Next generation UAVs like Boeing's Phantom Ray, loosely based on the X-45 (pictured), will allow the military to use UAVs for even more missions.

Edwards Air Force Base will play host to several next generation UAVs over the next few weeks. These new drones are faster, fly higher, and employ stealth technologies.

One of the new aircraft, the Global Observer from AeroVironment Inc., has a wingspan similar to a Boeing 747 has already flown. It is able to fly for multiple days at altitudes of more than 65,000 feet. Operating at such altitudes, similar to those at which the venerable U2 spy plane operates, the Global Observer is out of the range of most antiaircraft missiles. It is capable of monitoring, in a single shot, an area of more than 275,000 square miles. When you consider that the entire country of Afghanistan only covers about 252,000 square miles, the Global Observer certainly lives up to its name allowing the Pentagon to constantly monitor entire war zones. At an estimated cost of $30 million dollars, it costs less and is more effective than spy satellites.

Northrop Grumman Corp., one of the big names in military aircraft, has brought their X-47B, which looks like their B-2 stealth bomber, to the table. Northrop Grumman’s next generation UAV has a large weapons bay that can carry laser-guided bombs and has aircraft carrier launch capabilities. Boeing, another big name manufacturer will also test their next generation UAV, the Phantom Ray which is designed to slip into enemy territory and destroy radar installations or other targets.

Current drones, like Predators or Reapers, have become very common in our current military engagements, but the new aircraft being tested at Edwards Air Force Base offer major technological improvements that will change the way the U.S. military uses UAVs. The most notable of those improvements are jet engines and stealth capabilities. Currently UAVs are not the fastest or stealthiest aircraft in the sky, so they don’t see much duty beyond surveillance support and aerial reconnaissance. With the newer more capable drones, like the X-47B and Phantom Ray, military personnel can deploy them for combat duties where stealth and speed are required to avoid detection, an area previously dominated by the current and next generation fighter jets, like the F-22 or F-35.

The largest part of what makes UAVs so attractive to the military are the reduced risk and cost of operating UAVs compared to other aircraft; however, the unique capabilities of drones like the new Global Observer don’t go unnoticed. While current UAVs can stay aloft for more than a day, next generation drones are edging toward staying up for more than a week, greatly improving the military’s reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.

Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, or UCAVs, are currently operated as remotely piloted aircraft that require a pilot to control the aircraft. Next generation UCAVs, like the X-47B, only require a pilot to design a detailed flight plan; the on-board computers guide it from takeoff to landing.

While these aircraft aren’t likely to see service in the next few years, they offer a glimpse of the innovations that are happening within the industry. As is often the case, similar technologies will eventually reach the civilian sector allowing UAVs to take over even more functions requiring more and more qualified, civilian UAV pilots.

For more information on unmanned aircraft systems training, check out our UAV/UAS Training Resource Center or find UAV/UAS training near you.

Source: New generation of unmanned spy planes is being tested

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

The catapult launched Scan Eagle UAV is helping researchers conduct the most detailed study of Arctic ice and wildlife to date.

An arctic study currently underway by the University of Colorado at Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to aid researchers who are studying changes in Arctic ice, weather, and wildlife, including seals and polar bears.

The project, headed up by Elizabeth Weatherhead of the University of Colorado at Boulder, is the first to use unmanned aircraft. It uses the Scan Eagle aircraft produced by Boeing and began in May of 2009. The study consisted of two to eight hour flights that covered three to five mile areas. Over the duration of the study, the aircraft cataloged tens of thousands of images of ice and wildlife from altitudes of 300 feet to 1,000 feet.

Boulder Labs in Boulder, CO. developed an image recognition program that the project team used to process the captured images identifying seals in 27,000 pictures. From this point, researchers indicated seal types and ice types on which seals were found as well as calculated ice floes and their size and distribution.

The focus of the project is understanding the types of ice that seals need to survive so that other ice studies can be focused on particular types of ice. The current study focuses on four types of seals: bearded seals, ringed seals, spotted seals and ribbon seals. These seals are dependent on arctic ice for many aspects of their lives including breeding, sleeping and protection. Understanding the ice preferences of each seal breed allows researchers to study the particular types of ice and how they are holding up to climate change and by extension the long term effects that climate change will have on seal populations. The Arctic Ringed Seal is likely to be listed as a threatened species due to ice loss and snow melt in its habitat.

