Defence

BAE Systems has demonstrated its AirWolf vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 1.2m (3.9ft)-diameter ducted-fan UAV is a candidate for Phase 2 of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) WolfPack programme to detect and disrupt enemy communications using unattended sensors, a downselect for which is expected later this year.

© BAE SYSTEMS

Airwolf demonstrator autonomously placed SIGINT sensor

During the January demonstration the UAV flew a 1.1km (0.6nm) course at up to 30kt (55km/h) in winds of 20kt, deploying the 10kg (22lb) WolfPack signals-intelligence payload and landing autonomously. Meeting the desired 1h endurance reduces the UAV’s payload to 5.9kg. But, sensor weight reduction is part of DARPA’s WolfPack programme.

“We hope to have an electro-optical/infrared/laser rangefinder capability in the near term for surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance missions,” says BAE VTOL UAV chief systems engineer Kurt Vieten.