Modern military commanders rely on drones for day/night reconnaissance, surveillance, refueling, and target acquisition, as well as overall situational awareness. One of their more valued airframes is the RQ-7B Shadow drone, which took its first flight in the 1990s.
Now, the Army wants a rapidly deployable replacement with new features like GPS-denied navigation, persistent aerial surveillance, and target designation capabilities. In addition, they envision this replacement being able to operate with a small team in confined spaces without needing a runway.
The Enhanced V-BAT Tactical Drone
One of the candidates to replace the Shadow drone is an improved V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS), derived from Martin’s V-BAT line of VTOL drones. The V-BAT weighs 84 lb (38 kg) with a full fuel tank and payload. It can remain in the air for eight hours, with an extra hour’s fuel on standby.
In September, Northrop Grumman and Martin UAV completed the enhanced V-BAT flight tests as part of the US Army’s FTUAS competition to replace the aging Shadow drone for Special Forces, Army Brigade Combat Teams, and Ranger battalions.
The V-BAT can transition to fixed-wing horizontal flight thanks to its ducted tail propeller that provides a vertical lift while shielding the two-person ground crew from the whirling blades. Once airborne, it can reach an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m), has a top speed of up to 90 knots (167 km/h, 106 mph), and a range of 350 miles (563 km).
As a bonus, the V-BAT can carry various interchangeable payloads to meet mission requirements. These include:
- Synthetic aperture radar (SAR),
- Electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR),
- and Electronic warfare (EW) payloads.
Finally, the V-BAT will have advanced GPS-denied navigation and autonomous capabilities via Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy system. This system uses machine learning to gain data and train for new missions.
Kenn Todorov, sector VP and GM at Northrop Grumman, explained:
The enhanced V-BAT offers a near-zero footprint, flexible vertical take-off, and landing capability that is based on a platform deployed operationally today to address the US Army’s FTUAS (Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System) mission. In addition, the team brings more than 30 years experience in the production, delivery, and sustainment of unmanned aircraft systems to support this critical mission today and into the future.
The MQ-25 Refueling Drone
The US Navy will soon be equipped with drones that routinely refuel their airborne planes. On August 18, Boeing’s MQ-25 T1 Stingray jet-propelled air tanker drone successfully refueled a US Navy E-2D Hawkeye command and control aircraft. The test, which took place at the Mid America St. Louis Airport, was carried out by Navy pilots from the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-20.
The test followed on the June 4 flight when the MQ-25 prototype refueled an airborne US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter plane, marking the first time in history that a UAV has refueled another aircraft in mid-air. The second test was conducted to demonstrate the compatibility of the drone with the Hawkeye.
The test involved Hawkeye gathering data on the drone’s performance and stability. Then, the aircraft approached the MQ-25’s extended aerial refueling drogue before making contact and taking on fuel from its onboard refueling tank. All the data collected will be used to improve the digital models of the MQ-25. This will help improve the first production models for the US carrier air wing.
Boeing will manufacture a fleet of seven MQ-25 Stingrays to supersede the T1 prototype for flight tests and two more for ground testing. Once the craft finally goes into production, it will join the Navy’s carrier airborne early warning squadron within the carrier air wing, assisting the E-2 C/D and other aircraft.
Captain Chad Reed, the Navy’s PMA-268 program manager, said:
Once operational, the MQ-25 will refuel every receiver-capable platform, including E-2. This flight keeps us on a fast track to getting the Stingray out to the fleet where its refueling capability will greatly increase the range and operational flexibility of the carrier air wing and strike group.
The Avenger Drone
On July 2, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems used an Avenger drone equipped with a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod to track and follow targets for the first time autonomously. This demonstration, over the high desert of southern California, brings military aviators one step closer to autonomous systems that fully “support Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) in joint all-domain operations.”
While air-to-air tracking and following targets using an aircraft or drone is a standard procedure, it typically relies on radar to locate and lock the target. Radar is highly effective, but there are several reasons why it isn’t always available, including:
- It may be required to fly without radar for stealth purposes.
- Hostile forces might use radar jamming systems.
- There may be too much radio interference or background clutter for the radar to operate accurately.
To overcome this, Lockheed Martin developed its 98.5-inch-long (2.5-m) and 16-in-wide (41-cm) Legion Pod, replacing active radar with a passive IRST21 sensor that includes advanced onboard data processing to track and follow targets by detecting infrared radiation.
The pod and its software were installed into the Avenger Mission Management System in less than three months, thanks to the Legion Pod being designed to use standard interfaces and not requiring extensive aircraft modification. As a result, it communicated with the Avenger’s autonomy engine via the Open Mission Systems message standards, making installation faster and cheaper.
