Kazakhstan's New Drones

Irkut Corp.

The Irkut-3 UAV

Kazakhstan is testing some new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, aka drones) from Russia, a military official has said. Kazakhstan had tried out UAVs from France and Israel but they didn't do well in the cold weather, said General-Major Almaz Dzhumakeev, commander of Kazakhstan's 36th Air Assault Brigade:

"It's necessary to strengthen the reconnaissance units. There will be a competition, a selection, we will see which is acceptable for us and our climate, taking into account the wind and the cold. There have been UAVs which took off, flew 20 meters and crashed because it was so cold..."
According to the general-major, in 2014 after the selection of the supplier country the UAVs will enter service in the armed reconnaissance units of the armed forces of Kazakhstan. "Most likely, next year they will enter service. Where there is reconnaissance, there will be UAVs," he noted.

Kazakhstan has plans to produce its own drones, and also apparently has plans to buy some small reconnaissance drones from the Russian Irkut Corporation.It's also been looking at Chinese UAVs. It's not clear from the recent news stories, but it seems likely that the Irkuts are what Maj-Gen Dzhumakeev was talking about. From the website Russian Aviation, last October:

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CIA seeks to expand its drone fleet: report

CIA Director David H. Petraeus (center), encouraged the White House to approve a significant expansion of the CIA’s fleet of armed drones, U.S. officials said. (AP)

The CIA is urging the White House to approve an expansion of the agency’s armed drones’ fleet, a newspaper reported on Friday.

The proposal by CIA Director David Petraeus would allow the agency to sustain its campaign of lethal air strikes in Pakistan and Yemen as well as enabling it to shift operations and target the emerging al-Qaeda threat in North Africa.

If approved, the CIA could receive up to ten new drones, adding to an inventory that has ranged between 30 to 35 drones over recent years.

One U.S. official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the request reflects the issue of political turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa and new openings for al-Qaeda and its affiliates to operate in the region.

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Hezbollah drone reportedly manufactured in Germany

The drone that penetrated deep into Israeli airspace nearly two weeks ago was manufactured in Germany by Siemens and Bockstiegel, and purchased by a fictitious Iranian company that was a front for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Lebanese newspaper Al-Jumhuriya reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, Siemens manufactured the drone’s camera and remote control parts while Bockstiegel, which produces ships, provided light metal parts.

Last week, Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah confirmed responsibility for launching the aircraft, which he claimed was made in Iran.

The Lebanese newspaper’s report also stated that Hezbollah possessed a large arsenal of similar UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) whose main purpose was to spy, not attack.

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'Hezbollah drone photographed secret IDF bases'

Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office
The Hezbollah drone that infiltrated the Negev last week beamed back live images of secret Israeli military bases, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the drone was airborne for three hours before being intercepted by an F-16I jet. It is believed to have transmitted pictures of preparations for Israel's joint military exercise with the US, as well as ballistic missile sites, airfields and, perhaps, the nuclear reactor in Dimona, the Sunday Times reported.


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Suspected U.S. drone strike kills 16 in Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suspected U.S. drone strike killed 16 people and wounded six Thursday in one of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, two officials said.

The attack, which included four missiles, targeted a compound on the border of Orakzai Agency and North Waziristan, a local government official and a military official said.

The compound belonged to Maulvi Shakirullah, a militant affiliated with the Haqqani network, the officials said.

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Dawn of the drones

In December 1998, in Kandahar, the CIA received actionable information regarding the location of Osama bin Laden. The source was only somewhat reliable, however, and the strike, by cruise missiles, could result in the death of as many as 300 bystanders. The Pentagon and the CIA chief at the time, George Tenet, decided to hold fire. The 9-11 Commission reported that, “After this episode Pentagon planners intensified efforts to find a more precise alternative.”

The result: the weapons-bearing unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone.

Today, drones are utilized by law enforcement to monitor borders and by environmentalists to track Japanese whaling boats. Meteorologists want to use them to penetrate into the eye of storms. Paparazzi are trying to develop them to spy on celebrities. They can be controlled by iphone. They can be bought over Amazon. They can weigh as little as four ounces. Yet the military ones that buzz over the skies of Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Gaza and Israel are the bulk of the world’s unmanned aerial vehicles and they are changing the face of war.

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Israel shoots down intruder drone: What it teaches us about “modern” air combat

Photo: U.S. Air Force F-15s fire missiles over the Pacific Ocean in an exercise. (USAF File Photo)

WASHINGTON D.C., October 6, 2012 – The Israeli Air Force released a video today which shows a missile homing in and destroying a small aerial object, presumably a drone, and another aircraft which appears to be an F-16 breaking away from the kill. According to Israeli authorities, the interception occurred around 10 am IST and was brought down around the northern Negev region after breaching Israeli airspace.

