After Hours

Eyes in the skies: Drones of today and tomorrow

By · July 16, 2012, 9:46 PM PST

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  • Military and police forces across the world are investing in unmanned aircraft to spot threats and hunt down targets.

    These spies in the sky, small craft that operate under remote control or autonomously navigate waypoints, come in all sizes - from silent planes no bigger than a bird to substantial craft packed with surveillance and measurement equipment or munitions.

    A variety of drones were on display at the UK's Farnborough International Airshow, and TechRepublic went along to check them out.

    The distinctive shape of this Predator C Avenger drone is designed to make it harder for electronic systems to spot by reducing the craft's electromagnetic and thermal emissions.

    Designed to stay in the air for a maximum of 20 hours, the drone operates at an altitude of 53,000 feet with a cruising speed of 400 knots - 460 mph.

    The Avenger's manufacturer, General Atomics, says the craft can perform wide-area surveillance and time-sensitive strike missions over land or sea, as well as other military roles.

    The drone's payload enables it to carry multiple sensors, while its internal weapons bay can house 3,000lb of precision munitions.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Hermes 900 drone can fly as high as 30,000 feet and stay in the air for 36 hours.

    Made by Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, the drone can carry a payload of 350kg and is suited to use with a wide range of sensing and surveillance equipment - from infrared and optical video cameras to radar and laser rangefinders.

    The autonomous vehicle is typically used to carry out intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance. Elbit says it can mount constant surveillance of specific locations as well as scan large areas.

    The system can be linked to two ground data terminals to allow it to carry out two concurrent missions during a single flight.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • Designed to be an unseen eye in the sky, the tiny Skylark II is a silent machine suited to covert surveillance at low altitudes.

    Its maker, Elbit Systems, says it can be used to provide day and night target detection, identification and continuous tracking.

    The drone can carry out operations in the field, as it can be controlled from a vehicle and trailer, and can carry out optical and infrared surveillance and laser range-finding.

    The aircraft can stay in the air for four hours and flies at a maximum height of 15,000 feet, with a range of 60km.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • This is a concept model of a future drone by aerospace firm BAE Systems.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Watchkeeper drone is an autonomous aircraft, which the British army says can be fitted with radar sensitive enough to detect footprints left in the dirt.

    The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has bought drones of this type to provide forces with the ability to carry out surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance 24/7 in all weathers.

    The MoD will use Watchkeeper as part of a system made up of unmanned air vehicles, sensors, data links and ground control stations.

    The drone, a modified version of the Israeli Hermes 450 craft, was due to be deployed by the UK military in February this year.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Insitu Integrator is an unmanned air vehicle that is suited to optical and infrared surveillance and laser range-finding.

    Capable of flying at a height of more than 15,000 feet and at a maximum speed of 55 knots, the Integrator can stay in the air for up to 24 hours.

    The drone is completely autonomous and can be directed using a drag-and-drop interface designed for simple operation.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Demon UAV generated a stir in the aviation world by being the world's first aircraft to fly without flaps.

    Conventional planes use flaps, slats and other surfaces to manipulate the flow of air over their wings and alter the amount of lift generated.

    The diamond-shaped Demon UAV generates lift using a different system known as fluidic control. The system employs small jets at the back of the Demon UAV's wings to change the direction of the engine's thrust and to deflect the airflow over the wings.

    The drone was developed by BAE Systems and engineers from UK universities during a five-year research project known as FLAVIIR, Flapless Air Vehicle Integrated Industrial Research.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Predator B Reaper unmanned aerial system has served as an eye in the sky for the US Air Force, the UK's RAF and other military forces worldwide.

    The drone can be used for a range of offensive and surveillance missions, including optical, infrared and radar monitoring, painting weapon targets with lasers and as an attack aircraft armed with missiles or laser-guided bombs.

    The craft can operate at up to 50,000 feet, can carry a 1,746kg payload, travel at 240 knots - 276 mph - and stay in the air for more than 30 hours.

    The Predator B's Honeywell turboprop engine is integrated with a digital electronic engine control, which improves engine performance and fuel efficiency - particularly at low altitudes.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • The Penguin B is designed to be a high-performance unmanned aircraft - capable of staying in the air for more than 20 hours.

    The drone - which can be launched from catapult, runway or car top - recently set a world endurance record by performing a non-stop flight of 54 hours and 27 minutes, the longest recorded flight for a mini-class unmanned aircraft.

    It is able to carry up to 11.5kg of combined fuel and payload and can be commanded by an optional portable control station.

    The craft, made by UAV Factory, is used by universities and research organisations in the US.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

  • A camouflaged drone inside the unmanned systems arena at the show.

    Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

Military and police forces across the world are investing in unmanned aircraft to spot threats and hunt down targets.

These spies in the sky, small craft that operate under remote control or autonomously navigate waypoints, come in all sizes - from silent planes no bigger than a bird to substantial craft packed with surveillance and measurement equipment or munitions.

A variety of drones were on display at the UK's Farnborough International Airshow, and TechRepublic went along to check them out.

The distinctive shape of this Predator C Avenger drone is designed to make it harder for electronic systems to spot by reducing the craft's electromagnetic and thermal emissions.

Designed to stay in the air for a maximum of 20 hours, the drone operates at an altitude of 53,000 feet with a cruising speed of 400 knots - 460 mph.

The Avenger's manufacturer, General Atomics, says the craft can perform wide-area surveillance and time-sensitive strike missions over land or sea, as well as other military roles.

The drone's payload enables it to carry multiple sensors, while its internal weapons bay can house 3,000lb of precision munitions.

Photo: Nick Heath/TechRepublic

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By Nick Heath

Nick Heath is a computer science student and was formerly a journalist at TechRepublic and ZDNet.

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