Since the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, interest in unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) has been steadily growing. The United States has seen its inventory of UAVs swell to more than 4,000 aircraft.

Israel made extensive use of UAVs during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and China used UAVs to support security operations during the Beijing Olympics. Even Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist group, has acquired a UAV, and the Sudan has one operating over Darfur.

The recent Russo-Georgian War saw the employment of unmanned aircraft systems. Long before the fighting began, Georgian UAVs were performing missions over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian military operates Israeli-built Hermes 450 and Skylark UAV systems.

These UAVs enhanced the performance of Georgian artillery units, perhaps even providing targeting information for an attack on the commander of the Russian 58th Army, Lt. Gen. Anatoly Khrulev.

"Contrary to initial reports, Russia's small fleet of UAVs did not participate in the war," said Dickerson. This lack of airborne surveillance hindered the effectiveness of Russian artillery units.

"The Russian military has long lagged behind Western countries in the amount it was investing in UAVs," said Dickerson. "The successful use of Georgian UAVs could spur Moscow to spend more on unmanned aircraft."

"This war also demonstrated that UAVs can play a role in conventional warfare, although high attrition rates should be anticipated," Dickerson said. Prior to this war, Georgia lost an undisclosed number of UAVs during missions over Abkhazia and perhaps one or two air vehicles in South Ossetia.

"Georgia plans to rebuild its armed forces, an effort that will likely include maintaining a strong unmanned reconnaissance capability," said Dickerson. The worldwide market for unmanned aircraft systems to perform reconnaissance and surveillance missions will be worth over $17 billion through 2017.

The first approach will use a small percentage of undergraduate pilot training graduates for the short term. The second will examine the potential for a distinct career path for Airmen to fly unmanned aircraft.

"The UPT approach will happen quickly," said Col. Pete Lee, chief of the operational training division in Air Staff Operations.

In the next couple of weeks, Air Force officials will select approximately 10 percent of UPT graduates to begin UAS training when they graduate in October. Their UAS training will be at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

After completing a standard UAS tour, UPT Airmen will receive a follow-on assignment to a manned aircraft, Colonel Lee added.

In January 2009, the Air Force will begin the second approach, a small-group testing of a program to train approximately 10 active-duty officers to specifically fly unmanned aircraft. Colonel Lee said the lessons learned from the first group will be used to train a second group of 10.

Initial training will begin in Pueblo, Colo., where the Air Force conducts introductory flight screening. UAS-specific training will follow with full major weapons system qualification completed at Creech.

"The plan is to develop and validate training programs that prepare non-UPT pilots for wartime UAS duty," Colonel Lee said. "We will continue to uphold the highest levels of Air Force flight safety standards."

The colonel said this is a historic time for the Air Force.

"Pilots flying unmanned aircraft today and Airmen selected for the new UAS training program are charting ground-breaking paths for the Air Force," Colonel Lee said. "They are truly trailblazers."

The Air Force general in charge of oversight of air, nuclear, space, cyber and weather operations for the Air Staff said the demand for UAS in theater is critical.

"The combat contributions of unmanned aircraft systems in today's fight have surpassed all expectations and have taken a crucial role in our ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lt. Gen. Daniel Darnell, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements.

"The surveillance-only role of UAS has rapidly expanded to include strike, force protection, and additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions," the general added.

Colonel Lee said unmanned aircraft are the tip of the spear for Air Force combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq because of "their ability to identify, track and engage our enemies."

From January to August of this year, MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers flew more than 4,400 sorties, logging over 81,800 combat flight hours. They also engaged more than 9,900 ISR targets and were an integral asset during more than 300 incidents of troops in contact with the enemy and more than 1,000 raids.

The crash in the South Waziristan region came amid growing tensions between Washington and Islamabad over US military incursions into Pakistani territory and missile strikes on Islamist militant targets.

The Pentagon said it had no report of any crash, while the CIA declined to comment.

"We have no reports of any loss of DoD (Department of Defense) drones," said Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wright.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, although some residents said that tribesmen shot at the aircraft before it came down near the frontier village of Angoor Adda.

"A pilotless spy plane, we believe it is US, crashed in Pakistani territory but it did not disintegrate. Tribesmen picked it up and then Pakistani security forces retrieved it," a senior Pakistani security official told AFP.

"No firing was heard in the area so there is no question of it being shot down," he said.

Residents however said that the plane was shot down.

"The tribesmen fired at the drone and it fell out of the sky," one resident told AFP by telephone, asking not to be named for fear of reprisals.

There was no immediate comment from the US-led coalition in Afghanistan. The US Central Intelligence Agency is also known to operate pilotless aircraft in the restive border region.

The incident comes just two days after Pakistani officials said that their troops had opened fire to repel two US helicopter gunships that crossed into Pakistani airspace in neighbouring North Waziristan.

South Waziristan was the scene on September 3 of the first officially acknowledged operation by US forces on Pakistani soil, in which 15 people were killed. Pakistan lodged a strong protest over the incident.

There have also been several recent missile strikes by American drones in the region.

