Northrop Grumman will roll-out the first US Navy MQ-4C in June

Northrop Grumman will roll-out the first US Navy MQ-4C in June

Northrop Grumman will roll-out the first US Navy MQ-4C in June, company and USN officials say.

The first USN test aircraft is about to enter ground testing, says Captain Jim Hoke, Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) programme manager for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned maritime surveillance jet. "Our goal is to have the first flight in early fall," he says-his slides say that date is expected in September. But before then, Northrop Grumman is planning on formally rolling-out the aircraft on 14 June.

The BAMS is expected to become operational in December 2015 with a four-aircraft orbit. The USN hopes to have a five orbit fleet, Hoke says. It will take 68 aircraft to sustain that force over the programme's life due to potential attrition and depot maintenance. But no aircraft will be needed for training, he says, since crews can train purely in a simulator.

In the future, the BAMS will be used as communications relay and it will also takeover part of the Lockheed Martin EP-3 Aries intelligence gathering aircraft's mission, Hoke says. While he says he cannot talk about specifics, the BAMS will likely absorb a portion of the signals intelligence part of that mission.

Captain Aaron Rondeau, programme manager for the new Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft says that future Neptune crews could take partial control of the BAMS aircraft during a mission. That capability would be part of an Increment 3 upgrade for the P-8, Rondeau says.

IDF Examining a New Hyperspectral System

IDF Examining a New Hyperspectral System

Elbit Systems has given advanced hyperspectral systems to the IDF for testing. The systems are capable of identifying substances from great distances based on the wavelength of light reflected off the substance.

The new payload is intended to be installed onboard manned vehicles as well as UAVs; the first UAV equipped with it was Elbit’s Hermes-450. The new system, developed by Elbit Systems’ Electro Optical (El-Op) subsidiary, is so advanced that few other exist in the world.

According to the company, the unique payload is capable of discerning between various substances by receiving and analyzing their light reflections at a level of precision that can discern between salt water and fresh water, and between different crops planted in fields. The system can also detect substances that are relevant for military intelligence.

“All natural materials, as well as man-made products, have a spectral signature, and our system can distinguish the various signatures with incredible precision. The precision achieved by the system is between 350 and 2500 nanometers,” said Adi Dar, CEO of El-Op.

Dar explained that the hyperspectral technology presents a new dimension to the world of intelligence collection by allowing the spotting and tracing of targets based on the precise wavelength of the light reflected from the target.

Dar also revealed that the development of this advanced technology puts El-Op way ahead of its competitors. 

NRL Tests Robotic Fueling of Unmanned Surface Vessels

NRL Tests Robotic Fueling of Unmanned Surface Vessels

Engineers from the NRL Spacecraft Engineering Department (SED) successfully demonstrate the robotic fluids transfer from a stationary platform to an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) in wave heights greater than three feet.

The Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer (RAFT) project exhibits the ability to track the motion of a Sea Fox naval vessel, safely emplace a magnetic refueling fitting to an on-board refueling receptacle and successfully complete fluids transfer.

Under current circumstance, USV refueling demands that a grappled connection, usually by hand, be made between the USV and the refueling vessel.

"Refueling a USV at sea, particularly in adverse weather or in high sea states, can prove difficult and often dangerous," said Dr. Glen Henshaw, Attitude Control Section, SED Control Systems Branch.

"Transferring our extensive knowledge and proven success of robotic spacecraft servicing can prove equally successful in reducing risks at sea."

Providing the host ship the capability to refuel USVs without the need to bring them aboard ship enhances mission efficiency and reduces host ship exposure. This works to improve the effectiveness of naval USV missions and decrease risks to personnel and potential damage to vessels and equipment.

Experimenting with both fully autonomous and human-controlled operations at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center wave simulator facility, NRL engineers completed approximately 60 trial refueling attempts at sea states ranging from zero, or calm seas, to 3.25, or maximum wave heights in excess of three feet, with a demonstrated high rate of success.

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer (RAFT) project teamed NRL with Clemson University, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). NRL was the lead robotics integrator and designed the robotics system.

Further robotic transfer tests will possibly include land-based autonomous HMMV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) applications without the need to stop driving and on-air Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) refueling.

