Defense Technology International - May 2008 - (Page 32) SURVEILLANCE TACTICAL TINY AND UNAFRAID Small UAVs fly high in tactical operations DAVID ESHEL•TEL AVIV ini-UAVs continue to prove their value as tactical surveillance and reconnaissance craft. The design of this class of unmanned aerial vehicle has been finetuned to where versions are lightweight, manpack-portable in battle, readily launched by hand, and capable of carrying sophisticated data-transmission payloads. Their video capabilities help direct bombing runs, and their size and low noise make them virtually undetectable, even at low altitudes. They are truly the shadow warriors of 21st-century battlefields. One example of the workhorse role these aircraft now have is the RQ-11 Raven mini-UAV from AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif. The aircraft notched 150,000 combat hours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007, and is expected to fly twice as many missions this year. With 9,000 on order or delivered, AeroVironment, which produced the first practical hand-launched UAV, the Pointer, in the late 1980s, is the numbers leader in the market. Ravens have also been ordered by Italy, Denmark and Spain. Two Danish Raven operators, deployed off the Horn of Africa on board the Danish patrol frigate HDMS Thetis during a United Nations World Food Program escort mission, made local headlines when they were sent home after violating rules of engagement by flying their Raven UAV over land north of Mombasa, Kenya, in March. The Netherlands has also acquired an initial order of 10 Aladin mini-UAVs from a production series destined for the German armed forces. Aladin is produced by EMT in Penzberg, Germany. The Dutch and Germans deploy Aladin in Afghanistan, where the system is in near-continuous use. U.S. and Israeli companies, however, are the leaders in this segment. One of AviationWeek.com/dti M Israeli soldier launches a Skylark UAV. The aircraft, from Elbit Systems, flies reconnaissance missions virtually undetected. ELBIT SYSTEMS 32 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL MAY 2008 http://AviationWeek.com/dti
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - May 2008 Defense Technology International - May 2008 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch Learn and Live Think Again Vive la Difference En Route Out of the Box Package Deal On Watch Inside Job Programs Update The Net Back to the Future Busy Signal Mighty Mites Hull of an Idea Tough Enough Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight Defense Technology International - May 2008 Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Defense Technology International - May 2008 (Page Cover1) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Defense Technology International - May 2008 (Page Cover2) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Defense Technology International - May 2008 (Page 3) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Defense Technology International - May 2008 (Page 4) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Defense Technology International - May 2008 (Page 5) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Around the World (Page 8) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Around the World (Page 9) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Science Watch (Page 10) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tech Watch (Page 11) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Learn and Live (Page 12) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Learn and Live (Page 13) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Think Again (Page 14) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Think Again (Page 15) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Vive la Difference (Page 16) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - En Route (Page 17) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Out of the Box (Page 18) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Package Deal (Page 19) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Package Deal (Page 20) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - On Watch (Page 21) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Inside Job (Page 22) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - The Net (Page 23) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - The Net (Page 24) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Back to the Future (Page 25) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Back to the Future (Page 26) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Back to the Future (Page 27) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Back to the Future (Page 28) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Busy Signal (Page 29) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Busy Signal (Page 30) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Busy Signal (Page 31) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 32) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 33) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 34) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 35) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 36) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Mighty Mites (Page 37) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Hull of an Idea (Page 38) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Hull of an Idea (Page 39) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 40) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 41) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 42) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 42AI) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 42BI) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Tough Enough (Page 43) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Cutting Edge (Page 44) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Cutting Edge (Page 45) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - First Person (Page 46) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - First Person (Page 47) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - In Review (Page 48) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - In Review (Page 49) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Insight (Page 50) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Insight (Page Cover3) Defense Technology International - May 2008 - Insight (Page Cover4)
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