The tactical revolution of UAVs: from simple reconnaissance to attack systems

(To Tiziano Ciocchetti)
09/11/17

The ability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to initiate a real revolution in the conduct of offensive actions is evident from the early Israeli use of the first remote control (Remotely Piloted Vehicle) in the Béják Valley in June 1982, when these small remote controlled aircraft were sent near the Syrian SAM batteries in order to deceive them by simulating the radar track of an airplane and thus push it to activate the radar of tracking, transforming them into easy targets for AGM-45 anti-radiation surface missiles Shrike and AGM-78 Standard.

During the operation Peace in Galilee IDFs also use RPVs as economical and flexible platforms for reconnaissance and in some cases for real-time video surveillance as well as for pointing with guided bomb laser illuminators.

Despite the successes in the Béják Valley, for many years, unmanned systems have remained a tool that has been marginalized in most of the world's armed forces, mostly used for limited reconnaissance missions, also due to technological availability not yet ripe to allow these vectors to express their full potential.

RPV development - then UAV - was never stopped, in fact a particular technological increase occurred in the telecommunications sector - which allowed the introduction of datalink satellite and bandwidths ever wider for data transfer - and with the production of payloads increasingly efficient.

The decisive turning point is in February of 2001, when a General Atomics MQ-1L Predator A launches an AGM-114 missile Helfire laser-guiding, transforming for the first time a UAV into an attack vector.

In that first series of tests the Predator gets 12 successes on 16 launches, demonstrating the validity of the idea that only eight months later, in October of the 2001, allows the CIA to lead Afghanistan the first operational engagement with a weapon system of this type.

Further more or less known attacks were conducted in Iraq and, before, in Yemen, where 3 November 2002 Predator of the CIA, taken off by Djibouti, destroyed an off-road vehicle on board alleged terrorists.

Il Predator has thus become one of the major weapons for the war on terrorism and a clear example of the importance of minimizing the so-called sensor to shooter time (ie the time between target detection and attack), enabling virtually bringing the highest level decision makers to the battlefield. Also being smaller and less loud than a conventional carrier, the Predator it is difficult to detect the enemy, which can then be approached more easily to engage targets that otherwise would have to be hit by using very expensive stand-off armaments.

Designers and users are now committed to making the most of UAV capabilities, increasing their attack capabilities, and reducing costs as much as possible.

The missile Helfire for example, a weapon designed to attack tanks, is considered wasted for use against targets soft, as unprotected vehicles and groups of guerrillas. In addition, given no insignificance,Helfire has a weight of 48 kg and is therefore impossible for one Predator carry more than two. Another problem with the AGM-114M / K is the limited visual field of the seeker (only 8 grades), which reduces the flexibility of use by UAVs.

This last problem was solved by the introduction of the AGM-114P version, developed specifically by the US Army for use by the Predator. This variant of 'Helfire, certified for operational use at the beginning of the 2005, has a 90 degrees of attack angle, a new pointing software, and a better gyroscope system that allow him to engage targets at high angles to the launch axis. In addition, the maximum launch altitude has been increased by 3.050 meters to over 7.600, so as to allow Predator to release the missile directly to the surveillance quota.

Particular aspect concerns the development and adaptation of lighter weapons - therefore also employable by smaller UAVs Predator - cheaper and more expensive autonomous compared to the launch platform.

Interesting in this regard was the use of a light UAV Sentry HP (photo on the right) for the launch of the Israeli counter-tank missiles Spike-ER. This Israeli Rafael weapon system has a range of 8 km, it is equipped with a PBF (Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation) header and can be used both in mode fire-and-forget, is maneuvered by a fiber optic cable. However it weighs 33 kg (including the launch tube) and is therefore not suitable for lighter UAVs (like the same sandry HP). The Spike was also experimented with French Sagem Sperwer B, but in the lighter version LR (13,2 kg), according to some items it would have seen operational use during the operation Fused Lead against Hezbollah.