The USV Sea Fox was developed for Navy missions to provide force protection with more flexibility in Enhanced Maritime Interdiction Operations and safer Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) gathering to aid in threat assessment, decision-making, and situational awareness, prior to escalation to lethal actions.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Spacecraft Engineering Department (SED) serves as the focal point for the Navy's in-house spacecraft bus capability. Research and development activities range from concept and feasibility studies through initial on orbit space systems operation.

SED's Robotics Engineering and Control Laboratory serves as a national test bed to support  research in the emerging field of space robotics including autonomous rendezvous and capture, remote assembly operations, and machine learning.

NASA Flight Tests New ADS-B Device on Ikhana UAS

NASA Flight Tests New ADS-B Device on Ikhana UAS

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center flew its Ikhana MQ-9 unmanned aircraft with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, device, for the first time on March 15.

It was the first time an unmanned aircraft as large as Ikhana - with a 66-foot wingspan, a takeoff weight of more than 10,000 pounds, and a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet - has flown while equipped with ADS-B. ADS-B is an aircraft tracking technology that all planes operating in certain U.S. airspace must adopt by January 2020 to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

It also was the first flight of hardware for the NASA Aeronautics research project known as UAS in the NAS, which is short for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System.

The equipment performed well during a flight lasting nearly three hours in restricted air space over Dryden's Western Aeronautical Test Range, which is part of Edwards Air Force Base and the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center.

Being equipped with ADS-B enables NASA's Ikhana to provide much more detailed position, velocity, and altitude information about itself to air traffic controllers, airborne pilots of other ADS-B equipped aircraft flying in its vicinity, and to its pilots on the ground. Currently, only air traffic controllers can see all the aircraft in any given section of the sky.

The ADS-B checkout flight aboard Ikhana kicked off a series in which researchers will collect ADS-B data while performing representative air traffic control-directed maneuvers.

As part of a collaborative effort, FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., recorded ADS-B data from the flight and will help analyze the performance of the system installed in the aircraft. Researchers also evaluated new ADS-B laptop software for displaying surrounding air traffic information to the UAS pilots on the ground.

"ADS-B is a cornerstone capability required in the NextGen, and understanding its performance and suitability for integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system is critical to the overall goals of the project," said Sam Kim, deputy manager of integrated test and evaluation for NASA's UAS in the NAS Project.

Developing technologies that will enable unmanned aircraft to fly safely among other planes in the nation's skies is the job of Kim's team.

ADS-B is a key component of the largest transformation of air traffic control ever attempted in the United States. Known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, it is a multi-billion-dollar technology modernization effort that will make air travel safer, more flexible and more efficient.

As the system gets better, its capacity will grow and the demand for different types of air transportation - even unmanned aircraft - will increase.

Current tracking devices aboard aircraft are called transponders, but the ADS-B isn't just a new-fangled transponder. It provides much more detailed and accurate information to air traffic controllers, and will enable navigation by satellite in addition to the current system of ground radars.

Ground radars interact with transponders once every four to 12 seconds in order to get an aircraft's position, velocity, and altitude. In contrast, the ADS-B constantly and automatically broadcasts information every second to air traffic controllers.

The more frequent updates, coupled with information updated through the Global Positioning System, result in much greater accuracy in the display of an aircraft's position, velocity and altitude.

The effort is part of the Dryden-led UAS in the NAS Project, which is designed to contribute capabilities to reduce technical barriers related to the safety and operational challenges of unmanned and passenger-carrying airplanes sharing the same air space.

The UAS in the NAS Project is managed from Washington by the Integrated Systems Research Program office in NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

Schiebel flies Camcopter with heavy fuel engine

Schiebel flies Camcopter with heavy fuel engine

Schiebel has made its first S-100 Camcopter flights with a heavy fuel engine at its test centre in Weiner Neustadt, Austria.

The heavy fuel engine, which the company says is interchangeable with its current 50hp avgas engine, is designed to appeal to the naval users that could form a coveted market for unmanned helicopters.

"We listen to our customers, and then we build the features they ask for," says company chairman Hans Georg Schiebel. "The new fuel options will be a big advantage to all our customers worldwide across all markets, offering them even more flexibility."

