Análisis: ¿Los nuevos Apaches australianos podrían sobrevivir en el campo de batalla moderno?
Expertos australianos piden reconsiderar la compra de Apaches, dada la vulnerabilidad demostrada ante defensas antiaéreas y las ventajas del uso de drones.
https://alert5.com/2024/04/12/apaches-d ... rn-warfare
Hablando estos meses de que las megaempresas no pueden innovar tan fácil ni adaptarse al ritmo evolutivo (en este caso de los UAS) ni desarrollar sistemas ni baratos ni rápido, y que, en todo caso, lo que hagan es comprar otras empresas mucho menores que hayan hecho el desarrollo, como de nuevo es el caso (el anterior fue Survey Copter y su dron Aliaca, empresa comprada por Airbus para venderlo a la Marina francesa):
Airbus Helicopters is close to completing its acquisition of UAS developer Aerovel.
the acquisition should close in early May. The companies disclosed the pending deal on 15 January.
Airbus Helicopters is interested in Aerovel’s small tactical vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Flexrotor, not only for an entrant into the market for Group 2 and 3 UASs, but to address an emerging need for a vehicle that can perform manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations.
Flexrotor is a tail-sitter, has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 25kg (55lb), designed for ISTAR missions, an endurance of more than 12-14h in a typical operational configuration. It can autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea, requiring only a 3.7 x 3.7m area from which to deploy.
the Flexrotor has been demonstrated multiple times from US Navy (USN) and US Coast Guard (USCG) vessels, operating from very small areas without the need for a helideck.
Aerovel was founded by Tad McGeer, who also helped found Insitu, a company subsequently purchased by Boeing in 2008. Both companies are located in Bingen in Washington State.
https://www.flightglobal.com/military-u ... 16.article
¿Recordáis lo que critiqué p.ej. el coste del RQ-28A, y lo que puse y recientemente Vorlon del US Army diciendo que quiere que sus drones más baratos sean de 3.000 dólares y no de 25.000...? Pues se tienen (y nos tenemos todos) que poner las pilas "a la ucraniana y rusa" con drones comerciales letalizables:
American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine
Silicon Valley company Skydio has sent hundreds of its most capable UAVs to Ukraine to help fight the Russians, but the technology has not performed well. Skydio’s drones kept going off course and being lost due to Russian electronic warfare systems. The company has gone back to developing and building a new fleet.
The article noted that most American start-ups’ small UAVs have failed to prove themselves in combat, dispelling the companies’ hopes that a badge of combat testing would generate sales and attention. It’s also bad news for the Pentagon, which needs a reliable supply of thousands of small uncrewed aerial vehicles.
US companies still lack a significant presence in the first war where small drones are playing a critical role. US-made UAVs tend to be expensive, faulty and complicated to repair, say drone company executives, the Ukrainians on the front line, Ukrainian government officials and former US military officials.
https://www.uasvision.com/2024/04/12/am ... n-ukraine/
Taiwan-Built UAV Makes 2nd Attempt to Pass Combat Readiness Tests
A redesigned version of the locally developed Teng Yun 2 has been undergoing combat readiness tests since last month after failing them last year. A source familiar with the matter told CNA Monday that the combat and reconnaissance drone, also known as “Cloud Rider 2,” entered the final testing stage for the second time in mid-March.
The military said results from the Teng Yun 2’s unsuccessful first attempt to pass the final testing stage in March 2023 indicated that there was “still room for improvement” in the drone’s design.
...first exhibited a Teng Yung 2 prototype at the 2019 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition.
The drone passed initial weapon testing in March 2022 and later recorded a maximum airborne time of 20 hours.
https://www.uasvision.com/2024/04/12/ta ... ess-tests/
Por fin, una de las compras derivadas del Rapaz de 2015... ya veremos si no compramos algo ya desfasado... por lo pronto, apuesto a que nada de drones comerciales letalizados, lo cual ya sería un atraso. Y si se adquiere ala fija no independiente de pista, ni de lanzarse con la mano, ni de cacharrería, ya estaría desfasado:
Defensa invertirá 45,3 millones en drones Mini de ala fija para el Ejército de Tierra
Estas aeronaves, con una masa máxima de despegue inferior a 15 kilogramos, renovarán y reforzarán la flota de sistemas no tripulados actualmente en servicio
https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diari ... ito-tierra
China Unveils its New CH-3D UCAV
This new model, an evolution from the earlier CH-3A, incorporates several critical upgrades... For now, no concrete information has been shared publicly
https://www.uasvision.com/2024/04/12/ch ... h-3d-ucav/
Dron ucraniano comercial letalizado ala fija OWA ("loiter") de largo alcance RAM X, derivado del RAM II, a su vez del Leleka-100.
(cuatro a uno), por eso cité los balísticos, que además son los únicos que alguno logró llegar. Y también los que más fallaron, al despegue o en trayecto (lógico pues son lo más complejo).