Earlier US President George W. Bush held his first ever talks with new Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari over the tensions between the two countries.

The US president expressed his "deepest condolences" over Saturday's suicide attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which left at least 60 people dead, and declared: "We stand with you."

The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, said during a visit to Islamabad on September 17 that Washington respects Pakistan's sovereignty.

Hours after his visit, at least five people were killed when four missiles fired by suspected US drones struck a compound in South Waziristan.

During the demonstration, a Raytheon flight operations crew simulated a combat environment by delivering the KillerBee system to a remote location via Humvees.

In less than 45 minutes, the crew set up the system and launched the UAS. The team then executed the operational scenario and safely retrieved the UAS with a unique net-recovery system.

The KillerBee is designed to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with a UAS for their respective Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Tier II missions.

A mini-common data link enables KillerBee interoperability with both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

"The KillerBee is at a point where we can demonstrate an integrated combat capability," said Ken Pedersen, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Advanced Programs.

"Combined with Raytheon's Universal Control System, a first-of-its-kind unmanned aircraft flight station, the KillerBee can reliably insert ISR into the battlespace and then quickly deliver actionable data to a combatant commander."

Deliveries on this award are expected to begin in December 2009 and end in November 2010. Up to two systems are planned to be delivered per month. To date, AAI has contracted for a total of 113 Shadow TUAS and delivered a total of 71.

Several Shadow systems under this contract have been ordered with two new capabilities -- a laser designator and a tactical common data link (TCDL). A laser designator places a concentrated laser spot on a target, enabling precise tracking by a missile to the target of interest. The TCDL is a secure, wide-band datalink that transmits digital data to and from the aircraft.

It serves as a common communication link between AAI's One System(R) Ground Control Station and many UAS -- including Shadow, the extended range/multi-purpose Sky Warrior, and Hunter -- as well as the Apache helicopter.

The four new Marine Corps systems, as well as previously procured U.S. Army and Marine Corps systems, are expected to be retrofitted with these features at a later date.

This contract comes as Shadow TUAS achieved 350,000 total flight hours. The vast majority of the systems' flight hours have been in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Shadow TUAS reached this milestone a mere four months after achieving 300,000 total flight hours in May 2008.

"This new contract and milestone reflect how important unmanned assets have become to our Army and Marine Corps customers," explained Steven Reid, AAI's vice president of UAS.

"They rely upon Shadow systems for critical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting information to keep warfighters safe; that is why we continue to develop and field enhancements to make them more robust and capable. Laser designation and TCDL are just two of the new technologies we are integrating to increase our customers capability to conduct new missions safely and effectively."

Until now, unresolved challenges involving UAV recovery by ships at sea have limited their deployment for safety reasons.

The experimental solutions available to date have only worked reliably during daylight and in calm seas; two severe limitations for systems that are required to operate round the clock and in poor weather.

To overcome these shortcomings, DCNS developed the SADA automatic deck landing and take-off system. SADA takes less than 2 minutes to land a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV on a moving flight deck up to sea state 5.

SADA uses an infrared sensor to accurately track the UAV while generating flight commands to adjust the trajectory until the UAV is positioned to ensure that its harpoon engages the centre of the landing grid. Tracking accuracy is 30 cm which is far better than that achieved by GPS-only systems. Overall safety and reliability are thus assured.

SADA features an open architecture and can be readily and unobtrusively integrated with any VTOL UAV and any type of ship.

This success is the result of close cooperation between DCNS and Austrian company Schiebel, manufacturer of the Camcopter S-100 UAV that performed the demonstration.

The unmanned radio-controlled target aircraft, operated by 792 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), are used in missile training around the remoter parts of the west coast of Britain as well as being deployed from ships at sea.

Recently updated to the Mirach Aerial Target Drone, which has similar characteristics to an 'UAV' (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), 792 Squadron provides target opportunities for ships' missile systems and for fighter aircraft during weapon systems testing and training.

The Mirach has an advanced digital global positioning system and navigation computer which allows it to maintain pinpoint accuracy during target presentations and there are numerous role configurations that can be fitted to the target system. For example flare dispensers for missile homing, smoke plumers for visual indication, and a capability to tow a small target behind the main target on 100ft (30m) of Kevlar cable.

The target is launched by electrical ignition of the disposable rocket motors which are fitted on either side of the Mirach's rear section. These rockets each provide around eight tonnes of thrust which, in addition to the unmanned aircraft's internal jet engine, propel the Mirach from standstill to approximately 350 knots (648 km/h) in two seconds and to a maximum airspeed of 530 knots (981 km/h).

Commanding Officer of 792 Naval Air Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Alan Rogers said: "792 NAS plays a most vital role in the provision of a realistic threat simulation for the Type 42 Sea Dart missile system and trials aircraft of the Royal Air Force. In the Mirach 100/5 Aerial Target System we use state of the art technology to ensure our missile systems are fully tested prior to a ship deploying to operational areas, thereby giving the operating crews the opportunity to hone their skills and instil confidence in their ship's self defence systems."