The S-100, which boasts a main-bay payload capacity of 50kg (110lb) and an endurance upwards of 6h, is the most popular of the small-but-growing vertical take-off UAV market. Manufacturers are offering an increasingly greater diversity of unmanned helicopters, from aircraft the size of insects to the Boeing A160, which is the same size as a full-scale manned helicopter.

Modifying the Camcopter with a heavy fuel engine allows the aircraft to use the same gasoline as heavy trucks, aircraft and ships, enabling users to simply their purchase, supply and storage logistics. The modification is particularly valuable to maritime users, where accommodating several types of fuel is especially onerous. The US military also has a heavy fuel requirement to simplify its logistics chain for forces deployed in remote areas.

Schiebel did not immediately respond to questions.

USAF awards Northrop contract to finish Global Hawk radar

USAF awards Northrop contract to finish Global Hawk radar

The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $24.5 million contact to finish development of the multi platform radar technology insertion programme (MP-RTIP) radar for the Block 40 version of the RQ-4B Global Hawk, the Pentagon announced on 7 March.

"The contract award is to complete development of the MP-RTIP sensor for Global Hawk," Northrop confirms. The company will perform the work at its El Segundo site in California, and should be done by 31 August 2013.

The Block 40 variant of the unmanned surveillance aircraft will use the new radar to create black and white photo-quality images of the Earth's surface while simultaneously overlaying moving ground targets on to that picture.

The air force's recently cancelled Block 30 variant also has a synthetic aperture radar mode to create photo-realistic images of the ground, but its capabilities in that regard are not as sophisticated as the Block 40's. The MP-RTIP sensor will also be installed on a future fleet of five Global Hawks under NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance deal.

The USAF hopes to buy 11 Block 40 Global Hawks, but had at one time wanted as many as 22. The service also operates five Block 20 aircraft, with a sixth having crashed last year in Afghanistan. Some of the Block 20 aircraft are being converted into communications relay platforms.

Additionally, the US Navy is planning to buy 68 MQ-4C broad area maritime surveillance aircraft that are based on the Global Hawk. The naval aircraft have a 360° maritime radar and an electro-optical camera ball, along with some other service-specific sensors and airframe attributes. These include a deicing capability and what is hoped will be the first "sense and avoid" system for an unmanned aircraft.

Northrop Grumman moves closer to BAMS first flight

Northrop Grumman moves closer to BAMS first flight

Northrop Grumman has installed landing gear and wings on the airframe of the first RQ-4 Global Hawk variant designed for the US Navy's requirement for broad area maritime surveillance (BAMS).

At the same time, the company has released new details of the critical new sensor invented for the BAMS mission. The sensor entered flight tests in December.

Both events indicate Northrop remains on track to complete first flight of the MQ-4C BAMS aircraft later this year, the company said.

The navy plans to buy 70 MQ-4Cs, including five test aircraft, under a nearly $12 billion acquisition programme, with entry into service scheduled in December 2015.

The first MQ-4C BAMS aircraft will scan the oceans for maritime traffic with a special radar developed by Northrop called the multi-function active sensor (MFAS).

Northrop had previously described MFAS as an electronically-scanned array. The company now adds that the array operates with a rotating sensor with electronic scanning functionality.

It can switch between various surveillance modes, including maritime surface search to track surface traffic, inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) to classify ships by type and image-while-scan to interleave ISAR snapshots and high-resolution scans. The MFAS also can search over land using a spot SAR mode for stationary targets and a strip SAR mode for images along a fixed line, Northrop said.

Northrop had previously flight-tested a prototype version of the MFAS sensor (above) during the BAMS competition.

Publicly-released images of the prototype and the latest versions of the radar show minor changes to the radome colour and shape, but it was not immediately clear if Northrop had made more significant changes to the array itself.

NATO clears funding hurdle to buy five Global Hawks

NATO clears funding hurdle to buy five Global Hawks

NATO officials have cleared a key hurdle in a long-delayed process to buy five Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 unmanned air systems.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen provided no details of the arrangements in a 3 February press conference, but confirmed members "have found the way ahead on a practical funding solution" for the alliance ground surveillance (AGS) programme.

