Raad-85 Yasir: ¿Una amenaza real?

Iran ha anunciado el despliegue de un nuevo UAV (Raad-85 Yasir) concebido para estrellarlo contra objetivos enemigos, al mas puro estilo Pearl Harbor. Ahora bien: ¿Constituye este UAV una verdadera amenaza? Vamos a exponer a continuación por qué razones no debemos temer a este nuevo UAV, y por qué razones si debemos temerlo:

POR QUÉ NO

• En primer lugar, por sus especificaciones: Es verdad que en esencia se trata de un clon del Boeing InSitu ScanEagle, o al menos eso es lo que pregonan sus creadores. ¿Realmente es así? La versión iraní dicen que ofrece una autonomía de 10 horas como máximo, cuando el ScanEagle ofrece 24 horas cuando menos. Eso para empezar. Pero tampoco es comparable en altitud: El ScanEagle puede volar a 19.500 pies de altura, mientras que el iraní sólo alcanza 15.000 pies.

• En segundo lugar, por su poder letal. Ni es el primer UAV armado que poseen los iraníes, ni es el más peligroso, ni es el más potente: Los iraníes poseen desde hace tiempo un UAV de combate denominado Shahed-129, capaz de volar hasta una distancia de 1000 millas y lanzar hasta 8 misiles (O al menos esto es lo que pregonan sus creadores, ya que todos los Shahed-129 vistos en acción sobre Siria estaban desarmados, todo hay que decirlo).

• En tercer lugar, porque si los iraníes desean hacer daño poseen medios más que suficientes para hacerlo: Misiles crucero, artillería pesada, misiles antibuque, torpedos, minas, etc.

POR QUÉ SI

• Como hemos visto, no debemos temer a este UAV si hablamos de utilizarlo como arma de combate: Si lo lanzan contra un buque de guerra será derribado mucho antes de que llegue a su objetivo. Ahora bien: ¿Qué pasa si el objetivo no va armado? He aquí la cuestión.

• Pensemos en el Estrecho de Ormuz: El 20 por ciento del petroleo que se consume en todo el mundo pasa a través de esa vía marítima. Si los iraníes quieren, podrían utilizar los Raad-85 para lanzarlos contra buques petroleros, lo cual tendría consecuencias desastrosas para la economía mundial. Desde luego es algo que pueden hacer sin utilizar UAVs suicidas, pero los demás medios resultan mucho más caros, y no tan fáciles de usar.

• En definitiva: No es un UAV que vaya a cambiar las reglas del juego, pero ofrece una nueva razón para estar pendientes de Irán, ya que si hay algo que verdaderamente pueda hacer hoy día estallar una Tercera Guerra Mundial, ese algo es muy simple: El control de las fuentes de energía.

David del Fresno Consultores

Asesoría Estratégica en Impresión 3D y Manufactura Aditiva

Teléfono: +34 912422766

Correo-e: daviddft@ono.com

Web: http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

Iran: Nuevo UAV militar Raad-85 Yasir

El aparato ha sido bautizado con el nombre de Yasir por algunos medios, mientras que otros lo denominan Raad-85.

Desde luego no es el primero de estos aparatos que desarrolla la República Islámica de Iran, si bien su historia se remonta a diciembre de 2012, fecha en la que Irán denunció que había detectado tres UAVs Boeing Insitu ScanEagle sobrevolando su territorio, y capturó uno de los aparatos con el propósito de que sirviera de base para desarrollar otro similar.

El aparato está siendo utilizado estos días en unas maniobras que se están llevando a cabo en el Estrecho de Ormuz, y en palabras del general iraní Ahmad Reza Pourdastan “puede llevar a cabo un ataque cuando se identifica un objetivo sospechoso”, ya sea aéreo, naval o terrestre. Según lo declarado por los iraníes, el UAV ofrece una autonomía de ocho horas y puede alcanzar una altitud de 4.500 metros.

