99-585: The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone ) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Conceived in the early 1990s for aerial reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors. It
198-465: A balloon carrier (the precursor to the aircraft carrier ) in the first offensive use of air power in naval aviation . Austrian forces besieging Venice attempted to launch some 200 incendiary balloons at the besieged city. The balloons were launched mainly from land; however, some were also launched from the Austrian ship SMS Vulcano . At least one bomb fell in the city; however, due to
297-783: A drone , is an aircraft with no human pilot , crew, or passengers on board. UAVs were originally developed through the twentieth century for military missions too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans, and by the twenty-first, they had become essential assets to most militaries. As control technologies improved and costs fell, their use expanded to many non-military applications. These include aerial photography , area coverage, precision agriculture , forest fire monitoring, river monitoring, environmental monitoring , policing and surveillance, infrastructure inspections, smuggling, product deliveries , entertainment, and drone racing . Many terms are used for aircraft which fly without any persons on board. The term drone has been used from
396-454: A "Tier II" MALE UAS (medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system). The UAS consists of four aircraft or "air vehicles" with sensors, a ground control station (GCS), and a primary satellite link communication suite. Powered by a Rotax engine and driven by a propeller, the air vehicle can fly up to 400 nmi (460 mi ; 740 km ) to a target, loiter overhead for 14 hours, then return to its base. The MQ-1 Predator
495-490: A "powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload". UAV is a term that is commonly applied to military use cases. Missiles with warheads are generally not considered UAVs because the vehicle itself is a munition, but certain types of propeller-based missile are often called " kamikaze drones " by
594-512: A 6.1-meter (20-ft) satellite dish with associated support equipment. The satellite link provides communications between the GCS and the aircraft when it is beyond line-of-sight and links to networks that disseminate secondary intelligence. The RQ-1A system can operate on a 5,000 by 75 foot (1,524 meters by 23 meters) of hard surface runway with clear line-of-sight to each end from the GCS to the air vehicles. Initially, all components needed to be located on
693-477: A Predator successfully fired three Hellfire AGM-114C missiles into a target. The newly armed Predators were given the designation of MQ-1A. In the first week of June 2001, a Hellfire missile was successfully launched on a replica of bin Laden's Afghanistan Tarnak residence built at a Nevada testing site. A missile launched from a Predator exploded inside one of the replica's rooms; it was concluded that any people in
792-441: A camera) that weigh considerably less than an adult human, and as a result, can be considerably smaller. Though they carry heavy payloads, weaponized military UAVs are lighter than their crewed counterparts with comparable armaments. Small civilian UAVs have no life-critical systems , and can thus be built out of lighter but less sturdy materials and shapes, and can use less robustly tested electronic control systems. For small UAVs,
891-493: A certificate of authorization which will allow the M/RQ-1 and M/RQ-9 aircraft to be used within U.S. civilian airspace to search for survivors of disasters. Requests had been made in 2005 for the aircraft to be used in search and rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina , but because there was no FAA authorization in place at the time, the assets were not used. The Predator's infrared camera with digitally enhanced zoom has
990-601: A component of an unmanned aircraft system ( UAS ), which also includes a ground-based controller and a system of communications with the aircraft. The term UAS was adopted by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2005 according to their Unmanned Aircraft System Roadmap 2005–2030. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and
1089-615: A decoy to draw fire away from other aircraft. Due to airborne surveillance needs after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) invaded Iraq , the Predator's retirement was delayed to 2018. MQ-1s will probably be placed in non-recoverable storage at the Boneyard and not sold to allies, although antenna, ground control stations, and other components may be salvaged for continued use on other airframes. General Atomics completed
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#17327723470391188-557: A forward location, and consolidates control of the different flights in one location. The improvements in the MQ-1B production version include an ARC-210 radio, an APX-100 IFF/SIF with mode 4, a glycol-weeping "wet wings" de-icing system, upgraded turbo-charged engine, fuel injection, longer wings, dual alternators as well as other improvements. On 18 May 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued
1287-410: A host of advanced technologies that allow them to carry out their missions without human intervention, such as cloud computing, computer vision, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and thermal sensors. For recreational uses, an aerial photography drone is an aircraft that has first-person video, autonomous capabilities, or both. An unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) is defined as
