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March 2002
Singapore
Technologies UAVs on display
By Ken
Munson, Changi
A glide bomb which from a brief glance could pass for a Lockheed
Martin low-cost autonomous attack system (LOCAAS) unmanned combat
air vehicle (UCAV), a simple delta-wing UAV reminiscent of the US
Army and Marine Corps' Exdrome and a vertical take-off and landing
(VTOL) mini UAV not unlike the US Naval Research Laboratory's
Eager are all on display at the Asian Aerospace 2002 show from
Singapore Technologies Dynamics. However, looks are not
everything, and in fact all are confirmed as indigenous programmes
by company Vice-President, Lee Chuen Fei.
LongShot, the largest of the trio, is actually not a UCAV in
itself. Rather, it is a bolt-on wing adapter kit (with flip-out
swept wings) that extends the range and provides autonomous
guidance for existing air-to-surface munitions such as cluster,
general-purpose and laser-guided bombs, sea mines or tactical
munitions dispensers. Using internationally standard 14-inch wing
ejector racks, it needs no hardware or software modifications to
the launch aircraft (air-launched tests have been conducted on an
F-16). It can be deployed at altitudes up to 12,200m and can
provide a stand off of up to 110km, so reducing the host
aircraft’s exposure to point defence systems. Upon launch it
guides the munition to its target using Global Positioning System
(GPS) inertial navigation.
PhantomEye, the mini-delta, is a low-cost, close-range
battery-powered surveillance UAV (wing span 80cm) with a launch
weight of 2kg including 0.5kg of payload. Currently under
development, it has a top speed of over 75km/h and an endurance of
up to an hour. Payloads can include real-time video, biochemical
sensors or communications relay equipment.
The VTOL Mini, being developed jointly with Micro Autonomous
Systems, has a 66cm-long cylindrical body with a 28cm diameter
rotor amidships and stands on six spidery legs angled outward from
the rotor shroud. Payloads, weights and performance are generally
in the same order as those of the PhantomEye.
Singapore
Technologies Dynamics Mini VTOL UAV
Singapore
Technologies Dynamics PhantomEye UAV
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