Funding and operational details have delayed a contract signing since October 2010, even as three of the original 15 AGS programme members - Canada, Denmark and Poland - have withdrawn from the programme.

Northrop officials have previously said Poland may rejoin the AGS partnership, but Rasmussen provided no details on the current members.

Some NATO members have been seeking the AGS capability for about 20 years. The concept would allow a consortium of alliance members to contribute funding to operate the RQ-4s, with all allowed some level of access to the intelligence data gathered.

Northrop has proposed the RQ-4 Block 40, which includes a Northrop/Raytheon multiplatform radar technology insertion programme sensor that detects moving targets on the ground.

Once fielded, the system will perform a similar role as the US Air Force's Northrop E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system aircraft, although the RQ-4's sensor is not as large or powerful.

Northrop Grumman fights RQ-4 Block 30 cancellation threat

Northrop Grumman fights RQ-4 Block 30 cancellation threat

Northrop Grumman has challenged the US military's decision to park existing RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30s in usable storage and terminate production.

The imagery- and signals intelligence-collecting variant of the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system could be cancelled as part of the fiscal year 2013 budget cuts proposed by the Pentagon on 26 January.

The proposed cuts, meanwhile, create uncertainty about the programme's future as South Korea and NATO are poised to sign orders for different Global Hawk variants.

Northrop has launched a multimedia campaign to block the proposed cuts, despite the US military's long-standing concerns about the type's cost, reliability and sensor performance.

"We think it's a great product," said George Guerra, Northrop's vice-president of high-altitude, long-endurance systems. "It's done a lot of great things."

However the US Air Force, which has received 11 of the 14 RQ-4 Block 30s already on order, was unimpressed after deploying the aircraft last year after the Japan earthquake and during the Libyan rebellion.

The key test for the USAF was whether the Block 30 would be a cheaper and more capable intelligence platform than the 65-year-old Lockheed U-2, scheduled to retire in 2016.

On 27 January, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Norton Schwartz said the Global Hawk system had not proved to be cheaper to operate than the U-2. "And in many respects, the Global Hawk Block 30 system is not as capable from a sensor point of view, as is the U-2," he added.

As of July 2011, operating the U-2S fleet cost $2,830 per flight hour, versus more than $6,710 for the RQ-4A/B, as stated in the air force's total ownership cost (AFTOC) database obtained by Flightglobal.

Northrop, however, considers the USAF's cost comparisons "a little flawed", Guerra said. The company's analysis suggests the air force recently shifted some overhead costs for the U-2 fleet over to the RQ-4, which artificially lowered the Global Hawk fleet's affordability, he added.

The AFTOC records show the U-2S fleet's cost per flight hour declined abruptly by 32% within two years after the RQ-4 entered the database in 2010. However, the U-2S was still always cheaper to operate, peaking at less than $4,180 per flight hour in 2009, or 37% less than the RQ-4 last year.

Guerra also said that complaints about the Global Hawk's primary sensor - the Raytheon enhanced imagery surveillance system - are outdated. "There were a couple of improvements made to the sensor very recently," he said.

Schwartz did not complain about the RQ-4's reliability statistics, although a report last year by the USAF's operational testing office was highly critical. During initial operational test and evaluation, the RQ-4's mission capability rate averaged about 41%.

However, the Global Hawk's reliability "has actually improved significantly in the short span of a year", Guerra said. The mission capability rate for deployed RQ-4s now averages about 83%, he added.

Israeli drone crashes during test flight

Israeli drone crashes during test flight

An Israeli Heron TP drone has crashed during a joint operation performed by the Israeli military and the developer company of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The most advanced Israeli drone crashed during its test flight on Sunday morning in an area near the Tel Nof military base in central Israel.

No injuries were reported in the incident and an investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash.

The Heron TP is the largest Israeli UAV with a 26-meter-long wingspan. It can fly for up to 45 hours and carry a payload of 1,000 kilograms.

The Israeli drone is also capable of launching missiles.

Israel has increased the use of its drones over the past few years in areas including the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.

In July 2011, France announced its decision to purchase the Israeli Heron TP in line with plans to upgrade its UAV capabilities. 

