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Israel Aerospace Industries' MALAT group
actually demonstrated the simultaneous launch, flight and recovery
of two I-View 50 Small UAVs.
One of the I-Views was deployed from the truck mounted mobile
launcher, also accommodating the control system, while the other
bird took off from the runway. IAI also demonstrated two landing
methods – the first aircraft used a parafoil recovery
on a short strip, while the other was retrieved using the system's
automatic landing capability. Impressive demonstrations were
provided by the Australian made Aerosonde, flown by AAI and
the ScanEagle displayed by Insitu. Northrop Grumman demonstrated
the latest model of the FireScout
MQ-8B VTUAV, currently being tested by the US Navy at nearby
Patuxent River.
The RQ-4N Global
Hawk was also flown from the nearby Naval facility. Spectators
could not see the UAV in flight, nor watch real-time imagery
from the scene, but toward the end of the day, after some of
the images were declassified by the Navy, Northrop Grumman showed
examples of the images taken during the day. These included
the flight line, display booths, and even some of the UAVs in
flight, taken during the demonstrations by the aircraft circling
an area over the ocean, about 60 nautical miles off the coast.
Another UAV that provided continuous cover of the event throughout
the day, was Aeronautics Aerostar, flown by PMA-263.
 Different
unmanned systems participated in a mock battle scenario, involving
a team of marines, engaging insurgents in a simulated urban
area. First in line was the MDARS
from General Dynamics. As the robot patrolled the road, it was
covered from the air by an Aerovironment Raven-B
mini-UAV. Then, supported by two robots, a team of marines
moved in. Suddenly, the team was engaged by enemy snipers! Taking
cover behind a wall, they reacted, assessing the situation,
using support from air and ground robots. One of these were
the Foster Miller SWORDS, joining the team used as an unmanned
scout, while an iRobot Pacbot,
equipped with Red Owl sniper detection kit spotted the hostile
shooters.
A miniature Nighthawk hand-launched
UAV was tossed to patrol the area, while Adaptive Flight's
autonomous Hornet Micro UAS (derivative of the commercial T-Rex
450 radio-controlled helicopter) perched over the area, watching
suspected enemy locations, providing the team with a real-time
bird's eye-view of the area. As IEDs were spotted, unmanned
ground vehicles (UGVs) were sent in, including the  robotic
Caterpilar 247B designed by
ARA and remotely controlled HMMWV, equipped with tele-operated
grappler to remove the threat. Once the enemy location was spotted
by the Pacbot and UAVs, an armed SRWS moved in, aligned in position
blocking the enemy's escape route. Last but not least, a Remotec
EOD robot moved in to deal with remaining unexploded IEDs and
munitions left in the area.
 Back
at the convention center, the exhibition provided professionals
with a vision of where the industry is heading, highlighting
exotic futuristic designs, advanced materials and new sensors.
In recent years, as weaponized robots evolved from controversial
science fiction into grim reality, particularly in the Middle
East skies, new systems are being developed and deployed. The
Sky Warrior and Reaper
are representative systems pursued by the US Army and Air Force,
based on the Predator platform.
But some argue that payload capacity may not be the most important
factor, as smaller aircraft such as the Sky
Raider, designed for field operation could offer superior
persistence, resulting in more opportunities to pursue time-critical
targets of opportunity.
Another program dominating the show was the US
Navy Broad Area Maritime Search (BAMS), which is expected
to select an unmanned platform to augment and replace part of
the Navy's maritime  surveillance
aircraft in the next decade. The Navy considers three alternatives
representing totally different solutions, based on the Global
Hawk HALE from Northrop Grumman, the Mariner
MALE UAV proposed by Lockheed Martin and General Atomics
or an optionally piloted G550 platform from Boeing.
Defense Update's AUVSI 07 coverage is focusing on the following
topics
Topics covered in this review:
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The
"Unmanned Systems North America" exhibition and conference
was held in August 2007 by the 
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