David del Fresno Consultores
Asesoría Estratégica en Manufactura Aditiva e Impresión 3D
http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

Preparación y despegue de un MQ-9 Reaper

Vamos a ver en este post un vídeo donde se muestran las tareas de preparación y despegue de un UAV GAAS MQ-9 Reaper, dentro de los ejercicios Emerald Warrior.

Los Emerald Warrior son unos ejercicios anuales que se llevan a cabo para entrenamiento de las fuerzas especiales, y es actualmente el único ejercicio de su categoría que lleva a cabo el Pentágono.

David del Fresno Consultores

Asesoría Estratégica en Impresión 3D

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

GAAS MQ-9 Reaper + MBDA Brimstone = Exito asegurado

En las pruebas llevadas a cabo hace un año en la US Naval Air Weapons Station de China Lake (CA), un UAV GAAS MQ-9 Reaper armado con misiles MBDA Brimston llevó a cabo nueve ataques directos contra blancos fijos y móviles.

Los blancos móviles iban a una velocidad de 70 MPH (112 Km/H), y la distancia y altitud a la que se efectuaron los disparos fue de 7 millas (11 Km) y 20.000 pies (6 Km) respectivamente.

David del Fresno Consultores
http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

General Atomics: contrato de $375,2 M

General Atomics ha firmado un contrato con la USAF por valor de $375.2 millones para el mantenimiento de sus UAVs MQ-1 Predator y MQ-9 Reaper.

El contrato comprende (entre otras tareas) la ejecución durante 2015 de diversas operaciones de mantenimiento HW+SW on-site, así como la gestión de inventarios y almacenes de repuestos.

David del Fresno Consultores

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

Nueva York: Nuevo comandante para el Ala Aérea 107

El Coronel Robert Kilgore, veterano de la Operación Tormenta del Desierto y de la Guerra de Irak, ha sido seleccionado para comandar el Ala Aérea 107 de la Guardia Nacional de Nueva York.

Kilgore, que actualmente sirve como vicecomandante del ala, relevará a finales de Enero al Coronel John Higgins, que ha estado liderando el ala durante los últimos dos años.

“La experiencia del Coronel Kilgore y su probada capacidad de liderazgo constituyen buenas razones para comandar el Ala Aérea 107, y estoy orgulloso de anunciar hoy su promoción a comandante,” ha dicho el Gobernador Andrew Cuomo. “Los bravos hombres y mujeres que sirven en esta unidad han defendido a nuestra nación y ayudado a nuestro estado en tiempos de crisis, más recientemente durante la tormenta de nieve del mes pasado. Con el Coronel Kilgore al timón, continuaremos viendo esa dedicación a la seguridad de los neoyorkinos.”

El Ala Aérea 107 cuenta con una larga trayectoria de servicio a Nueva York, iniciada en 1946. Hoy día, la unidad está experimentando un proceso de transición tecnológica enfocada al uso de UAVs MQ-9 Reaper, de los cuales Kilgore cuenta con el título de piloto. Kilgore, de 48 años de edad, ha servido en el Ala Aérea 107 de la Guardia Nacional de Nueva York desde 1997, y su experiencia como piloto desde 1988 hasta la actualidad se cifra en más de 4.500 horas de vuelo.

Kilgore sirvió en la Fuerza Aerea desde 1988 hasta 1997, año en el que se alistó en la Guardia Nacional Aerea de Nueva York. Desde entonces hasta la actualidad ha servido sucesivamente como:

• Comandante de vuelo
• Oficial de operaciones
• Comandante del escuadrón de repostaje en vuelo 136
• Comandante del Grupo de Mantenimiento del Ala Aerea 107
• Director de Planes y Programas de la Guardia Nacional Aerea de New York
• Vicecomandante del Ala Aerea 107

Kilgore ha recibido numerosas medallas, incluyendo las siguientes:

• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal
• Joint Meritorious Unit Award
• Southwest Asia Service Medal (por la Operación Tormenta del Desierto)
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Global War on Terror Expeditionary Service Medal

En lo que se refiere a estudios y formación:

• Graduado por la United States Air Force Academy
• Master en Arts in Managerial Economics por la University of Oklahoma
• Graduado por el Air Command and Staff College
• Graduado por el Air War College

¡Merry Christmas!

