History of UAS
Introduction
Unmanned
aerial vehicles have been around for a number of years. UAVs have been a powerful
tool in the military and the civilian sector. During World War I, UAVs were
used to perform missions over the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 (Blom, 2010).
The missions that were conducted using UAVs are similar to the missions seen in
Iraq and Afghanistan in modern times. According to Blom (2010), UAVs in the
past and present have been used to adjust indirect fires, gather information
regarding enemy movement, perform battle damage assessment, and provide target
acquisition. In 1955, the United States Army started performing reconnaissance
missions with UAVs; the Radioplane RP-71 was one of the UAVs tested during this
time. As technology has advanced, UAVs have become a big part of the military
and are being used more in the civilian sector. UAVs have many different
purposes within the world today. From reconnaissance and damage assessments in
the military to photography and disaster assessments, UAVs will become a huge
part of the aviation industry in the coming years. The RQ-7 Shadow 200 is a
relatively new UAV being utilized by the military.
Radioplane RP-71 Falconer
The
Radioplane RP-71 Falconer had a wingspan of 12 feet and could ascend into the
atmosphere at 3,000 feet per minute (Blom, 2010). The RP-71 could reach a top
speed of 185 miles per hours and could fly at altitudes between a few hundred
feet and up to 4 miles. The endurance of the RP-71 was 30 minutes according to
Blom (2010).The RP-71 took several minutes to launch. A catapult launch system
was used to send the RP-71 into the sky (Blom, 2010). The RP-71 utilized a solid rocket booster
from zero length launcher (Northrop Radioplane RP-71, n.d.). The RP-71 would be
recovered by deploying a parachute. One benefit that the RP-71 had over
traditional aircraft was that this UAV could be flown in weather that would be
hazardous to other aircraft. The RP-71 had advanced technology during its
conception. This UAV used cameras and had an optional TV (Northrop Radioplane
RP-71, n.d.). The pictures taken by the RP-71 took some time to process, but an
operator could have the pictures in under an hour (Blom, 2010). The RP-71 was
also designated as MQM-57 and was a reconnaissance unmanned vehicle. An
operator would fly the UAV via radio signals and was tracked by radar (USAF,
2015).
RQ-7 Shadow 200
The
RQ-7 Shadow 200 is a UAV that was developed to locate and identify targets on
the battlefield. The Shadow can fly up to 15,000 feet and has a cruising speed
of 127 knots (RQ-7 Shadow UAV). The Shadow is launched from a hydraulic rail
launcher and has the ability to climb at a rate between 1,000 to 1,500 feet per
minute (Shadow 200 RQ-7, n.d.). Compared to the RP-71, the RQ-7 can carry
heavier payloads for longer periods of time. This UAV incorporates incredible
electro optical and infrared sensors that give the operator the ability to
capture video and pictures during the day and night (RQ-7 Shadow UAV). The RQ-7
is easily recoverable; it has a conventional landing gear and can land on a
flat surface if there is a surface that is 95 meters in length. The RQ-7 Shadow
is controlled through a sophisticated ground control system. The ground control
station is suited with vehicle control settings and C4I interface software
(Shadow 200 RQ-7, n.d.). The operating procedures for the RQ-7 had to be redesigned
during US campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan due to the intense heat and massive
amounts of sand building up on the UAV (RQ-7 Shadow UAV, n.d.).
Comparison between the RP-71 and the RQ-7 Shadow 200
The
Radioplane RP-71 Falconer and the RQ- Shadow 200 are similar in purpose. The
RP-71 and the RQ-7 are launched with the aid of a catapult system, but the
benefit of the RQ-7 is that it can be launched without the aid of a catapult
system. Both of these unmanned aerial vehicles have been used for intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance. Damage assessment is still completed by the
RQ-7 Shadow. While the Shadow seems to have more uses overall, the RP-71 has
the ability to fly at a faster rate (185 mph in the RP-71 compared to 127 in
the RQ-7 Shadow) and the RP-71 can fly at higher altitudes than the RQ-7.
However, the flight times are very different when comparing these two UAVs. The
RP-71 could fly for 30 minutes while the RQ-7 could fly for 6 hours (RQ-7
Shadow UAV, n.d.). The RQ-7 has a technologically advanced sensor package
compared to the RP-71’s radio transmission and radar contact tracking systems. Unlike
the RP-71, the ground control station that is utilized by the operator of the
RQ-7 provides the operator with real time footage that the cameras are picking
up. The RP-71 had cameras and an optional TV, but it took some time to develop
the pictures that the UAV took during flight. The advances in technology have
now required operators to need more room to transport the UAVs to a specific
location. The RP-71, the launcher, and the control system could be transported
by two standard 6x6 trucks with trailers (Blom, 2010). A single RQ-7 can be
transported by two military vehicles (Shadow 200 RQ-7, n.d.). The RP-71 had an
identical wingspan of 12 feet (Blom, 2010). In comparison, the RQ-7 Shadow had
a wingspan of just over 12 feet.
Conclusions
With
the advancements in technology and the creation of the RQ-7 Shadow, military
operators using the Shadow are able to gather intel and perform reconnaissance
missions more efficiently. There does seem to be one limitation with the RQ-7
Shadow; the top speed seems to be lacking. Compared to the RP-71, the RQ-7 is
much slower (185 mph vs. 127 mph.). While speed is not necessarily always
needed, it may be beneficial for the RQ-7 to fly at a faster rate. As new
technology is created for UAVs such as the RQ-7, operators should determine if
there are any flaws in the response times of the RQ-7 during flight. GPS has
become the standard for operations around the world. GPS may not be a new
technology, but any improvements on this system could potentially influence the
system capabilities of the RQ-7. It is likely that military UAVs will continue
to receive the latest and greatest in the area of optics for the cameras on board
the RQ-7. An increase in the flight time of the RQ-7 could greatly influence
the system capabilities of the RQ-7 and would be beneficial to long range
reconnaissance missions.
References
Blom, J. D. (2010). Unmanned Aerial
Systems: A Historical Perspective. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press.
doi:http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/carl/download/csipubs/OP37.pdf
Northrop Radioplane RP-71 Falconer,
SD-l. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wmof.com/rp71falconer.html
RQ-7 Shadow UAV. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://olive- drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_uav_rq7.php
Shadow 200 RQ-7 Tactical Unmanned
Aircraft System. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.army-technology.com/projects/shadow200uav/
USAF. (2015). Radioplane/Northrop
MQM-57 Falconer. Retrieved from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/MuseumExhibits/FactSheets/Display/tabid/509/ Article/195784/radioplanenorthrop-mqm-57-falconer.aspx
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