Recent deployments include Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides, for in-service firings for the Typhoon aircraft's missile system, and a high seas firing for the Sea Dart missile system of HMS Manchester, a Type 42 Destroyer, helping prepare the ship for operations around the world.

RNAS Culdrose is one of Europe's largest helicopter bases and delivers highly capable Helicopter Squadrons specialising in Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare and Airborne Surveillance and Control. Its frontline Squadrons are deployed to ships all over the world to support the Royal Navy in its global operations.

Back at the Air Station, trainee Aircrew, Engineers, Air Traffic Controllers, Fire-fighters and Flight Deck crews undergo intensive training prior to joining Naval Air Squadrons for duties at sea.

Additionally, the 'Search and Rescue' Squadron is on constant standby 365-days a year to react to emergencies throughout the south-west region. Its red and grey helicopters can be seen braving all types of weather responding to calls for help on land and sea.

The Navy has used ScanEagle aboard a variety of ships - ranging from the destroyer USS Mahan to the amphibious vessel USS Whidbey Island - as well as on support ships and small combatant craft. In addition, ScanEagle serves with other U.S. forces and with international customers in various theaters around the world.

"We've learned lessons from our extensive ScanEagle operations that have helped us refine the system into a mature ISR asset that is safe, dependable and easy to operate for our sailors,"said Don Iverson, ScanEagle U.S. Navy program manager for Boeing. "These 1,500 safe shipboard recoveries, along with numerous operational reports from our customers, show that ScanEagle has established itself as a critical capability for naval operations around the world."

The long-endurance, fully autonomous ScanEagle UAS carries inertially stabilized electro-optical and infrared cameras that allow the operator to track both stationary and moving targets. Capable of flying above 16,000 feet and loitering over the battlefield for more than 24 hours, the platform provides persistent low-altitude ISR.

ScanEagle is launched autonomously from a pneumatic SuperWedge catapult launcher and flies either preprogrammed or operator-initiated missions. The Insitu-patented SkyHook system is used to retrieve the UAS, capturing it by way of a rope suspended from a 50-foot-high tower. The system makes ScanEagle runway-independent and minimizes its impact on shipboard operations, similar to a vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle.

Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company located in Bingen, Wash., designs, develops and manufactures unmanned aircraft systems for commercial and military applications. Insitu created the first unmanned aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean, completing the flight in 1998 on just 1.5 gallons of fuel

"The Marines have identified an urgent need for unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver supplies in lieu of putting trucks and personnel on dangerous roads," said John Groenenboom, A160T program manager for Boeing.

"The A160T was designed from inception as a UAS with significant payload-carrying and high-altitude-operation capabilities, so we are confident in its ability to meet the requirements of this critical mission."

The demonstration contract is expected to be awarded in July. Boeing will demonstrate it can deliver 2,500 pounds of cargo per day from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than six hours per day for three consecutive days. The demonstration program could lead to future business opportunities.

The A160T has a 2,500-pound payload capacity. It features a unique optimum-speed-rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the rotor's speed at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds.

The autonomous unmanned aircraft, measuring 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, has hovered at 20,000 feet and has cruised at more than 140 knots. The A160T established a world endurance record in its class in 2008 with an 18.7-hour unrefueled flight.

QinetiQ has established secure office accommodation plus enhanced other aspects of technical support and facilities at the existing UAV 'Centre of Excellence', originally created by the then Welsh Development Agency on the site of the former RAF Aberporth. Other key stakeholders in the Watchkeeper programme include the MOD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE and S) Unmanned Air Systems Project Team, the Welsh Assembly Government, West Wales Airport and Thales, as the prime contractor.

"This programme is expected to bring unique trials, development and test flight and certification capabilities to West Wales, which can be used by the MOD and a range of unmanned air systems manufacturers, suppliers and customers," explained QinetiQ's project manager Robert Walter.

"Their operation will lead to additional job opportunities as ParcAberporth becomes a centre of excellence for all future unmanned air vehicles."

Dennis Cox, the DE and S Programme manager added: "The Watchkeeper project team have been working closely with the other stakeholders to put in place the infrastructure required to fly unmanned air systems. This co-operative effort has resulted in the delivery on schedule of a facility fully capable of meeting the demanding requirements of the Watchkeeper trials programme."

Thales, the Watchkeeper prime contractor, is now clear to migrate the trials programme to the UK by October 2009. Initial live flying elements of the operator training are expected to commence in March 2010 contributing to systems acceptance and deployment in October 2010.

Other enhancements at the airport have included the runway being extended to over 1200 metres - a planned development that was accelerated to accommodate the Watchkeeper timetable.

While undertaking this extension, extensive planning enabled [underground] infrastructure to be factored-in, giving the new Watchkeeper complex 'plug and play' capability with all airfield-deployed assets.

Watchkeeper UAVs will access the MOD Aberporth Range Complex in the first instance. Temporary segregated airspace will also be established to enable flying over mid-Wales and on to the Sennybridge Army Training Estate for integrated systems assessments comprising combined operations with deployed units on the ground.

The air traffic control unit at MOD Aberporth Range will be tasked with managing all of the flying operations, with all scheduling being undertaken through QinetiQ's ParcAberporth offices - providing a seamless service delivery.