UAV flights are center-place to continued study of seals and ice, allowing researchers to collect more data enabling the most detailed study of seal populations and their Arctic habitat to date. These types of studies are perfect applications for UAVs highlighting the non-military potential of these aircraft.

For more information on unmanned aircraft systems training, check out our UAV/UAS Training Resource Center or find UAV/UAS training near you.

Source: UAVs are aiding the study of Arctic ice and seals

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

UAS like the Global Hawk and their cutting-edge sensors and cameras are revolutionizing intelligence gathering.

As the old adage goes, knowledge is power. From the early days of aviation, that adage has been applied in the form of aerial reconnaissance. As technology has improved, methods have progressed from a guy with a camera leaning out of a fabric biplane to unmanned aircraft sporting the latest in sensor technologies. With current military and civilian applications of unmanned aircraft systems rapidly expanding, a new industry is beginning to flourish.

The largest operator of unmanned aircraft, such as the Global Hawk, is the U.S. Military. Current engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan have put the aircraft to the ultimate test. By all indications, the aircraft have passed with flying colors. That’s no surprise when you consider that a UAS circling at more than 50,000 feet above the ground can take high-resolution pictures that allow you to distinguish between cars on the ground.

Even more amazing is the research and development work companies like Raytheon are performing to expand the capabilities of these aircraft. New technologies are being developed to allow these same aircraft to capture cell phone transmissions and locate the caller or detect nuclear and chemical labs. With so much available in one self-sufficient aircraft that can orbit an area nonstop for days, no wonder the military is buying more and more.

It’s not often that an industry develops and flourishes in lean years like the UAS industry, but given their ever-expanding applications, the industry will continue to boom for quite some time. Despite Pentagon budget cuts in areas like fighter jets and ships, the UAS industry is expected to expand from $3 billion in revenue to more than $6 billion within the decade.

In total, the military currently has more than 7,000 drones of various sizes deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite some high-profile cases of armed drones, most are primarily used for surveillance. The Global Hawk is the top of the food chain in the surveillance realm offering more than a days worth of endurance, the capability to operate at more than 60,000 feet above the surface, and a suite of the most advanced cameras and sensors ever developed.

The current fleet of UAS are generating so much data that the military isn’t equipped to process it all. According to Pentagon officials, UAS have generated so much video footage in the last year alone that it would take 24 years for single analyst to watch it all. A single UAS with the multiple cameras and other sensors generates enough data to perform unprecedented levels of reconnaissance, but without people to process the data, it doesn’t do much good. In short, the military and an ever-increasing number of civilian companies are looking to hire qualified operators and analysts to cope with the information and it looks like the jobs are here to stay.

For more information on unmanned aircraft systems training, check out our UAV/UAS Training Resource Center or find UAV/UAS training near you.

Source: The changing face of aerial reconnaissance

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

The close relationship of KSU-Salina and the US Army allows access to state of the art equipment.

Kansas State University at Salina recently created a unmanned aircraft system pilot degree program. The program, which piggybacks off of existing research at the school, is one of only three in the US.

Military support and high-level aviation industry connections have contributed to the success of KSU-Salina’s unmanned aircraft research program. The program is responsible for a number of revolutionary developments in unmanned aircraft such as the “Wolverine” helicopter, which boasts nearly an hour of flight time. The aircraft is no longer than 3 feet and fully automated and, with nearly twice the flight time typical of this type of aircraft, looks to be quite successful.

The primary focus of many of the school’s aircraft has been disaster response. Their mobile command center and wide selection of unmanned aircraft, some with flight times approaching 30 hours, create a very innovative disaster relief organization that is equipped to produce their own aircraft and operators.

Perhaps the most crippling handicap of unmanned aircraft is their inability to practice see-and-avoid like traditional manned aircraft. KSU-Salina is currently researching in this area to create solutions that would allow their aircraft to sense and avoid obstructions or other aircraft automatically. If unmanned aircraft were given this capability, it would likely lead to widespread implementation as it strips away the biggest obstacle to integration into the national airspace system.

