MQ-9 Reaper

[Donald Henry Rumsfel]

Che vantaggio avremmo a comprare i Reaper e usarli disarmati al posto di semplici Predator?

+ autonomia maggior carico di missione insomma dei predator A più grossi e con più autonomia

[wingrove]

I predator convivranno con i rapier e quindi tenere 2 tipologie di UAV da ricognizione non è la furbata del secolo

[enrr]

Ragassi miei non avete capito come funzionano le cose.

Si compra un mezzo elogiandone alcune caratteristiche ma sotto sotto lo si vuole per le "altre" caratteristiche. Le maggiori capacità di altitudine e raggio d'azione sono controbilanciate da un maggior costo d'esercizio.

La speranza è che i mezzi siano identici a quelli USAF, in nome della interoperabilità in teatro :asd:

 

Già il fatto che in commissione difesa si sia parlato di 80 milioni di € e dall'FMS 330 milioni di $ la dice lunga...

 

Un altro esempio lampante è nave Cavour, sono andati avanti 10 anni a dire che portava 8 aerei e ora che è semi-attiva parlano di 18/20

altra panzanata è quando ne elogiano le caratteristiche Ro-Ro, dubito che vedremo la nave con gli Ariete a bordo a meno che non si tratti di una sfilata come in Libano

Modificato 19 Agosto 2008 da enrr

[Donald Henry Rumsfel]

Ragassi miei non avete capito come funzionano le cose.

Si compra un mezzo elogiandone alcune caratteristiche ma sotto sotto lo si vuole per le "altre" caratteristiche. Le maggiori capacità di altitudine e raggio d'azione sono controbilanciate da un maggior costo d'esercizio.

La speranza è che i mezzi siano identici a quelli USAF, in nome della interoperabilità in teatro :asd:

 

Già il fatto che in commissione difesa si sia parlato di 80 milioni di € e dall'FMS 330 milioni di $ la dice lunga...

 

Un altro esempio lampante è nave Cavour, sono andati avanti 10 anni a dire che portava 8 aerei e ora che è semi-attiva parlano di 18/20

altra panzanata è quando ne elogiano le caratteristiche Ro-Ro, dubito che vedremo la nave con gli Ariete a bordo a meno che non si tratti di una sfilata come in Libano

 

 

ma quindi saranno dei veri MQ9 RAPIER ops scusate predator B (rapier è troppo cattivo ) come questo insomma:http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinshots/1994247979/

[picpus]

Eccovi, dalla rassegna stampa del sito ufficiale del Ministero della Difesa, il link ad un articolo sull'ordine di 4 "Reaper" armati da parte dell'Italia:

 

http://www.difesa.it/Sala+Stampa/Rassegna+...amp;pdfIndex=14

[picpus]

Eccovi, dalla rassegna stampa del sito ufficiale del Ministero della Difesa, il link ad un articolo sull'ordine di 4 "Reaper" armati da parte dell'Italia:

 

http://www.difesa.it/Sala+Stampa/Rassegna+...amp;pdfIndex=14

A parziale rettifica dell'articolo linkato, vedere il post al link seguente:

 

http://www.aereimilitari.org/forum/index.p...st&p=190905 (messaggio n° 8)

[paperinik]

Drone Usa fa strage in Pakistan: 25 morti

Lancio di razzi sul Waziristan meridionale, al confine con l'Afghanistan: le vittime sarebbero militanti di Al Qaeda

ISLAMABAD - Almeno 25 presunti militanti legati ad Al Qaeda, in gran parte uzbechi, sono stati uccisi da razzi lanciati da un drone americano (aereo senza pilota) sul Pakistan, precisamente sul Waziristan meridionale, al confine con l'Afghanistan. «I nostri ci hanno informato che almeno 25 persone sono state uccise. Ma potrebbero essere di più - fanno sapere portavoce dei talebani -. Si tratta per la gran parte di mujaheddin uzbechi». Fonti di sicurezza pachistane hanno confermato il lancio di missili parlando però di 20 morti. «Il bilancio è di 20 morti. Dobbiamo ancora confermarne identità e nazionalità», ha riferito la fonte, precisando che i missili hanno distrutto un covo di militanti a Ladha, nel nord-ovest del Paese, zona sotto l'influenza del leader taleban Baitullah Mehsud da Corriere.it

 

A parte la buona notizia, qualcuno sa dire che UAV era?! Qualche info in più?!

[Tuccio14]

A parte la buona notizia, qualcuno sa dire che UAV era?! Qualche info in più?!

Sono sicuro si tratti dell'aereo oggetto del topic, e in fondo in fondo lo sai anche tu, altrimenti perchè postare qui?

