UK Novel Air Concept

[zebedee]

Dear All...

This has just turned up on the MoD website, looks like a lightweight morphing UAV, or as they put it:

"Novel Air Concept – a cost effective, reusable uninhabited air system that operates within the urban landscape."

Apart from that not much else... anybody got any ideas...?

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=B2B14B5A-1143-EC82-2E27DF76D83DFCE9

Zeb

 

[fightingirish]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

On the first site it looks like fan-art or a RC-modell. ;D
I have great doubts that stop-fold rotor would work.

 

[AeroFranz]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

if the missile shown are hellfires and harpoons (can't say what the wing-less missile is), that means that thing is HUGE. HUGE = non-expendable.

 

[Michel Van]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

if the missile shown are hellfires and harpoons (can't say what the wing-less missile is), that means that thing is HUGE. HUGE = non-expendable.

i think (because of Waring logo) is a Laser
if is a targetpointer for bombs or laserweapon, i can not tell

 

[Just call me Ray]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

if the missile shown are hellfires and harpoons (can't say what the wing-less missile is), that means that thing is HUGE. HUGE = non-expendable.

Pretty much what I was going to say, but this could be pretty neat. Don't know where they're gonna fit the radar for the A-to-A missiles.

 

[flateric]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

...

 

[fightingirish]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINoBxJjp14
Source:
MOD unveils future UK defence tech research plan

 

[Bodmas]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Is it the MoD trawling about for ideas? ;D

 

[KJ_Lesnick]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Kind of amazing how much technology we're putting into unmanned vehicles, eventually ones that can make their own decisions. Let's just hope they don't turn on all of us.

KJ Lesnick

 

[zebedee]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Kind of amazing how much technology we're putting into unmanned vehicles, eventually ones that can make their own decisions. Let's just hope they don't turn on all of us.

You know that would make a great movie...! oh hang on....

Seriously though it wouldn't surprise me if the MoD (and foreign contemporaries) had a couple of blokes trawling the internet for good ideas... if i was overscan id check the site stats very carefullly....

Zeb (a man who once had the pentagon snooping at his site...)

 

[hole in the ground]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

I love how as it enters a combat area it raises up; increasing its silhouette and exposing some nice weak points for targeting...

Clever idea though but I think separate units would be better than a single self contained one. One UAV calling in fire support from multiple guns/mortars or many UAVs spotting multiple targets simultaneously for a single gun/mortar offers more flexibility IMO.

How about linking the targeting systems of those UAV to a herc gunship?... that'd be a pretty complicated targeting system

 

[Bodmas]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Cool stuff B) but it always worries me how vulnerable such systems may be to hackers (CF. the Saab Gripen, for example)... maybe a bit off-topic; but has anybody checked out:

Michael Erbschloe (2001)
Information Warfare: How to survive cyber attacks
Osborne/Mc.Graw-Hill, USA
ISBN 0-07-2136004

?
In a highly integrated system like that, it would seem like the possibilities for pure chaos are endless!

(Zeb. Reckon this would make a great Sci-Fi scenario... Zombie-botted Gripens taken over by cat-stroking hackers bent on "World Domination"...? ;D )

Cheers all

BTW, i found this:
http://www.swarms.org/
it might be of interest

 

[Antonio]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Biology and Technology...my two passions together!. Thanks a lot for the link

 

[Bodmas]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

A Pleasure Antonio

Likewise!

Oh, and this:

http://www.qinetiq.com/home/defence/defence_solutions/aerospace/unmanned_air_systems.html

 

[Bodmas]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

... that'd be a pretty complicated targeting system

The scary part of that is that various research suggests that it wouldn't.
Studies done by the Universty of Warwick (amongst others) suggest that "Swarm" type systems may have extremely simple underlying algorythms for "Swarming" and "Targetting"; analagous to Biological "Foraging" an "Flocking" models.

 

[Matej]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

Three companies are vying to secure an unmanned air vehicle demonstrator contract at the heart of the British Defense Ministry’s so-called Novel Air Capability Vision, but details of their respective proposals for the program are being treated as classified.

BAE Systems, missile manufacturer MBDA and Cranfield Aerospace are understood to have submitted proposals at the end of October. The contract for the selected concept could be awarded early in 2010.

Aviationweek link

I just found the official images, released with the press release.

 

[Nik]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

I'm not sure what I'm seeing...

Is that a folding / feathering rotor, like motor-gliders use, but up-sized for VTOL ??

 

[Matej]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

In general - yes. But as the article says, all three real proposals are classified. So this is only the artists impression, how such a system should look like.

 

[red admiral]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

In general - yes. But as the article says, all three real proposals are classified. So this is only the artists impression, how such a system should look like.

The MoD released a bunch of gucci artwork with all of the Capability Visions, but this was before any proposals from Industry. As stated previously, BAeS, Cranfield and MBDA tendered bids.

From the RFP:

"A reusable uninhabitied air system with a radius of action of 1000km and able to survive defended air space. Capable of being launched and recovered from land sea and air with the emphasis on ship based operations. The vehicle is to be able to operate within the urban canyons inherent in the major city landscape."

 

[flateric]

Re: Novel Air System - classified british UAV

http://www.science.mod.uk/controls/getpdf.pdf?81

 

[mrmalaya]

The UK is looking for UAVs to operate off of its Carriers. Nothing immediately springs to mind. Do you guys know any more about the NAC from the UK MOD circa 2009?

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140410091116/http://www.science.mod.uk/engagement/cp/capabilityvisions_default.aspx?ThemeId=3c484246-46c6-4279-ba5f-7204ec09ca07&ThemeType=cv&

This went very quiet. It might be dead, but seemed to have clear goals and very clearly fits the bill.

 

[TomS]

We had a thread on this:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6340.0

 

[mrmalaya]

Hmmm, the second page has a little more information on it thanks!

The PM wants something to fly off the carriers, we were already working on it. Is it too simple a connection to make?


Edit: Topics merged

 

[mrmalaya]

Thanks for the topic merge.

The reason I asked, is that this UAV system that the UK is apparently keen to get on the carriers is for offensive use as much as ISR etc. That doesn't ring a bell with me other than in the form of this concept.

I would of course be very happy to discover a new system that can launch from the QE class without assistance and carry out offensive operations. The rash of converted helicopter designs under test can't be the system which will strike fear into the hearts of ISIL.

 

[mrmalaya]

On a bit of a mission here, but there was life in the project as of 2011:

http://www.cranfieldaerospace.com/news/2011/cranfield-aerospace-complete-phase-2-of-novel-air-concept/

 

[shedofdread]

I did see 'bits and bobs' of this some time ago. What happened to the concept, I don't know. I think I know where the moulds for the air vehicle are, though...

 

[mrmalaya]

Do tell.

I could and probably am barking up the entirely the wrong tree, but this concept/project has only got more relevant with time in my opinion.