February 10, 2015: Strategy Page

 Israel has formed a new UAV unit to improve cooperation between combat brigades and their supporting artillery. This new unit uses Hermes 450 UAVs operated by soldiers trained to act as a very effective link between ground units, especially infantry, and any artillery units within range. The object of this is to speed up the time between which a target is spotted and an artillery can hit it with shells or rockets. Tests showed the UAV operators linked to infantry and artillery units and familiar with how both services operated could not only spot potential targets and call in artillery fire very quickly but also confirm targets the infantry wanted hit and get fire on those targets within minutes. In the past troops on the ground could call in fire on targets they could see, but over the last decade infantry have gotten their own small UAVs which often spotted targets beyond the view of the artillery spotters and unless an artillery spotter was looking over the shoulder at the UAV operators control console, he could not confirm the target and call in fire. After trying several alternatives it was decided that the Hermes 450s, using operators trained to call in fire and linked electronically to both infantry and artillery units, was the best solution. The artillery UAV operators can also share what they see with nearby infantry commanders, if that is needed to confirm a target only visible from the air.

The artillery UAVs are only the latest Israeli use of UAVs. For example in 2014 Israel replaced the last of its AH-1 helicopter gunships with armed UAVs (Hermes 450s), There was already a plan in place for the AH-1s to be replaced by AH-64 gunships, which Israel already has 44 of but even the AH-64s are facing competition from the UAVs and was decided that replacing the AH-1s with UAVs was more affordable and effective.

Israel currently has a fleet of over 70 large (more than a quarter ton) UAVs. Israel is, next to the United States, the heaviest user of large (Predator size) UAVs on the planet, mainly because the aircraft are regularly used for border security and counter-terror operations. The AH-1 and artillery UAV decision makes it possible to further expand the UAV force.

The most common large UAVs used by Israel are Heron, Hermes and Searcher. The Hermes 450 is the primary UAV for the Israeli armed forces, and twenty or more were in action each day during the 2006 war in Lebanon. That led to an expansion of the Hermes fleet. The Hermes 450s is a 450 kg (992 pound) aircraft with a payload of 150 kg. It can also carry Hellfire missiles and is 6.5 meters (20 feet long) and has an 11.3 meter (35 foot) wingspan. It can stay in the air for up to 20 hours per sortie, and fly as high as 6,500 meters (20,000 feet). The Hermes 900 UAV is similar in size (and appearance) to the American Predator (both weighing 1.1 tons), but the Israeli vehicle is built mainly for endurance. It has a 10 meter (31 foot) wingspan. The Hermes 900 can stay in the air for 36 hours, and has a payload of 300 kg (650 pounds). The Searcher 2 is a half-ton aircraft with an endurance of 20 hours, max altitude of 7,500 meters (23,000 feet) and can operate up to 300 kilometers from the operator. It can carry a 120 kg (264 pound) payload.

Heron I is a 1.45 ton aircraft similar to the American MQ-1 Predator. Israel also has a few (less than six apparently) very long range UAVs. These Heron TP UAVs are 4.6 ton aircraft that can operate at 14,000 meters (45,000 feet). That is, above commercial air traffic, and all the air-traffic-control regulations that discourage, and often forbid, UAV use at the same altitude as commercial aircraft. The Heron TP has a one ton payload, enabling it to carry sensors that can give a detailed view of what's on the ground, even from that high up. The endurance of 36 hours makes the Heron TP a competitor for the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper. The TP is used for long range missions, most of which are not discussed in the media.

In the last few years infantry units have been receiving the 7 kg (15.4 pound) Sky Rider. These are battery operated and can only stay in the air an hour or so per sortie. At first it was planned to equip the artillery with Sky Riders but field testing showed that the longer endurance Hermes 450 was a more practical choice. Israel exports most of these UAVs, largely because they are all very much “combat proven”.

11 February 2015 by defenceWeb

The first ever Predator deployment with the European Union Naval Force (EU Navfor) has concluded after more than 300 hours of anti-piracy flight hours were accumulated.

On 7 February, the Italian Task Force Air (TFA) in Djibouti completed its deployment with the EU Naval Force. The detachment, which boasts a Predator, arrived in Djibouti last August and performed its first flight on 4 September 2014. The aircraft was transferred from Afghanistan.

