Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are deployed to undertake functions of Intelligence-Surveillance Reconnaissance, and target, strike and combat support roles both from on-shore and naval platforms

During the last decade of the twentieth century, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a versatile platform to undertake multi-faceted role in support of land based, aerial and naval operations. Consequent upon the significant contribution made by UAVs such as the Predator, Hunter and Pioneer in the Gulf Wars, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan lead to its recognition as a force multiplier. The UAVs are designed to provide real time imagery through reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering and targeting by using a combination of infrared/optical sensor and a laser target designator, and now the weapon delivery platform as well.

The UAVs combine the advantages of aerial platforms such as speed, flexibility and reach with those of unmanned platforms such as lower cost and higher risk employability, providing enormous operational flexibility. With its aerodynamic design, it provides significant advantage in terms of endurance and extended operational time on tasks, as opposed to human endurance and fatigue factors inherent to manned aerial platforms. The additional benefits being not just the lower initial cost, but also its operating cost which is also significantly lower due its reduced support requirements. The UAVs can operate at heights greater than 50,000 feet for prolonged durations, something that manned aircraft were unable to do as a consequence of human limitations. UAVs’ ability to be remotely controlled and operated, separated by thousands of miles from the operational location, permits its forward deployment with minimal logistic support encumbrance.

UAVs in Maritime Domain

Taking cognisance of evolving potential and capabilities of the UAVs in the maritime domain, most of the leading navies of the world are inducting it in their arsenal. In classic sense, the UAVs are being deployed to undertake roles of Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), and target, strike and combat support roles both from on-shore and naval platforms. Various types of UAVs like mini, micro, small, vertical take off and landing (VTUAV), medium altitude endurance (MALE), high altitude endurance (HALE) and unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV) are ideally suited for naval operations.

The US Navy has embarked upon the UAV programme in a big way with the induction of Global Hawk, from General Atomics of US as part of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Project (BAMS) for Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) duties. The German Navy is inducting Euro Hawk which is another variant of Global Hawk as a replacement for Atlantique, MR aircraft. The Israeli Navy has launched its IAI Heron as a replacement of IAI Westwind, MR aircraft. Increasing significance of UAVs in long endurance shore based surveillance role, has highlighted the essentiality of inducting UAV as an organic surveillance capability for ship borne operations. This concept has given birth to rotary UAVs equipped with surveillance and classification sensors. In concretising this concept, the notable programmes underway are Fire Scout of Northrop Grumman, Orca of EADS, NRUAV of IAI-HAL, Hummingbird of Boeing, Camcopter of Scheibel and Eagle Eye of Bell. These UAVs have longer endurance than manned helicopters, as is the case of the Boeing’s Hummingbird, in the region of 24 hours, far in excess to the performance of fixed wing UAVs.

VTUAV

Since VTUAC is capable of ship borne operations, it can provide real time imagery data to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for operations, both from ashore and afloat. It can also reduce sensor to shooter reaction time and can extend its capabilities to other mission areas. The US Navy has chosen the RQ-8A Fire Scout as its vertical VTUAV. Northrop Grumman-Ryan Aeronautical of San Diego was awarded an engineering and manufacturing development contract for the Fire Scout, which would provide situational awareness and precision targeting support to the US Navy and Marine Corps. In August 2005, Fire Scout was upgraded from RQ-8 to MQ-8 to assign to it multi-role capability, including the weapons delivery.

Fire Scout has the capability to be launched and recovered from any warship fitted out for helicopter operations, as also from sparsely prepared landing zones close to the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA). It can carry out surveillance, find tactical targets, track and designate targets and provide accurate targeting data to strike platforms such as strike aircraft, helicopters and ships. The MQ-8B has four rotor blades, increased payload capacity of 270 kg and endurance in excess to eight hours with a payload of 90 kg. Encouraged by the successful upgradation of MQ-8B Fire Scout, it is also being inducted in the new Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). Baseline payload for the USN includes the FLIR Systems AN/AAQ-22D BriteStar II target designation system with electro-optical and infrared sensors and a laser range finder/designator. Northrop Grumman is also carrying out a weapons integration programme which includes the installation of two fourpacks of 2.75in rocket launchers.

Intelligence Gathering

Historically, intelligence gathering aerial platforms have always had to operate at a distance from their intended intelligence sources for fear of retribution. This limitation has resulted in reduction of capability to intercept low strength signals or gain intelligence inputs available only close to the source. The capability of the UAVs to perform this vital role has changed the scenario drastically. The UAVs are able to penetrate deeper and therefore closer to the intended targets both because of its low detection probability as well as acceptance of greater risk in its deployment.