1386-413: A human operator, as remotely piloted aircraft ( RPA ), or with various degrees of autonomy , such as autopilot assistance, up to fully autonomous aircraft that have no provision for human intervention. Based on the altitude, the following UAV classifications have been used at industry events such as ParcAberporth Unmanned Systems forum: An example of classification based on the composite criteria
1485-837: A human target in Libya , according to a report from the UN Security Council 's Panel of Experts on Libya, published in March 2021. This may have been the first time an autonomous killer-robot armed with lethal weaponry attacked human beings. Superior drone technology, specifically the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 , played a role in Azerbaijan's successes in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war against Armenia. UAVs are also used in NASA missions. The Ingenuity helicopter
1584-436: A parallel increase in the use of drones for consumer and general aviation activities. As of 2021, quadcopter drones exemplify the widespread popularity of hobby radio-controlled aircraft and toys, however the use of UAVs in commercial and general aviation is limited by a lack of autonomy and by new regulatory environments which require line-of-sight contact with the pilot. In 2020, a Kargu 2 drone hunted down and attacked
1683-633: A portable hangar in a tent and a wooden taxiway to operate MQ-1s for a six-week period. The first overseas deployment took place in the Balkans , from July to November 1995, under the name Nomad Vigil . Operations were based in Gjader , Albania. Four disassembled Predators were flown into Gjadër airbase in a C-130 Hercules . The UAVs were assembled and flown first by civilian contract personnel. The U.S. deployed more than 70 military intelligence personnel. Intelligence collection missions began in 1995. One of
1782-586: A single module. Gjader Gjadër is a settlement in the Lezhë County , northwestern Albania . With the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality of Lezhë . It is known for the former military air base made famous during the Cold War . According to Report of a Visit to Parts of Turkey, Bar, Albania and Serbia (written by Marin Bici , Archbishop of Antivari ) Gjadër, at
1881-492: A tank target. Then on 21 February 2001 the Predator fired three Hellfire missiles, scoring hits on a stationary tank with all three missiles. Following the February tests, phase two involved more complex tests to hunt for simulated moving targets from greater altitudes with the more advanced AGM-114K version. The armed Predators were put into service with the designation MQ-1A. The Predator gives little warning of attack because it
1980-480: A variable aperture thermographic camera (for low light/night). Previously, Predators were equipped with a synthetic aperture radar for looking through smoke, clouds or haze, but lack of use validated its removal to reduce weight and conserve fuel. The cameras produce full motion video and the synthetic aperture radar produced still frame radar images . There is sufficient bandwidth on the datalink for two video sources to be used together, but only one video source from
2079-415: A variable payload are more likely to feature a distinct fuselage with a tail for stability, control and trim, although the wing configurations in use vary widely. For uses that require vertical flight or hovering, the tailless quadcopter requires a relatively simple control system and is common for smaller UAVs. Multirotor designs with 6 or more rotors is more common with larger UAVs, where redundancy
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#17327723470392178-519: Is U.S. Military's unmanned aerial systems (UAS) classification of UAVs based on weight, maximum altitude and speed of the UAV component. UAVs can be classified based on their power or energy source, which significantly impacts their flight duration, range, and environmental impact. The main categories include: The earliest recorded use of an unmanned aerial vehicle for warfighting occurred in July 1849, with
2277-551: Is also less of a critical requirement for unmanned aircraft, allowing the designer greater freedom to experiment. Instead, UAVs are typically designed around their onboard payloads and their ground equipment. These factors have led to a great variety of airframe and motor configurations in UAVs. For conventional flight the flying wing and blended wing body offer light weight combined with low drag and stealth , and are popular configurations for many use cases. Larger types which carry
2376-538: Is also the designator for the AGM-114 Hellfire that are carried on the MQ-1. Each Predator air vehicle can be disassembled into six modules and loaded into a container. This enables all system components and support equipment to be rapidly deployed worldwide. The largest component is the ground control station (GCS) which is designed to roll into a C-130 Hercules . The Predator primary satellite link consists of
2475-473: Is an autonomous UAV that operated on Mars from 2021 to 2024. Current the Dragonfly spacecraft is being developed, and is aiming to reach and examine Saturn 's moon Titan . Its primary goal is to roam around the surface, expanding the amount of area to be researched previously seen by landers . As a UAV, Dragonfly allows examination of potentially diverse types of soil. The drone is set to launch in 2027, and
2574-578: Is currently the largest Predator squadron in the United States Air Force . U.S. Customs and Border Protection was reported in 2013 to be operating 10 Predators and to have requested 14 more. On 21 June 2009, the United States Air Force announced that it was creating a new MQ-1 squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base that would become operational by February 2011. In September 2011, the U.S. Air National Guard announced that despite current plans for budget cuts, they will continue to operate