Since then, the UAV has patrolled the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el Mandeb Strait and the north coast of Somalia, the EU Naval Force said.

After 28 missions, and with a total of more than 300 flying hours, the Italian UAV completed its last mission on 5 February. During more than 220 hours on-station, it was remotely piloted by “Line of Sight” (LOS), by 28th Squadron personnel deployed to the French Chabelly Base in Djibouti. It was also piloted “Beyond Line of Sight” (BLOS) by Italian Air Force personnel deployed in Amendola Air Force Base in Italy.

On completion of her deployment, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, Force Commander of the EU Naval Force, thanked the Commanding Officer of the Italian TFA, Colonel Elio Volpari, and his staff for their contribution to Operation Atalanta.

In addition to providing more real-time intelligence on possible pirate attacks, the Predator was also used to monitor the safety of World Food Programme (WFP) vessels transiting the Indian Ocean to provide food and other necessities to needy people in East Africa.

The deployment marks the first time that the EU Naval Force has used UAVs to patrol for pirates as it otherwise relies on vessels and fixed wing aircraft like CN-235s and P-3 Orions.

Piracy has dropped significantly off the coast of Somalia due to patrols by naval vessels and aircraft, the use of private armed security guards, the implementation of best management practices by vessel crews and successes on land.

There were only two confirmed attacks on merchant vessels transiting the High Risk Area in the Indian Ocean in 2014: MV Nave Atropos was attacked on 17 January south of Salalah and MV Andreawas fired upon from two skiffs 10 nm off the Somali coast in February, according to private maritime company Dryad Maritime. During the attack on MV Nave Atropos, the pirates used a previously hijacked dhow (MSV Shane Hind) as a mother ship. Despite almost daily reports of suspicious vessels (dhows, fishing boats and skiffs) these three attacks remain the only ones attributed to Somali pirates.

“Also of significance is the lack of disruption of potential pirate action groups (PAGs) in 2014. During 2013 over a dozen PAGs were detained and destroyed by coalition naval forces but, with the exception of MSC Shane Hind, no other PAG was detected in 2014. This is the lowest level of pirate activity in more than 15 years,” Dryad said.

The European Union counter-piracy Operation Atalanta off the Somali coast was recently extended by two more years to December 12, 2016. The EU Council has added a number of secondary tasks to the Operation’s mandate. The EU Naval Force will now contribute, within existing means and capabilities, more widely to the EU’s comprehensive approach to Somalia, including in support of the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa. It will also be able to contribute to other relevant international community activities helping to address the root causes of piracy in Somalia.

In this respect, the operation could, for example, provide logistical support, expertise or training at sea for other EU actors, in particular the EU mission on regional maritime capacity building (EUCAP Nestor). In addition, Operation Atalanta can also support the EU Training Mission (EUTM) Somalia.

The common costs of EU Naval Force for the two years 2015 and 2016 are estimated at €14.7 million.

3 Feb 2015 By: Arie Egozi - FG

Israel's Aeronautics Defense Systems is in the process of integrating a maritime version of its Dominator XP unmanned aircraft for a client. Aeronautics has previously supplied one Dominator XP to Mexico, where it is in service with the nation's law enforcement bodies. The company also has been offering the adapted Diamond Aircraft DA42 for maritime patrol missions, and deputy chief executive Dany Eshchar confirms that a first system is being prepared for an unidentified customer.

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28 Jan 2015 By: Bartosz Glowacki - FG

The Polish defence ministry’s armament inspectorate has published a notice looking for new unmanned air vehicles in two classes. The classes under consideration are tactical short-range and mini-UAVs, together with training and logistical support. Poland wants to acquire 12 tactical UAVs via the “Orlik” (Eaglet) programme acquisition and the aircraft are to be delivered by 2022. An additional batch of the selected type is expected to be purchased between 2022 and 2026.

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2 Feb 2015 By: Arie Egozi - FG

Aeronautics Defense Systems' Orbiter 2B unmanned air system completed final acceptance testing in Finland in late January, when temperatures were as low as -25˚C (-13˚F). Deputy chief executive Dany Eshchar says the tested equipment is part of a second batch of Orbiter 2 UAS being supplied to the Finnish armed forces. Tests included operational scenarios in the harsh weather conditions, he says, adding: "The systems performed flawlessly, in spite of the temperature, snow and winds."