QinetiQ plays an important role in many of the research, solution development and operational programmes for future unmanned systems across the land, air and sea domains, many of which are now the cornerstones of other pan-industry unmanned systems programmes.

In addition to having developed and demonstrated critical aspects of solution autonomy, QinetiQ is now providing managed UAV services, delivering all important safety and release to service programmes, developing and integrating many of the vital sensing and communications solutions plus producing its own unmanned platforms including the Zephyr high altitude long endurance UAV and the Talon family of ground robots.

"The Marines have identified an urgent need for unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver supplies in lieu of putting trucks and personnel on dangerous roads," said John Groenenboom, A160T program manager for Boeing.

"The A160T was designed from inception as a UAS with significant payload-carrying and high-altitude-operation capabilities, so we are confident in its ability to meet the requirements of this critical mission."

The demonstration contract is expected to be awarded in July. Boeing will demonstrate it can deliver 2,500 pounds of cargo per day from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than six hours per day for three consecutive days. The demonstration program could lead to future business opportunities.

The A160T has a 2,500-pound payload capacity. It features a unique optimum-speed-rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the rotor's speed at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds.

The autonomous unmanned aircraft, measuring 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, has hovered at 20,000 feet and has cruised at more than 140 knots. The A160T established a world endurance record in its class in 2008 with an 18.7-hour unrefueled flight.

If so, it will be time to scream... but out of joy, rather than fear, for it could be a turning point in the history of robotics.

Psikharpax -- named after a cunning king of the rats, according to a tale attributed to Homer -- is the brainchild of European researchers who believe it may push back a frontier in artificial intelligence.

Scientists have strived for decades to make a robot that can do some more than make repetitive, programmed gestures. These are fine for making cars or amusing small children, but are of little help in the real world.

One of the biggest obstacles is learning ability. Without the smarts to figure out dangers and opportunities, a robot is helpless without human intervention.

"The autonomy of robots today is similar to that of an insect," snorts Guillot, a researcher at France's Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), one of the "Psikharpax" team.

Such failures mean it is time to change tack, argue some roboticist.

Rather than try to replicate human intelligence, in all its furious complexities and higher levels of language and reasoning, it would be better to start at the bottom and figure out simpler abilities that humans share with other animals, they say.

These include navigating, seeking food and avoiding dangers.

And, for this job, there can be no better inspiration than the rat, which has lived cheek-by-whisker with humans since Homo sapiens took his first steps.

"The rat is the animal that scientists know best, and the structure of its brain is similar to that of humans," says Steve Nguyen, a doctoral student at ISIR, who helped show off Psikharpax at a research and innovation fair in Paris last week.

Rat robots are being built in other labs in Britain, the United States and elsewhere. Two years ago, for instance, a team at the ITAM technical institute in Mexico City reprogrammed a Sony Aibo dog using rat-simulated sofware.

But the European researchers believe that Psikharpax is unique in its biomimickry, sophistication of sensors and controls and software based on rat neurology.

Their artificial rodent has two cameras for eyes, two microphones for ears and tiny wheels, driven by a battery-powered motor, to provide movement.

A couple of dozen whiskers measuring around a dozen centimetres (four inches) stretch out impressively either side of its long, pointed snout.

The patented "vibrissae" seek to replicate a key part of the nervous system in a real-life rat, where whiskers are used to sense obstacles.

Data from these artificial organs goes to Psikharpax's "brain," a chip whose software hierarchy mimicks the structures in a rat's brain that process and analyse what is seen, heard and sensed.

For instance, if Psikharpax's eyes sense that it is dark, the software gives a greater weight of importance to data from the whiskers, in the same way that a rat, at night, relies on other sensors to compensate for loss of vision.

But one famous rat quality -- the power of smell -- is not incorporated in Psikharpax. An artificial nose was originally included in the scheme, conceived by roboticist Jean-Arcady Meyer, but proved too complex in practice.

The goal is to get Psikharpax to be able to "survive" in new environments. It would be able to spot and move around things in its way, detect when it is in danger from collision with a human in its vicinity and spot an opportunity for "feeding" -- recharging its battery at power points placed around the lab.

"We want to make robots that are able to look after themselves and depend on humans as least as possible," said Guillot.

"If we want to send a robot to Mars, or help someone in a flat that we don't know, the robot has to have the ability to figure out things out for itself."

To simulate robots scouting on the lunar surface before a human space crew arrives, the "K10 Red" and "K10 Black" robots developed at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will perform site surveys of the Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona June 14 - June 26, 2009.

Scientists and mission operators will remotely control the K10s from the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) at NASA Ames and collect scientific data using the K10's cameras and 3-D laser scanners. After the robots have completed their exploration, the mission team will use the images and 3-D terrain models taken by the K10s to plan a simulated astronaut mission in August.

"This field test is important for understanding how robots can help future astronauts be more productive on the moon," said Terry Fong, principal investigator of the robotic recon experiment and director of the Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA Ames. "We're using the K10 robots to study how scouting can improve planning for human missions and improve lunar science."

