MQ-1C Warrior
Sky Warrior UAS
ERMP Warrior UAS
ERMP Warrior UAS
In August 2005 the Army awarded a $214-million contract for development of an Extended-Range Multi-Purpose unmanned aerial vehicle named the "Warrior." The ERMP Warrior would have the longest range of any UAV system then in the Army, and its diesel-powered air vehicle would eliminate the need for a special fuel on the battlefield. The air vehicle would have multiple on-board weapons and be capable of loitering over enemy territories for 36 hours at altitudes up to 25,000 feet.
The Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator (SAR/MTI) was an Army acquisition category III program. SAR/MTI, when installed on the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV), was to provide imaging of stationary targets and detection of moving targets, resulting in the tactical commander having increased situational awareness during periods of adverse weather and through battlefield obscurants. The Army estimated that total life-cycle costs would exceed $100 million for acquiring, operating, and maintaining 86 SAR/MTI systems.
Because the Army decided not to install the SAR/MTI on the TUAV, but on the Warrior Extended Range/Multi-Purpose air vehicle and other as yet undefined air vehicles, the Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors halted contractual actions until the Army clarified SAR/MTI requirements in operational requirements documents being prepared for the new platforms.
The Advanced EO/IR is an 11" diameter, 50 lb payload intended as an upgrade to the current TUAV payload. The Advanced EO/IR includes a mid-wave 640x480 InSb infrared camera, and a Sony color visible camera. Both cameras provide digital imagery. The IR camera will provide nearly a 2x improvement in range performance over the current TUAV payload IR camera. The Sony color EO camera will provide increased range performance over the baseline TUAV payload EO camera through improved line-of-sight stability.
Two Advanced EO/IR payloads were originally developed and flight-tested as part of the Multi-Mission Common Modular UAV Advanced Technology Demonstration (MMCM UAV ATD). The first Advanced EO/IR unit includes the EO and IR cameras, and the second unit added a Laser Rangefinder for improved target location accuracy. A third system was procured with a multi-spectral filter wheel for Countermine operations. Additional systems were being developed with a Laser Rangefinder/Designator for Counter-terrorism operations.
The Advanced EO/IR/LD (Electro-Optic/Infrared/Laser Designator) payload was a lightweight, low-cost Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) system designed to enhance the capabilities of the U.S. Army's Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV). It provides improved stand-off distances and increased search rates for the TUAV, as well as addresses the need for increased target detection capability and improved target location accuracy.
The payload was capable of being operated in a Step-Stare mode for rapid, wide area search. A multi-spectral filter wheel added in front of the IR camera supports Countermine operations, and a Laser Rangefinder/Designator allows for true targeting missions. In addition to TUAV, the proven performance of the Advanced EO/IR/LD met the requirements of the higher echelon Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) UAV (now UAS), and supported the projected needs of the Future Combat System (FCS).