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February 2, 2015 By Patrick Tucker - Defense One

With the terrorism fight spreading the military wants more drones to fight ISIS.

President Barack Obama today requested a healthy increase in the number of MQ-9 Reaper drones that the Pentagon will purchase next year, further reversing the brief trend in fewer drone purchases. The numbers show that the Reaper is becoming the military’s favorite weapon in its fight against ISIS. But some experts say that the modest bump won’t be enough to fix the military’s much bigger drone problem—a growing deficit of drone pilots.

The Reaper, as a machine, is very similar to the famous Predator drone, which the Air Force essentially stopped buying in fiscal 2015. Both the Predator and the Reaper are made by General Atomics and look a lot alike. The difference is a matter of size and, thus, carrying capacity.

The Reaper, with a wingspan of 66 feet and a length of 36 feet—compared to a 55 foot wingspan and a length of 28 feet for the Predator—can carry two 500-pound GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs (bombs), and as many as four Hellfire missiles. The Predator can carry two missiles and no bombs. Like the Predator, the Reaper carries a lot of electronic targeting equipment such as the Raytheon AN/DAS-1 multi-spectral targeting system and various other cameras. It also has a variety of radar packages that the Predator doesn’t.

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January 27, 2015: Strategy Page

In December 2014 Iran held military exercises in which it claimed it had converted one of its UAVs into a “suicide drone” and successfully tested it. The story behind this story is far more interesting. This suicide drone is actually a cruise missile and is based on what Iran claims is a copy of the American ScanEagle UAV. This is a low-tech, commercially available UAV that contains no classified components. In early 2013 Iran released photos of their new production facility producing copies of ScanEagle. But Iran did not present any of the completed “Yasir” (as they called their version of ScanEagle) UAVs. Iran could have built a ScanEagle clone without copying from one they had obtained (either from a crash or the black market). The ScanEagle assembly line picture could have simply been Photoshopped, a technique Iran has been caught using numerous times. The Iranian version was said to have a range of 200 kilometers max altitude of 2,900 meters and max endurance of eight hours. By replacing the surveillance equipment and much of the fuel with explosives Iran would have a short range (a hundred kilometers or so) cruise missile with over a 10 kg (over 22 pounds) of explosives that could, in theory, hit anything within range. That is if it can get past the air defenses. Most Western air defense systems have been upgraded to detect UAVs and low flying cruise missiles.

Actually, defenses against cruise missiles go back over 70 years. Cruise Missiles have been around for that long. The first one appeared during World War II as the German V-1 "Buzz Bomb". The British developed a number of countermeasures. It was the Israelis that began using TV-equipped UAVs in combat during the 1980s. At the same time it was the United States that reinvented the buzz bomb as the modern cruise missile in the 1980s. A decade later the Americans borrowed from the Israelis to create their own UAVs for surveillance.

Yasir first appeared in December 2012 when Iran insisted it had captured a U.S. Navy ScanEagle UAV and copied it. The U.S. said none of its ScanEagles were missing. Iran then released a photo of the captured ScanEagle. But the photo showed a ScanEagle without military markings that appeared to have been reassembled after a crash. The U.S. did reveal that several ScanEagles had been lost over the last few years (due to communications or mechanical failures) in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf and the wreckage was not recovered. This is where Iran might have obtained their ScanEagle (perhaps via fishermen who haulded it in and took it to the black market). In any event, stunts like this are mainly for raising morale among Iranian civilians depressed over economic problems. It doesn’t really matter what the U.S. says or does.

A ScanEagle weighs 19 kg (40 pounds), has a 3.2 meter (ten foot) wingspan, and uses day and night video cameras. This makes it easier for the UAV, flying over land or water, to spot small speed boats or individual vehicles. The commercial version of ScanEagle has been in service since the 1990s to help high seas fishing ships find schools of fish to go after. Cruising speed is 110 kilometers an hour. The ScanEagle can stay in the air for up to 15 hours per flight and fly as high as 5 kilometers (16,000 feet). The aircraft carries an optical system that is stabilized to keep the cameras focused on an object while the UAV moves. The UAV can operate at least a hundred kilometers from the ground controller. The ScanEagle is launched from a catapult and landed via a wing hook that catches a rope hanging from a 16 meter (fifty foot) pole. This makes it possible to operate the UAV from the helicopter pad on the stern (rear) of a warship or any open space on a seagoing fishing ship. Each ScanEagle costs about $100,000 and is still widely used by commercial fishing, ocean survey, and research ships, as well as military organizations in several countries. ScanEagle has been in military service since 2005.

