USAF and Navy testing Unmanned Aircraft and Helicopter

USAF and Navy testing Unmanned Aircraft and Helicopter

The U.S. Air Force began demonstrating the next generation of air combat training and testing aircraft last week, completing the first flight of a converted F-16 jet with no pilot in the cockpit. 

(QF-16 takes off remotely piloted at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Photo, courtesy of Master Sergeant J. Scott Wilcox.)

The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target, a retired F-16 jet modified to fly as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), completed a series of simulated maneuvers, including supersonic flight, prior to landing autonomously. The QF-16 is the result of a 2010 $70 million Department of Defense (DoD) contract awarded to Boeing to convert six early-generation F-16 jets into full-scale aerial targets. 

To convert the F-16 to a remotely piloted aircraft, Boeing installs new electronic control equipment that allows the jet to be operated via data links from a ground control station. 

“It was a little different to see it without anyone in it, but it was a great flight all the way around,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Inman, commander, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron. “It’s a replication of current, real world situations and aircraft platforms they can shoot as a target. Now we have a 9G capable, highly sustainable aerial target.”

By converting retired F-16 jets to the QF-16 configuration, Boeing allows fighter pilots to train against actual fighter jets with live weapons. The development could also lead to production of unmanned fighter jets remotely piloted from the ground. 

Navy's First MQ-8C Unmanned Helicopter Completes Ground Testing

The U.S. Navy's first MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed ground testing and engine runs during its initial testing Friday at Naval Base Ventura Country Point Mugu, Calif. 

(MQ-8C Fire Scout at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, Calif., on Sept. 20 to prepare the system for flight operations. Photo, courtesy of Northrop Grumman.)

Northrop Grumman engineers powered up the aircraft's rotor blades for the first time Friday, as the company looked to collect enough data to ensure the Scout's systems are functioning properly ahead of its upcoming first flight. 

"Completion of these tests signifies our steady progress toward the first flight of the MQ-8C Fire Scout," said George Vardoulakis, vice president of medium range tactical systems at Northrop Grumman.

(Northrop Grumman test engineers conduct the first engine runs of the MQ-8C Fire Scout. Photo, courtesy of Northrop Grumman.)

The US Navy currently has the company under contract to produce an MQ-8C for deployment beginning next year. According to a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman, the first flight of the MQ-8C is scheduled for October.  

F 22 Raptor in Top Gun Moment with Iranians

F 22 Raptor in Top Gun Moment with Phantom F4's from Iran

Earlier this year, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said that an IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 drone flying in international airspace off Iran.
As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets came to about 16 miles from the UAV but broke off pursuit after they were broadcast a warning message by two American planes escorting the Predator.

Composite photograph

The episode happened in March 2013, few months after a two Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes operated by the Pasdaran (informal name of the IRGC – the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution) attempted to shoot down an American MQ-1 flying a routine surveillance flight in international airspace some 16 miles off Iran, the interception of the unmanned aircraft failed.

After this attempted interception the Pentagon decided to escort the drones involved in ISR (intelligence surveillance reconnaissance)  missions with fighter jets (either F-18 Hornets with the CVW 9 embarked on the USS John C. Stennis whose Carrier Strike Group is currently in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility or F-22 Raptors like those deployed to Al Dhafra in the UAE.

Airshow image of relative size (F 4 in the lead)

New details about the episode were recently disclosed by Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh who on Sept. 17 not only confirmed that the fighter jets providing HVAAE (High Value Air Asset Escort) were F-22 stealth fighters but also said that:

“He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home’”

If the episode went exactly as Welsh described it, it was something more similar to Maverick’s close encouter with Russian Mig-28s in Top Gun movie than a standard interception.

It would be interesting to know how the Raptor managed to remain stealth (did they use their radar? were they vectored by an AWACS? etc.) and why it was not the E-2 most probably providing Airborne Early Warning in the area to broadcast the message to persuade the F-4 to pursuit the drone before the Iranian Phantoms and the U.S. Raptors got too close in a potentially dangerous and tense situation?

Anyway the U.S. pilot achieved to scare the Iranian pilots off and save the drone. A happy ending worthy of an action movie.

This post originally appeared at The Aviationist. Copyright 2013.

Ironic that the Iranians were flying US built aircraft that  supplied to the Shah's regime before the Islamist revolution. F- 22 on F4s. No chance. I would also go home!