[paperinik]

Sono sicuro si tratti dell'aereo oggetto del topic, e in fondo in fondo lo sai anche tu, altrimenti perchè postare qui?

 

beh...un conto è l'inutizione, altro conto è la certezza!

[Folgore89]

Ai Mod, scusate l'ardire

 

per una questione di immagine, penso convenga correggere il titolo del topic da RAPIER in REAPER... sennò rischiamo di sembrare un pò incompetenti!!!

[Tuccio14]

Ai Mod, scusate l'ardire

 

per una questione di immagine, penso convenga correggere il titolo del topic da RAPIER in REAPER... sennò rischiamo di sembrare un pò incompetenti!!!

E' tutta colpa del francofono picpus!

[delta_raptor]

Salve a tutti! Sapete quali sono i tempi di consegna dei Predator B? e ancora: dei Predator A quanti ancora sono effettivamente in servizio? In base ad A&D mi pare di aver capito che ne siano rimasti 3, perchè in un numero si parlava di un Predator precipitato in Afghanistan

[Ospite intruder]

Salve a tutti! Sapete quali sono i tempi di consegna dei Predator B? e ancora: dei Predator A quanti ancora sono effettivamente in servizio? In base ad A&D mi pare di aver capito che ne siano rimasti 3, perchè in un numero si parlava di un Predator precipitato in Afghanistan

 

Io nemmeno sapevo erano già entrati in servizio i 4 acquistati.

[Andrea75]

Predator B/MQ-9 enhances capabilities with new 'Block I Plus' Configuration

 

The new version known as the Block 1-plus, made its first flight on May 24 at the manufacturer’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., with no discrepancies. GA-ASI has upgraded the Predator B and Block 1 versions of the drone that have been in production since 2003. The MQ-9 Block 1-plus test flight occurred on May 24. With the completion of development, testing, and expected Milestone C decision this fall, follow-on aircraft to the MQ-9 Block 1-plus configuration will be designated “MQ-9 Block 5.”

...

Block 1-plus was designed for increased electrical power, secure communications, auto land, increased Gross Takeoff Weight (GTOW), weapons growth, and streamlined payload integration capabilities.

 

Featuring a new high-capacity starter generator, the aircraft offers an increase in electrical power capacity over the current Block 1 design. This increased power provides the aircraft with significant capacity for growth. In addition, the upgraded electrical system includes a backup generator which is sufficient to support all flight critical functions. This vastly improves the reliability of the electrical power system by providing three independent power sources.

 

New communications capabilities will also be available in the Block 5, including dual ARC-210 VHF/UHF radios with wingtip antennas, allowing for simultaneous communications between multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground parties; secure data links; and an increased data transmission capacity.

 

Additionally, the new trailing arm main landing gear will be included in Block 5, enabling the aircraft to carry heavier payloads or additional fuel. This “heavy-weight” landing gear increases the aircraft’s landing weight capacity by 30 percent and its gross takeoff weight by approximately 12 percent, from 10,500 lb to 11,700 lb. (from 4,762 to 5,307 kg). The new landing gear will also be available as a field retrofit to operational Predator B systems.

[Andrea75]

Six MQ-9 Reaper, four MQ-1 Predator drones flying simultaneously, set new world record

 

A new non-combat record was set on Oct. 2, 2012 by the 29th Attack Squadron, 9th Attack Squadron, and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron which flew six MQ-9 Reapers and four MQ-1 Predators simultaneously during a training mission at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

 

The new record was made possible by the recent increased training capacity of the 29th ATKS, 9th ATKS and the 6th RS, the squadrons that train all of the Air Force MQ-1 and MQ-9 aircrew members, that brought from 6 to 10, the amount of lines, (consisting of the aircraft, a ground control station and all maintenance and flight personnel required to keep an aircraft airborne) needed to meet the U.S. Air Force drone force training requirements.

 

The record-setting training flights were manned by 10 crews composed of instructors and students, both pilots and sensor operators.

[Andrea75]

versione modificata per la NASA NASA / GA-ASI Agreement Expands Unmanned Aircraft Capabilities

 

NASA's Modified MQ-9 Predator B "Ikhana" is shown in General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plant in Poway, Calif., while undergoing major avionics and electrical systems upgrades.

 

 

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) have partnered in a collaborative agreement to allow for the development and flight testing of new command and control satellite link capabilities on a Predator B unmanned aircraft system.

As the result of a no-cost Space Act Agreement signed in September, the parties will upgrade the command and control system of NASA's MQ-9 Predator B, named "Ikhana," to enable aircraft operations in more remote geographical regions. The upgraded aircraft will then be used to conduct systems testing and evaluation flights. This activity will allow both NASA and GA-ASI to reach the mutual goal of demonstrating this advanced capability.

