sensor-to-shooter missions. fixed-wing autonomous UAVs. One example of this is the BAE Systems Herti aircraftwhich is being developed for military and civilian surveillance and reconnaissance operations. According to BAE SystemsHerti is cost-effective and flexibleproviding high-quality imagery using a safereliable platform that can integrate seamlessly with current and future information networks.Three aircraft have dominated the news pages more than any others in recent yearsnamely the AirbusA380the Boeing787 Deamliner and the EurofighterTyphoon. All of these have cost many millions of Euros to get to where they are todayand all three have been designed for their specific target markets. But there is an altogether different class of aircraft that has seen considerable investment in recent yearsalbeit without the same level of publicity.Unmanned aerial vehicles – or UAVs – come in various formats and sizesdepending on the roles for which they are intended. In the mainthey are aimed at tasks that are deemed to be ‘too dulldirty or dangerous’ for humans. UAVs are being developed around the worldwith the USA being the clear leader in terms of the number of aircraft in developmentproduction and operation. It has been reported that Europe's market share is less than five per cent butas this present article will showthere is plenty of work in progress.One of the most active European organisations in this field is EADS Defence and Security. Towards the end of 2007the German Ministry of Defence named EADS Defence and Security as the prime contractor role for the research and technology programme known as Agile UAV within Network-Centric Environments (Fig.1). The Agile UAV-NCE programme aims to analyse and refine enabling technologies and operational concepts for unmanned agile reconnaissance operations using UAVs. EADS Defence and Security is the lead partner for the tri-national Advanced UAV study in FranceGermany and Spain. The company’s prime objectives are to study system-of-systems approaches and the network-centric operations context for its UAV portfolio.As the Finnish Defence Forces see similar technological and operational requirementsthey are also contributing to the Agile UAV-NCE programme via their established national Finnish Unmanned Vehicle Systems (FinUVS) project and its recently launched follow-up UAV Data Link technology programmes. The Finnish industrial participants are Patria as national prime contractor and Insta as co-contractorboth funded by the Finnish Defence Forces. The contribution of the Nordic partners centres on secure networking data links. RUAG Aerospace of Switzerland will also be involved.The Agile UAV-NCE programme is intended to be executed in subsequent phases and to run until 2013covering demonstrations by simulation as well as by real flight tests. The main features will be risk-reduction processesthe evaluation of key technologies and the generation of operational concepts for future UAV systems. As a consequencethe most prominent tasks are the definition and simulation of missionsof communication links and of platform control under NCE conditions. Flight trials will focus on verification and validation of the Agile UAV-NCE concept by performing reconnaissance and Technology demonstratorEADS Defence and Security is responsible for the complete system design and will contribute to the programme with its Barracuda technology demonstrator. This vehicle is seen as a decisive step towards the next generation of interoperable modular Advanced UAV systems.While Barracuda is a fixed-wing aircraftEADS is also developing a coaxial dual-rotor unmanned helicopterknown as Sharcwhich commenced test flights in 2007 (Fig.2). This UAV demonstratorwhich is approximately 2.5m longhas a maximum take-off weight of 190kg and can accommodate 60kg of mission equipment in its payload compartments. Sharc is equipped with a redundant flight control unita laser altimeterand control and data links.The modular design of the avionics facilitates the integration of a broad range of different mission equipment. For exampletests will be conducted on electro-optical and infrared sensorsand Sharc can also accommodate a compact synthetic aperture radar system.With its autonomous vertical take-off and landing capabilitytogether with its substantial payload capacityEADS believes the Sharc UAV will be attractive to navies for unmanned reconnaissance and surveillanceas well as aerial target designation and damage control missions. Its dual-rotor configuration is said to make the Sharc especially suitable for ship-based missionsas it provides thirty per cent more lift at equal weight than conventional helicopters with tail booms. This enables a heavier payload to be carried with comparable flight performance. The dual-rotor design also provides greater attitude stabilitywhich makes it easier to compensate for the rolling movement of the ship – a prerequisite for autonomous deck landings. Dual counter-rotating rotors are mutually torque-compensating and