By Geoff Fein
Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR) has been testing two of its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from the Navy’s experimental test bed ship Stiletto to determine command and control capabilities and the ability to locate submerged mines.
The two UAVs, Silver Fox, a rail-launched, 25-pound UAV that carries an Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) camera, and Manta, a dual rail-launched 45-pound UAV, went through testing over the past three months with the Naval Special Clearance Team 1 during Experiment Howler conducted off the coast of Norfolk, Va.
ACR ran command and control experiments with Silver Fox. While the UAV is capable of being deployed from Stiletto, the demonstration called for launching Silver Fox from an 11- meter rigid inflatable boat (RIB).
To accomplish that, ACR developed a launcher with an adapter that can be attached to a 50-cal gun mount, Woody Berzins, a company spokesman, told Defense Daily last week.
Manta, which is driven by a propeller in the rear and has an inverted V-shaped tail, was used for a proof of concept to look for submerged mines, Berzins added.
The UAV is equipped with a one-pound hyperspectral camera.
During Experiment Howler, command and control of Manta came from onboard the 80-foot Stiletto.
The demonstration was a success, Berzins noted. “We found a submerged mine 30-feet below the surface.”
Stiletto, an 80-foot twin M-hull design, is built from composite materials and is being used by the Navy as a test bed for new technologies (Defense Daily, Nov. 8).
Silver Fox is currently in use with the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command’s (NECC) Riveron Two in Iraq, conducting a variety of missions, Berzins said.
“NECC is our biggest user,” he said.
Riveron One took Silver Fox with them when they deployed to Iraq earlier this year, and ACR is now training Riveron Three, Berzins added.
“We are getting very effective user evaluations from the Navy,” he said.
Silver Fox was also used for the first time by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to conduct an operational evaluation last month in Amphibious Landing Exercise ’08 in the Philippines, Berzins said.
The company recently signed a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use Silver Fox for tunnel detection, he added.
The UAV will be outfitted with a radiometer to detect items underground, similar to what the mining industry uses.
“We have done a proof of concept. We are in the process of finding a test location,” Berzins said. “Testing should occur in the near term.”
While Silver Fox is launched from a ramp, it is retrieved from either a water or shoreline landing. The company is developing a net retrieval system and is testing a shipboard recovery systems also using a net, Berzins said.
“Silver Fox is a spiral development. We are incorporating more technology to make it more versatile,” he added.
The Block C variant will have a drop down gimbaled camera with either an EO or IR capability. Next year, the company will develop a gimbaled camera that has both EO and IR capability.
Silver Fox can also be equipped with an external synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
The company has demonstrated a SAR capability in an August Greenland Ice Cap Study, Berzins noted.
“Net capture is what we are focusing on,” he added.
ACR is also looking to marinize Silver Fox for shipboard use and increase the distance for transmitting imagery. Engine conversion efforts include a fuel injection process, Berzins said. “We are always looking to work with companies that have something that can fit on Silver Fox.”