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AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven

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RQ-11 Raven
Army Cpl. Jerry Rogers assembles an RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial vehicle (in Taji, Iraq)
Role Remote controlled UAV[1]
Manufacturer AeroVironment
First flight October 2001
Introduction May 2003
Status In use on combat field
Primary users United States Army
United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Special Forces, international land forces
Produced 2004-present
Number built 19,000+ airframes
Developed from FQM-151 Pointer

The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven is a small hand-launched remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (or SUAV) developed for the U.S. military, but now adopted by the military forces of many other countries.

The RQ-11 Raven was originally introduced as the FQM-151 in 1999, but in 2002 developed into its current form,[2] resembling an enlarged FAI class F1C free flight model aircraft in general appearance. The craft is launched by hand and powered by a pusher configuration electric motor. The plane can fly up to 6.2 miles (10.0 km) at altitudes of appx 500 feet (150 m) above ground level (AGL), and over 15,000 feet (4,600 m) above mean sea level (MSL), at flying speeds of 28-60 mph (45–97 km/h).[3]

Design and development

The Raven RQ-11B UAV system is manufactured by AeroVironment. It was the winner of the US Army's SUAV program in 2005, and went into Full-Rate Production (FRP) in 2006. Shortly afterwards, it was also adopted by the US Marines, and the US Air Force for their ongoing FPASS Program. It has also been adopted by the military forces of many other countries (see below). More than 19,000 Raven airframes have been delivered to customers worldwide to date. A new Digital Data Link-enabled version of Raven now in production for US Forces and allies has improved endurance, among many other improvements.

The Raven can be either remotely controlled from the ground station or fly completely autonomous missions using GPS waypoint navigation. The UAV can be ordered to immediately return to its launch point simply by pressing a single command button.[1] Standard mission payloads include CCD color video cameras and an infrared night vision camera.

The RQ-11B Raven UAV weighs about 1.9 kg (4.2 lb), has a flight endurance of 60–90 minutes and an effective operational radius of approximately 10 km (6.2 miles).[4]

The RQ-11B Raven UAV is launched by hand, thrown into the air like a free flight model airplane. The Raven lands itself by auto-piloting to a pre-defined landing point and then performing a 45° slope (1 foot down for every 1 foot forward) controlled "Autoland" descent. The UAV can provide day or night aerial intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance.

Variants

  • RQ-11A Raven A (no longer in production)
  • RQ-11B Raven B
  • RQ-11B eight channel
  • RQ-11B DDL (Digital Data Link)
  • Solar Raven - In November 2012, the Air Force Research Laboratory integrated lightweight, flexible, high-efficiency solar panels into the Raven platform. The additional power from the solar panels increased the Raven's endurance by 60%. The solar cells were successfully integrated onto the removable wing sections of the UAV. They are 20 square centimeters in size and adhere to the wings of the vehicle using a clear, protective plastic film and an adhesive. The cells were integrated into the existing power system to augment the lithium ion battery. Future improvements include improving the durability of the solar panels and reducing their weight. Integration work is also being conducted on the AeroVironment Wasp and the RQ-20 Puma.[5]

Operators

A soldier prepares to launch the Raven in Iraq
The Raven is launched.

The Raven is used by the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. Additionally, foreign customers include Australia, Estonia, Italy, Denmark, Spain and Czech Republic. As of early 2012, over 19,000 airframes have already been shipped, making it the most widely adopted UAV system in the world today.[6]

The British forces in Iraq used Raven equipment.[7] The Royal Danish Army acquired 12 Raven systems in September 2007 - three systems will be delivered to the Huntsmen Corps, while the remainder will be deployed with soldiers from the Artillery Training Center.[8] A 2010 documentary film, Armadillo, shows Danish forces deploying a Raven in operations around FOB Armadillo in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

The Netherlands MoD has acquired 72 operational RQ-11B systems with a total value of $23.74 million for use within Army reconnaissance units, its Marine Corps and its Special Forces (KCT).[9] At the turn of the year 2009 to 2010 the systems were deployed above the village Veen, as part of the Intensification of Civil-Military Cooperation.[10] In 2012 and 2013 the Raven was loaned by the Defense department to the police department of Almere to combat burglary.[11]

In April 2011, the U.S. announced that it would be supplying 85 Raven B systems to the Pakistan Army.[12]

In June 2011, the U.S. announced $145.4 million in proposed aid for anti-terror efforts in north and east Africa,[13] including four Raven systems to be used by forces from Uganda and Burundi as part of the ongoing African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.[14]

Current operators

 Australia
 Bulgaria[15]
 Canada[16]
 Colombia[17]
 Czech Republic[18]
 Denmark
 Estonia
 Spain
 Iraq [19]
 Italy
 Kenya
 Lebanon 12 systems[20][21][22][23]
 North Macedonia unknown[24]
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Romania
 Saudi Arabia
 Thailand
 United Kingdom
 United States 5,000[25]
 Pakistan [26]
 Uganda
 Yemen

Capture by Iran

Flight control module.