In this so endearing night, I would like to send a greeting to all readers, with my sincere desire of a true Peace and Joy.

David del Fresno

¡Feliz Navidad!

En esta noche tan entrañable, quisiera enviar una felicitación a todos los lectores, transmitiéndoles mi más sincero deseo de que celebremos con verdadera Paz y Alegría la fiesta de la Navidad.

David del Fresno

El US Army comienza a instalar sistemas GBSAA

La FAA requiere que todos los aviones en el espacio aéreo nacional - incluso aquellos sin un piloto a bordo - sean capaces de "sentir y evitar" obstáculos.

A tal efecto, el U.S. Army ha comenzado a instalar cinco sistemas terrestres de detección y evitación (GBSAA - Ground-Based Sense-And-Avoid) para impedir colisiones entre UAVs.

El primer sistema ha sido instalado en la base militar de Fort Hood, Texas, que cuenta con dos compañías al mando de UAVs General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle. A esta le seguirán sendas instalaciones en Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Fort Drum (New York), Fort Riley (Kansas) y Fort Stewart (Georgia). 

Italia: Los Reaper vigilarán partidos de futbol y manifestaciones

A medida que su despliegue en Afganistán llega a su fin, los Reaper se van a utilizar en Italia para controlar los partidos de fútbol y las manifestaciones, tras el acuerdo alcanzado entre la Fuerza Aérea italiana y las fuerzas policiales del país.

El acuerdo es el primero de su tipo en Europa y es el fruto de la ley de UAVs vigente en Italia. Los UAVs serán operados por el 28 Escuadrón de la Fuerza Aérea Italiana. Ese escuadrón cuenta con seis Predator A+ y seis Reaper, todos ellos sin armas, que se han estado utilizando en distintas misiones a lo largo del tiempo y en distintos lugares: Afganistán, Balcanes, Irak o Libia, entre otros.

Las autoridades policiales han dicho que los Predator serán más baratos de operar que los helicópteros tripulados utilizados para vigilar habitualmente las grandes reuniones públicas. La legislación italiana ya permite vuelos de UAVs en el espacio aéreo civil en ciertos espacios y tiempos, bajo coordinación en todo momento de la autoridad de aviación civil de Italia. A modo de ejemplo, baste recordar que los Predator sobrevolaron los cielos de Roma protegiendo la cumbre del G8 que tuvo lugar en 2009.

Nuevo aeródromo para los Gray Eagle

El U.S. Army va a empezar a construir la próxima primavera un aeródromo exclusivo para UAVs en Fort Bliss, con el objeto de servir de base a los nueve UAVs General Atomics "Gray Eagle" que se pondrán en 2015 al servicio de la First Armored Division. El proyecto cuenta con un presupuesto de 33 millones de euros cuyo coste correrá a cargo del Army Corps of Engineers y será ejecutado por la empresa constructora SGS.

Con sus 29 pies (8,8 metros) de longitud y sus 56 pies (17,06 metros) de envergadura, Gray Eagle es el UAV más grande que posee el U.S. Army y puede ser utilizado tanto para misiones ISR como para misiones de combate. Capaz de volar durante 25 horas a una altitud de 29.000 pies (8.839 metros), el Gray Eagle está dotado de cámaras multiespectro que permiten la detección de Artefactos Explosivos Improvisados (IED, por sus siglas en inglés).

Army to build special UAV airport

Army unmanned vehicles experts are building a special airport for Grey Eagle and Shadow at the Fort Bliss Army post near El Paso, Texas, to support the Army's 1st Armored Division.

At Fort Bliss the 5,000-feet paved runway is for the Grey Eagle, and the 1,000-foot paved runway is for the Shadow. The air facilities will include a 1,000-foot cleared and graded dirt safety run-out zone at each end of the Grey Eagle airfield.