2673-463: Is estimated to take seven more years to reach the Saturnian system. Miniaturization is also supporting the development of small UAVs which can be used as individual system or in a fleet offering the possibility to survey large areas, in a relatively small amount of time. According to data from GlobalData , the global military uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) market, which forms a significant part of
2772-490: Is prioritized. Traditional internal combustion and jet engines remain in use for drones requiring long range. However, for shorter-range missions electric power has almost entirely taken over. The distance record for a UAV (built from balsa wood and mylar skin) across the North Atlantic Ocean is held by a gasoline model airplane or UAV. Manard Hill "in 2003 when one of his creations flew 1,882 miles across
2871-595: Is relatively quiet and the Hellfire is supersonic, so it strikes before it is heard by the target. In the winter of 2000–2001, after seeing the results of Predator reconnaissance in Afghanistan, Cofer Black , head of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC), became a vocal advocate of arming the Predator with missiles to target Osama bin Laden in country. He believed that CIA pressure and practical interest were causing
2970-769: The "Finder" mini-UAV . Two unarmed versions, known as the General Atomics ALTUS were built, ALTUS I for the Naval Postgraduate School and ALTUS II for the NASA ERAST Project in 1997 and 1996, respectively. Based on the MQ-1 Predator, the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle was developed for the U.S. Army. The USAF ordered a total of 259 Predators, and due to retirements and crashes
3069-533: The 1991 Gulf War . UAVs demonstrated the possibility of cheaper, more capable fighting-machines, deployable without risk to aircrews. Initial generations primarily involved surveillance aircraft , but some carried armaments , such as the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator , that launched AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles . CAPECON , a European Union project to develop UAVs, ran from 1 May 2002 to 31 December 2005. As of 2012 ,
General Atomics MQ-1 Predator - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-503: The Air Force Special Operations Command tested the ability to rapidly deploy Predator aircraft. Two MQ-1s were loaded into a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III in a cradle system that also carried a control terminal, maintenance tent, and the crew. The test was to prove the UAVs could be deployed and set up at an expeditionary base within four hours of landing. In a recent undisclosed deployment, airmen set up
3267-891: The Argus As 292 and the V-1 flying bomb with a jet engine . Fascist Italy developed a specialised drone version of the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 flown by remote control, although the Armistice with Italy was enacted prior to any operational deployment. After World War II development continued in vehicles such as the American JB-4 (using television/radio-command guidance), the Australian GAF Jindivik and Teledyne Ryan Firebee I of 1951, while companies like Beechcraft offered their Model 1001 for
3366-725: The British Civil Aviation Authority adopted this term, also used in the European Union's Single European Sky (SES) Air Traffic Management (ATM) Research (SESAR Joint Undertaking) roadmap for 2020. This term emphasizes the importance of elements other than the aircraft. It includes elements such as ground control stations, data links and other support equipment. Similar terms are unmanned aircraft vehicle system ( UAVS ) and remotely piloted aircraft system ( RPAS ). Many similar terms are in use. Under new regulations which came into effect 1 June 2019,
3465-756: The El Mirage airfield in the Mojave Desert . The aircraft itself was a derivative of the GA Gnat 750 . During the ACTD phase, three systems were purchased from GA, comprising twelve aircraft and three ground control stations. From April through May 1995, the Predator ACTD aircraft were flown as a part of the Roving Sands 1995 exercises in the U.S. The exercise operations were successful which led to
3564-564: The U.S. Navy in 1955. Nevertheless, they were little more than remote-controlled airplanes until the Vietnam War . In 1959, the U.S. Air Force , concerned about losing pilots over hostile territory, began planning for the use of uncrewed aircraft. Planning intensified after the Soviet Union shot down a U-2 in 1960. Within days, a highly classified UAV program started under the code name of "Red Wagon". The August 1964 clash in
3663-510: The United States Air Force (USAF) employed 7,494 UAVs – almost one in three USAF aircraft. The Central Intelligence Agency also operated UAVs . By 2013 at least 50 countries used UAVs. China, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Turkey, and others designed and built their own varieties. The use of drones has continued to increase. Due to their wide proliferation, no comprehensive list of UAV systems exists. The development of smart technologies and improved electrical-power systems led to
3762-503: The United States Department of Defense , UAVs are classified into five categories below: Other classifications of UAVs include: There are usually five categories when UAVs are classified by range and endurance: There are usually four categories when UAVs are classified by size, with at least one of the dimensions (length or wingspan) meet the following respective limits: Based on their weight, drones can be classified into 5 categories— . Drones could also be classified based on
