Yemen Shoot Falls UAV

The Yemeni military is rumored to have shot down a Houthi militia UAV in the Hodeidah region. Furthermore, the UAV is believed to be made by Iran.

Iran shows off new UAV base

According with Arutz Sheva, Iran has revealed a previously unseen Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) base in a new video released today, coming amid rising tensions with Washington.

The clip shows a long line of UAVs parked on the tarmac at an undisclosed air base. Iran is estimated to have considerable UAV capabilities, but today is the first time it has ever revealed its UAV's base.

¿More reasons to worry? OK: Tensions have been rising between the Islamic Republic and Washington ever since President Trump instituted new sanctions in July over its ballistic missile program, but Iran also announced yesterday that it was testing its new Bavar-373 air defense system, which it claims rivals the Russian S-300.

Syria: Shahed 129 downed

According to published, coalition warplanes have downed a medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle that had targeted area near the US-led forces positions. The UAV appears to be an Iranian-made Shahed 129.

More info at:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/video-syrian-army-advancing-in-raqqa-province-withdrawal-of-isis/5594183

US Air Force to Phase Out MQ-1 Predator

The US Air Force said that it is retiring the 21-year-old MQ-1 Predator UAV and is transitioning to the MQ-9 Reaper: "We are going to stop flying the MQ-1 completely by July 1, 2017," 20th Attack Squadron commander Lt. Col. James said in the release. "We're converting an MQ-1 squadron… to an MQ-9 squadron in combat operations without taking a single day out of combat."

The Air Force explained the MQ-9 Reaper will be used for close air support for US troops along human piloted aircraft, and also for intelligence gathering and real-time reconnaissance: "The MQ-9 is better equipped than the MQ-1 due to its high definition sensors and increased speed," the release stated. "The fresh MQ-9 design picked up where the MQ-1 left off, boasting a nearly 4,000-pound payload and the ability to carry missiles and bombs."

Russian military will receive Svarog's VR helmet to control UAVs

Despite its cumbersome appearance, the device weighs 400 g, which is a standard weight of the current VR helmets.

"Now the Svarog is under trial and will be delivered to the Ministry of Defense as soon as possible during this year," Alexei Pechkin, a researcher at Mari State University, told the Izvestia newspaper. "We continue to improve the helmet and experiment with the characteristics of its lenses, but even now the resolution of the screen is twice that of its foreign rivals, while the angle of vision of Svarog is limited by the user's natural field of vision ".

The device has a set of sensors to measure the position of the eyes and the inclination of the head: The operator can vary the altitude of the UAV by raising or lowering his head as well as change the direction of the flight by moving only his eyes to a point of interest.

"Using a VR device to control an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft has many advantages over the traditional display and the joystick," says Maxim Chizhov, a VR expert. "An updated VR helmet gives the UAV operator a more realistic picture of the battlefield, allowing for faster decision making and more effective drone control at high speed."

The Face of the Bubbling Armed UAV Industry

The extensive use of UAVs by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised debates over issues like civilian deaths, international law, efficacy of strikes and deterrence.

The Israeli Air Force used a weaponized drone, the Pioneer, in the 1982 war in Lebanon which impressed US for increased UAV procurement and research. Nineteen years after, the 9\11 terrorist attack created a new demand to hunt down terrorists in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today, the US uses three types of drones built by General Atomics with offensive capabilities: the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, and the MQ-9 Reaper. The US military uses them in two broad ways: Reconnaissance and hunter-killer missions.

Drone surveillance and attack capabilities have been effective psychologically as fear keeps also plays a major part. While drone attacks are the most effective weapon against terrorism, its net effects are difficult to judge. The presence of armed drones is a reality of the modern battlefield, but only a limited group of countries has the technological ability to produce them or the military capacity to operate them.

Currently, US and China export armed drones, and Israel is in the vicinity. As Russia, Turkey, South Korea and others join the market, a surge in globally available systems for a fruitful market could lead to a new dangerous era.

(Read more...)

Aerial Refueling of UAVs

The USAF is seeking UAVs that can be refueled in midair, by other UAVs. The proposal, titled “Aerial Refueling of UAVs”, is aimed at developing a better way for air-to-air refueling of Class 4 and Class 5 UAVs, which comprise the larger drones such as the Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper. (Read more...)

The Drone Threat to Israeli National Security

Analysts continue to debate possible futures of UAV terrorism, and an emerging consensus suggests that violent non-state actors will increasingly seek to exploit drone technology for nefarious purposes.