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Yemen 'foils al-Qaeda plan to bomb air base'

Security officials in Yemen have foiled a plan by fighters linked to al-Qaeda to bomb an air base used by US soldiers in the southern province of Lahj to train local forces in combating terrorism, officials have said.
A military official disclosing information on condition of anonymity said a car packed with explosives was discovered on Saturday in a wooded area near the gate of al-Anad air base.
He added that it had apparently been "smuggled in several days ago".
"We foiled an attack by a car packed with explosives that managed to breach several security checkpoints leading into the air base.
"The attack was to be implemented today (Saturday)" and "Americans on the base were the target of the attack," he added.
Lahj governor Ahmed Abdallah al-Majidi was quoted on the ministry website "The military police defeated an afternoon attack on the al-Anad base."

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IDF shoots down drone that penetrated deep into Israel

The IDF shot down a foreign drone that had penetrated deep into Israeli airspace on Saturday afternoon, flying for half an hour before it was intercepted.

After an initial investigation, military officials said the unmanned aerial vehicle, which was taken down north of Beersheba, did not come from the Gaza Strip, leading the army to consider the possibility that it originated in Lebanon. Hezbollah has flown drones into Israeli airspace a few times in the past, though not for several years.

IDF Spokesperson Yoav Mordechai said that the Israeli Air Force was able to identify the unmanned aerial vehicle while it was flying over the Mediterranean, and that the IAF stayed close to the drone throughout its flight over Israel until the decision was made to shoot it down in the northern Negev desert.

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Four Qaeda militants killed in U.S. drone strike

(Reuters) - Four al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in an apparent U.S. drone strike on Thursday in a remote part of the south of Yemen, a security official and residents said.
The security official and residents said the militants were killed in an air strike on their vehicles in the isolated area of Maqbala in Shabwa province. They said it was a drone strike.
The militants were heavily armed, carrying weapons and explosives, said the official, who declined to be named. Two militants were wounded and another fled the scene after the strike, the official added.

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Unmanned Aircraft Market Heading for New Heights

The United States remains the driving force behind this market.

Projected UAS market value over next 10 years estimated at $70.9bn
08:44 GMT, September 26, 2012 NEWTOWN, Conn. | According to Forecast International’s senior unmanned vehicles analyst, Larry Dickerson, the world’s appetite for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) appears insatiable. “Just when you think the UAS market cannot go any higher, it does,” he said. “No matter how many systems are built, operators want more.”

The UAS market has seen unprecedented growth since 2001, with current projected value over the next 10 years estimated at $70.9 billion, according to Forecast International.

“Million-dollar UAS contracts used to be big news,” Dickerson said. “Awards are now in the billions and climbing.” He notes that sales are growing in Asia even as purchases by the United States have slowed. Still, the U.S. will spend some $13.7 billion on UAS procurement and $11.6 billion for research programs through 2021.

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The next wave in US robotic war: drones on their own

The US military's current fleet of drones will soon be overtaken by a new wave of robots that will be faster, stealthier and smarter -- operating virtually without human intervention, experts say.
The Pentagon is investing heavily in "autonomy" for robotic weapons, with researchers anticipating squadrons of drones in the air, land or sea that would work in tandem with manned machines -- often with a minimum of supervision.
"Before they were blind, deaf and dumb. Now we're beginning to make them to see, hear and sense," Mark Maybury, chief scientist for the US Air Force, told AFP.
Unmanned aircraft are now overseen by "pilots" on the ground but as the drones become more sophisticated, the role of remote operators will be more hands-off.

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Yemen To Get UAVs From The U.S.

September 26, 2012

SANAA, Yemen — Amid a series of controversial U.S. air strikes against high-level Al-Qaeda officials in the Arabian Peninsula, and renewed military cooperation with Yemen, officials in Sanaa are now expecting to get a supply of weaponry from the Pentagon, including four of their own UAVs.
An anonymous Yemeni defense official, who was not authorized to speak with the press, tells Aviation Week that Yemen is receiving four AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven UAVs. The 1.9-kg Raven is equipped with sensors for target acquisition, and infrared cameras capable of displaying persons carrying weapons.
“This type of technology would be very appropriate for Yemen’s frontline military units because it provides real-time intelligence from the battlefield to launch strikes while minimizing troops’ exposure to surprise attacks,” according to Aysh Awas, director of security and strategic studies at Sheba, a think tank here in the Yemeni capital.

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Iran unveils 'indigenous' drone with 2,000km range

There are heightened tensions between the West and Iran over its nuclear programme

Iran has unveiled what it says is a new "indigenous" long-range unmanned drone capable of flying over most of the Middle East, state media report.

The Shahed (Witness) 129 had a range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and could be equipped with bombs and missiles, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said.
It is reportedly capable of carrying out reconnaissance and combat missions.
Last year, the Iranian authorities displayed a US drone which they claimed to have brought down electronically.
The US insisted that Iran neither shot down the the RQ-170 Sentinel nor used electronic warfare or cyber-technology to force it from the sky. They blamed a malfunction.