The deal with Israel is likely to reach a value of about “USD 500 million” within a few years. 

Colombia mulls buying more Israeli UAVs

Colombia mulls buying more Israeli UAVs

Colombia has bought an Israeli unmanned air vehicle for security patrols on its troubled border with Venezuela and is considering acquiring at least one more, defense industry sources said.

Israel's Elbit Systems this month confirmed it sold a UAV for $50 million to a Latin American country that it didn't identify. Later, Infodefensa.com security and defense Web site identified the buyer as Colombia. Other reports said the UAV was ordered for deployment by the Colombian national police.

Colombia would use the UAV in border control missions notably in the country's northeast along the border with Venezuela but infodefensa.com cited sources saying the Colombian army is also interested in procuring a UAV, AviationWeek reported.

Colombia and Venezuela patched up differences in 2011 but anti-government guerrilla activity in Colombia continues. Colombian officials accuse Venezuela of backing guerrilla groups opposed to the government in Bogota, a charge that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denies.

Elbit's Hermes 900 tactical UAV is an advanced vehicle that can be deployed in all kinds of difficult atmospheric conditions. The UAV flies at a maximum 33,000 feet and is usually tasked to capture real-time images and transmit them to a universal ground control station.

Hermes 900 can take off and land automatically even in adverse weather conditions, AviationWeek said on its Web site. The UAV's maximum endurance is 40 hours and maximum takeoff weight is 2,134 pounds. It had its maiden flight Dec.14, 2009.

Elbit Systems developed the Hermes 900 as an extension of its Hermes 450 tactical UAV systems, with full compatibility in missions and support infrastructure.

The upgraded UAV features larger multi-payload configurations and higher flight altitude than its predecessor.

The Hermes 900 incorporates an Internal Auto Takeoff and Landing system that enables auto-landing even on alternate non-instrumented runways. It features full redundancy and fault tolerant avionics and electronics architecture.

Elbit says the accompanying universal ground control station can control two UAVs at any given time from a single station while a single operator operates the air vehicle and payloads for each UAV.

In July 2011, Elbit reported the first export sale of its Hermes 900 UAV to the Chilean air force. The Chilean choice followed evaluation of two classes of UAVs. At the high end were the Elbit Hermes 900 and IAI Heron, also from Israel and developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries.

At the lower tactical level were Elbit Hermes 450, and Aerostar from Aeronautics Defense Systems.

Industry sources said Elbit's success in Colombia would likely open it to other markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Northrop Grumman Statement on the Global Hawk Block 30 Program

Northrop Grumman Statement on the Global Hawk Block 30 Program

Northrop Grumman has released the following statement on the Global Hawk Block 30 program: "The Pentagon has announced that it is planning to cancel the Global Hawk Block 30 program and plans to perform this mission with the U-2 aircraft.

Northrop Grumman is disappointed with the Pentagon's decision, and plans to work with the Pentagon to assess alternatives to program termination.

"The Global Hawk program has demonstrated its utility in U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as its utility in humanitarian operations in Japan and Haiti.

Just a few months ago, the Pentagon published an acquisition decision memorandum regarding Global Hawk Block 30 that stated: 'The continuation of the program is essential to the national security... there are no alternatives to the program which will provide acceptable capability to meet the joint military requirement at less cost.'

"Global Hawk is the modern solution to providing surveillance. It provides long duration persistent surveillance, and collects information using multiple sensors on the platform.

"In contrast, the aging U-2 program, first introduced in the 1950s, places pilots in danger, has limited flight duration, and provides limited sensor capacity. Extending the U-2's service life also represents additional investment requirements for that program.

"Northrop Grumman is committed to working with our customers to provide the best solutions for our country and our allies. We are pleased with the continuing support for the Global Hawk Block 40 system, as well as for the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance system and our other unmanned systems."

US Navy Progresses in Demonstrating Unmanned Refueling Capability

US Navy Progresses in Demonstrating Unmanned Refueling Capability

The Navy is testing a system that promises to significantly increase the endurance and range of carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

As part of the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, the Navy and industry partner Northrop Grumman have been developing Autonomous Aerial Refueling (AAR) technologies to refuel unmanned aircraft in flight. The team completed a series of flight tests Jan.21 in St. Augustine, Fla., as the latest step toward demonstrating unmanned AAR capability.