For years, both Hizballah and Hamas invested considerable resources into developing their respective UAV programs. As the world’s most powerful militant organization, Hizballah maintains a fleet of UAVs equipped with surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, as well as munitions.

Since Hizballah’s military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, the organization has successfully utilized UAVs for a variety of functions, particularly intelligence gathering and coordinating military operations. Though Hizballah and Hamas maintain domestic drone production capabilities, both groups rely on external support for their more advanced UAVs. It is no mystery why Israeli national security personnel view UAV developments by militant groups with great concern.

UAVs for 3D Mapping

Lockheed Martin has released a commercial software, named Hydra Fusion Tools, that allows to create a real-world 3D Map of any site. Hydra Fusion runs on commercial computers leveraging state-of-the-art graphical processing units, to render the entire evolving scene in real time, as the UAV flies: The images are geometrically stitched together into an immersive three dimensional world view, showcasing buildings, trees, vehicles, terrain, etc.

“Hydra Fusion Tools’ stand-out feature is its ability to turn big data into actionable intelligence,” says John Molberg, business development manager at Lockheed Martin CDL Systems. “This is true world-leading technology – there is nothing else out there that does this, everything else is just post-processing.”

The system comes in two variants: the baseline Hydra for commercial use, with agriculture and first responder application, and Hydra Tactical, which is specifically for military use.

US To double Drones in Afghanistan

For the Pentagon, it seems, drones are invaluable: The United States is looking to reduce its man presence in Afghanistan, and instead “the Air Force aims to double the number of drone squadrons over the next five years,” the Hindustan Times reports. Drones are already a major presence in Afghanistan in particular, and in US missions around the world at large. “In the wars we fight, this is the future,” said drone pilot Lt. Shaw, who operates out of the US Air Force drone base in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. The US doesn’t release detailed statistics of drone involvement in Afghanistan, but it is clear that they play a major role in operations in the country. (Read more)

Vídeo: El Harop en acción

El IAI Harop es un vehículo aéreo no tripulado de combate (UCAV) desarrollado por la división MBT de Industrias IAI. En vez de portar separadamente una ojiva explosiva, el Harop es en sí mismo la munición. Está diseñado para merodear por el campo de batalla y atacar objetivos, autodestruyéndose con ellos.

IAI comienza la producción en serie del Bird Eye 650D

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ha dado comienzo a la producción en serie del Bird Eye 650D. Este UAV de pequeño tamaño capaz de ser configurado con diferentes cargas de pago, está concebido para misiones tácticas y ofrece una autonomía de más de 15 horas a una distancia de hasta 150 km.

Elbit Systems / Hermes® 900 UAS

The Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed and built by Elbit Systems, made its first flight December 9, 2009 in the northern Negev desert. Unlike other Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV systems, such as the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper and Heron I, the Hermes 900 can be operated as part of existing, tactical UAV units currently operating the smaller Hermes 450, dramatically extending mission endurance, payload capacity and operational capabilities, without fielding additional infrastructure and support.

UAVs para desastres naturales: La revolución electrónica humanitaria

El empleo de UAVs para intervenir en las crisis puede sorprender a más de uno: en general se considera que los drones son un gran adelanto para las operaciones de defensa y obtención de información, y los últimos avances han permitido recientemente su despliegue también en las regiones asoladas por catástrofes. (Seguir leyendo)

¿What could a Terror-Drone do to a passenger jet?

A collision between a passenger jet and a drone has left the plane undamaged but the aviation industry deeply shaken: ¿What could a terror-drone do to a plane? ¿How many drones are out there? ¿How many incidents involving drones have there been?  ¿What are the rules? ¿What can be done to cut the risk? The incident brings attention to the number of unregulated drones in the sky and the potential for a terror-attack. (Read more)

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

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.

Iran presents "Fotros"

Iran has presented its largest yet home-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), named "Fotros". This UAV can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet, has a flight endurance of 16-30 hours, and effective operational radius of 2,000 kilometers. It has been designed to carry out IRS missions, but can also perform combat operations air-to-surface. For the moment, Fotros will be used for surveillance of sea and land borders, oil and gas pipelines, as well as monitoring of post-earthquake disaster areas.

IDF shoots down drone from Lebanon opposite Haifa coast

 

At around 13:30 P.M., the Air Force control system identified the UAV, and launched fighter jets into the air. An F-16 jet then fired an air-to-air missile and downed the unmanned aircraft. (Read more)