Will be weeks to "choke" air defense: engineers came up with how better to use military drones
For testing, engineers have installed in compartments for the amount of MQ-20 Avenger commercial helicopter rescue lifts produced by BREEZE-EASTERN. During the flight, the drone unfolded the rope to a sufficient distance to "pick up" another drone. A special mechanical device was attached to the rope, which served as a beacon - it transmitted data on its position back to the Avenger.
According to engineers, the device enables the drone to calculate their exact position on the lighthouse to approach the rope and cling to it. Having fixed, the UAV folds the wings and stops the engine, continuing to follow the carrier on the tow. The lift on board a large drone will wet the cable and tighten the device inside.
GA-ASI emphasized that in the detailed position the "smart" final element corresponds to other models of joint mechanisms with several degrees of freedom, which indicates the potential for the return of small UAVs aboard drones weighing more than 598 kg. This group includes MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-4C Triton.
"Integration of UAVs of Air Base with unmanned aircraft of group 5 is possible, partly, thanks to the achievements in the field of technology of relative navigation, comprehensive analysis of towing cables and the management of several aircraft, for the first time, GA-ASI,"-said Mike Etwood, Vice. The company explains that in addition to delivery to the base, small military drones can be refueling, recharged or re -armed, and then sent to a combat mission again without having to land.
In this case, the MQ-20 Avenger or MQ-9a Reaper can serve as mobile command centers for a whole network of aircraft, which will continuously monitor the observations, suppress air defense and enemy electronic systems for weeks, and will provide allies. Redistribution can occur from a base aircraft that allows Suas/ALE to enter its own orbits from the point of startup and recovery from the air.
Air redeeming enables UAVs such as Avenger Ga-ASI or MQ-9a Reaper, serve mobile command centers for Suas/ALE network in a permanent, large network for observation, electron attack, suppression of enemy air defense, ways of communication or shared use all mobile control and control domains over several days or weeks.