Yusuf

How many different UAVs made by different countries are around and which is the best in terms of value delivered including offensive roles

Khan_Han

The newest, advanced and best valued UAV/UCAV is the Turkish designed and manufactured TIHA.




The platform has completed flight tests etc and is in the production stages. Turkey intends to commission 16+ units before 2010.

The TIHA has been designed to be a similar platform to the US-made Predator and Israeli Heron. The 100% Turkish designed and made (including the Turbo-prop engines) platform can also carry 2 laser-guided anti-tank missiles.

While the TIHA system has an open architecture to support other potential payloads and missions, within the context of the existing project the air vehicle is configured to carry the following payloads onboard:

Electro-optic Color Day Camera (ASELFLIR-300T EO),
Electro-optic/Infrared/Laser Camera (EO/IR/LRF/LD/Spotter) (ASELFLIR-300T- Pic Attached Below),
SAR/GMTI, ISAR Payload.

The platform is also equipped with a digital flight control system, electro-mechanical actuators, and flight control sensor systems such as pitot-static, air data computer, navigation sensor, transducers, temperature, pressure, displacement sensors, etc. Various tasks are distributed along flight management computers and auxiliary control boxes. Identification and communication units and interface computers are employed in order to establish real time wide band communication and provide test and diagnostics functions. An air traffic radio is also integrated in the communication system for the integration of the aircraft into the civilian airspace. All flight critical equipment are dual or triple redundant and emergency modes of operational scenarios are taken into consideration for fail safe design.

The basic performance specifications of the TIHA system released by TAI are as follows:

Service ceiling: 30,000 ft
Endurance: 24 hours
Cruise speed: >75 kts
LOS communication range: >200 km

The ASELSAN (A Turkish Defence Company) designed and manufactured Flir used in the TIHA

glyn

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Ucar

TAI - Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc.

TIHA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First link is the producer's website.

omon

it isn,t that hard to make uav these days, i built rc planes from a scrath when i was a kid in school, sure they wren,t anything like modern millitary uav, but my goal wasn,t to build one, others, who were older and more experienced built big scale rc copies, keep in mind it was 15-17 years ago, in ussr, with almost no ready made parts, and no blasa wood, no carbon fiber..ect.

the best one today i,d say global hawk.

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glyn

Shuttlecat

I'd say it depends on what you want the UAV to do. Some are just for surveillance and others can actually kill stuff.

JA Boomer

Well...obviously the mission you want the UAV to perform will dictate what UAV will be the best platform to perform the role based on what combination of range/altitude/weapons/sensors/controls/communications/size will get the job done sucessfully.

gunnut

Too many different UAVs for different missions. Can you really say a Global Hawk is better or worse than a Raven? I can launch a Raven by tossing it in the air and maintain it at company/battalion level. Can't do that with Global Hawk.

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glyn

Khan_Han

The TIHA UAV has a 10m (33ft) all-composite fuselage, detachable low-mounted wing with a span of 17.3m and a detachable V-tail with a span of 4.5m. It also has a radar signiture of less than 0.6 sq m. It's maximum take-off weight is 1,500kg (3,300lb), including provision for a 200kg payload and 250kg of fuel. But, according to the manufacturer this can be increased by increasing the wingspan. Turkey reveals MALE UAV details-01/08/2006-Flight International

The MQ-1 Predator stats:

Length 8.14 meters 26 feet 8 inches
Wingspan 12.7 meters 41 feet 8 inches
Loaded weight 1020 kg 2,250 lb
MQ-1 Predator - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hence, the Turkish TIHA UAV is much larger than the MQ-1 Predator and also has a higher service ceiling.

Feanor

How did I not see that coming?

How about this one? It's, iirc, meant to be a fire-directing unit for artillery.

Transport-launch vehicle

Purpose

Transport-launch vehicle (TLV) is intended for storage, transportation, launch preparation and launch of catapulted guided aircraft vehicle (UAV)



Basic components of product
Vehicle KAMAZ

1 pc.
Platform 1 pc.
Catapult Device 1 pc.
Catapult Device Control Unit 1 pc.
Containers with UAVs 6 pcs.
Diesel Power Supply Unit 1 pc.
UAV Serviceability Control Equipment 1 pc.


Technical specifications
Product deployment time, min, no more than

20
Product curtailment time, min, no more than 20
TLV speed, km/h:
- on main road 60
- on earth road 30
TLV overall dimensions, mm 8655x2600 x3300
TLV weight, kg, no more than 15400
Power consumption, kW, no more than 14
Catapult overall dimensions, mm:
- length 6840
- width 1030
Range of lengthwise angle alteration from horizon, degrees 8 - 12
UAV takeoff weight, kg, up to 70
Speed of UAV carriage acceleration, m/s, not less 25
UAV acceleration at takeoff moment, g, no more than 12
Transported fuel supply for UAV engine fuelling, number of launches, no more than 30

Catapult construction provides protection of service personnel from spontaneous and unapproved launch of UAV

Maintenance vehicle

Purpose

Maintenance vehicle is intended for carrying out of UAV overall and small repair, search and recovery of UAV, cleaning, drying and refuelling of UAV and its subsystems очистки, UAV serviceability control, UAV carrying to transport-launch vehicle for repeated launch

omon

you don,t need raven for that, any kid can buy a rc heli, or a plane, and install cam, some already come with cam. if i did it with my 200$ rc chopper, anyone can,

Khan_Han

Well I see more things coming from Turkey.

In fact, Turkey already has a system similar to the one you attached above. But, I thought it was an inferior system and hence did not bother attaching details of it.

The TAI designed and manufactured TURNA UAV is in the process of being integrated on every Turkish Navy Frigate. 80 mobile units are also being manufactured for use by the Land Forces Command. It has been designed to be launched by a catapult on both sea and land platforms.

Khan_Han

After doing some research I also found out that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is also working on an Unmanned Full-scale Attack Helli which will have a launch weight of 2724 kg. It is evisaged that this platform will also carry 4 UMTAS, laser guided anti-tank missiles. (A Turkish equivalent of the Hellfire anti-missile developed by ROKETSAN).

I believe this could be an unmanned version of the T-129. It is no secret that Turkey has been working on unmanned aerial platforms for over 11 years now.

TODAY'S ZAMAN

UAV and their Effects