Unmanned flight systems – an intelligent alternative for the future.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are systems for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and weapon delivery. They are clearly of great potential value in high-risk situations where the presence of a pilot in the aircraft is unnecessarily risky. UAVs can be a smart and cost-effective complement to traditional manned aircraft.

Saab has long experience of building advanced aircraft, command and autonomous weapon systems. Together with its knowledge of independent decision systems, this contributes to the company’s competence in developing competitive, type-certificated UAV systems for civil as well as military markets world wide. A number of UAV concept studies have already been carried out and work continues.
With the Gripen and Sweden’s Air Force 2000 programme, Saab has shown that it is a world leader at integrating complete aircraft systems.This, in combination with a cutting-edge know-how of aerospace technology, makes Saab a supplier of UAV systems for the future. These may range from micro-machines to high-altitude, long-range UAVs. Saab Aerosystems actively co-operates in international research and development programmes involving UAV systems, for example with six other European countries in the European Technology Acquisition Program (ETAP).

By offering a range of systems together with partners, for the Swedish export market the company can introduce the most cost-efficient UAV solutions that are also capable of integration within a Network Centric Warfare concept such as Saab NetDefence.

The advantages with a UAV system include:
– Reduction or elimination of the risk
of pilot loss
– Lighter and more fuel-efficient
platforms, leading to lower costs
and less environmental damage
– Greater cost-efficiency than
equivalent manned aircraft
– Potential for higher flight
performance than manned aircraft
– Significantly longer mission time
than manned aircraft.

Saab focuses on key areas for future UAV products
Saab is focusing its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) activities on integration within the group’s strategy for network based defence systems. Key areas include overall systems responsibility, safety-critical systems, airworthiness, and autonomous vehicle performance and operations.

UAV’s are airborne systems for reconnaissance, surveillance and combat missions either in extremely high-risk situations or in normal, no-threat circumstances when a pilot’s presence in the aircraft is unnecessary. An UAV may often provide a smart and cost-effective complement to modern manned aircraft.

The Saab Group is a world-class integrator and provider of aerospace systems, taking overall system responsibility on behalf of the customer. Our core competence resides in the integration of complex, high-tech systems based on development within the Saab Group of several generations of commercial and combat aircraft as well as other military systems. Combined with our expertise in control systems, sensors, highly autonomous missiles and decision-support systems, this enables Saab to develop cost-effective UAV’s for military and civilian customers on the world market.

Overall systems responsibility
Saab has the experience as well as the know-how to take overall system responsibility for UAV’s from design through development, systems integration and production to life-cycle support. The primary focus is however on safety-critical systems and integration of UAV’s with other network based defence systems.

Safety-critical systems
To develop the most cost-effective UAV systems, we are taking advantage of synergies in key technologies that are generic for all types of UAV*. One such area is safety-critical systems. Independent of airborne platform, all UAV’s need a core of flight control, navigation, anti-collision, autonomy, power supply and control datalink systems that are required to demonstrate in operation a sufficient safety level for full civil and/or military certification of the complete UAV system. This is particularly the case for international operations under the auspices of the United Nations.

* Examples are High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE), Medium-Altitude Long Endurance (MALE), Unmanned Reconnaissance Aerial Vehicles (URAV), Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) and Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (TUAV).

Integration of UAV’s into network based defence systems
Military UAV systems will be integrated with the future network based defence systems increasingly being adopted in Sweden’s and other countries’ defence plans. Within the Saab Group we are aiming to develop UAV systems well adapted to future networks integrating army troops, navies and air forces for optimal use of the armed forces in joint operations.

Airworthiness and autonomous operations
The Military Flight Safety Inspectorate of the Swedish Armed Forces has certified Saab Aerosystems as an UAV design, production and maintenance organization in accordance with the rules of military aviation. This authorization is based on the unrivalled safety record of the Saab 340 commuter aircraft and the fact that the company, which has been delivering advanced fighter aircraft to the Swedish Armed Forces for decades, has a fully approved development process. No commercial aircraft manufacturer today can show a better record than Saab and the same level of safety is being designed and built into all Saab UAV systems.

Demonstrators
Saab has already flown an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle demonstrator called SHARC (Swedish Highly Advanced Research Configuration). SHARC has conducted a wheeled take off without pilot assistance and performed a totally autonomous mission before landing on its own. The main objectives of the SHARC programme are to demonstrate strike missions, low signature features, high survivability, internal weapon-bay functionality, autonomy and the airworthiness process.

Another demonstrator programme is FILUR (Flying Innovative Low-observable Unmanned Research Vehicle). The purpose is to test stealth operations and use of such a platform as an aggressor for surface-to-air weapon systems.
The first flight was conducted in October 2005.