Sun, Jun 23, 2013
UK Warships Are To Benefit From A New UAV Surveillance Aircraft
ScanEagle is a maritime reconnaissance asset that can be launched off the back of Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships day or night to gather intelligence and survey the wider area of operations. Built by Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing Defense UK Limited, the ScanEagle is the first maritime-specific unmanned air system capability to be delivered in support of naval operations. It will complement the existing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets used on operations such as helicopters and long-range radar.
The unarmed aircraft, which has a wingspan of just over nine feet and weighs 48.5 pounds, is launched from ships into the sky by a pneumatic catapult. Flying at about 60 knots, it is commanded by a specialist team on board the ship who will plan the ScanEagle’s missions, control its flights and monitor and analyze the information it gathers using its state-of-the-art sensors. At the end of its flight, the ScanEagle is recovered back to the ship.
“ScanEagle represents an important addition to the Royal Navy’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability," said Royal Navy Captain Ian Annett, who’s been involved with the project. "Its ability to deploy during the day and night, coupled with the technology it uses, will give commanders a clearer picture of the operational situation whenever it’s required.”
“ScanEagle provides the Royal Navy with proven surveillance capability that has already been used on operations by other nations, so we know we are getting top quality equipment," said Minister for Defense Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne. "The technology is off-the-shelf and will be available to the Royal Navy as soon as possible. Our continued investment in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems is essential to keeping our Armed Forces up-to-date with the latest capabilities and this will be a central part of MOD’s investment in new equipment over the next 10 years.”
The U.K. Ministry of Defense entered into a contract worth some $46 million for the aircraft.
(Image provided by the U.K. MoD.)
More News
Airport Rotating Beacon A visual NAVAID operated at many airports. At civil airports, alternating white and green flashes indicate the location of the airport. At military airports>[...]
Aero Linx: Fly for the Culture Fly For the Culture, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves young people interested in pursuing professions in the aviation industry>[...]
Klyde Is Having Some Issues Comprehending The Fed's Priorities FMI: www.klydemorris.com>[...]
Also: Viasat-uAvionix, UL94 Fuel Investigation, AF Materiel Command, NTSB Safety Alert Norges Luftsportforbund chose Aura Aero's little 2-seater in electric trim for their next gli>[...]
Also: EP Systems' Battery, Boeing SAF, Repeat TBM 960 Order, Japan Coast Guard H225 Buy Despite nearly 100 complaints totaling millions of dollars of potential fraud, combined with>[...]