

UCAV MQ - A "beast" armed with two AGM - 114 Hellfire laser guided anti-tank missiles (hell fire).

MQ - 1 'beastly' using 115 hp Rotax 914F four-cylinder engine, cruise speed of 130 km / h, range of about 730 km, ceiling of about 7,600 m. When it needs to be deployed somewhere in the world, then MQ - 1 aircraft will be removed and put into containers to move. The control station will be moved on a C-130 transporter 'athlete'.

The MQ - 1 Predator system was put into operation in March 2005, each of the MQ - 1 systems worth $ 20 million (including four unmanned fighters, ground control center, satellite transmission). data guide).

Unmanned aerial combat vehicles MQ - 9 Reaper

'Death' MQ - 9 (also known as MQ - 1 Predator B) was developed from MQ - a 'beastly', starting to be put into use in 2007.

Unmanned aerial combat vehicles MQ - 9 Reaper (god of death).

MQ - 9 has a wingspan of 20 m, body length of 10.9 m, empty weight of about 2,200 kg and a maximum takeoff weight of about 4,700 kg; equipped with General Atomics AN / APY - 8 Lynx radar, AN / APY - 8 is a ground moving target indicator system (Ground moving target indicator - GMTI), multi-lens sync output aperture radar - SAR) works in all weather conditions, high resolution. It produces 10cm resolution images with SAR projection mode and monitors ground moving targets using GMTI mode.

Lynx radar system operates on Ku band, Lynx's operating range is 87km at resolution of 3m, 54km at 30cm resolution, when using projection mode, the scope of operation is 29km at resolution 10cm prize. In addition, MQ - 9 also installed AN / ADS - 1 multi-spectral sighting system.

With the nickname 'death', MQ - 9 was armed with a huge amount of weapons, they could carry 14 AGM - 114 Hellfire anti - tank missiles or four AGM - 114 and two Laser guided bomb GBU - 12 (230kg). In addition, they could carry AIM-92 air-to-air missiles.

MQ - 9 "Death" can carry four AGM - 114 Hellfire missiles and two GBU - 12 laser guided bombs or carry 14 Hellfire missiles.

AGM - 114 Hellfire laser guided anti-tank missiles (hell fire).

MQ - 9 'god of death' uses a TP331 - 10 (950 hp) turbofan engine, allowing them to reach speeds of over 300 km / h, ceiling of 15,000m (usually operating at altitudes above 7,000 m), the range is about 6,000km. They operate continuously for 14 hours in the air. With powerful sensors, 'god of death' MQ - 9 automatically finds, tracks and destroys targets with the weapons they carry.

Currently, the US military has 28 MQ - 9 Reaper units. Each MQ - 9 worth 10.5 million USD. Since its introduction in the US Air Force, MQ - 1 and MQ - 9 have been actively involved in activities to destroy Al - Qaeda commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, 'god of death' MQ - 9 and 'beasts' MQ - 1 also repeatedly attacked Pakistani targets.