"The AAR segment of the program is intended to demonstrate a system that will enable the X-47B UCAS-D to safely approach and maneuver around tanker aircraft, performing both Navy and Air Force style refueling techniques," said Capt. Jaime Engdahl, Navy UCAS program manager.

The Navy has been working closely with the Air Force Research Lab for the past decade to develop technologies and operating concepts for AAR, Engdahl said. Both services share a common goal of enabling tankers to autonomously refuel manned and unmanned aircraft in the future, he added.

The UCAS-D team began this test phase in November when a team from Northrop Grumman installed X-47B hardware and software on a Calspan Learjet surrogate aircraft. The initial ground and taxi tests culminated in the first AAR test flight Dec. 20.

The team then conducted a series of flights using the surrogate aircraft, equipped with X-47B software and hardware, and an Omega K-707 Tanker. The Learjet successfully completed multiple air-refueling test points autonomously while commanded by a ground operator.

The AAR segment of the UCAS-D program is designed to assess the initial functionality of the X-47B AAR systems and navigation performance, as well as to test the government tanker refueling interface systems. The AAR program is using similar command and control, and navigation processes being demonstrated by the UCAS team aboard the aircraft carrier.

"The next big step for the program is to demonstrate this capability with the unmanned X-47B and actually plug the aircraft autonomously," Engdahl said. "The AAR team did an exceptional job executing flight test in St. Augustine. The team's' ability to successfully complete these test maneuvers so early in the program is a significant learning event and reduces risk for the future."

The team plans to conduct two more surrogate test periods before demonstrating refueling techniques on the X-47B in 2014. Data from the tests will be used to assess system performance, demonstrate viability of the AAR concept and develop operational procedures to support further development of future unmanned systems.

"By adding an autonomous aerial refueling capability to unmanned aircraft, we can significantly increase their range, persistence and overall flexibility," added Engdahl, who said he is very impressed with the system's performance. "This is a game-changer for naval aviation and is critical for our success with unmanned long range aircraft in the future."

Europe unveils new unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Europe unveils new unmanned combat aerial vehicle

French defence major Dassault Aviation has unveiled nEUROn -- an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator -- being developed in partnership with five other European countries.

The pilotless combat aircraft was officially presented to representatives of the six participating countries -- France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland -- on January 20.

The nEUROn programme was launched by the French defence ministry in 2003 with the aim to design and develop an advanced combat unmanned aerial vehicle capable of fighting futuristic warfare and perform stealth missions. 

Sweden's Saab, Italy's Alenia Aermacchi, Spain's EADS-CASA, Greece's HAI and Switzerland's RUAG later joined the programme. 

The first engine tests of the UCAV will be performed very soon, aiming at a first flight mid-2012, Dasault said. This will be followed by a complete sequence of test flights during two years in France, Sweden and Italy. 

These tests will address flight qualities, stealthiness, air-to-ground weapon firing from an internal bay, integration into a C4i environment as well as the insertion of uninhabited platform in airspace, the French defence firm said.

How Downed U.S. Drone Helps China

How Downed U.S. Drone Helps China

The loss of a U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone over eastern Iran has led to speculation that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will eventually find its way into Chinese hands. Access to the drone could allow China to use reverse engineering to incorporate key technologies into its own indigenous aerospace systems and to develop countermeasures that would make it harder for U.S. stealth UAVs and aircraft to operate near China. Iran has significant political, military, and financial incentives to provide such access, reversing the usual flow of technology from China to Iran.

Despite the claims of some Iranian officials, Iran lacks the technical capacity to exploit and duplicate the advanced technologies in the RQ-170 on its own. Providing access to China could therefore generate benefits in terms of expanded Iranian access to Chinese military technologies, potential future access to UAV countermeasures, and Chinese diplomatic support in Iran’s confrontation with the West over its nuclear program.

