GEERHEAD
Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (TUAS) — an
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance UAV.
During its average six hour journey,
the 11 foot plane ( 14 foot wing
span) collects target data via its
EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared Remote
Sensing) payload. The EO/IR data is
transmitted back to a US Army brigade
tactical operations center (ground
control) within 125 kilometers range
via wireless technology.
The UAV takes flight from a
hydraulic launcher and trailer. The
TUAS has been in active duty in Iraq
since 2003.
Yes, it’s a Hauling
MULE
Lockheed Martin’s Multifunction
Utility, Logistics, and Equipment
(MULE) robotic vehicle uses a 6 x 6
independently articulated suspension
and in-hub wheel motors for each of six
wheels. The MULE is the most mobile
vehicle in otherwise impassable terrain,
largely due to its unduplicated suspension system and independent wheel
configuration.
The MULE vehicle is a hefty (2-1/2
ton) Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)
designed to aid foot soldiers so they
don’t have to carry heavy packs and
artillery on their backs.
The MULE will include a mobile
carriage atop a single chassis, an
autonomous navigation system, a
remote control unit, and three variations on the payload configuration,
depending on each MULE’s application
and mission.
The Autonomous Navigation
System (ANS) gives the MULE the capability to follow other MULEs in a pack
or to move in a partially autonomous
fashion with the guidance of the
remote control unit.
The MULE can be transferred
by air in a sling beneath a rotorcraft
(helicopter).
The MULE is configurable in a
number of ways including a line-of-sight, gun mount assault
configuration, an anti-tank version, and
The Shadow is AAI Corp’s UAV with sensing for intelligence, surveillance,
and recon missions. The shadow (blue) is seen aboard a field hydraulic
launching unit, which sends it airborne.
a countermine version.
The assault configuration will
include a rapid-fire suppressive
weapon mount. This Armed Robotic
Vehicle (ARV)-Assault-Light (ARV-A-L)
configuration MULE uses an integrated
weapons and reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA)
package to support the dismounted
infantry’s efforts to locate and destroy
enemy platforms and positions.
The countermine MULE configuration will provide the capability to find,
mark, and neutralize anti-tank mines
using a mine detection package.
The MULE can carry (obviously,
The Lockheed Martin MULE Unmanned Ground Vehicle appeared at
the AUVSI Symposium 2006 with sensors mounted atop.
(The 2007 photos were not available at press time.)
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