"The system improvements enabled by this agreement expand the utility of the Ikhana MQ-9 for NASA science and the development of technology required for unmanned air systems to fly in the national airspace," said NASA Dryden center director David McBride. "Both are key national priorities that benefit from this government/industry cooperative effort."

"We are pleased to renew our commitment to NASA and to help expand the utility of Ikhana to Arctic missions," said Frank Pace, president of the Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. "With growing interest in using remotely piloted aircraft for civil missions, we expect our work with NASA to open the door for increased confidence in operating these aircraft in the National Airspace System."

"This new capability will allow Ikhana to support NASA science missions at higher latitudes where many important geophysical processes must be studied," said Bob Curry, NASA Dryden chief scientist. "In recent years, unmanned aircraft have demonstrated transformational opportunities for Earth science airborne research, particularly due to their very long endurance capability. They can also reduce the need to expose aircrew to remote and unforgiving environments."

NASA is using the aircraft in advanced flight research activities including those paving the way for opening up the National Airspace System to unmanned aircraft systems operation, in addition to its role in advancing science.

The next mission for NASA's Predator B aircraft, planned for the summer of 2013, is the Marginal Ice Zone Observations and Processes Experiment, or MIZOPEX. NASA will provide the aircraft system and its associated engineering, technical and operational staff to support Ikhana's mission to carry science instruments designed to investigate ice changes in the Arctic. The MIZOPEX team is comprised of scientists led by James Maslanik of the University of Colorado at Boulder. The science project manager is John Adler of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

... comunicato della General Atomics NASA/GA-ASI Agreement Expands Unmanned Aircraft Capabilities

[Andrea75]

Inside the “Cockpit” of a UAV

 

Ever wonder what it would be like to pilot a UAV like the Predator or the X-47b? Check out this video of a two person team in action.

 

... ecco il video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=unv9C2t7f5c

[Andrea75]

... interesse francese French, U.S. Officials Discuss Possible Reaper Purchase

 

French defense officials were in the United States recently for talks on a possible procurement of the Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV, a defense official here said Dec. 19.

 

The French officials were in “Washington D.C. last week” for discussions on the General Atomics’ Reaper under the Foreign Military Sales program, the official told journalists at a press conference for the French-led Neuron UCAV demonstrator program.

 

France’s previous administration shelved the Reaper in favor of the Israeli Aerospace Industries’ Heron TP for an interim MALE UAV. But the arrival of the Socialist government in June led to a rejection of the Heron TP selection and a fresh look at the U.S.-built drone.

 

The interim MALE UAV is intended to fill a capability gap until a new generation air vehicle is built with Britain under a cooperative program, which French officials say is open to other European partners.

[fabio-22raptor]

La posto qui perchè mi sembra il posto adatto data la composizione dei droni da attacco USA:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/cia-drones-pentagon_n_3309739.html

[holmes7]

Arriva la versione Neworked Electronic Warfare, Remotely Operated (NERO)

 

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20130601/NEWS04/306030003/New-UAV-technology-intercepts-enemy-transmissions

[holmes7]

I "consigli" del presidente di General Atomics agli europei. Lo ascolteranno?

 

Interessante la questione sui Reaper italiani armati di missili, sembrerebbe che tra un paio di mesi il Congresso USA dovrebbe autorizzare la cosa.

 

 

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/paris-air-show/2013-06-18/reaper-boss-tells-europe-forget-male-do-ucas-instead

 

The U.S. Air Force is 100 percent in favor of allies adding weapons,” he claimed. There had been some resistance in Congress to Italy adding weapons, but this would be overcome within a couple of months.

 

 

[fabio-22raptor]

Dal Salone di Le Bourget :

 

 

 

If used in numbers, the Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft would still be valuable assets in contested airspace against a sophisticated enemy, said Frank Pace, who leads General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Aircraft Systems Group. "I don't think people really understand the effect of low-cost quantities and what you could do with an airplane of this type," he told the Daily Report in an interview last week at the 50th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France. Pace didn't deny that a single Reaper would be "totally useless" if sent in alone against a sophisticated adversary. "It's going to get shot down. I agree," he said during the June 18 interview. However, he said, the story would be different if the Air Force employed a large number of Reapers—Pace used 40 in his narrative—as part of a larger strike package. These Reapers, somewhat stripped down compared to today's configuration and, as a result, more affordable, could serve as jamming assets, for example, to help disrupt the enemy's air defenses, he said. "There is confusion you want to create in a war" and "I think the ability to make confusion comes with numbers a little bit," he said. "If you use [Reapers] to create confusion, then the other airplanes are going to be that much more survivable."