14 Jan 2015 By Beth Stevenson - FG

A single US Air Force General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicle has surpassed a record 20,000 flight hours to date, following a 17h combat sortie in support of the US military's operations in Afghanistan. This marked the highest number of flight hours amassed by any Predator B/Reaper UAV, and happened on 23 December while flying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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L'armée de l'Air américaine a annoncé jeudi une série de mesures pour renforcer les effectifs de ses pilotes de drones, surmenés par un rythme de travail effréné, du fait notamment de la campagne aérienne américaine en Irak et en Syrie (US Air Force)

16 janvier 2015 par Jacques N. Godbout - 45eNord.ca

En pénurie de personnel, ses pilotes de drones surmenés par la guerre en Irak et en Syrie, la US Air Force va plus que doubler la prime spéciale qui leur est allouée, la faisant passer de 600 $ US à 1.500 $ US, a annoncé jeudi 15 janvier la Secrétaire à l’Armée de l’Air américaine, Deborah Lee James, qui compte aussi ajouter d’autres mesures d’incitation financière qui sont pour l’instant encore en préparation.

« Je viens de signer la note de service plus tôt aujourd’hui », a-t-elle déclaré en conférence de presse au Pentagone en compagnie du chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’Air, le général Mark Welsh.

Elle n’a toutefois pas précisé dans combien de temps l’argent supplémentaire sera disponible pour les aviateurs qualifiés.

Deborah Lee James a dit qu’elle a pris cette décision après avoir visité des équipages l’an dernier à la base aérienne Creech, dans le Nevada, le quartier général pour les missions de drones à l’étranger.

Ces pilotes sont dans une situation de stress notable, du fait d’un rythme d’activité incessant, a-t-elle souligné.

« Ils travaillent 6 jours par semaine, 13 ou 14 heures par jour », de dire la Secrétaire à l’Armée de l’Air.

« Ils totalisent 900 à 1100 heures de vol par an en moyenne, contre 2 à 300 heures de vol pour un pilote d’avion. Et de plus, bon nombre d’entre eux s’approchent de la fin de leur contrat, ce qui risque de compliquer encore la situation ».

Pour faire face à la situation, outre augmenter la prime dévolu aux pilotes de drones, l’US Air Force a décidé de mobiliser des ressources de la Garde nationale et des réservistes. Elle compte rappeler des pilotes partis dans d’autres unités, et garder plus longtemps les pilotes actuellement en poste.

L’offensive contre l’EI a changé la donne

Les pilotes de drones mènent depuis le territoire américain des opérations de reconnaissance ou de frappe partout dans le monde, en particulier en Irak et en Syrie dans la lutte contre l’organisation de l’État islamique (EI).

« Le lancement de l’offensive contre l’EI à l’été 2014 a perturbé les plans de l’US Air Force, qui prévoyait dans son budget 2015 de réduire le nombre de drones en opération », a expliqué le général Welsh.

« Oui, nous avons remis en cause cette décision de réduction, et cela a exacerbé le problème des effectifs. Si nous avions réduit comme prévu, nous n’aurions pas de problème aujourd’hui », a précisé le chef d’état-major de l’armée de l’Air américaine.

Début janvier 2015, l’US Air Force utilisait environ 368 drones, dont 150 Predators (reconnaissance et combat), 178 Reapers (reconnaissance et combat) et 40 Global Hawk (reconnaissance), selon ses chiffres.

14.01.2015 - Aerospace Lab Journal - ONERA

12 Jan 2015 By: Beth Stevenson - FG

The Netherlands and aerospace services company Strat Aero have signed a letter of intent for the establishment of an unmanned air vehicle training facility focused on the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.

The non-binding LoI was agreed between the company and Innovation Quarter – the economic development agency for the Dutch region of West Holland – Strat Aero announced on 12 January.