Low vs High capability Aircraft. F 4's not even on the list!

Stealth Drones: Taranis emerges

Taranis: A New Breed of Stealth UACV

It can fly faster than the speed of sound, cannot be detected by radar and has no pilot. 

Looking like something out of a SciFi movie head on, BAE unveiled it's stealth weapon a year or two ago. Now it's ready for testing in the Aussie outback, away from prying eyes...

  

This is the new robotic plane that will become the next generation of front line bombers for the British military.

The drone, which is named Taranis (Celtic Thunder God  - i.e Norse Thor) , has been designed to fly intercontinental missions to attack targets and can automatically dodge incoming missiles.

The aircraft, which has cost £125 million to build, is intended to be the first of a new generation of planes that will reduce the need to risk human lives on long, dangerous missions.

It is to be flown for the first time in a series of tests over the Australian outback in the spring in an attempt to demonstrate the technology to military chiefs.

Currently the Royal Air Force uses Tornado GR4 bombers as its front line strike aircraft, although the Typhoon Eurofighter is expected to replace it in the coming years.

Remote controlled drones such as the US Reaper are also used by the Ministry of Defence and US military to attack targets.

Taranis is expected to provide a prototype of a new kind of bomber that will replace piloted planes and the current drones.

With a shape more similar to the US B-2 Stealth bomber, it intended to fly automatically using an on-board computer system to perform manoeuvres, avoid threats and identify targets. Only when it needs to attack a target will it seek authorisation from a human controller.

Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of programs at BAE Systems, which has been developing Taranis, said the new drone could change the way aircraft are used by the MoD in the future, which currently uses manned planes for combat missions.

The Taranis uses stealth technology, including a highly secretive coating that helps it slip through radar undetected. It will be able to carry a series of weapons on board including missiles and laser guided bombs.

The use of drones, however, has come under intense criticism from human rights groups, who claim their use as weapons contravenes international laws as often innocent targets can be killed.

The Reaper and Predator drones currently used by the British and US military are operated by remote control using pilots based at a command centre. Although they fly relatively slowly, with a maximum speed of 287 miles per hour, less than half the speed of sound, their ability to perform “hunter-killer” missions or support ground troops in Afghanistan without risking human pilots has seen them increasingly used.

Unmanned aircraft are now being seen as a way of producing planes that can fly further, faster and higher than is currently possible with human pilots, who can grow tired or blackout in manoeuvres that produce high g-forces.

There are concerns, however, that as drones are made more autonomous, they will pose more of a risk if they go out of control and leaving computers to make life or death decisions is highly controversial.

Taranis, however, will still rely on instructions from a central command centre before attacking targets.

The tests on Taranis, which is powered by a Rolls-Royce Adour 951 engine used on Hawk training jets, will see it flying a simulated mission where it must automatically avoid unexpected threats such as ground to air missiles and seek out potential targets.

Once identified, the operators will send instructions to Taranis to attack the targets before performing a flying past to confirm the damage and then landing safely.

Taranis is the first of its kind in the UK. Unmanned Air Vehicles play an important role on operations, helping to reduce the risks faced by military personnel on the front line.

Taranis:

• Thrust: 6,500lbs
• Max speed: Classified but supersonic
• Length: 37ft
• Wingspan: 32ft
• Max Altitude: Classified

Taranis will explore and demonstrate how emerging technologies and systems can deliver battle-winning capabilities for the UK Armed Forces incorporating both an autonomous and survivable Unmanned Air Vehicle System (UAV) concept design. Any future in-service systems based on such a concept design will be under the command of highly skilled ground based operators who will also be able to remotely pilot the aircraft.

About the size of a BAE Systems Hawk Jet, Taranis is jointly funded by the UK MOD and UK industry and is managed by the UK MOD’s Unmanned Air Systems Project Team in the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation based in Bristol. Taranis was formally unveiled at a ceremony in July 2010.  Initial ground testing commenced in 2010 with flight trials planned for 2013.

BAE Systems formed a teaming arrangement combining Rolls-Royce, the Systems division of GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Aerospace) and QinetiQ to work alongside UK MOD military staff and scientists to develop and fly Taranis.

BAE Systems, as prime contractor, will provide many elements of the Taranis technology demonstrator, including the low observability, systems integration, control infrastructure and full autonomy elements (in partnership with QinetiQ).

Comparison with other similar aircraft:

Germano-Spanish Barracuda

US X-47 Project