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Britain's military drones spending tops £2bn

An UAV is loaded at Westdown Camp, Wiltshire: the study claims the use of drones raises moral and ethical questions. Photograph: Carl De Souza/AFP/Getty Images

The UK has spent more than £2bn on buying and developing military drones over the past five years and is poised to commit an extra £2bn for another new unmanned aircraft, according to a report.
The figures show how the Ministry of Defence has poured money into buying and researching a variety of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) as armed forces chiefs recognise their potential value in modern warfare.
However, the study by the campaign group Drone Wars UK warns that the extensive use of UAVs by the military and their likely employment in the civilian sphere raise moral and ethical questions that should be properly scrutinised and debated.

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Targeted Killing, Pro and Con: What to Make of U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan

Ho New/Reuters
A new report, "Living Under Drones," jointly authored by Stanford University and New York University -- and reviewed yesterday by Conor Friedersdorf here at The Atlantic -- is harshly critical of the drone campaign in Pakistan. The report argues that the U.S. narrative of drone strikes -- precise, accurate, and limited -- is false. Citing 130 interviews and a review of media reports, the authors argue that the civilian toll from drone strikes is far higher than acknowledged, that many problems with the drone campaign go unreported, and that more government transparency is essential to gaining a better understanding of the campaign and its consequences.
On that last point, the authors are absolutely right -- more transparency about targeting and effects would help everyone understand the consequences of drone strikes in Pakistan. And there are absolutely serious downsides to these strikes (some of which have been explored here already). But the report then makes some questionable claims based on incomplete data, and seems to argue that the drone campaign should be paused or radically altered. Those arguments are not well supported.

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Drone Market Will Shrink After Withdrawal Of US From Afghanistan

Boeing: Drone market will shrink

 ST. LOUIS — The unmanned aircraft market will shrink once U.S. troops complete their scheduled withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, said Boeing Military Aircraft President Christopher Chadwick.
Boeing analysts expect the UAV market to shrink by 20 percent in 2014, Chadwick said. That’s not to say military aviation will return to manned aircraft and shirk the advances seen the past five years in growing unmanned fleets.
Chadwick expects U.S. Air Force leaders to keep pursuing the development of more drones, especially ones to support persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

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Privacy Question At USA - Drone Story

U.S. UAV Use Raises Privacy Questions

This article first appeared in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.
U.S. lawmakers soon will have to address privacy issues raised by the use of UAVs in domestic airspace, a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report says.
“The prospect of drone use inside the United States raises far-reaching issues concerning the extent of government surveillance authority, the value of privacy in the digital age, and the role of Congress in reconciling these issues ‚” says the report, “Drones in Domestic Surveillance Operations: Fourth Amendment Implications and Legislative Responses,” released Sept. 6.
While UAVs have become a weapon of choice for Pentagon war planners in recent military conflicts, the unmanned systems are on the ascent for operations on or close to U.S. borders as well, the report notes.

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US Army Want New Drone

Army Wants Tiny Suicidal Drone to Kill From 6 Miles Away

 

Thought the Army’s Raven drone was tiny? The Army now wants a new drone, called the Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System, that’s weighs just just 5 pounds. And unlike the Raven, the so-called LMAMS will be armed and dangerous. Photo: U.S. Army

Killer drones just keep getting smaller. The Army wants to know how prepared its defense-industry partners are to build what it calls a “Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System.” It’s for when the Army needs someone dead from up to six miles away in 30 minutes or less.
How small will the new mini-drone be? The Army’s less concerned about size than it is about the drone’s weight, according to a recent pre-solicitation for businesses potentially interested in building the thing. The whole system — drone, warhead and launch device — has to weigh under five pounds. An operator should be able to carry the future Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System, already given the acronym LMAMS in a backpack and be able to set it up to fly within two minutes. 

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US Army Want New Drone

Army Wants Tiny Suicidal Drone to Kill From 6 Miles Away

 

Thought the Army’s Raven drone was tiny? The Army now wants a new drone, called the Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System, that’s weighs just just 5 pounds. And unlike the Raven, the so-called LMAMS will be armed and dangerous. Photo: U.S. Army

Killer drones just keep getting smaller. The Army wants to know how prepared its defense-industry partners are to build what it calls a “Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System.” It’s for when the Army needs someone dead from up to six miles away in 30 minutes or less.
How small will the new mini-drone be? The Army’s less concerned about size than it is about the drone’s weight, according to a recent pre-solicitation for businesses potentially interested in building the thing. The whole system — drone, warhead and launch device — has to weigh under five pounds. An operator should be able to carry the future Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System, already given the acronym LMAMS in a backpack and be able to set it up to fly within two minutes. 

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