Small unmanned aircraft systems in defense missions

The word drone originally meant an unmanned aircraft or missile-like system that would be launched for target practice by fighters. Now the term describes remote piloted vehicles (RPV), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), all used for different tasks commercially and defensively globally. There are five levels of drones with Group 5 being the most strategic, heaviest, highest, and longest flying vehicles, and Group 1 being as small as a quad copter bought off store shelves. Groups 1 and 2 are typically called small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and that’s where AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. is looking to soar in the defense sector.

The company began in 2010 with a focus on agriculture, providing aerial imagery-based data collection and analytics solutions. However, AgEagle CEO Bill Irby saw an opportunity for their sUAS technology to be helpful to warfighters too.

“We do real-time video, full color, full motion, thermal imaging, so you can do operations at night and see targets,” Irby says. “Or you can use thermal imaging during the daytime to see targets under trees, I can see what’s hiding with a temperature change differential.”

Those capabilities translated well to the military as ground forces frequently use sUAS for security, surveillance, protection, and in some cases, targeting. AgEagle’s eBee sUAS are not used for offensive operations but because of their accurate geolocation capabilities, they assist in targeting and mapping of specific locations. The systems take about three minutes to put together and launch. The aircraft features up to 90 minutes of flight time and can climb to about 150ft, go out to 12 miles of range, and communicate up to 12 miles with a separate communications relay station. The eBee systems have been used by U.S. military for training and demonstrations but have also caught the attention of the French Army and United Arab Emirates; they’ve purchased eBee VISION systems as more countries are beginning to incorporate sUAS into their military operations.

“I would proudly say the United States led the way several years ago putting some of these smaller systems out there,” Irby says. “The European forces are very mature as well, and you’re seeing a lot more growth coming out of the Middle East and Latin America.”

When it comes time to deploy the eBee system in warzones, there are three modes of operation. Forces can set it on a predetermined flight path they’ve already mapped out or they can manually fly it to an area of interest. Once they identify something they want to keep a persistent eye on, they’ll tell the aircraft to fly to the target. The system transmits data back to the forces looking at it in real time on their controller but it’s also being passed to a more fixed ground station where the tactical commander can integrate it into the overall operation.

Irby says their sUAS systems might have a shorter flight time than the larger categories but with the smaller size comes bigger benefits for the warfighter.

“I can transport the system while on foot, carrying a backpack, so no vehicle is required, it’s a great mobility option,” Irby says. “I can have something quickly deployable. We package every system in a base configuration with two batteries. One battery on the aircraft can carry the aircraft up to 90 minutes. So, you’d have to bring the aircraft back in, set it down, take a few seconds and change out the battery, then relaunch while the other battery charges.”

The eBee VISION system was developed during about a two-and-a-half-year period as AgEagle met with numerous military customers, giving demonstrations, taking their feedback, and creating a system that adapted to their requirements. AgEagle, however, is getting continuous feedback from their military customers who have unique requirements, so multiple versions of eBee VISION will soon be on the market tailored for specific needs. Production is currently being done in Switzerland, but AgEagle is getting ready to ramp up sUAS production on U.S. soil with an expansion underway at their Wichita, Kansas facility where they currently manufacture their cameras.

AgEagle’s expansion coincides with sUAS expansion in military operations and Irby is ready to see more of their products and others in the sky for warfighters’ safety and benefit.

“The future in any area of UAS is automated teaming. The big buzzword is artificial intelligence (AI), you’d love to have a formation of these aircraft sent out on a mission, automatically work as a team, and maneuver themselves,” Irby explains. “We’ve started to see drones demonstrate that commercially in light shows. That’s a great example of systems that can go up and coordinate with each other, orchestrated by a ground system. If there’s a threat country out there with a lot of air defense systems and it attacks one of our allies, we’d love to have a huge number of these systems operating autonomously to attack a target, rather than sending fighters in, risking fighters’ lives or fighter pilots’ lives. If you can imagine anything that a manned aircraft could do, an unmanned aircraft could do all those missions.”

“If you can imagine anything that a manned aircraft could do, an unmanned aircraft could do all those missions.” —Bill Irby, CEO, AgEagle

About the author: Jake Kauffman is managing editor for GIE Media’s Manufacturing Group and can be reached at JKauffman@gie.net.

AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.
https://ageagle.com