3861-456: The hydrogen fuel cell . The energy density of modern Li-Po batteries is far less than gasoline or hydrogen. However electric motors are cheaper, lighter and quieter. Complex multi-engine, multi-propeller installations are under development with the goal of improving aerodynamic and propulsive efficiency. For such complex power installations, battery elimination circuitry (BEC) may be used to centralize power distribution and minimize heating, under
3960-401: The quadcopter design has become popular, though this layout is rarely used for crewed aircraft. Miniaturization means that less-powerful propulsion technologies can be used that are not feasible for crewed aircraft, such as small electric motors and batteries. Control systems for UAVs are often different from crewed craft. For remote human control, a camera and video link almost always replace
4059-459: The 1900s, and originally focused on providing practice targets for training military personnel . The earliest attempt at a powered UAV was A. M. Low 's "Aerial Target" in 1916. Low confirmed that Geoffrey de Havilland's monoplane was the one that flew under control on 21 March 1917 using his radio system. Following this successful demonstration in the spring of 1917 Low was transferred to develop aircraft controlled fast motor launches D.C.B.s with
General Atomics MQ-1 Predator - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-608: The 1973 Yom Kippur war, a few key people from the team that developed this early UAV joined a small startup company that aimed to develop UAVs into a commercial product, eventually purchased by Tadiran and leading to the development of the first Israeli UAV. In 1973, the U.S. military officially confirmed that they had been using UAVs in Southeast Asia (Vietnam). Over 5,000 U.S. airmen had been killed and over 1,000 more were missing or captured . The USAF 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing flew about 3,435 UAV missions during
4257-589: The 1980s and 1990s, interest in UAVs grew within the higher echelons of the U.S. military. The U.S. funded the Counterterrorism Center (CTC) within the CIA, which sought to fight terrorism with the aid of modernized drone technology. In the 1990s, the U.S. DoD gave a contract to AAI Corporation along with Israeli company Malat. The U.S. Navy bought the AAI Pioneer UAV that AAI and Malat developed jointly. Many of these UAVs saw service in
4356-599: The Air Force's combat UAVs, including MQ-1B. On 28 August 2013, a Predator belonging to the 163d Reconnaissance Wing was flying at 18,000 to 20,000 feet over the Rim Fire in California providing infrared video of lurking fires, after receiving emergency approvals. Rules limit the Predator behavior; it must be accompanied by a manned aircraft, and its camera must only be active above the fire. In September 2013,
4455-551: The Atlantic Ocean on less than a gallon of fuel" holds this record. Besides the traditional piston engine, the Wankel rotary engine is used by some drones. This type offers high power output for lower weight, with quieter and more vibration-free running. Claims have also been made for improved reliability and greater range. Small drones mostly use lithium-polymer batteries (Li-Po), while some larger vehicles have adopted
4554-512: The Balkans area and operated out of Taszar , Hungary. Several others were destroyed in the course of Operation Noble Anvil , the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia : In 2000, a joint CIA-DoD effort was agreed to locate Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Dubbed "Afghan Eyes", it involved a projected 60-day trial run of Predators over the country. The first experimental flight was held on 7 September 2000. White House security chief Richard A. Clarke
4653-550: The MQ-1 is subject to limitations of the Missile Technology Control Regime because it can be armed; export markets are also limited by the existence of the Reaper. Given the Predator's pending phase-out and its size, weight, and power limitations, the Air Force decided not to pursue upgrades to make it more effective in contested environments, and determined its only use in defended airspace would be as
4752-657: The MQ-1. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense recommended retiring Ellington Field 's 147th Fighter Wing 's F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets (a total of 15 aircraft), which was approved by the Base Realignment and Closure committee. They will be replaced with 12 MQ-1 Predator UAVs, and the new unit should be fully equipped and outfitted by 2009. The wing's combat support arm will remain intact. The 272d Engineering Installation Squadron, an Air National Guard unit currently located off-base, will move into Ellington Field in its place. The 3d Special Operations Squadron
4851-805: The MiG. The Predator was hit by the MiG's missile and destroyed. Another two Predators had been shot down earlier by Iraqi SAMs . During the initial phases of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq , a number of older Predators were stripped down and used as decoys to entice Iraqi air defenses to expose themselves by firing. From July 2005 to June 2006, the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron participated in more than 242 separate raids, engaged 132 troops in contact-force protection actions, fired 59 Hellfire missiles; surveyed 18,490 targets, escorted four convoys, and flew 2,073 sorties for more than 33,833 flying hours. Remotely piloted aircraft An unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ), or unmanned aircraft system ( UAS ), commonly known as