KSU-Salina’s proximity to Fort Riley has led to a very close relationship between the school and the US Army who operate UAS such as “Reapers” or even Black Hawk helicopters that can operate without pilots. While most military UAS are usually larger aircraft, the Army is also looking for smaller aircraft such as those developed by KSU-Salina that could be deployed by a convoy to detect IEDs.

The need for UAS pilots and military grants have allowed KSU-Salina to acquire state of the art technology and software to establish a degree program to create UAS pilots. The program, which is especially popular with enlisted personnel at Ft Riley, blends a UAS curriculum with traditional flight training curriculum. When students graduate, they are fully qualified to operate unmanned aircraft and, having also received private pilot certificates with instrument ratings, manned aircraft.

KSU-Salina’s program is an exciting addition to the UAS training offerings. Their strong research programs, relationships with the military and corporations, and their take on UAS pilot training will bring a much needed boost to this growing industry. With the continuation of their efforts, it won’t be long before UAS are successfully integrated into the national airspace system safely operating right beside manned aircraft.

For more information on unmanned aircraft systems training, check out our UAV/UAS Training Resource Center or find UAV/UAS training near you.

Sources: KSU-Salina unmanned program takes off

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com.

A US Army RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aircraft landing.

Unmanned aircraft are one of the fastest growing sectors in aviation. Their applications in the military are rapidly expanding day after day. Unmanned aircraft are being used in roles as diverse as close air support and climate data gathering. The demand is rapidly exceeding the supply of trained personnel to operate the aircraft.

The US Army is coping with their need via a single training base in Arizona. The base already sees hundreds of students daily and offers 20 programs of instruction on multiple unmanned aircraft systems. By 2012 the Army expects to deploy its first Gray Eagle company which means the base will see a serious increase in students beginning in the next few months.

Fort Huachuca, the Army’s unmanned aircraft training center, is ideal for the application thanks to the large restricted airspace surrounding the base. Roughly equivalent in size to Rhode Island, there is more than enough room for the enormous training efforts taking place on the base. The initial 21 week-long training programs can last as much as 16 hours a day. From there students are either deployed or they progress into more complex training programs which can last as much as 25 additional weeks. Like traditional flight training, the programs begin in the classroom before the trainees begin a rigorous simulator and flight training regimen.

The Army is heavily invested in cutting-edge simulator technologies thanks to the cost-savings realized in operating simulators versus actual aircraft. The goal is for students to realistically and safely train on the simulators and make a quick transition to real aircraft with little difficulty.

Source: Unmanned Aircraft Training Battalion Gears Up for Gray Eagle

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com

The use of UAVs like this one are expected to grow exponentially

The future looks bright for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry. In anticipation of growing demand, several colleges and universities, including the University of North Dakota, are offering bachelor’s degrees in unmanned aircraft systems. But UAVs face challenges as their numbers increase. Explore those challenges with us in our latest UAS article.

Remotely piloted vehicles and unmanned drones, collectively known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, have revolutionized the way the military performs certain tasks. Many tasks that are dangerous or simply boring are routinely handled by these devices in today’s military. Now, the FAA is facing mounting pressure from civilian and law enforcement agencies to further expand UAS use into the national airspace system… (read the full Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Likely to Expand article)

Explore the University of North Dakota UAS degree program

A recent two year agreement between the FAA, Insitu Inc., and the New Jersey National Guard seeks to study the integration of unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system.

Insitu Inc. is a subsidiary of Boeing and will be providing two ScanEagle aircraft and related hardware.  Additionally, they will train FAA staff in piloting and maintaining these systems.  The New Jersey National Guard will play host to the flight testing program which will take place in their Warren Grove Range.

Currently UAS operate under special certificates of authorization that are determined on a case-by-case basis.  Most operations are segregated from other traffic as UAS are cleared to operate in restricted airspace.

The program, managed by the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, will focus on UAS design, construction, and functionality with special emphasis on differences in handling UAS and manned aircraft by an air traffic control.  With more than 1500 UAS currently in production and given their unique capabilities, it is important to develop guidelines for their safe integration into the national airspace system.

Learn more about UAV pilot training at AviationSchoolsOnline.com

Read the full FAA press release at http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=11479