DRONES HISTORY CLASSIFICATION AND USES Raven Drones HISTORY

DRONES HISTORY CLASSIFICATION AND USES Raven Drones

HISTORY � Pre-Aviation Days � Eddy's Surveillance Kite (USA, 1898) takes worlds first wartime aerial surveillance photos � 1910 s & 1920 s � Tesla describes unmanned aerial combat vehicles (1915) � RAF Aerial Target (UK, 1916 -17) designed for defense against Zeppelins, and as a flying bomb � Sperry Aerial Torpedo (USA, 1916 -18) incorporated A gyro-stabilizer, automatic steering gyroscope, a barometer, and an engine-revolution counter. � RAE LARYNX (UK, 1925 -27) engine produced 200 Hhp; top speed 320 kph faster than fighters of the time, armed with a 113 kg warhead.

HISTORY � 1930 s & 1940 s � Small advances but primarily remote controlled aircraft and the V 1 -V 2 rockets which were more closely related to the modern cruise missiles � 1950 s & 1960 s � Drones primarily developed as targets for air to air and ground to air missile training and assessment � AQM-34 Ryan Firebee (USA, 1960 s) using anti-radar paint its radar signature was reduced. Between October of 1964 and April of 1975, over 1, 000 of these drones flew in over 34, 000 surveillance missions over South. East Asia, with an 83% recovery rate.

HISTORY � 1970 s & 1980 s � Firebee 1241 (1970 s, Israel) In 1970 Israel purchased 12 drones from the U. S. , modified them, and re-designated them 'Firebee 1241'. These drones proved vital both as reconnaissance drones, and as decoys, a function not yet used much for drones. � 1990 s to Present � General Atomics Aeronautical Systems RQ-1 Predator (USA, 1996) made into several variants including the Reaper [an armed UAV or more correctly a UCAV] � Drones begin to be man-portable, the smallest of which is 4 inches and 16 grams.

CLASSIFICATION � Classified by category � Target and decoy � Reconnaissance � Combat [UCAV] � Logistics � Research and development � Civil and Commercial UAVs � Classified by range/altitude � Hand-held 2, 000 ft alt. , about 2 km range � Close 5, 000 ft alt. , up to 10 km range � NATO type 10, 000 ft alt. , up to 50 km � � Note : The United States military employs a tier system for categorizing its UAVs. The Tiers do not refer to specific models of aircraft but rather roles for which various models and their manufacturers competed. � � � range Tactical 18, 000 ft alt. , about 160 km range MALE (medium altitude, long endurance) up to 30, 000 ft alt. and range over 200 km HALE (high altitude, long endurance) over 30, 000 ft alt. and indefinite range HYPERSONIC high-speed, supersonic (Mach 1– 5) or hypersonic (Mach 5+) 50, 000 ft or suborbital alt. , range over 200 km ORBITAL low earth orbit (Mach 25+) CIS Lunar Earth-Moon transfer CACGS Computer Assisted Carrier Guidance System for UAVs

USES � Remote sensing � Commercial aerial surveillance � Domestic policing � Oil, gas and mineral exploration and production � Transport � Scientific research � Armed attacks � Search and rescue � Conservation � Forest fire detection