4950-601: The Middle East, Israeli intelligence tested the first tactical UAVs installed with reconnaissance cameras, which successfully returned photos from across the Suez Canal. This was the first time that tactical UAVs that could be launched and landed on any short runway (unlike the heavier jet-based UAVs) were developed and tested in battle. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Israel used UAVs as decoys to spur opposing forces into wasting expensive anti-aircraft missiles. After
5049-568: The Nevada desert, a Hellfire missile was successfully launched on a replica of bin Laden's Afghanistan Tarnak residence. A missile launched from a Predator exploded inside one of the replica's rooms; it was concluded that any people in the room would have been killed. However, the armed Predator was not deployed before the September 11 attacks . The USAF also investigated using the Predator to drop battlefield ground sensors and to carry and deploy
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#17327723470395148-650: The Predator in 2018, replacing it with the Reaper. Civilian applications for drones have included border enforcement and scientific studies, and to monitor wind direction and other characteristics of large forest fires (such as the drone that was used by the California Air National Guard in the August 2013 Rim Fire ). The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Pentagon began experimenting with unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (drones) in
5247-405: The Predator program and was directed on 21 June 2000 to explore armament options. This led to reinforced wings with munitions storage pylons , as well as a laser designator . The RQ-1 conducted its first firing of a Hellfire anti-tank missile on 16 February 2001 over a bombing range near Indian Springs Air Force Station north of Las Vegas, Nevada , with an inert AGM-114C successfully striking
5346-479: The Predator's maximum speed is 1,800 mph (2,900 km/h) lower than the MiG-25's, and its service ceiling is nearly 60,000 ft (18,000 m) lower, making the "run" segment of any "bait and run" mission a difficult task. In this incident, the Predator did not run (or could not run fast enough), but instead fired one of its Stingers. The Stinger's heat-seeker became "distracted" by the MiG's missile and missed
5445-437: The Predator, Reaper and Global Hawk were described as "the most accident-prone aircraft in the Air Force fleet." On 3 March 2011, the U.S. Air Force took delivery of its last MQ-1 Predator in a ceremony at General Atomics' flight operations facility. Since its first flight in July 1994, the MQ-1 series accumulated over 1,000,000 flight hours and maintained a fleet fully mission capable rate over 90 percent. On 22 October 2013,
5544-519: The Predator. According to Pakistani authorities, the U.S. strike was based on faulty intelligence. An Iraqi MiG-25 shot down a Predator performing reconnaissance over the no fly zone in Iraq on 23 December 2002. This was the first time in history a conventional aircraft and a drone had engaged each other in combat. Predators had been armed with AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and were purportedly being used to "bait" Iraqi fighters, then run. However,
5643-463: The Predators was lost over Bosnia on 11 August 1995; a second was deliberately destroyed on 14 August after suffering an engine failure over Bosnia, which may have been caused by hostile ground fire. The wreckage of the first Predator was handed over to Russia, according to Serb sources. Its original 60-day stay was extended to 120 days. The following spring, in March 1996, the system was redeployed to
5742-606: The RQ-1B (not to be confused with the Predator B, which became the MQ-9 Reaper ) denotes the baseline production configuration. These are designations of the system as a unit. The actual aircraft themselves were designated RQ-1K for pre-production models, and RQ-1L for production models. In 2002, the USAF officially changed the designation to MQ-1 ("M" for multi-role) to reflect its growing use as an armed aircraft. During campaign in
5841-550: The Royal Navy in 1918 intended to attack shipping and port installations and he also assisted Wing Commander Brock in preparations for the Zeebrugge Raid . Other British unmanned developments followed, leading to the fleet of over 400 de Havilland 82 Queen Bee aerial targets that went into service in 1935. Nikola Tesla described a fleet of uncrewed aerial combat vehicles in 1915. These developments also inspired
5940-476: The Syrian air defenses at the start of the 1982 Lebanon War , resulting in no pilots downed. In Israel in 1987, UAVs were first used as proof-of-concept of super-agility, post-stall controlled flight in combat-flight simulations that involved tailless, stealth-technology-based, three-dimensional thrust vectoring flight-control, and jet-steering. With the maturing and miniaturization of applicable technologies in
6039-659: The Tonkin Gulf between naval units of the U.S. and the North Vietnamese Navy initiated America's highly classified UAVs ( Ryan Model 147 , Ryan AQM-91 Firefly , Lockheed D-21 ) into their first combat missions of the Vietnam War . When the Chinese government showed photographs of downed U.S. UAVs via Wide World Photos , the official U.S. response was "no comment". During the War of Attrition (1967–1970) in
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#17327723470396138-456: The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has allegedly been operating the drones out of Shamsi airfield in Pakistan to attack militants in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas . During this period, the MQ-1 Predator fitted with Hellfire missiles was successfully used to kill a number of prominent al Qaeda operatives. On 13 January 2006, 18 civilians were unintentionally killed by