 

Difficile emulare il successo del primo...

 

 

 

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has had a more difficult time generating the same level of interest in its Predator C Avenger jet-powered remotely piloted aircraft over the past few years than when it introduced the Predator B more than a decade ago, said Frank Pace, who heads the company's Aircraft Systems Group. "It has been different," said Pace during an interview last week at the 50th Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France. "It is harder to get it going. There is not a war that really drives the need for this airplane right now," he said. "Pred' B worked out perfectly because wars were going on [and] it had such tremendous capability over Predator A. It was a natural," said Pace. Avenger "is such a nice airplane" and there are already orders for it, but "I don't think the Predator C will have big sales until there is a need for it," he said. That day may come with the addition of the SYERS-3 multispectral imagery sensor on the platform, since the Air Force desires "a cost-affordable way to do the Global Hawk mission," said Pace. Interest might also spike if the company's HELLADS laser is mated on Avenger, as "that would be a significant game changer," he said during the June 18 interview.

 

5 Predator XP, questo vogliono gli Emirati Arabi:

 

 

 

The United Arab Emirates intends to buy five Predator XP remotely piloted aircraft, the export-approved version of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Predator A model, said Frank Pace, president of the company's Aircraft Systems Group. "We just signed a deal recently with UAE and we are going to have the first test aircraft done probably about the end of the year," Pace told the Daily Report in Le Bourget, France, last week at the 50th Paris Air Show. "We don't officially have a contract until it is approved by the State Department," he noted. The Middle East nation would be the first announced customer to procure this variant. Unlike the A model, Predator XP does not feature wing hardpoints to carry weapons; it has triple-redundant avionics, among its enhancements, said Pace. The company will assemble the Predator XPs in its facility in Rancho Bernardo, Calif., he said. Although Predator A production wound up about several years ago, starting the XP line will be a "pretty smooth" process, he said. The company thinks there's a market for between 30 and 200 Predator XPs, with countries like Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea reportedly interested, he said during the June 18 interview.

[fabio-22raptor]

Alla ricerca della certificazione europea.

 

Fonte: Flightglobal

 

 

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has announced its intent to certify the Predator B unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to European and NATO standards.

The Predator B, called the MQ-9 Reaper in US military service, has been sold abroad to both the United Kingdom and Italy. The aircraft is in competition for service in Germany, and rumoured to have already won a contest in France despite lack of official confirmation.

"It is imperative that we ensure airworthiness certification of Predator B both at home and abroad as coalition forces withdraw from Afghanistan and nations transition mission focus to protection of the homeland and other civil uses," says General Atomics chairman Neal Blue.

UAVs are not currently allowed to fly in European airspace without significant restrictions. How European nations intend to integrate UAVs into civilian airspace remains unclear, but pressure is growing to include them for both military and civil uses. The modifications to be made are unclear, but partner RUAG will help define and implement them.

General Atomics did not respond to immediate questions.

[fabio-22raptor]

Contratto per estendere l'autonomia:

 

Fonte: AFM

 

 

 

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is under contract to provide the Air Force with "a limited number of kits" to extend the flight endurance of MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, said Frank Pace, president of the company's Aircraft Systems Group. The kits add two external fuel pods to the Reaper, stretching its in-flight time by "an extra seven, eight hours," said Pace. With the kits, the Reaper can fly about 35 hours for information-gathering missions when the vehicle isn't carrying weapons, he said during an interview at last week's Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France. "With the [uS military's] pivot to the Pacific, that extra endurance can be really crucial," said Pace. The company unveiled this modification option in April 2012, along with a second upgrade to replace the Reaper's current 66-feet wings with 88-foot wings. The latter option, together with the fuel pods, would extend the Reaper's endurance out to 42 hours. "With the new wings, even if you are carrying weapons, your endurance will go up by several hours," said Pace. The company is not yet under contract for the new wings. "We are working that on our own money. . . . We are not waiting for a contract," he said during the June 18 interview.

[fabio-22raptor]

20000 ore di volo:

 

Fonte: Air Force Magazine

 

 

 

An Air Force MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft recently became the first Predator airframe to reach 20,000 flight hours, announced manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Predator air vehicle 107 reached the milestone during a 21-hour combat mission in support of operations in Afghanistan on May 5, states the company'srelease. "Amassing 20,000 hours on a single RPA airframe is a remarkable achievement and a true testament to the [company's] team, which strives to create highly reliable, durable, and life-saving tools in support of the warfighter," said Frank Pace, president of the company's Aircraft Systems Group. The Air Force took delivery of P107 in October 2004; more than 95 percent of P107's flight time has been in combat in support of overseas contingency operations, states the company's June 28 release. The Air Force announced P107's accomplishment in late