A robust arms sales relationship has existed between China and Iran since the early 1980s. China has supplied Iran with military hardware including fighter aircraft (F-7), fast-attack patrol vessels, anti-ship cruise missiles, and guidance technologies for use in Iran’s ballistic missile program. The dollar amount of official arms transfers in the decade 2000-2010 decreased from previous decades, but China continues to help Iran develop critical weapons programs. According to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr News agency, both Chinese and Russian officials have already made requests to inspect the RQ-170.

A recent National Defense University study by Phillip Saunders and myself looked at the history of China’s military aviation industry and gave numerous examples of how access to foreign aircraft designs and reverse engineering of components has helped China expand its aerospace technology capacity. In the wake of the Sino-Soviet split in 1960, China used reverse engineering to fill technical gaps and improve upon older Soviet designs. Access to restricted U.S. aircraft and aerospace technologies gained through third parties has also provided opportunities to apply reverse engineering. One commonly cited example is Chinese access to the F-16 gained through its close relationship with Pakistan. It’s difficult to determine the exact level of access China enjoyed, but open source references claim that Chinese technical personnel visiting Pakistan in the early 1980s were given the opportunity to examine the F-16 in detail (I recommend Wei Chen Lee’s excellent article “The Birth of a Salesman: China as an Arms Supplier”). Islamabad may have also transferred completed subsystems to China and provided access to the design and maintenance blueprints necessary to service the aircraft.

The Chinese military aviation industry’s technology base and ability to produce sophisticated aerospace systems has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, greatly improving its ability to exploit and potentially replicate technologies used in the RQ-170 drone. For example, China’s J-10 multi-role fighter incorporates metal alloys and composite materials for high strength and low weight. China developed the fourth generation J-11B fighter through a combination of coproduction and reverse engineering the Russian Su-27, with a particular focus on indigenizing subsystems. The unveiling of the J-20 stealth fighter prototype, which made its first test flight in January, demonstrates China’s ability to incorporate stealth technology in new aircraft designs.

China is also making significant efforts to develop and deploy its own UAV capabilities. In 2010, China displayed 25 different models of UAV at its biennial Zhuhai airshow. Officials representing China’s ASN Technology Group – one of several major UAV producers – claimed that the People’s Liberation Army is already operating two drones. The Institute for International Strategic Studies reported in its Military Balance 2010 that China has deployed several types of UAV for both “combat and reconnaissance” purposes, though it makes no specific mention of armed drones.

Even if China hasn’t yet fielded an armed UAV, the number of models in advanced stages of development makes it clear that this capability will be part of its air power arsenal in the near future. The deployment of UAV systems supports the Chinese military’s doctrinal imperative of increasing “informationization” to improve situational awareness and adds another layer of remote targeting and strike capability which can enhance China’s ability to deny military access on its periphery.

Access to the RQ-170 would give Chinese engineers the opportunity to study the drone’s sensor systems, control and communication systems, and the materials and design elements that make it stealthy. Access to the drone might further allow engineers to understand how its subsystems are fused together and how it operates as an integrated whole. Even if the Chinese aerospace industry can’t use reverse engineering to produce an indigenous equivalent of the RQ-170, Chinese engineers could probably learn enough from the RQ-170 to develop improved countermeasures and defenses against it and similar systems. China is already devoting considerable attention to improving its air defenses and developing means to defeat U.S. stealth technology, and so access to the RQ-170 would facilitate Chinese efforts to understand how advanced U.S. UAVs operate and to devise new ways to exploit their operational weaknesses. 

It’s unclear whether Iranian air defenses or countermeasures played a role in downing the RQ-170. A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that there was a “95 percent chance” that the drone crashed due to technical malfunction.In later statements, U.S. officials flatly denied Iranian claims that a sophisticated cyber attack brought down the RQ-170, but have been less definitive about whether Iran might have used other means like GPS jamming to interfere with the drone’s flight.

But even if the loss of the RQ-170 over Iran was due to a technical malfunction, Chinese access to the drone may eventually help produce countermeasures and improved air defenses that make it harder for the United States to operate stealthy UAVs over hostile territory. Iran would be a prime customer for such systems; a Chinese commitment to sell UAVs and countermeasures might be part of Iran’s price tag for access to the RQ-170.