ARTICLE

June 2004

Small, Lethal Aerial Scouts Emerging

edited by Robert H. Williams

Small, stealthy vertical take-off and landing vehicles are being developed to operate in a range of environments, with capabilities to land or launch on water. Able to perform surveillance missions, the miniature craft also could be armed.

Officials from Cyber Aerospace Corp. of New Orleans and West Palm Beach, Fla., said two versions of the man-transportable, unmanned aerial vehicles are being contemplated. The micro-vehicle will be carried by a single soldier or SWAT team member. It will weigh about 10 pounds. It will carry a camera and a two-pound payload of either explosives or sensing devices.

A larger version would have a payload of 30 pounds. These craft could perform “innovative” reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition functions and, coincidentally, perform hunter-killer missions.

The vertical take-off and landing capability would allow them to be launched from ships or rooftops. As sleepers, these craft could land at a selected location and quietly monitor the surrounding area under their own power.

When fully mature, these aerial scouts would have the high-speed forward flight of a fixed wing airplane, and, thus, possess the capability of long-range over-the-horizon operations that could be either piloted remotely or autonomously, the company said. The smaller UAV is expected to cost about $25,000, while the larger would be priced at $75,000.

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