Drones / UAV

Rappel du premier message :

Drone Kamikaze Israélien, d'une portée de 500Km..
Il vole en territoire ennemie, et cherche constamment les émissions radar une fois un signal reçu le compare a sa base de donnée, et s'en occupe selon l'ordre de priorité..en fonçant vers elle à la vertical et explosant juste au dessus pour faire le plus de dégât possible.





http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/uav/harpy/HARPY.html

ce genre d'appareil va être développer pour devenir un chasseur de 6ème génération. les chasseurs de 6eme génération n'auront pas de pilote.

actuellement il n'est pas si développé pour remplacer un chasseur les drones ont aucun savoir faire en dogfight mais plutot leurs mission est bombarder par exemple le B2 et des missions de reconnaissance.

pour nous ont a déjà quelques drones mais ont néglige le nombre leur marque etc... vue le vide entre les FAR et le peuple

YukineKo a écrit:

pour nous ont a déjà quelques drones mais ont néglige le nombre leur marque etc... vue le vide entre les FAR et le peuple

désolé mais j'ai pas compris cette dernière phrase

le maroc possède quelques drones mais on ignore le nombre.
vue la discretisation de nos FAR

CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) – Airmen of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing here surpassed the 600,000 flight hour mark in the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system Sept. 4 here.
The Predator fleet passed 250,000 hours in June 2007, after 12 years of flying, and it only took a year and eight months for the aircraft to fly an additional 250,000 hours to reach 500,000 flying hours in February 2009.
Due to the continuous demand for the aircraft by combatant commanders, the Predator reached 600,000 flying hours seven months later.
An aircrew from the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron flew this milestone mission in support of overseas contingency operations.
“We are proud to be a part of yet another RPV milestone and will continue to make significant contributions in the future,” said Lt. Col. Robert Kiebler, the 15th RS commander. “The men and women of the 15th RS provide continuous 24/7/365 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close-air support, and combat search and rescue capability to support the warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their dedication and commitment in the face of adversity is nothing short of astounding.”

Fielded in 1995, the Predator’s primary mission is to provide armed reconnaissance, airborne surveillance and target acquisition to commanders in the field. The Predator can be armed with two laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and carries the Multispectral Targeting System, which integrates electro-optical, infrared, laser designator and illuminator into a single sensor package.
Col. Pete Gersten, the 432d Wing and 432d Air Expeditionary Wing commander, said the capabilities of the Predator have made the aircraft a vital asset to the joint ground forces in Afghanistan and Iraq,

“The Predator provides our ground forces direct support with its unblinking eye and persistent stare, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Colonel Gersten said. “This milestone is a true testament to the impact this capability has in the fight.”
Currently there are more than 31 Predator combat air patrols flying 24/7, 365 days a year over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deux superbes vidéos de Lockheed Martin sur leur système de UCAV obscur - le Cormorant et le morphing structure du UCAV

Sabre Warrior de LM : UCAV ou bien 6éme Géneration d'avions

Citation :

This is Lockheed Martin's Sabre Warrior, a next-generation plane that looks like something Batman and Darth Vader would fight over for. Instead, some good-turned-evil computer will get a fleet, as part of a plan to destroy us all. It's impressive.
The Sabre Warrior drone is 46 feet long, with a 36-foot wingspan, capable of taking off with 30,000 pounds of load using a 22,000-pound trust afterburning turbofan engine. It has two modular payload sections, which can be changed by soldiers in the field. Each bay can handle one 2,000 pound or two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles or 10 smart bombs or sensors, or even fuel for extended range missions—even while this thing is air refuelable.
Its twin nose can also hold multiple sensors, which are interchangeable. And it is designed so there could be a version with a cockpit, so they can send man version as an on-the-scene controller, overlooking over the unmanned versions.

Source :: Gizmodo et FlightGlobal

toujours est il que le pilote est indispensable,vu les bavures faites par les avions sans pilote , le futur seul peut on juger.