As part of the two-week experiment, the K10 robots will navigate an area of Arizona scientists have chosen as a simulation of the Rupes Recta or "Straight Wall" fault seen on the moon. Black Point Lava Flow's wide variety of surface features, size (nearly 10 miles wide) and relative remoteness make it ideal for simulated lunar missions, according to project team scientists.

Engineers and scientists will use the field experiments to determine the kinds of instruments, data communication and navigation capabilities necessary to make a successful robotic reconnaissance. Scientists know that robots can make discoveries useful to scientists on Earth, as exemplified by the Mars Exploration Rovers.

Engineers predict that during the first three years of human missions to the moon, humans will spend less than 10 percent of the time on the surface, while robots could be used more than 90 percent of the time.

Team members believe robotic scouting missions can reduce the amount of uncertainty a human crew encounters when conducting extravehicular activities. Providing mission planners a lunar "road map" can improve the quality and amount of science data collected on future missions to the moon. Scientists say this will help determine what lunar features might be of greatest scientific interest, as well as help identify resources and potential hazards.

The June field test is part of the 2009 Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) project, which will send additional robots, human-operated rovers and lunar planners from NASA centers across the country to the Black Point Lava Flow in August and September. During that experiment, Desert RATS will perform a simulated 14-day human mission to the moon.

NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.; Johnson Space Center, Houston; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; Ames Research Center; Glenn Research Center, Cleveland; and Kennedy Space Center in Florida are participating in the Desert RATS.

The K10 robots are part of the Human Robotic Systems project under NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP), which develops advanced technologies and capabilities for lunar exploration. The ETDP is based at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

The KillerBee UAS features a blended-wing aircraft body design. It also has systems for land or sea launch, recovery and ground control. The unique design of KillerBee enables growth for future payloads and additional mission capabilities.

"KillerBee is the affordable, integrated solution to the U.S. Navy's need for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the littoral environment," said Bob Francois, Raytheon Missiles System's vice president of Advance Missiles and Unmanned Systems.

KillerBee is designed to provide the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force with a UAS for their respective Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Tier II missions.

KillerBee has the ability to insert persistent reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition into the battlespace and is ideally suited for force protection in an expeditionary environment.

Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of IAI said: "HAROP is an extremely impressive system, and everyone at IAI is proud of this accomplishment. This is a state-of-the-art loitering munition system, which features accurate detection capabilities and minimizes collateral damage to the surrounding area."

Separately, the German Armed Forces and the German Ministry of Defense (MOD) have approved an operational requirement utilizing IAI's HAROP system. The project will be implemented in cooperation with Rheinmetall Defense as the prime contractor.

The German MOD has already invested funds for the adaptation of HAROP to its specific requirements. Part of the adaptation was successfully performed by a joint IAI/Rheinmetall Defense team, and a follow on contract is planned for this year. This activity is a reflection of the successful cooperation between IAI and Rheinmetall Defense, which has also included projects involving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

HAROP is a long endurance LM which can be launched from a variety of platforms, and is equipped with tactical UAV capabilities: high performance FLIR/ color CCD EO seeker with 3600 hemispherical coverage. It searches, detects, attacks and hits high value re-locateable, time critical, land or sea-based, moving targets with pinpoint accuracy at long ranges. A HAROP unit is comprised of LM launchers and a Mission Control Shelter (MCS) that enables missile control with a Man in the Loop operation, engagement or abort attack capability in real time, avoiding collateral damage.

The HAROP can be applied to a variety of battle scenarios, including low and high intensity conflicts, urban warfare and counter terror operations.

HAROP LMs are launched from transportable launchers and navigate towards the target area, where they loiter and search for targets. Once a target, static or moving, is detected, it is attacked and destroyed by the HAROP LM. The attack can be performed from any direction and at any attack angle, from flat to vertical which is highly essential in urban areas. The operator monitors the attack until the target is hit.

Another HAROP LM can observe and send real time video of Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) to the operator. The operator can command to abort the attack in order to avoid collateral damage, returning the LM to loitering mode, and restart the attack later.

Officially called unmanned aerial vehicles, the drones have seen an increasing use in dangerous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of low operating costs and a reduced risk for personnel, who can be stationed far away from the battlefield, they are an attractive alternative to traditional military aircraft.

EADS is now trying to convince several European powers to finance a joint project for an advanced UAV. So far, most drones are U.S.- or Israeli-made.

"It's about setting the course whether Europe will play its own role in the future market of UAVs or be dependent on models produced in the United States and Israel," Stefan Zoller, chief executive officer of EADS Defense and Security, told the Financial Times Germany newspaper.

EADS at last week's Paris Air Show unveiled the twin-jet-powered Talarion, a UAV with a 92-foot wingspan capable of executing reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance and target acquisition missions.

EADS has already approached Germany, France and Spain and said Turkey is willing to support the plane, the development of which would cost more than $2 billion.

"If a decision is made this year, then the UAV could make its maiden flight in 2013 and be sent to customers in 2015 or 2016," Zoller told the newspaper.