Construction of the UAV airport at Fort Bliss is part of a larger Army plan begun in 2012 to equip each Army combat division with UAVs. The Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Eustis, Va., is overseeing an Army reorganization to put a Grey Eagle company in every Army division. Grey Eagle is a medium-sized diesel-powered UAV that is 29 feet long with a wingspan of 56.3 feet. It can fly as fast as 170 miles per hour for as long as 36 hours at altitudes to 29,000 feet. The UAV is an upgraded and armed version of the MQ-1 Predator.

The Army's 1st Armored Division headquartered at Fort Bliss, which the new UAV airport will support, operates the M1A2SEP Abrams main battle tank; M2A3 & M3A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles; M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer; M1151 Humvee and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles; Stryker wheeled armored vehicle; the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter; AH-64 Apache attack helicopter; and other pieces of combat equipment. The division consists of two heavy brigade combat teams, infantry brigade combat teams, a Stryker brigade, an artillery brigade, a sustainment brigade, and combat aviation brigade.

Navy Could Test Aerial Refueling on X-47B

U.S. Navy plans to test an aerial refueling capability on its experimental carrier-launched unmanned aerial vehicle, the X-47B, as early as next year.

The move follows a $64 million June 2014 contract award to Northrop Grumman that extended the testing schedule of the Navy’s two X-47Bs on carriers and continue autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) research as part of the Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System demonstration (UCAS-D) program.

Airbus Markets UAV-Based Surveillance Package

Airbus Defence & Space is planning to offer a high-altitude unmanned air vehicle-based surveillance capability for disaster relief, using a variety of systems that it is in the process of finalising. The approval test was carried out in controlled airspace under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence, the Military Aviation Authority, the Type Airworthiness Authority (TAA) and the unmanned air vehicle arm of the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support group.

GoPro To Become Apple Of Consumer UAV Market

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, consumer UAV market will be worth $130 million in 2015.

By comparison, GoPro has generated $673 million in sales in the first nine months of this year. Over the past few months, Google and Facebook have acquired UAV companies. Amazon is also working to use drones to deliver goods. But none of them have made UAVs for consumers.

Dominic Basulto of The Washington Post says that GoPro could become the “innovation champion” of the consumer UAVs industry, just like Apple in the smartphone industry, Facebook in social networking and Amazon in e-commerce. The action camera make has joined the Small UAV Coalition, a UAV-lobbying group, indicating that the company is serious about consumer UAVs.

GoPro has several advantages that could make it a consumer UAV leader. These include the first-mover advantage and network effects. However, it will have to create an ecosystem that makes rivals impossible to catch up. Basulto says GoPro is the only company that has the potential to make consumer UAVs mainstream: Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported the company was working on UAVs that will be launch in late 2015, at a price between $500 and $1000.

Russia Forms UAVs Unit

A military unit of UAVs has been formed in the Chukotka Autonomous Area, in the Russian Far East, a spokesperson for Russia’s Eastern Military District (EMD), Alexander Gordeev said Tuesday: "The EMD’s operational control team in charge of developing military infrastructure in the Arctic zone… has finished the formation of a UAV unit. It is stationed at the Ugolny mixed-use military and civil airfield".

By the end of the year the unit will be equipped with several Orlan-10 ISR UAVs, according to the spokesperson: "The first test-flights of Orlans at low temperatures are planned for the beginning of next year. Initially, the MRO of drones will be carried out in conjunction with the manufacturer, in the future — by the unit’s technical staff," the EMD representative added. 

3D Printing for the UAV Industry

In this post, Mr. Dave Macfie from Stratasys shows us how 3D Printing is being utilized in the UAV industry:

AMRC's 3D Printed UAV

Let us see in this post a 3D printed UAV designed, manufactured and flight tested by a team of engineers from Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4lrtOc736M

The UAV airframe was constructed entirely of ABS plastic, using a Stratasys Fortus 900mc 3D Production System. The complete aircraft has a wingspan of 1.5 m, weights under 2 kg, and can be easily split into half for easier transportation.

