August 28,
2008: British troops in Afghanistan have
begun using the Desert Hawk III UAV for combat operations, in addition to the
U.S. Army's favorite, the Raven micro (4.3 pound) UAV. Britain began buying the
seven pound Desert Hawk mini-UAV last year, for base protection. But the UAV
soon proved itself superior for combat operations.
Battery powered,
the Desert Hawk can stay in the air for up to 90 minutes, flying a route
specified by the operator and using onboard GPS and flight software for
guidance. The Desert Hawk III UAV can be equipped with daylight or night (heat
imaging) cameras. Everything seen on each flight is recorded, and
simultaneously transmitted back to the operator, who views the video on a
laptop computer. The UAV cruises at about 80 kilometers an hour and at an
altitude of 300-500 feet. The UAV can operate up to 15 kilometers from its base
station. The UAV is launched using a large elastic rope (a bungee cord,
basically) and lands by just coming in low and turning off its motor. The
Desert Hawk can also be hand launched like the Raven, but a strong arm is
required. The UAV is made of plastic. The operators do not fly the Desert Hawk,
but they can change its flight pattern while it's flying a mission, or command
it to just circle a location. An onboard computer handles all the details of
flying correctly and not spinning out of control. After one mission, the
operator can put in a fresh set of batteries and launch it again.
A Desert
Hawk "detachment" consists of two sergeants and 520 pounds of
waterproof carrying cases containing six UAVs, a laptop computer,
communications equipment and a spare parts and repair kit. The UAV, once the
parts are snapped together, has a 54 inch wingspan and is 36 inches long. New
operators can be trained, on the job, in about a week.
The Desert
Hawk has several advantages over the Raven. Desert Hawk is quieter, more stable
(because it is heavier and larger) and mounts a camera that can move
independently of the aircraft. The
British infantry have found these advantages sufficient to select the Desert
Hawk III over the Raven.