EADS has offered the three countries a package with 15 drone systems (one system includes three drones and a ground control facility) for $4 billion. Germany and France would get six systems and Spain three.

German officials are not sure whether they want to go ahead with the Talarion. Ruediger Wolf, a state secretary in the German Defense Ministry, has told his French and Spanish colleagues that Berlin is uneasy about the financials behind the project.

"Wolf indicated to his partners in France and Spain that he sees at the moment no possibility to go on with the advanced UAV. But I think we will talk about it," a German military official told the magazine Flight International.

Germany is eager to quickly modernize its drone fleet and is looking for a more short-term deployment of UAVs.

Berlin has launched the bidding process for such a contract and several manufacturers have made offers, including French military aircraft maker Thales-Dassault and a consortium of Israel's IAI and Germany's Rheinmetall. Both models would be based on the Israeli Heron drone.

It's no secret that Germany, in the medium and long term, would favor a European-made UAV. So far, Thales-Dassault and EADS have the best chances, and both companies have been pushing research and development for UAVs.

Annual worldwide spending on drones will double within a decade to $8.7 billion, according to estimates by Teal Group, a Fairfax, Va.-based aviation consultant.

A total of five targets were engaged and destroyed during the testing, also a first for the U.S. Navy. Members of NAVSEA's Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE and EWS) Program Office and NSWC Dahlgren fired a laser through a beam director on a KINETO tracking mount.

Two additional UAVs were engaged and destroyed in flight June 9, with two more UAVs shot down June 11. These recent evolutions continued a series of progressively challenging tests using the prototype version of the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (LaWS).

"The success of this effort validates the military utility of DE and EWS," said Program Manager Capt. David Kiel.

"Further development and integration of increasingly more powerful lasers into Surface Navy LaWS will increase both the engagement range and target sets that can be successfully engaged and destroyed."

NAVSEA's DE and EWS Program Office is responsible for the research, development, integration and acquisition initiation of DE and EWS for the Navy's surface forces.

NSWC Dahlgren focuses on research, development, test and evaluation in the fields of military safety testing, integrated warfare systems, weapons and ammunition, sensors and directed energy and homeland and force (military personnel and equipment) protection.

Recent advances in commercial high energy fiber welding laser development for commercial welding use have made the deployment of a weapons grade laser based defense system on board naval vessels a realistic possibility.

DE and EWS is transitioning technology from the laboratory to prototype system development/test for operational development and use. One of the multiple 'game changing' technologies that is under development includes laser weapons that provide for speed-of-light engagements at tactically significant ranges with cost savings realized by minimizing the use of defensive missiles and projectiles.

But the $53 million deal is reported to have a catch: Russia should not sell its advanced S-300PMU air-defense system to Iran, which wants the missiles to protect its nuclear facilities from Israeli air and ballistic missile strikes.

It is surprising in many ways that the sale went forward at all. Russia is the main arms supplier to Iran as well as its sole Arab ally, Syria, the most intransigent of the Arab states that oppose Israel.

And within the aerospace industry the Russians have made no secret that they wanted to get their hands on the Israeli drones, which are deemed to be among the best in the world and have been used by the Americans in Iraq, to reverse-engineer them so Moscow could produce its own sophisticated system.

Jane's Defense Weekly, published in London, quoted Vyacheslav Dzirkain, deputy head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying in Moscow in June: "We must take their (knowledge) and put it to practical use."

But the upheaval in Iran apparently has led the Israelis to believe that keeping the Russians sweet by allowing them to steal UAV technology is more important than other considerations.

Russia has ordered 50 UAVs, including the Bird-Eye 400, I-View Mk150 and the Searcher 2. But the Israelis say that the current sale involves only 10 550-pound I-View close-range tactical UAVs and long-endurance, multirole Searchers. Both are produced by the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries.

Russia has been making UAVs for several decades, but it has never been able to match the quality of U.S. and Israeli craft.

The U.S. Predator MQ-1 UAV, armed with Hellfire missiles, has been highly effective against insurgent forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Israel pioneered the use of UAVs in combat. These figured prominently in the Israeli air force's stunning victory over Syrian air force fighters and surface-to-air missile batteries in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in the initial phase of the Israeli invasion of 1982.

Eighty-six Syrian jets were shot down and a dozen missile batteries destroyed in that action. Later on, the Israelis deployed UAVs in surveillance operations against Palestinian militants in the occupied territories. In recent years, missile-firing UAVs have been used to assassinate militant leaders.

Russia's weakness in the UAV field was exposed during the 2008 war with Georgia. Moscow's forces had to use Israeli-built Hermes 450 craft built by Elbit Industries in the tactical role in that brief conflict.

According to Jane's, "Moscow has since launched a range of programs to address this shortfall. In 2008, Russian Air Force commander Colonel-General Alexander Zelin said that by 2011 Russia would be capable to deploying advanced UAVs with a flight duration of 12 hours and a range of 400 kilometers."

Zelin acknowledged, "We are desperately behind other countries, although in the 1980s we were at the front line."