Lo Sperwer is able to carry, in addition to its own payload for surveillance (EO / IR and SAR), also two loads of 30 kg each on two sub-branch attack points, namely, armament. The Spike-LR looks so perfect for the French UAV while it is Spike-ER looks too close to the load capacity limit Sperwer B to be used operationally, even if it offers twice the range of the Spike-LR (of only 4 km).

It therefore seems evident to the need to develop an ad hoc weapon for UAV use. Sagem has also worked with GIAT to develop a new submunition based system Bonus MK II with LADAR (Laser-Radar) or IR guidance, which came into production in the 2005.

Once launched, each Bonus MK II is able to scan, during the downhill phase, an 200 meter area using the LADAR system that provides a lens 3D image, or the IR sensor. The weapon is therefore able to discriminate quite carefully with the targets paying, comparing the images provided by the sensors with those of one library of preloaded targets, then attack them from above with an EFP (Explosive Formed Penetrator) charge.

Interested in this type of weapon, US Air Force has funded Textron Systems' development of the Guided Dispenser System, a system designed to Predator A to carry several submunitions, first of all those produced by the same Textron Systems as the Skeet from 3,4 kg, generally launched by the sub-dispenser BLU-108 / B (in turn launched by the SUU-66 / B Tactical Munitions Dispenser, which forms the CBU-97 cluster bomb) carrying four of them.

Another subunit used by US UAVs is Nortrhop Grumman BAT (Brilliant Anti-Tank). Already in March of 2003, Northrop Grumman, who had previously acquired the UAV RQ-5A Hunter from TRW, delivered to the US Army the first specimens of Hunter armed with the BAT, called MQ-5A. Shortly afterwards, a new version was developed, the MQ-5B, with a wingspan larger than the previous model (10,44 meters versus 8,90), a higher weight (820 kg vs. 725) and, above all, two two-stroke engines Mercedes Benz cylinders. The new Hunter can reach a quota of nearly 5.400 meters, with a range of 300 km, an autonomy of 18 hours and can carry a load of 60 kg under each wing.

BAT submunctions, each with a weight of 20 kg, are mounted on the MQ-5B inside a tube and expelled via a gas piston.

The latest version of this weapon system is the Viper Strike, where seeker acoustic IR of the first BAT, is replaced by a seeker passive laser that gives it an accurate precision even for use in urban areas. In this regard, in the 2005, two MQ-5B (photo) equipped with the Viper Strike have been deployed in Iraq with the aim of testing the new weapon system on the ground to which they may subsequently make changes.

Along with the experimentation of lighter weapon systems continues the development of UAV from the greater payload, such as the MQ-9A Reaper from 4.765 kg, capable of carrying heavy weapons such as the XDMXX (Small Diameter Bombs) SDB or the most conventional bombs from 130 kg - can carry up to four - like the GBU-253 / B JDAM satellites (recently it is learned that on Reaper GBU-54 bombs are being integrated, which are practically GBU-38 with dual laser / GPS guidance system) and the GBU-12 / B Paveway II by 295 kg with laser guide.

For this type of carrier, General Atomics also provides for the possibility of installing the short-range air-to-air missile AIM-9X Sidewinder infrared guide, in order to equip the Reaper also of the ability to defend themselves. However, for this purpose, it would be preferable to use light anti-aircraft missiles like it Stinger or French Mistral, which have less impact on payload and can also be installed on small UAVs.

As far as the Italian military aviation is concerned, the European leader in the use of UAVs for surveillance, in November of 2015, the US Congress successfully ratified the Italian request for the possibility of arming Predator and Reaper supplied with the 32 ° Frost of Amendola.

In the note of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency attached to the Congress, it turns out that Italy is currently operating with the MQ-9 system and will have no difficulty in incorporating this additional capacity. The sale of these equipment does not alter the basic military equilibrium in the region.

(Photo: US DoD / US Air Force)