Mantis

Citation :

BAE Systems and the UK Ministry of Defense signed at Farnborough2008 a jointly funded, first phase advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) program to develop an Unmanned Autonomous System (UAS) that will help shape technology development for the UK’s future UAS capability. The new platform called Mantis will be used to evaluate and test persistent, autonomous Intelligence, Surveillance and Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) as well as unmanned ground attack capabilities. (more...)
According to BAE Systems, the twin-engine Mantis platform and associated ground control infrastructure is already underway, with ground testing planned for later this year, leading to first flight early 2009. The aircraft will be able to carry weapons on six under-wing stores. Possible weapons load Include up to six Paveway size guided weapons, or 12 brimstone missiles, in addition to two Electro-optical (EO) payloads and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). It will be capable of operations extending over 24 hours. Although BAE Systems did not elaborate on specific performance, it is assumed that the Mantis is designed for medium and high altitude operations from 25,000 to 50,000 ft, supporting the warfighter through a range of direct support roles, among them persistent ISR and attack of “short lived” time critical targets.
The powerplant used for the first aircraft is the Rolls Royce RR250B-17 but, according to Kane, final decision on te specific type and maker of the engine to be used in serial aircraft will be made later in Spiral I. current According to BAE Systems, the development will be based on several steps ('spirals') which contribute to an accelerated development cycle. "We plan develop the Mantis from a blank page into a flying unmanned aircraft in 15 months" said Mark Kane. The initial phase will be focusing on persistent ISTAR applications, 'Spiral' II on multi-sensor applications while weapons capabilities performed in Spiral III.
“The rapid development of Mantis will provide indicators of how we can improve the acquisition process to deliver capability swiftly into the changing military environments” said Air Vice Marshal Simon Bollom, Dir. General Combat Air. “We expect to see positive early results before deciding about further investments in a longer term program’ he cautioned.
The current development phase includes an industry team headed by BAE Systems, including Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ, GE Aviation, Selex Galileo and Meggitt. The Mantis program benefit from earlier investment made by BAE Systems and MOD in unmanned systems, particularly in flight autonomy.

Citation :

Farnborough, UK - BAE Systems has successfully flown the largest fully autonomous unmanned aircraft ever to be built in the UK. The next generation autonomous system, MANTIS, completed its maiden flight in Woomera, South Australia.
During subsequent flights, MANTIS successfully completed a series of trials demonstrating the capability of the system and the potential of large unmanned systems to support future UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) operational needs. The MANTIS programme is jointly funded by UK MOD and UK Industry.

crepitator a écrit:

@ crepitator : met le nom des images que tu postes la prochaine fois
c'est le Scan Eagle de l'USN

l'usaf dévoile un nouveau drone (non armé) engagé en Afghanistan le RQ-170 Sentinel

Citation :

Beast of Kandahar Photos of RQ-170 Sentinel Confirmed by Air Force

The US Air Force confirmed yesterday that photos spotted in a French blog with the description "Beast of Kandahar" were indeed that of their RQ-170 aircraft, an unmanned operation being tested and used secretly and
designed to evade radar. Unlike the Reaper Drone and the Predator Drone,
the RQ-170 Sentinel is not armed and is meant primarily for surveillance for our troops without putting lives at risk.
The "R" designation in RQ-170 apparently indicates that it is not armed, says Joe Pappalardo with Popular Mechanics. The fact the 432nd Wing in Nevada is operating it, he continues, affirms that it is meant to be useful to troops on the ground rather than for spy missions. Just months prior Pappalardo had interviewed a colonel wing commander of the 432nd who was reluctant to answer his questions on UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles), but all it took was photos on a French blog to make the US Air Force come clean this Tuesday.
According to Asia News Network, it was aviation experts who gave the UAV RQ-170 Sentinel the name Beast of Kandahar, from photos which had come out earlier this year from a 2007 Afghanistan sighting. I suppose the French blog making news now was just the extra push into public attention the Beast of Kandahar needed to be officially recognized by the Air Force.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2473616/beast_of_kandahar_photos_of_rq170_sentinel.html

Citation :