6237-598: The U.S. Air Force had 195 MQ-1 Predators and 28 MQ-9 Reapers in operation. Predators and Reapers fired missiles 244 times in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008. A report in March 2009 indicated that U.S. Air Force had lost 70 Predators in air crashes during its operational history. Fifty-five were lost to equipment failure, operator error, or weather. Five were shot down in Bosnia , Kosovo , Syria and Iraq. Eleven more were lost to operational accidents on combat missions. In 2012,
6336-407: The U.S. Air Force's fleets of MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft reached 2,000,000 flight hours. The RPA program began in the mid-1990s, taking 16 years for them to reach 1 million flight hours. The 2 million hour mark was reached just two and a half years after that. On 9 March 2018, the U.S. Air Force officially retired the MQ-1 Predator from operational service. The aircraft
6435-456: The UAV industry, is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 4.8% over the next decade. This represents a near doubling in market size, from $ 12.5 billion in 2024 to an estimated $ 20 billion by 2034. Crewed and uncrewed aircraft of the same type generally have recognizably similar physical components. The main exceptions are the cockpit and environmental control system or life support systems . Some UAVs carry payloads (such as
6534-520: The USAF had acquired 60 Predators, but lost 20 of them in action. Few if any of the losses were from enemy action, the worst problem apparently being foul weather, particularly icy conditions. Some critics within the Pentagon saw the high loss rate as a sign of poor operational procedures. In response to the losses caused by cold weather conditions, a few of the later USAF Predators were fitted with de-icing systems, along with an uprated turbocharged engine and improved avionics. This improved "Block 1" version
6633-541: The USAF's armed Predator program to be significantly accelerated. Black, and "Richard", who was in charge of the CTC's Bin Laden Issue Station , continued to press during 2001 for a Predator armed with Hellfire missiles. Further weapons tests occurred between 22 May and 7 June 2001, with mixed results. While missile accuracy was excellent, there were some problems with missile fuzing. In the first week of June, in
6732-503: The advances of computing technology, beginning with analog controls and evolving into microcontrollers, then system-on-a-chip (SOC) and single-board computers (SBC). Modern system hardware for UAV control is often called the flight controller (FC), flight controller board (FCB) or autopilot. Common UAV-systems control hardware typically incorporate a primary microprocessor, a secondary or failsafe processor, and sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and barometers into
6831-485: The capability of identifying the infrared signature of a human body from an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft), making the aircraft an ideal search and rescue tool. The longest declassified Predator flight as of 2011 lasted for 40 hours and 5 minutes. The total flight time reached 1 million hours in April 2010, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. The USAF BIG SAFARI program office managed
6930-484: The cockpit windows; radio-transmitted digital commands replace physical cockpit controls. Autopilot software is used on both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, with varying feature sets. UAVs can be designed in different configurations than manned aircraft both because there is no need for a cockpit and its windows, and there is no need to optimize for human comfort, although some UAVs are adapted from piloted examples, or are designed for optionally piloted modes. Air safety
7029-464: The construction of the Kettering Bug by Charles Kettering from Dayton, Ohio and the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane – initially meant as an uncrewed plane that would carry an explosive payload to a predetermined target. Development continued during World War I, when the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company invented a pilotless aerial torpedo that would explode at a preset time. The film star and model-airplane enthusiast Reginald Denny developed
7128-409: The control of a microcontroller unit (MCU). Flapping-wing ornithopters , imitating birds or insects, have been flown as microUAVs . Their inherent stealth recommends them for spy missions. Sub-1g microUAVs inspired by flies, albeit using a power tether, have been able to "land" on vertical surfaces. Other projects mimic the flight of beetles and other insects. UAV computing capability followed
7227-532: The decision to deploy the system to the Balkans later in the summer of 1995. During the ACTD, Predators were operated by a combined Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine team managed by the Navy's Joint Program Office for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (JPO-UAV) and first deployed to Gjader, Albania , for operations in the former Yugoslavia in spring 1995. By the start of the United States Afghan campaign in 2001 ,
7326-511: The degree of autonomy in their flight operations. ICAO classifies unmanned aircraft as either remotely piloted aircraft or fully autonomous. Some UAVs offer intermediate degrees of autonomy. For example, a vehicle may be remotely piloted in most contexts but have an autonomous return-to-base operation. Some aircraft types may optionally fly manned or as UAVs, which may include manned aircraft transformed into manned or Optionally Piloted UAVs (OPVs). The flight of UAVs may operate under remote control by
