|  MQ-1B,
the Armed configuration of the General Atomics Predator UAV
operated by the US Air Force is now standard configuration for
this unmanned aircraft, flown on routine missions from Balad
air force base in Iraq. This UAV differs from the original Predator
by the installation of two hard points carrying Hellfire missile
launchers. These weapons are routinely used on armed reconnaissance
missions. Another version of the Predator known as Warrior is
currently under development for the US Army Extended
Range / Multi Purpose (ER/MP) program. This aircraft will
be fitted with four external carriage hardpoints loading four
Hellfire missiles. The Army also considers adapting the Northrop
Grumman Viper Strike
and a unified dispenser which can carry various gravity dropped
weapons, as well as supplies to support Special Forces deep
inside enemy territory.
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|  The
USAF unmanned fleet will soon be augmented by a larger, more
advanced system known as the Reaper
MQ-9A. This UAV was designed from the beginning as a "Hunter-Killer"
system. Compared with the limited strike capability of current
UAVs flying at altitudes of 15,000-25,000 ft, the Reaper will
be able to loiter at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet over a
mission area, for up to 30 hours, armed with some 16 Hellfire
II missiles or enhanced capability, with combination of Hellfires
and precision guided bombs, such as GBU-38
JDAM or GBU-12 laser guided bombs (500lbs each). The aircraft
will have a maximum gross takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds (
5 Tons)s. It will be powered by a turbo-prop engine and have
a wider fuselage, storing the fuel and payloads necessary for
extended missions. Weapon guidance techniques can also utilize
advanced parafoil decelerators, such as the Micro
Onyx, which canguide a warhead to a hit a precise target,
marked by GPS coordinates. The manufacturer claims this concept
is more effective, lighter and costs less than conventional
aerial guided weapons. Similar systems are already used within
the Steel Eagle program, for the emplacement of aerial delivered
unattended ground
sensors (UGS).
The US Air Force has requested funding of about $825 million
for 74 Predators over the next six years, augmenting the 68
now in service. Thirty-two of those would be MQ-9
Reapers. In total, 15 squadrons will be operational. The
USAF is currently testing more weapons with Predator and eventually
Reaper, including the Viper Strike laser guided munition, small
diameter bomb, laser guided munitions and Stinger air/air missile.
Employment of air-to-air weapons like Raytheon's AIM-9 Sidewinder
and AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile may also
be evaluated at some point. Other weapons could include the
PASSM, a more accurate and
versatile precision attack missile proposed as a future alternative
for the air-launched Hellfire
II.
During the recent conflict in Lebanon and the ongoing conflict
between Israel and the Palestinians, the IDF was reported to
be using armed UAVs for attacking suspected terrorists in the
West Bank and Gaza. The type of platforms or weapons used are
classified, but according to industry briefings, several Israeli
companies are involved in the development and fielding of lightweight,
precision strike weapons and warheads designed specifically
for operation in urban environments.
Topics covered in this article:
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