Dans les coulisses de la guerre en Afghanistan, c'est un sujet qui passionne. L'armée de l'air américaine a confirmé mardi dans un communiqué l'existence de la "bête de Kandahar", surnom d'un drone furtif entr'aperçu à plusieurs reprises sur cette base du sud de l'Afghanistan. Le RQ-170 Sentinel a été conçu par Lockheed Martin pour des missions "de reconnaissance et de surveillance en appui des forces de combat déployées", indique l'armée américaine.
Le blog Secret défense, de Libération, a publié il y a une semaine la première photo de qualité du drone, dont l'existence avait ensuite été confirmée au magazine américain spécialisé Aviation Week par l'armée américaine. Le RQ-170 est un "Skunk work", alias des programmes secrets de Lockheed qui sont aussi à l'origine des avions espions U-2, des chasseurs F-22 et des bombardiers furtifs Nighthawk F-117, précise l'armée.
Le RQ-170 est un engin sans empennage et d'une vingtaine de mètres d'envergure dont les ailes sont surmontées de divers capteurs formant une bosse, avait précisé Aviation Week. Le RQ-170 répond à la volonté du secrétaire d'Etat américain à la défense Robert Gates, visant à accroître les capacités de renseignement, surveillance et reconnaissance, a précisé l'US Air Force.
L'appareil est mis en œuvre par le 30e escadron de reconnaissance de Tonopah Test Range, dans le Nevada, qui accueillait déjà les F-117, un programme resté longtemps top secret, a précisé l'armée. Selon Aviation Week, la silhouette discrète du drone pourrait faire de lui un appareil utile pour surveiller les frontières de l'Iran et conduire des missions d'observation dans le ciel de la Chine, de l'Inde ou du Pakistan où il pourrait recueillir des données sur les missiles et effectuer des écoutes électromagnétiques. Sa désignation, "RQ", laisserait entendre qu'il n'est pas armé, contrairement aux drones MQ-9 Reaper.
http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2009/12/09/l-armee-americaine-devoile-l-existence-d-un-nouveau-drone_1277937_3222.html

Citation :

Le drone secret américain s'inspire d'un projet de la Luftwaffe en 1945

Le drone furtif RQ-170 Sentinel, dont l'US Air Force a reconnu l'existence vendredi à la suite de la publication d'un photo sur ce blog, ressemble étrangement à un projet de la Luftwaffe de 1945 : le Horten Ho 229. Il s'agissait d'une aile volante pilotée et propulsée par deux réacteurs. Son envergure était de 16,76 mètres et son poids maximum de 8 tonnes.
Un prototype, sans propulsion, vola comme un planeur le 1er mars 1944. Cinq furent construits, mais l'avion n'entra jamais en service. Deux appareils furent capturés par les Américains, ainsi que les plans. Ils furent évalués par Northrop, qui construira plus tard des ailes volantes - dont le célèbre bombardier furtif B-2.
En 2009, les experts de Northrop Grumman ont reconstruit l'un de ces appareils

documentaire de national geographic sur le drone : http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/hitler-s-stealth-fighter-3942/Overview23#tab-Overview

Citation :

Aerotree Defence & Services
UAV/DRONES TARGET SOLUTIONS






Aerotree Defence & Services provides operational UAV and target drone services. Pre-exercise planning, logistic support, flights operations, scoring, tracking and post trial analysis form part of the turn key operation.



Aerotree Banshee





Aerotree owns and operate a Banshee system comprising aircraft launch unit, command and control, GPS tracking and navigation and full flight telemetry.


Specifications

* Wing Span : 2.5 meters
* Length : 3.0 meters
* Height : 0.9 meters
* Weight Empty: 47 kilograms
* Max TO. Weight : 92 kilograms
* Endurance : 1.5 hours
* Speed Range : 25 to 105 m/sec (55 to 236 mph)
* Operating Height : 5 meters to 700 meters
* Recovery : Parachute



Aerotree Pheonix Jet





The Phoenix Jet has been developed specifically for the Defence Industry for a high performance training solution for a variety of gun and air defence missile systems. The Phoenix Jet provides a realistic threat simulation and enhancements such as MDI, Smoke, IR and Luneburg lenses can be added to meet the requirements of a wide range of weapon systems.