"This unveiling of the first of 15 Block 40 aircraft is a significant step to fielding Global Hawk to Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, in 2010 and reaffirms our excellent track record of delivering Global Hawks since low rate production began," said Duke Dufresne, sector vice president for Northrop Grumman Aerospace System's Strike and Surveillance Systems Division.

"Carrying an advanced, all-weather multi-platform radar technology insertion program (MP-RTIP) sensor, the Block 40 aircraft will provide game-changing situational awareness for our warfighters with its unprecedented capability to detect, track and identify stationary and moving targets."

Use of the MP-RTIP sensor on the Block 40 Global Hawks marks the first time the active electronic scanned array (AESA) technology has been used on a high-altitude unmanned aircraft. AESA technology provides all-weather, day-night synthetic aperture radar mapping and ground moving target indicator capability.

"The Global Hawk system is in high demand by joint warfighters overseas, having successfully flown more than 31,000 hours since 2001," said Steve Amburgey, Global Hawk program director for the 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "Congratulations to the entire Global Hawk team for continuing to provide our service men and women with a reliable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system."

Designated AF-18, this Block 40 aircraft was the 27th Global Hawk built since the program's inception in 1995 and is scheduled to begin flight testing next month.

"This magnificent aircraft represents the future of Grand Forks Air Force Base. This and the rest of the Block 40 fleet will make significant contributions to the safety and security of our nation for years to come," said Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota. "I look forward to seeing this airframe on the Grand Forks ramp next year."

Global Hawk's range, endurance and large payload capabilities are well suited to support a variety of customers and missions, including environmental and Earth science research, homeland security, border and coastal patrol, hurricane and fire monitoring, and other disaster relief support activities. Global Hawk effectively provided imagery of the California wildfires in 2007 and 2008, and of Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Flying at altitudes of more than 60,000 feet for more than 32 hours per sortie at speeds approaching 340 knots, the MP-RTIP-equipped Block 40 Global Hawk can persistently see through most type of weather, day or night. As the world's first fully autonomous high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system, Global Hawk is the platform of choice for a wide variety of sensors, foreign and domestic, meeting the global need for persistent ISR.

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the Global Hawk and MP-RTIP programs and continues to move these technologies forward under the stewardship of the Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Electronic Systems Center, located at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. Northrop Grumman's Norwalk, Conn., facility is the principal MP-RTIP radar developer along with principal subcontractor, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo. The development MP-RTIP sensor is undergoing a radar system level performance verification on a surrogate aircraft, and will be integrated into AF-18 for an operational evaluation.

Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk program is based at its Aerospace Systems' Unmanned Systems Development Center in San Diego, Calif. The company performs Global Hawk sub-assembly work at its Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., and final assembly at its Antelope Valley Manufacturing Center in Palmdale.

AeroVironment Inc., a California company, announced that the Defense Advanced research Projects Agency had awarded it a contract extension to design and build a working prototype of a nano air vehicle.

The contract extension is worth $2.1 million and continues through summer 2010 for work that uses "biological mimicry at an extremely small scale," which would allow for "new military reconnaissance capabilities in urban environments," a company release said.

AeroVironment said its NAV reached a technological milestone when the craft, using two flapping wings and carrying its own energy source, managed controlled hovering flight. The company said the NAV used only the wings for propulsion and control.

While in flight the NAV was able to climb and descend, fly forward and back and also left and right while under remote control.

"The NAV program will push the limits of aerodynamic and power conversion efficiency, endurance, and maneuverability for very small, flapping wing air vehicle systems," Todd Hylton, DARPA program manager, said in a release.

"The goals of the NAV program -- namely to develop an approximately 10-gram aircraft that can hover for extended periods, can fly at forward speeds up to 10 meters per second, can withstand 2.5-meter-per-second wind gusts, can operate inside buildings, and have up to a kilometer command and control range -- will stretch our understanding of flight at these small sizes and require novel technology development."

DARPA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, said the NAV program was initiated to develop an extremely small flying vehicle that could be used in either outdoor or indoor military missions. "The program will explore novel, bio-inspired, conventional and unconventional configurations to provide the warfighters with unprecedented capability for urban mission operations," the agency said on its Web site.

DARPA foresees the program advancing technology in collision avoidance, navigation systems and hovering flight.

"There are still many hurdles to achieve the vehicle we envisioned when the program was started," Hylton said in the AeroVironment release, "but we believe that the progress to date puts us on the path to such a vehicle."

AeroVironment NAV Project Manager Matt Keennon said the propulsion and control systems were seen as the biggest challenges when NAV Phase I began.

Keennon said Phase II, which is covered in the contract extension, will focus on longer flight capabilities for the NAV and improving its ability to switch from hover to forward flight and back. AeroVironment will also work to reduce the craft's size and weight while seeking to make it quieter.

"All of these are distinct technical challenges in their own right that actually conflict with each other, making for an interesting and exciting path ahead," he said.

It is the first MQ-8B to fly without flight test instrumentation normally installed for developmental flights, a clear indication of MQ-8B's system maturity. P7 continues Northrop Grumman's commitment to customers around the globe by building upon the rigorous developmental testing being supported by P6, the first company owned Fire Scout.