7425-462: The drone remotely from great distances. It was no longer necessary to use close-up radio signals during the Predator's takeoff and ascent. The entire flight could be controlled by satellite from any command and control center with the right equipment. The CIA proposed to attempt over Afghanistan the first fully remote Predator flight operations, piloted from the agency's headquarters at Langley . The Predator air vehicle and sensors are controlled from
7524-482: The early 1980s. The CIA preferred small, lightweight, unobtrusive drones, in contrast to the United States Air Force (USAF). In the early 1990s, the CIA became interested in the " Amber ", a drone developed by Leading Systems, Inc. The company's owner, Abraham Karem , was the former chief designer for the Israeli Air Force , and had immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Karem's company went bankrupt and
7623-554: The early days of aviation , some being applied to remotely flown target aircraft used for practice firing of a battleship's guns, such as the 1920s Fairey Queen and 1930s de Havilland Queen Bee . Later examples included the Airspeed Queen Wasp and Miles Queen Martinet , before ultimate replacement by the GAF Jindivik . The term remains in common use. In addition to the software, autonomous drones also employ
7722-526: The ensuing 15 Predator missions over Afghanistan were rated successful. On at least two flights, a Predator spotted a tall man in white robes at bin Laden's Tarnak Farm compound outside Kandahar ; the figure was subsequently deemed to be "probably bin Laden". By October 2000, deteriorating weather conditions made it difficult for the Predator to fly from its base in Uzbekistan , and the flights were suspended. On 16 February 2001 at Nellis Air Force Base ,
7821-465: The final RQ-1 ordered by Italy by October 2015, marking the end of Predator A production after two decades. The last Predator for the USAF was completed in 2011; later Predator aircraft were built on the Predator XP assembly line. The United States Air Force announced plans to retire the MQ-1 on 9 March 2018. The Predator was officially retired from USAF service in March 2018. As of March 2009,
7920-477: The first scaled remote piloted vehicle in 1935. Soviet researchers experimented with controlling Tupolev TB-1 bombers remotely in the late 1930s. In 1940, Denny started the Radioplane Company and more models emerged during World War II – used both to train antiaircraft gunners and to fly attack-missions. Nazi Germany produced and used various UAV aircraft during the war, like
8019-503: The former Yugoslavia , a Predator's pilot would sit with several payload specialists in a van near the runway of the drone's operating base. Direct radio signals controlled the drone's takeoff and initial ascent, and then communications shifted to military satellite networks linked to the pilot's van. Pilots experienced a delay of several seconds between moving their sticks and the drone's response. But by 2000, improvements in communications systems made it possible, at least in theory, to fly
8118-519: The ground control station (GCS) via a C-band line-of-sight data link or a K u -band satellite data link for beyond-line-of-sight operations. During flight operations the crew in the GCS is a pilot and two sensor operators. The aircraft is equipped with the AN/AAS-52 Multi-spectral Targeting System, a color nose camera (generally used by the pilot for flight control), a variable aperture day-TV camera, and
8217-738: The initial ACTD phase, the United States Army led the evaluation program, but in April 1996, the Secretary of Defense selected the U.S. Air Force as the operating service for the RQ-1A Predator system. The 3d Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base , 11th , 15th , 17th , and 18th Reconnaissance Squadrons , Creech Air Force Base , Nevada, and the Air National Guard 's 163d Reconnaissance Wing at March Air Reserve Base , California, currently operate
8316-539: The loss rate is high, but we are willing to risk more of them ...they save lives!" During the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile -batteries in Egypt and Syria caused heavy damage to Israeli fighter jets . As a result, Israel developed the IAI Scout as the first UAV with real-time surveillance. The images and radar decoys provided by these UAVs helped Israel to completely neutralize
8415-599: The number in Air Force operation was reduced to 154 as of May 2014. Budget proposals planned to retire the Predator fleet between FY 2015 and 2017 in favor of the larger MQ-9 Reaper , which has greater payload and range. The Predators were to be stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base or given to other agencies willing to take them. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed interest, but already had higher-performance Reapers and were burdened with operating costs. The U.S. Coast Guard also showed interest in land-based UAV surveillance. Foreign sales were also an option, but
8514-460: The public and media. Also, the relation of UAVs to remote controlled model aircraft is unclear, UAVs may or may not include remote-controlled model aircraft. Some jurisdictions base their definition on size or weight; however, the US FAA defines any unmanned flying craft as a UAV regardless of size. A similar term is remotely piloted aerial vehicle ( RPAV ). UAVs or RPAVs can also be seen as
8613-555: The room would have been killed. On 4 September 2001 (after the Bush cabinet approved a Qaeda/Taliban plan), CIA chief Tenet ordered the agency to resume reconnaissance flights. The Predators were now weapons-capable, but did not carry missiles because the host country (presumably Uzbekistan) hadn't granted permission. Subsequent to 9/11, approval was quickly granted to ship the missiles, and the Predator aircraft and missiles reached their overseas location on 16 September 2001. The first mission