UAV Manufacturing with Stratasys

For components that “could not be done with standard milling procedures”, some UAV OEMs have turned to Stratasys 3D Production Systems. Watch this video to know more:

Iran UAVs range upgraded

A senior Iranian military official says domestically-manufactured UAVs are capable of operating within a range of 3,000 kilometers.

Commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said Saturday that Iran is today able to design and build different types of UAVs for various operations.

Earlier this month, Iran unveiled its latest state-of-the-art UAV, (named Ababil 3) which can be used in ISR operations. Not for nothing, in recent years Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems, including a variety of domestically-manufactured UAVs.

The Ababil 3 has a flight range of eight hours and effective operational radius of 250 kilometers. The UAV can fly at an altitude of 15,000 feet and transmit images simultaneously to GCS or any other platform. The Islamic Republic unveiled its first home-made long-range combat UAV (Named Karrar, meaning Striker) in August 2010. Since then the country has manufactured a variety of other high-tech ISR and combat UAVs.

¿What to do with a thug UAV?

The FAA is growing gravely concerned about the threat of personal unmanned aircraft, and the agency receives frequent reports of UAVs flying close to airplanes or helicopters near airports in violation of regulations. If the FAA has the authority to govern the skies, it is a part of its central safety mission to give rules relating to UAV flying in civil airspace: The public needs clear guidance on what and where they can fly remote controlled UAVs, and law enforcement officials need to know how they should react when they see a civil UAV over a city street or, worse, near the vicinity of an airport or heliport. 

More than 1 million UAVS still awaiting the parliamentary "Green Light"

Though UAVs have begun to enter the commercial space, the future for them still has significant uncertainty: Today, UAVs require skilled operators for actual use, and have a high crash rate, factors that will slow down acceptance in various end applications. UAVs also have technical obstacles due to issues like low electric range, lack of true autopilot, and basic airworthiness, but the authentic main obstacle is the chaotic current state of regulation: While countries such as Canada and Australia are ahead of the game, with regulations in place and commercial flight actively happening, many countries have little or no meaningful regulatory structure, putting the UAVs awaiting the parliamentary "green light" to take off.

Airbus seeks European OK

Airbus Defense and Space said it will now work with EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) to develop a certification process for civilian UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) based on the process normally used for manned aircraft.

The application, which Airbus described as the first in Europe, was filed for the company's Atlante UAV, which is intended for a number of civil missions, such as surveillance of oil pipes, power lines and railways, as well as for use during natural disasters.

The Atlante was developed by Airbus in Spain. It weighs nearly 1,257 pounds and has a wingspan of 26 feet. "The launch of the Atlante application will help EASA to secure a world-leading position in the establishment of the appropriate regulatory framework under which such systems will be designed, produced and maintained. And it will enable Airbus Defense and Space to maintain a leading industrial position in this new and challenging civil aviation sector. UAVs represent a rapidly growing activity in commercial aviation that will have a very significant economic impact in the near future," said Miguel Ángel Morell, head of Engineering for Military Aircraft at Airbus Defense and Space.

Boeing to explore assisting Sky-Watch

Boeing and Danish company Sky-Watch have signed an agreement that will enable Boeing to explore assisting the company in its development of a new type of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) under a project supported by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation.

Boeing and Sky-Watch signed the agreement at an event at UAS Denmark, the unmanned aerial systems industry group based at the Hans Christian Andersen Airport in Odense. Boeing joined the group in 2013 and learned about fellow member Sky-Watch through UAS Denmark. Founded in 2009 and located in Støvring in northern Denmark, Sky-Watch develops, produces and sells advanced UAV systems with state-of-the-art control technology. The company also provides contract-based research and development for the global defense and aerospace industry.