The parties involved hope to establish what they tout as northern Europe’s first UAV pilot training base; a location for which would be provided by the government.

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2/1/15 – laCroix.com (AFP)

Les armées françaises ne jurent plus que par lui au Sahel : pour pouvoir repérer et traquer les jihadistes sur des milliers de kilomètres, dans l'uniformité du désert, le drone devient de plus en plus irremplaçable et convoité.

Venu visiter la base française de Niamey, le ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, a annoncé vendredi qu'il commanderait trois nouveaux drones américains Reaper en 2015, pour livraison en 2016-17, afin de renforcer les capacités de renseignement de la France.

"Deux Reaper sont (déjà) ici en fonctionnement. Le troisième sera opérationnel avant la fin du premier trimestre, au mois de mars 2015", a-t-il également précisé devant les militaires français.

La base de Niamey, d'où décollent les drones qui partent survoler le nord du Mali et du Niger, à la recherche de groupes armés terroristes descendant de Libye, disposera donc au printemps de trois "oiseaux" Reaper et deux Harfang euro-israéliens. S'y ajoutent plusieurs Reaper de l'armée américaine, qui fournit aussi du renseignement aux Français.

La France - qui ne dispose par ailleurs que de deux autres Harfang - a fait de l'acquisition des drones une priorité pour gagner en autonomie par rapport à ses partenaires. Au total, la loi de programmation militaire prévoit l'acquisition de douze Reaper d'ici 2019.

"Les drones plus on en a, plus on en a besoin. C'est la clef des opérations en Afrique. Au Levant, les identifications de (cibles) hostiles se font via les drones", relevait dernièrement le chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'air, le général Denis Mercier.

Sur la base de Niamey, les deux Reaper et deux Harfang stationnés au côté des Mirage 2000 font l'objet de toutes les attentions à chaque visite de responsables ministériels.

Énigmatiques avec leur cockpit aveugle, sans hublot, et leurs airs de grands cormorans - le Reaper se déploie sur 20 mètres d'envergure et 11 mètres de long - ils décollent pourtant comme des avions, empruntant la piste dans un ronronnement de moteur et une odeur de kérosène.

Leur véritable œil, c'est une boule optronique, dotée d'une grosse caméra, placée sous la carlingue. Pendant tout le temps du vol, un équipage - pilote et navigateur - commande l'appareil depuis un poste installé au sol.

- 'Un drone, c'est un marathonien' -

"C'est comme un cockpit d'avion, vous avez une place à gauche, une à droite, des appareils pour voir tous les paramètres de vol, une manette de gaz, un manche. La seule différence, c'est que vous avez beaucoup plus d'ordinateurs", explique le capitaine Guillaume, pilote d'avion reconverti dans les drones après une formation aux Etats-Unis.

Les Reaper partent pour des missions qui peuvent durer jusqu'à 15 heures, soit plus longtemps que des avions de reconnaissance. Ils sont aussi moins rapides - 400 km/h en vitesse de croisière - pour un rayon d'action de 1.850 km.

"Un Mirage, un Rafale, c'est taillé pour la performance, c'est un sprinter. Un drone, c'est un marathonien", résume le capitaine Guillaume.

A Niamey, les équipages de drones suivent les ordres venus de Lyon (centre-est de la France), d'où les opérations sont dirigées. "On nous donne des zones spécifiques, des objectifs, bâtiments, véhicules à surveiller", explique l'officier.

Assis dans le poste de pilotage, un interprétateur photo décrypte chaque image qui arrive, à la recherche de mouvements suspects et de cibles. Il s'appuie aussi sur des informations fournies par les radars qui, à la différence du drone, peuvent opérer indépendamment des conditions météorologiques.

"C'est parfois un boulot très intéressant", lâche le sergent Vincent, qui n'en dira guère plus sur ses missions, même si ce sont des drones qui ont aidé à localiser et à neutraliser dernièrement un chef jihadiste, Ahmed el Tilemsi, au Mali.

"On peut aussi passer des heures et des heures à surveiller une maison sans savoir s'il y a quelqu'un dedans. Mais au final, je suis payé pour regarder des trucs pour lesquels beaucoup de gens paieraient cher !", lance-t-il en souriant.