8712-435: The same airfield. The U.S. Air Force used a concept called "Remote-Split Operations" where the satellite datalink is placed in a different location and is connected to the GCS through fiber optic cabling. This allows Predators to be launched and recovered by a small "Launch and Recovery Element" and then handed off to a "Mission Control Element" for the rest of the flight. This allows a smaller number of troops to be deployed to
8811-402: The sensor ball can be used due to design limitations. Either the daylight variable aperture or the infrared electro-optical sensor may be operated simultaneously with the synthetic aperture radar, if equipped. All later Predators are equipped with a laser designator that allows the pilot to identify targets for other aircraft and even provide the laser guidance for manned aircraft. This laser
8910-538: The term RPAS has been adopted by the Canadian Government to mean "a set of configurable elements consisting of a remotely piloted aircraft, its control station, the command and control links and any other system elements required during flight operation". UAVs may be classified like any other aircraft , according to design configuration such as weight or engine type, maximum flight altitude, degree of operational autonomy, operational role, etc. According to
9009-454: The war at a cost of about 554 UAVs lost to all causes. In the words of USAF General George S. Brown , Commander, Air Force Systems Command , in 1972, "The only reason we need (UAVs) is that we don't want to needlessly expend the man in the cockpit." Later that year, General John C. Meyer , Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command , stated, "we let the drone do the high-risk flying ...
9108-534: The wind changing after launch, most of the balloons missed their target, and some drifted back over Austrian lines and the launching ship Vulcano . The Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo introduced a radio-based control-system called the Telekino at the Paris Academy of Science in 1903, as a way of testing airships without risking human life. Significant development of drones started in
9207-598: Was bought by a U.S. defense contractor, from whom the CIA secretly bought five drones (now called the " Gnat "). Karem agreed to produce a quiet engine for the vehicle, which had until then sounded like "a lawnmower in the sky". The new development became known as the "Predator". General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA) was awarded a contract to develop the Predator in January 1994, and the initial Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) phase lasted from January 1994 to June 1996. First flight took place on 3 July 1994 at
9306-484: Was first operationally deployed in 1995 and in 2011 the last of 268 Predators were delivered to the service, of which just over 100 were still in service by the start of 2018. While the Predator was phased out by the Air Force in favor of the heavier and more capable MQ-9 Reaper, the Predator continues to serve in the MQ-1C Gray Eagle derivative for the U.S. Army as well as with several foreign nations. During
9405-500: Was flown over Kabul and Kandahar on 18 September without carrying weapons. Subsequent host nation approval was granted on 7 October and the first armed mission was flown on the same day. On 5 May 2013, an MQ-1 Predator surpassed 20,000 flight hours over Afghanistan by a single Predator. Predator P107 achieved the milestone while flying a 21-hour combat mission; P107 was first delivered in October 2004. From at least 2003 until 2011,
9504-424: Was impressed by the resulting video footage; he hoped that the drones might eventually be used to target Bin Laden with cruise missiles or armed aircraft. Clarke's enthusiasm was matched by that of Cofer Black , head of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC), and Charles Allen , in charge of the CIA's intelligence-collection operations. The three men backed an immediate trial run of reconnaissance flights. Ten out of
9603-610: Was modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions. The aircraft entered service in 1995, and saw combat in the war in Afghanistan , Pakistan , the NATO intervention in Bosnia , the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , the Iraq War , Yemen , the 2011 Libyan civil war , the 2014 intervention in Syria , and Somalia . The USAF describes the Predator as
9702-566: Was referred to as the "RQ-1B", or the "MQ-1B" if it carried munitions; the corresponding air vehicle designation was "RQ-1L" or "MQ-1L". The Predator system was initially designated the RQ-1 Predator . The "R" is the United States Department of Defense designation for reconnaissance and the "Q" refers to an unmanned aircraft system. The "1" describes it as being the first of a series of aircraft systems built for unmanned reconnaissance. Pre-production systems were designated as RQ-1A, while
9801-572: Was the primary remotely piloted aircraft used for offensive operations by the USAF and the CIA in Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas from 2001 until the introduction of the MQ-9 Reaper ; it has also been deployed elsewhere. Because offensive uses of the Predator are classified by the U.S. , U.S. military officials have reported an appreciation for the intelligence and reconnaissance-gathering abilities of RPAs but declined to publicly discuss their offensive use. The United States Air Force retired
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