Eye in the Sky Provides Real-time Intel

Defend America ^ | Army Sgt. Troy Chatwin

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

A Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle launches from its catapult just prior to an intelligence-gathering mission for 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Baqubah, Iraq. At the end of the catapult the aircraft, its Moto Guzzi engine and camera package have accelerated to over 70 knots. U.S.Army photo by Sgt. Troy Chatwin
Eye in the Sky Provides Real-time Intel
By U.S.Army Sgt. Troy Chatwin / 367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, BAQUBAH, Iraq, Feb. 18, 2004 - From the times when Civil War commanders sent intelligence collectors hundreds of feet up and over enemy troops in hot air balloons until today, tactical commanders have relied on eyes other than their own to track enemy movement. Today, this process is provided by Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to gather intelligence from a more advantageous position. “This is a great combat multiplier for operations,” said Col. David R. Hogg, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. “There are no silver bullets in combat, but the UAV paints the picture of what is happening on the ground.” The Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system operated by the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division provides brigade-level commanders with real-time intelligence of what is happening on the ground - day or night, while being virtually undetectable. The secret is its ability to fly at extremely high altitudes while using advanced imaging systems capable of seeing from great distances. Flying the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from a ground control station in Baqubah, Iraq, Spc. Kenon Burns of Detroit, Mich., an unmanned vehicle operator for B Company, 104th Military Intelligence Battalion, controls the aircraft through an array of virtual instruments on his computer panel. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Troy Chatwin	“The Shadow normally flies just over a mile high and can go over two miles high,” said Staff Sgt. Marvin O. Ward, a section supervisor for B Company, 104th Military Intelligence Battalion. Although the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle may seem like a mere remote controlled model airplane, the Shadow is like no toy. Powering the craft is a Moto Guzzi rotary motorcycle engine burning 87 octane fuel, said Ward, who calls Chicago, Ill. home. Launched from a hydraulic catapult, which muscles the small aircraft into flight, the aerial vehicle is already traveling 70 knots when it leaves the ground. The aerial vehicle operator then powers the Shadow to the correct altitude and location from a ground control station. Once over the target, control is then passed from the ground control station on the runway to an operator in the tactical operations center. The backbone of the aerial vehicle is a camera capable of producing color video in daylight and black and white thermal images at night. This imagery is transmitted back to the commander so he can see what is happening on the ground. “You get a really good picture,” said Ward. “You can see people moving around from a long way away.” Through a series of antennae passing information and video between the aircraft and the operators, the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crew is able to support conventional combat and raids, perform counter mortar operations and assist with search and rescue operations.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

104th Military Intelligence Battalion

"OUTRIDERS"

"Watchful and Ready"

 

Ping!

[SAMWolf]

We can see you, bump

[Old Sarge]

Run-but-you-can't-hide BUMPITY-BUMP.

[PUGACHEV]

"Powering the craft is a Moto Guzzi rotary motorcycle engine..."

What in the world are they thinking! Obviously, they've never tried to get spare parts for a "goose". When something breaks -- which is often -- the part has to be shipped from Italy, and half of the time you get the wrong part.

[fiftymegaton]

I always wonder if we have satellites with a real-time visual capability.

[Cicero]

Cool.

[Lokibob]

I would really like to find a computer simulation of UAV in action. One where the player operates the UAV, sees the action down below, and has to interpet what he sees. Very similar to what the specialist in the picture is doing.

The closest I have found is flying sims where you actually have to shoot-em-up too.

[b4its2late]

The Allan Parsons Project was WAY ahead of its' time.......

[the invisib1e hand]

very cool, very impressive. as long all this 'intel' isn't turned on peacetime civilians...

[yhwhsman]

"Powering the craft is a Moto Guzzi rotary motorcycle engine..."

Probably because a Harley engine would have taken away some of it's stealth.

[Vineyard]

costs would be prohibitive to get an equivalent capability.

A satellite in orbit at 120 miles (vs. 2 miles) - traveling at 17,000 mph vs 70 mph.

The UAV can easily manuever to loiter over an area for 6 to 12 hours, while the satellite moves out of area in minutes.

The optics required to see a human sized object from orbit are extremely expensive (probably tens of millions) vs. the UAV's estimated 10 thousand.

TV and movie thrillers with "satellite" photography (such as the Clancy "Clear and Present Danger") are heavy on the fiction and very light on the fact.

Mike

[T-Bird45]

Powering the craft is a Moto Guzzi rotary motorcycle engine burning 87 octane fuel,

How tough is it to get a supply of MOGAS now that every other military vehicle is burning diesel? Just a question for the professional logisticians out there....

[Western Phil]

"How tough is it to get a supply of MOGAS now that every other military vehicle is burning diesel?"

Maybe you have to get in line and buy it on the local ecomomy.

[TruthNtegrity]

We do.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ terrorists and the democrats are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[windchime]

Bump!