UAVs, not just an Air Force gig anymore

[JTB7]

Unmanned plane?

X-47B UCAS

Program Overview:
The X-47B will be a transformational, carrier-capable, multi-mission, unmanned combat air vehicle. Strike fighter-sized, it is a survivable, long range, high endurance and persistent platform capable of a variety of missions including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Time Sensitive Targeting/Strike.


Navy UCAS Program:
Born from the former Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program, the Navy UCAS program will develop a strike fighter-sized unmanned air vehicle that will demonstrate carrier-based launch and recovery in the 2011 timeframe. Successful UCAS carrier landing demonstrations will set the stage for a potential full-scale UCAS development effort in support of the Naval Aviation Master Plan, which includes provisions for introduction of a Navy UCAS in the 2020 timeframe.


Objectives:
Objectives of the UCAS program are to 1) demonstrate the technical feasibility of carrier landings with a tail-less, low observable relevant planform prototype; 2) continue maturation of relevant carrier landing and integration technologies; and 3) conduct UCAS carrier landings.




What do you think of an unmanned plane like the x-47b?

 

[UMichfly]

I think it would be in a different thread.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137548

 

[HeyJoe]

I think it would be in a different thread.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137548

Merged into ongoing thread on same topic

 

[squorch2]

HJ, I read an article on earlybird about the AF's plan to control all UAVs over 3500'... does UCAS-D fit into this scheme?

 

[CWJones411]

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/stealth/high.html

uh oh.

 

[Flathatter13]

HJ, I read an article on earlybird about the AF's plan to control all UAVs over 3500'... does UCAS-D fit into this scheme?

If I remember the article you are thinking of the AF wanted control over all the Army's UAV's because of conflicting airspace issues and said that anything in the air should be handled by AF personnel (yeah right), well long story short Army said kiss ass and no, in that order.

AF justification for it was to cover funding under their budgets and provide air support to whoever needed it whenever but we all know that won't work or happen and I think congress said the same thing so Army still gets their toys and AF stays out of it.

As far as the UCAS-D I think that is strickly a Navy program as the AF has a simular but seperate program.

HeyJoe is a good one to ask on this topic.

 

[HeyJoe]

HJ, I read an article on earlybird about the AF's plan to control all UAVs over 3500'... does UCAS-D fit into this scheme?

They sought and finally got the "executive oversight" for acquistion purposes very recently. They does not necessarily translate to operational control. Here's a recent news report on the JROC decision (final decision rests with DEPSECDEF).

 

[HeyJoe]

More info on UCAS Demo

Latest from RADM Heely on UCAS-D

 

[bert]

If I were new to Naval Aviation I would keep an open mind about the whole unmanned thing - it isn't going away.

 

[MasterBates]

If I were new to Naval Aviation I would keep an open mind about the whole unmanned thing - it isn't going away.

I take it these will be around a little longer than LAMPS Mk II?

(that was a UAV for those that don't know, MkI was the SH-2F, MkIII was/is the SH-60B)

 

[bert]

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=18242&rsbci=0&fti=111&ti=0&sc=400

More than one service is interested.

 

[HeyJoe]

NGC Carrier ops briefing

NGC recently gave a briefing highlighting some of their UCAS carrier operations

 

[raptor10]

A day in the life of an X-47 (How a typical UCAV mission will go down)

 

[Beans]

catapult shot is like that of any other manned aircraft. Company officials noted that F/A-18s fire off the ship autonomously anyway (pilots keep there hands off the stick during cat shots), so the initial launch isn’t a huge technological or cultural stretch.

Any UVA grads out there? Your fellow alumnus, Mr. Christian Lowe, has trouble w/ his "there" "their" and "they're" words. Is this no longer taught in the second grade? Maybe I'm being a stickler, but this seriously has to stop.

/rant

I feel so much better.

 

[Tex_Hill]

Predators used to fight forest fires.

In a joint project of NASA and the U.S. Forest Service, this Predator B unmanned vehicle is taking to the skies in demonstration of a new generation of firefighting tools.

http://www.firerescue1.com/wildland/articles/309435/

Interesting article on the use of UAV's to spot forest fires before they get out of hand.