The company’s rugged and highly autonomous UAVs are designed to be used in places that are too inaccessible, widespread or dangerous for human access. Because of its UAV experience and HUGINN X1 quad-rotor vehicle, Sky-Watch received a grant from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation in December of 2013 to pursue the Smart UAV project with the Technical University of Denmark. Such aircraft could be used for a wide range of missions, including environmental monitoring and geo-data research, in addition to maritime surveillance in Arctic regions. Boeing and Insitu have significant experience in both manned and unmanned maritime surveillance platforms to contribute to the project. 

US Army awards Aerovironment

The U.S. Army has awarded three firm fixed-price orders to AeroVironment, Inc. totaling $27,178,075 for RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20A Puma AE Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) spare parts.

The company received two orders on August 29, 2014 and one on September 18, 2014.  Delivery is anticipated within 12 months. “Recapitalizing the Army’s large fleet of Raven and Puma AE systems ensures that soldiers have the most effective and reliable small UAS available to support them, wherever and whenever required,” said Roy Minson, senior vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s UAS business segment.  “With AeroVironment-original spare parts and upgrades, operators can continue to rely on our combat-proven solutions to deliver better information, on-demand, and help them operate more safely and effectively.” added.

The latest orders increase the total value of orders for Raven and Puma AE UAS spare parts and Raven upgrades received since May 2014 to $77.6 million.

3D Printed ABS for Mould Making

An introduction and overview for a series of videos showing how to use 3D printing for mould making.

The series will cover inspecting, repairing, joining, plastic welding and finishing FFF printed ABS parts for mould making.

The series would also be of interest for anyone interested in post print finishing.

DE vs UAV

The state of the art of DE (Directed Energy) technologies against UAVs (and many other targets) were exposed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), at the recent Air Force Association Conference in Washington, D.C. Let us see them briefly:

Microwave

• A single High Power Microwave (HPM) weapon could provide low-collateral damage of multiple targets.
• It is an alternative to the kinetic means of defeating an emitting/electronic target.
• The next step will be to design, develop and test a multi-shot, multi-target HPM cruise missile.

Laser: COIL vs HEL

• The Chemical-Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) technology demonstrated by the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed has effectively been superseded by solid-state high-energy lasers. 
• The next step, by 2022, will be to repackage a HEL (High Energy Laser) in the 10kW-class into a pod that could be carried by an F-15 fighter. Such an airborne HEL could engage and defeat enemy aircraft or air-to-air missiles at moderate range, or provide precise and selectable (power), low-collateral attack of ground targets.
• Later in the next decade, a sixth-generation fighter could carry an efficient, lightweight HEL in the 100kW class with a conformal aperture beam.

Underwater, aerial, land: Sony Z100 (4K), DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ DJI UAV, GoPro Hero3

Footages from the Sony PXW-Z100 (4K), the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ aerial quadcopter, and the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7e7FjYJBNE

Facebook to test internet beaming UAVs

A team at the Facebook Connectivity Lab is specifically working on policy, advising the technology and development teams on regulations that are in place.

Facebook plans to start testing its internet-carrying solar-powered drones in 2015, with the ultimate aim of getting two-thirds of the global population online. In words of Yael Maguire, engineering director at Facebook Connectivity Lab, "In order for us to fly these planes - unmanned planes that have to fly for months, or perhaps years at a time - we actually have to fly above the weather, above all airspace. That's between 60,000 and 90,000 feet. Routinely, planes don't fly there, and certainly not drones."

Interesting picture

Interesting picture released by USAF, showing an MQ-9 Reaper carrying -perhaps- the latest version of the Gorgon Stare WASS. The picture was taken last 18th August at Kandahar.

US shortfalls exposed by IS

Defense Department Undersecretary Michael Vickers said last week the march of IS “has exposed, along with some of the instability in North Africa, shortfalls that we believe we now have in some capacity areas,” specifically surveillance and reconnaissance drones, according to the report.

Drones like General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remain key in surveillance efforts in the Middle East. With the IS continuing to hold more than a quarter of Iraq and U.S. efforts to increasing, there will likely be a renewed emphasis on the program and a need for a bigger fleet.