Specifications

* Wing Span : 2 meters
* Fuselage Length : 2.2 / 2.4 meters
* Endurance : 90 minutes
* Fuel Capacity : 30.4 litres.
* Smoke Tank Capacity : 4.4 litres
* Max TO. Weight : 55 kilograms
* Maximum Speed : In Excess of 300 Knots
* Stall Speed : 50 Knots
* Maximum Altitude : 20,000 feets
* Recovery : Parachute

Transportation

The complete system can be reclocated by sea, land and air. Self contained with electrical power, air conditioned command center and mobile workshop.
UAV Payloads


Payloads available include :

* Decoy chaff and flare
* Infra-red sources for missile guidance
* Line scanners
* Photographic cameras
* Smoke for visual enhancement
* MDI scoring sytems

http://aerotree.com.my/

RQ-170 Clear Daylight Photo.

Rafael se retire d´un marché agressif et congestioné

Citation :

DATE:19/01/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Rafael quits Israel's congested UAV market
By Arie Egozi

Rafael has abandoned its efforts to become an unmanned air vehicle manufacturer and will not invest in new platforms.

The Israeli company has for the past several years tried to develop an advanced tactical UAV, with its efforts based on the Skylite-B system, which was unsuccessfully offered to meet the Israeli defence forces' battalion-level surveillance needs. Elbit Systems' Skylark I LE mini-UAV was selected for the requirement.

Rafael vice-president marketing Lova Drori confirms that a decision has been made to abandon the UAV market. "We don't have an advantage in UAV platforms, and we will not develop new ones," he says.

The company has, however, signed an agreement with Aeronautics Defense Systems, which is understood to cover Rafael offering payloads to equip Aeronautics-developed air vehicles.

Rafael's decision leaves Aeronautics, Elbit and Israel Aerospace Industries as the major Israeli manufacturers of UAVs. Israel Military Industries has also previously made an abortive attempt to enter the market.

The Skylite B lost out in a vital Israeli UAV competition

Bell Eagle Eye

Citation :

One of the most intriguing exhibits was the innovative Bell Eagle Eye Vertical UAV. When launched from a ship, the drone can survey inland territory up to 100 nautical miles away, flying a hi-lo-hi trajectory.

The Eagle Eye VUAV is an essential part of the US Coast Guard's controversial $17 billion Integrated Deepwater System Program which emphasizes on anti-piracy / maritime transportation, illegal drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, surveillance, fisheries and environmental protection, counter-terrorism and exclusive economic zones. The EADS CN-235-300M MPA is also a part of the Deepwater programme.

Citation :

Global Hawk Unmanned Reconnaissance Aircraft Makes History With First Roundtrip Flight From Northrop Grummans Palmdale Facility

PALMDALE, Calif., March 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation’s RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) made aviation history Feb. 2 when it successfully completed its first roundtrip flight from the company’s Palmdale, Calif., manufacturing facility. AF-20, a Block 30 Global Hawk built for the U.S. Air Force, performed the historic mission, soaring at altitudes of 58,300 feet for approximately four hours and 18 minutes.
“This was the first time ever that the same Global Hawk has taken off and landed in a single mission from Palmdale, heralding a new era of flights in and out of the facility,” said George Guerra, Northrop Grumman vice president of High-Altitude, Long-Endurance systems. ”It’s also a huge leap forward for the site as we achieve full production acceptance activities and direct deliveries to the aircraft’s main operating base at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.”
AF-20 is the eighth consecutive production Global Hawk to complete its operational check flight on the first attempt. The mission also marked the first time the sixth Air Force mission control element and a King Air chase aircraft were utilized.
Prior to this flight, two Global Hawks, AF-12 and AF-16, simultaneously flew historic missions on Dec. 14, 2009. AF-12, one of two Block 20 aircraft to be modified with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) Joint Urgent Operation Need (JUON) system payload, became the first UAS to land at Palmdale. At the same time, the AF-16 aircraft, which will be equipped with an airborne signals intelligence payload, became the first Block 30 to fly out of Beale Air Force Base, where it is currently being used for training and for initial operational test and evaluation later this year.
Part of the Air Force’s Objective Gateway program, BACN is an airborne gateway and communications relay system that enables warfighters to rapidly share data and information gathered by multiple users across multiple dissimilar systems present within the battlefield,” said Guerra. “It is the top urgent operational need requested by field commanders and scheduled for deployment by the end of this year.”
AF-16 was first delivered to Beale Air Force Base on Nov. 24, 2009, after completing months of development flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and receiving a military airworthiness certification from the Air Force. Since then, two additional Block 30 aircraft have been delivered to Beale Air Force Base, with all three planned for deployment later this year in support of overseas contingency operations. To date, 21 production Global Hawks have been delivered to the Air Force and other customers.

