BAE Systems - Silver Fox UAV - Mode C transponder - UK

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Silver Fox UAV flies with a Mode C transponder at Parc Aberporth, Wales, UK, a first for small UAVs in the UK

16 July, 2008 -- The Silver Fox Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) recently participated in the annual Parc Aberporth Unmanned Systems conference, exhibition and flight demonstration in the United Kingdom. During flight demonstrations on June 24, 2008, the Silver Fox UAV used an unmanned aerial system (UAS) with an Australian made Microair Mode C UAV Transponder.

This was the first flight made by a small tactical UAV with an active transponder in the United Kingdom, setting a milestone for the Parc Aberporth UAS Flight Demonstration Facilities. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved the Silver Fox UAV flight operations beyond the visual line of sight conditions as allowed by aircraft with the active Mode C transponder.

The onboard-miniaturized transponder, similar to those found on commercial manned aircraft, enabled it to fly several kilometers from the airport at an altitude of approximately 762 meters (2,500 feet.) The previous day the Silver Fox UAV took part in a combined fire services and first responders? fire exercise. Silver Fox UAV filmed the entire two-hour fire exercise from 152 meters (500 feet) AGL. Its infrared thermal imager and color camera were switched while recording the firefighters extinguishing multiple fires. While circling in orbit around the exercise the UAV was able to get 360-degree perspectives of the operations and provide documented tracking of the operators and equipment. The video exercise-tape from the UAV is usable as a source for detailed time monitoring of each of the sub-activities of the exercise serving as a valuable tool for studying the efficiency of the exercise.

Under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) a flight team from Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR) of Tucson Arizona presented and demonstrated the Silver Fox UAV?s newly released transponder capability. In addition, the team displayed a DHS S&T Silver Fox UAV model capable of detecting tunnels.

Recently retired Navy Special Boat Chief Scott Keough, now ACR?s Director of Flight Operations, operated the Silver Fox UAVs during in-theatre operations. He presented aspects of the recent Silver Fox UAV deployments to Iraq, South America and the Philippines. He explained the Silver Fox UAV?s capability in support of forward deployed military units.

One or two operators can operate and control the Silver Fox UAV that is capable of mission duration of more than eight hours. Equipped with both color optical zoom and thermal image cameras, the Silver Fox UAV gives operators a real-time view of critical missions, day or night, up to 38 kilometers (24 miles). It can provide information even farther when recorded autonomously and controlled via a compact, ruggedized ground control station.

The Silver Fox UAV can be launched from a catapult on the ground or onboard a ship and is recovered via net or ground landing. Powered by a gasoline engine, it flew in Mount St. Helens during the eruptions in October 2004, for environmental studies over Greenland?s ice cap, and in the jungles of the Philippines. The compact, lightweight and durable Silver Fox also operated in Australia, New Zealand, in the mountains of Colombia and the deserts of the Middle East.

A system of three Silver Fox UAVs, a compact launcher, tracking antenna and ground control system can be loaded into a SUV sized vehicle or military HUMVEE and has been designed to meet the U.S. military requirements to be man portable, highly durable and maintainable in adverse environments. The present system provides first responders, researchers and military forces a front line capability from the box to the sky in as little as 15 minutes.

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The Silver Fox UAV is launched making UAS history as it begins flight operations at the Parc Aberporth UAS Demonstration Facilities beyond the visual line of site with an active Mode C Transponder on June 24, 2008. - ACR photo - June 2008

ACR?s CEO Anthony Mulligan shows live images on a remote video terminal from the Silver Fox UAV as it operates overhead recording a firefighter and first responder exercise on June 24, 2008 at the Parc Aberporth UAS Demonstration Facilities in the U.K. - ACR photo - June 2008

Firefighters look at real-time images transmitted from the Silver Fox UAV during a training exercise at the Parc Aberporth UAS Demonstration Facilities in Wales. ACR?s Anthony Mulligan explains the Silver Fox?s flight capabilities and how it can be incorporated into first responders? training and operations. - ACR photo - June 2008

A photo of the color image transmitted from the Silver Fox UAV as it flies overhead during a firefighters? exercise on June 24, 2008 at the Parc Aberporth UAS Demonstration Facilities, U.K. The firefighters and first responders along with their equipment can be seen as well as the smoke from the fire used during the two hour exercise. - ACR photo - June 2008

A sample infrared thermal image taken by the Silver Fox UAV of the firefighting exercise held at the Parc Aberporth UAS Demonstration Facilities in the U.K. on June 24, 2008. The black area identifies hot areas and white cooler ones. The responder?s vehicles are in the lower right with the small plane and associated fire and trailing smoke in the middle of the image. - ACR photo - June 2008

July 2008 Silver Fox UAV with onboard Microair active Mode C Transponder during the June 2008 Parc Aberporth Unmanned Systems Conference in Wales, U.K. The flight marked the first UAV authorized to fly beyond the visual line of sight in civilian air space.

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