therefore negate the need for a tail rotor. Thisin turnhas a favourable effect on the overall dimensions of the UAV. The innovative overall design of the UAV is also said to present new technical possibilitiessuch as the integration of antenna in the outer skin.While navies are clearly an important target market for EADSthe company also states that the Sharc has potential applications in industrial monitoring.Good all-rounderSaab has already developed an unmanned helicopterthe Skeldar V-150which is designed for military and civil applicationsnational and international missionsand day and night operations (Fig.3). Viewed as a complete systemthe Skeldar V-150 can form part of a command and control systemand would readily operate as a component within a network-based defence structure.Anders Carpthe deputy programme manager for UAV operations at Saabcomments: "Skeldar V-150 canfor examplebe used for surveillancereconnaissancetarget acquisition and designationand electronic warfare. The system is incredibly flexible; it is the sensors used that shape the mission."A basic system might contain two UAVsa control station and electro-optics and infrared (EO/IR) payloadsbut the Skeldar V-150 is designed to carry a range of payloadssuch as high-performance synthetic aperture radar sensors combining radar and target indicator capabilitiesas well as an advanced electronic warfare suite.Surveillance and reconnaissanceHelicopter-based UAVs are certainly very usefulbut there is a huge amount of research ongoing into Herti is a highly adaptablefully autonomousplatform-based system providing robustcost-effective surveillance and reconnaissance capability to support a range of military and civil requirements. High-quality images can be capturedprocessed and relayed to ground stationsforward deployed units and command centres in a variety of operational environments with very low network bandwidth demand.The aircraft has already completed performance flight test missionsplus the autonomous ICE (image collection and exploitation) mission system has successfully completed autonomous target searches.At the larger end of the scaleBAE Systems is also leading theE166million (£124million) Taranis UAV technology demonstrator programme. Taranis will be the largest UAV yet built in the UK andas part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle (Experiment) (SUAV(E)) programmethe project will explore and demonstrate how emerging technologies and systems can deliver battle-winning capabilities for the UK armed forces. BAE Systems is the industry lead and prime contractorwith QinetiqRolls-Royce and Smiths Aerospace being the other industry partners.European NeuronAnother unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator under development in Europe is the Neuronled by Dassault Aviation at the prime contractorwith Alenia AeronauticaSaabEADS CASAHAI and RUAG Aerospace as other industrial partners. So far the Neuron project has reached the stage where a 1:16 scale model is being wind tunnel tested by Saab at facilities belonging to the Forces Research Institute (FOI:s) in Stockholm. The Neuron’s first flight is planned for 2011.As well as its involvement with the Neuron projectAlenia Aeronautica is investing heavily in the Male (medium altitude long endurance) class of UAV. Indeedtowards the end of 2007its Sky-Y surveillance aircraft completed a flight of eight hours duration in VidselSwedenthereby setting the continental endurance record for aircraft of this class weighing over one tonne. This flightwhich was aimed at checking the full payload performance and operational procedures of both the aircraft and ground stationwas one of a series to check the aircraft’s performance and behaviour at altitude and at full payloadand to test its diesel propulsion systemall on-board systemsself-pilot and self-navigation systemsas well as automatic take-off and landing functions.Solar powerLittle progress has so far been made towards air-to-air refuelling of UAVswhich could ultimately restrict their flight duration capabilities. Howeverthe Zephyr UAV is an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre aircraftweighing just 30kgthat uses solar power generated by paper-thin amorphous silicon arrays covering the wings (Fig.4).The brainchild of Qinetiqthe hand-launched Zephyr carries lithium-sulphur batteries that are recharged during the day using solar powerthen used to power the aircraft at night. The aircraft features a bespoke autopilot system to navigate between waypoints and to remove the requirement for permanent manual operation.Already Zephyr has secured a place in the history of UAV development by exceeding the world record for the longest duration unmanned flight. The high-altitude long-endurance (Hale) aircraft achieved a 54-hour flight and reached an altitude of 58355feet (17786m) in August 2007though the record is not officialas there was no FAI observer present. A second flight lasted for 33 hours 43 minuteswith the aircraft climbing to 52247feet (15925m).