aviationnews

Citation :

DATE:11/05/10
SOURCE:Flight International
PICTURES: Sagem advances Patroller UAV flight tests
By Craig Hoyle

Sagem will move its Patroller unmanned air vehicle to the French air force's Istres flight-test centre this week, having recently completed a third series of trials with the developmental system.

First flown in June 2009 and based on Stemme's S15 special mission aircraft, the Patroller is being offered to operators including the French armed forces for evaluation from the middle of this year. Deliveries could be made "in 12 to 18 months", says Sagem.

Flight tests conducted from Cergy-Pontoise airfield near Paris from 22-30 April validated the design's triple-redundant avionics equipment and showcased the performance of its Sagem Euroflir electro-optical/infrared sensor and Ku-band datalink.



They also for the first time included the use of external fuel tanks on the Patroller airframe, which weighs about 1,000kg (2,200lb) .

Sagem says the UAV also performed autonomous taxi trials during the recent test phase, with the work having been "integrated in the management of the civil air traffic" at the host airfield.

The work was conducted with a pilot on board the modified S15, a policy that Sagem says "facilitates demonstration flights by allowing them to be carried out in non-restricted airspace".


An operator on the ground controlled the Patroller's Euroflir sensor payload

The use of Istres as a test location will allow Sagem for the first time to operate the Patroller in unmanned mode, using the base's restricted airspace.

An operational version of the medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV would offer operators a mission endurance of 20-30h, with the type to fly at up to 25,000ft (7,620m).

"Patroller meets virtually all French requirements for long-endurance drones, at a reasonable cost," says Sagem. Future system options include the addition of satellite communication equipment, pod-mounted sensors and potentially air-launched weapons, it adds.

Citation :

Boeing : Dévoilement du drone de combat Phantom Ray


Boeing Phantom Ray

Ce drone de la taille d'un avion de chasse servira de banc d'essai pour des technologies avancées destinées à de futurs aéronefs de combat sans pilote.
Selon Darryl Davis, président de Boeing Phantom Works, les tests de roulage au sol devraient débuter cet été et le premier vol est prévu pour le mois de décembre de cette année.
Le Phantom Ray sera amené à accomplir des missions de surveillance et reconnaissance, d'attaque au sol ainsi que des missions de guerre électronique.

aeroweb-fr

Citation :

Fire Scout completes 1st deployment
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md.– The Navy’s only rotary wing unmanned aircraft, MQ-8B Fire Scout, returned from a six-month deployment aboard USS McInerney (FFG- to Naval Air Station Mayport, Fla. April 15.

The Fire Scout has proven its unprecedented situational awareness and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability while deployed with 4th Fleet to assist in counter-narcotics operations, according to Capt. Tim Dunigan, Fire Scout Program Manager in Patuxent River.
“The major objective of this deployment was to demonstrate to the user community the potential for Fire Scout to provide the tactical commander with near time ISR data and to learn lessons for fielding the aircraft,“ said Dunigan. “Based on reports from the deployment, the Fire Scout will be a huge asset for future operational missions.”
A team from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light 42 Detachment 7, the Navy Fire Scout Program Office, and Northrop Grumman Corporation operated and maintained the aircraft. The Fire Scout successfully completed 24 flights, which provided the team an opportunity to assess the design robustness of the system in the highly corrosive at-sea environment
Personnel aboard the McInerney witnessed the Fire Scout’s capabilities first hand when the aircraft assisted in the ship’s first ever drug interdiction. The frigate launched one of its two embarked Fire Scout’s to test different functions and settings when it acquired a suspected narcotics “go-fast” vessel using the aircraft’s Forward Looking Infrared Systems BRITE Star II electro-optical/infrared sensor.
Over the course of three hours, Fire Scout monitored the go-fast with McInerney. With its state-of-the-art optics and extremely small profile, Fire Scout was able to maintain an unprecedented covert posture while feeding real-time video back to McInerney. McInerney and US Coast Guard personnel seized approximately 60 kilos of cocaine and caused the suspected traffickers to jettison another approximately 200 kilos of narcotics.
“The success of the deployment is greatly attributed to personnel aboard the McInerney, some of whom deployed voluntarily, said Dunigan. “Their respective commands recognized the importance of their contribution to the development of this system and the immediate impact it would have on the warfighter.”
The Fire Scout, managed by Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System program office (PMA-266), is in the final stage of System Development and Demonstration, maturing for the final push toward operational testing in early fiscal year 2011