Iran has claimed it has captured two RQ-11, one "in Shahrivar 1390 (August 21-September 19, 2011) and the other one in Aban (October 22-November 20, 2012)".[27] It also indicated that "much of the data of these drones has been decoded", but did not indicate whether the drone has been duplicated, as has been done with the RQ-170 and the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle.[28][29]

Specifications

  • Wing Span 4.5 ft (1372 mm)
  • Length 3 ft (915 mm)
  • Weight 4.2 lb (1906 g)
  • Engine Aveox 27/26/7-AV electric motor
  • Cruising speed approx. 30 kn (56 km/h)
  • Range 6.2 miles (10 km)
  • Endurance approx. 60-90 min

See also

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b "RQ-11 Raven". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 21 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Tomlinson, Cpl Ryan L (2008-05-14). "Gunfighter debuts Raven". IIMEF, Official Site US Marine Core, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn. Retrieved 2010-02-23. [dead link]
  3. ^ "RQ-11 Raven". Army-technology.com. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  4. ^ "RQ-11 Raven datasheet" (PDF). AeroVironment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Solar Raven - SUASNews.com, November 17, 2012
  6. ^ "Gallery: The Complete UAV Field Guide; Current: RQ-11B Raven (AeroVironment)". Popular Science. February 23, 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-01. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "US Raven "loan" to MoD". UAV News. October 3, 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-30. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Ravens, Mini-UAVs Winning Gold Afghanistan’s “Commando Olympics”
  9. ^ "Netherlands Ministry of Defence: Raven Small UAS ready for use". Defensie.nl. September 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01. [dead link]
  10. ^ "Vliegende nachtkijkers ingezet tijdens jaarwisseling". Defensie.nl. January 1, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-04. [dead link]
  11. ^ "AlmereSpionagevliegtuigje ingezet tegen inbraken". OmroepFlevoland.nl. January 28, 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  12. ^ "US to Provide 85 Hand-Launched RQ-11 Raven UAVs to Pakistan". Pakistan Military Review. April 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  13. ^ "US allocates US$145 million to fight terrorism in north, east Africa". defenceWeb. June 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  14. ^ "New Bird of Prey Hunts Somali Terrorists: Raven Drones". Wired.com. June 27, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  15. ^ http://landforce.mod.bg/Pokaz-na-novo-oborudvane-v-61-mbr/11:1145.html
  16. ^ "http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140513/DEFREG02/305130034/Canadian-Army-Navy-Develop-Ambitious-Plans-AF-Fights-Delays". www.defensenews.com. 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2014-05-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  17. ^ Colombia; US donates ScanEagle UAV's to FAC - Dmilt.com, March 19, 2013
  18. ^ "Czech military to buy two MUAVs for Afghanistan". ČTK (Czech Press Agency, www.ctk.cz). October 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  19. ^ "Iraqi Army's UAVs give troops the big picture". Army.mil. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
  20. ^ "Lebanon to receive US-built UAV's". defence.professionals (defpro). April 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  21. ^ "Heavy U.S. Military Aid to Lebanon Arrives ahead of Elections". Naharnet Newsdesk. April 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  22. ^ "Lebanon gets Raven mini UAV from U.S." United Press International. March 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-24. [dead link]
  23. ^ US delivers military vehicles to Lebanese Army. Daily Star, March 24, 2009.
  24. ^ [1] Drones from Washington arrived in Macedonia
  25. ^ Raven numbers - Strategypage.com, February 19, 2013
  26. ^ Ansari, Usman (May 9, 2009). "Pakistan reported developing armed UAV". Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  27. ^ FarsNews September 22, 2013 http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920631000264
  28. ^ LiveLeak.com - Iranian Copy Of The US UAV Scan Eagle
  29. ^ Iran Claims To Have Captured Another US Drone - Business Insider
Bibliography
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