The
Raven is one of the most popular unmanned aircraft systems in the world. It can
be programmed for autonomous operation or operated manually. The system uses
advanced avionics and precise GPS navigation for autonomous operation. The
Raven was originally developed as the FQM-151 in 1999. The US Army was in need
of a system that offered real time coverage, as well as over-the-horizon views for difficult
areas. The army acquired a number of FQM-151 Pointer UAVs for military
operations.
The Raven is a smaller version of the FQM-151 created
later as the RQ-11 Raven in 2002. The Raven is priced at $35,000. A UAV includes all of the associated support equipment,
control station, data links, telemetry, communications and navigation equipment
necessary for operations, therefore the total system cost of a Raven is approximately
$250,000. Upgraded versions of the Raven have been created since its initial
development. In October 2013, AeroVironment secured a $20 million order from
the US Army to provide Mantis i23 gimbaled sensor payloads for upgrading the
RQ-11B Raven with an order for the Raven spare parts being placed by the US Army
in September 2014 (Army-Technology, n.d.).
The RQ-11B Raven features a wingspan of 4.5 feet and a weight of 4.2 pounds. The hand-launched Raven can perform day or night aerial observation. Its line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers and the system offers real-time color or infrared imagery. According to AeroVironment, the GCS interfaces with all of its tactical ISR air vehicles reducing the level of training required and decreasing the time and cost involved (Army-Technology, n.d.). The Raven is currently used by the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command.
While the Raven comes with many useful features, there are some human factor issues that must be taken into consideration prior to use. One of those issues includes use of the Raven in urban environments. Urban operations include all military actions performed on terrain where manmade construction affects tactical options. During operations in urban areas the army determined that the Raven was most useful during daylight hours even though the system featured a high-resolution infrared camera for night use. The Raven systems were typically used during times of day when the solar radiation energy levels were lowest. Solar radiation reflection on uneven surface causes varying wind speeds and temperature. Though these differentials have little effect on large platforms, the small Raven is affected by increased levels of insolation, as it will gain/drop altitude, change direction, and drain the system’s on-board battery life as the Raven adjusts in response (Krause, 2012). This knowledge of the Raven system weakness is a deterrent among commanders.
The Raven’s ground control station is strength and a weakness for the UAV. The system is advertised as a benefit due to its simplicity; however the limited number of control options also limits the amount of information provided to the operator. The UAVs altitude, airspeed, and other important details are not always easily viewable. This greatly contributes to the problem of the Raven flying out of range from the ground control station and the operator losing control of the UAS due to a lack of situational awareness (Krause, 2012). Upgrading the technology for the ground control station has been an improvement and greatly affected the information provided to the user.
The RQ-11B Raven features a wingspan of 4.5 feet and a weight of 4.2 pounds. The hand-launched Raven can perform day or night aerial observation. Its line-of-sight ranges up to 10 kilometers and the system offers real-time color or infrared imagery. According to AeroVironment, the GCS interfaces with all of its tactical ISR air vehicles reducing the level of training required and decreasing the time and cost involved (Army-Technology, n.d.). The Raven is currently used by the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command.
While the Raven comes with many useful features, there are some human factor issues that must be taken into consideration prior to use. One of those issues includes use of the Raven in urban environments. Urban operations include all military actions performed on terrain where manmade construction affects tactical options. During operations in urban areas the army determined that the Raven was most useful during daylight hours even though the system featured a high-resolution infrared camera for night use. The Raven systems were typically used during times of day when the solar radiation energy levels were lowest. Solar radiation reflection on uneven surface causes varying wind speeds and temperature. Though these differentials have little effect on large platforms, the small Raven is affected by increased levels of insolation, as it will gain/drop altitude, change direction, and drain the system’s on-board battery life as the Raven adjusts in response (Krause, 2012). This knowledge of the Raven system weakness is a deterrent among commanders.
The Raven’s ground control station is strength and a weakness for the UAV. The system is advertised as a benefit due to its simplicity; however the limited number of control options also limits the amount of information provided to the operator. The UAVs altitude, airspeed, and other important details are not always easily viewable. This greatly contributes to the problem of the Raven flying out of range from the ground control station and the operator losing control of the UAS due to a lack of situational awareness (Krause, 2012). Upgrading the technology for the ground control station has been an improvement and greatly affected the information provided to the user.
References
AeroVironment. (n.d.). UAS: RQ-11B Raven. Retrieved from http://www.avinc.com/uas/small_uas/raven/
Army-Technology. (n.d.). RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial vehicle, United States of America.Retrieved from http://www.army-technology.com/projects/rq11-raven/
Krause, J. J. (2012, October-December). T-UAS operations within urban contingency operations.Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, 30(4), 21-24.
Army-Technology. (n.d.). RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial vehicle, United States of America.Retrieved from http://www.army-technology.com/projects/rq11-raven/
Krause, J. J. (2012, October-December). T-UAS operations within urban contingency operations.Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, 30(4), 21-24.
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