aviationnews

Citation :

DATE:26/05/10
SOURCE:Flight International
General Atomics proves Lynx radar against 'dismounts'
By Stephen Trimble

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has revealed an advanced version of the synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indication sensor deployed on the US Army's MQ-1C Sky Warrior unmanned aircraft system.

The Lynx advanced multi-channel radar (AMR) on 7 May demonstrated its ability to track individual people, or "dismounts", moving on the ground, the company says.

Conducted from its Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, California, the flight marks "the first time that radar dismount detection capability has been demonstrated on a Predator-class aircraft", says Linden Blue, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' reconnaissance systems group.

Blue says the Lynx AMR will be offered by the end of the year as an upgrade for the army's Sky Warriors, which will soon be officially renamed the "Gray Eagle" fleet.

The company is supplying its baseline Lynx radar design for use with deployed Sky Warriors on an interim basis.

Although the Lynx was originally selected for the Sky Warrior fleet, the army reopened the competition for the sensor package in 2007 and awarded a production contract for Northrop Grumman's StarLite system.

However, the StarLite was not available for deployment on a quick reaction capability to Afghanistan this year, so the service decided to field Sky Warriors initially with the Lynx radar.

In early May, Northrop also announced the StarLite has demonstrated the ability to track dismounted human targets moving on the ground.

Tracking "dismounts" in Afghanistan's rugged terrain has become a key technology priority for the army.

Northrop's vehicle and dismount exploitation radar is also being developed to perform the role exclusively. It is expected to be fielded in Afghanistan aboard the Boeing A160 Hummingbird UAS.

The US Army already operates the Sky Warrior UAS in Iraq

Citation :

DATE:12/07/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Block 1 Sky Warrior moves into low-rate initial production
By Gayle Putrich

Drone manufacturer General Atomics has begun low-rate initial production on the next version of the Block 1 MQ-1C Sky Warrior for the US Army's Army's Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) programme, the company says.

The US Department of Defense has already paid General Atomics $195.5 million of the $399 million contract to cover the cost of supplemental hardware and LRIP costs. Full funding for the total of 34 Sky Warrior unmanned air vehicles is expected later this summer. The deal also includes 16 ground control systems to be built by AAI and airborne and ground tactical control datalink (TCDL) equipment produced by L-3 Communications West, as well automatic landing systems, spare parts and other support equipment. An LRIP II award is expected at the end of this year or in early 2011.

Eight previously funded aircraft will be delivered in December 2011, with the first batch of 12 LRIP Warriors set for delivery in mid-2012 and the second by the end of the year. Two additional attrition aircraft have been added to the LRIP lot.

The weaponised medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned system is replacing the RQ-5 Hunter and RQ-7 Shadow.

Slightly larger than its Predator predecessor, the Warrior platform has already logged more than 145,000 flight hours in service with the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan since its introduction in 2006. The ER/MP deal was broken up into several phases due to immediate operational needs, with each phase building on engine capability and payload capacity increases.

The Block I ER/MP variant will be capable of autolanding, have a 260kg (570lb) internal and 225kg external maximum payload capacity and the ability to carry four Hellfire missiles.

In late April, General Atomics was awarded an additional $55.8 million contract for four more Block I MQ-1Cs for the army's initial operational test and evaluation needs; testing is set to being in September 2011. That deal also includes two ground stations.