The completion of first flight paves the way for continued operations to validate the functionality of all system elements leading to the execution of operationally relevant mission scenarios that demonstrate Fire Scout's unprecedented capability in support of the warfighter.

"Being a Vertical Unmanned Aerial System, Fire Scout brings many tactical advantages to the fight," said Mike Howell, Business Development Manager for Army systems at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "It goes where the warfighter goes, is not tied to airfields or recovery sites, and provides enhanced, direct support for the ground commander."

After successfully completing fully autonomous flight operations onboard the USS McInerney (FFG-8) frigate in May, Fire Scout is well poised to demonstrate capabilities in reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition/ intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (RSTA/ISR), communications relay, logistics resupply, and other key missions uniquely suited to vertical UAS.

"Fire Scout's ability to perch and stare allows it to readily acquire and track targets in the urban and complex terrains America's warfighters are engaged," Howell said.

"Its capacity at the tactical level allows it to carry larger more capable payloads, including communications relay, than other tactical UAS, giving the commander more options and greater flexibility when planning and executing operations."

The P7's capability demonstrations will continue throughout the summer, with missions in support of land-based operations as a priority. In conjunction with continued flight operations of P6, P7 underscores Fire Scout's joint role as a program of record within both the Navy and the Army.

New Unmanned Baby Sub To Protect Coastal Waters

Talisman L. Copyright: BAE Systems

by Staff Writers
Farnborough, UK (SPX) Jul 07, 2009
In a move to help combat the growing threat of explosive mines hidden in shallow coastal waters such as ports and harbours and to increase the protection available to world shipping, BAE Systems has launched its first unmanned autonomous submarine to detect and deal with this newfound threat.

The 50kg vessel, called Talisman L, uses high-definition forward and sideways looking sonars, as well as a host of multi-view cameras.

It has a high degree of manoeuvrability and can turn within its own length and is able to operate at depths of 100 metres for anything up to 12 hours. With a top speed of more than five knots, it can hover and move around in any direction.

Paul Laity, Naval Programmes Director at BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies, said:

"While open water threats remain significant, there is an increasing need for a threat detection capability in confined coastal areas. With our new Talisman L we are providing a way of protecting our service men and women in these port and harbour environments.

"Talisman L can be deployed from almost any vessel, including rigid inflatable boats, and can be controlled either from a stand-alone console or integrated into a command ship's Combat Management System, saving space and increasing operational effectiveness."

The submarine can operate autonomously, using pre-set mission parameters, but operators can assume manual control at any time giving it significant tactical flexibility and command oversight.

Talisman L is one of a range of Talisman Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles that share open platform architectures, mission system components and command and training infrastructures.

One of the key features of the Talisman L is its ability to become a payload for the much larger 'mother ship' Talisman M unmanned submarine. This unique combination of systems allows a fully integrated approach to Mine Counter Measures to be undertaken, from detection through to neutralisation.

The video feed was provided by a U.S. Navy aircraft flying from the Webster Annex of NAS Patuxent River, Md. The aircraft operated in a maritime training area the week of June 15 and was able to provide real-time, continuous streaming imagery of selected areas on the Chesapeake Bay and on the shoreline of Southern Maryland.

Additionally, as a test of Fire Scout's communications relay capability, the U.S. Coast Guard operated a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) as a primary target on the water and the Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) communicated directly to the RHIB via Fire Scout.

The air vehicle was commanded to "Clear Voice Relay" with one radio on an approved unused UHF frequency and the other radio was set to the Maritime Band. This configuration allowed direct communication between the AVO ashore and the RHIB operating on the water.

Utilizing a FLIR Systems BriteStar II that includes EO/IR with laser rangefinder/designator, the MQ-8B Fire Scout can find and identify tactical targets, track and designate targets, accurately provide targeting data to strike platforms and perform battle damage assessment.

"Fire Scout's ability to provide real-time EO/IR imagery in this demonstration is significant because it shows the impressive capability of the sensor and the ability to move data and imagery to remote sites in support of warfighters in the field. Fire Scout has once again proven its versatility and capability, and we experienced very good feedback from potential customers who observed this demo," said Mike Fuqua, Business Development Manager at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector.

The U.S. Navy Fire Scout will complete Operational Evaluation this summer and is slated to deploy aboard USS McInerney (FFG-8).

During the test campaign in the Goose Bay area of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the jet-propelled demonstrator flew completely autonomously along pre-programmed flight profiles. It was monitored from the ground station with respect to flight safety only.

The new, successfully tested unmanned aerial system is a further development of the first Barracuda technology test bed which performed its maiden flight in April 2006. Since that time the software, systems and solutions for the methods and processes carried out under the Agile UAV programme have been continuously developed to form an integrated system.

The results of these modifications, which had so far only existed as computer models, have now been successfully tried and tested in flight on the Barracuda. The flexibility of the software and the modular capabilities have also been enhanced.

This makes the system even easier to adapt to a wide range of UAV missions which will then be verified and validated using the Barracuda built by EADS Defence and Security.

These successful flights in Goose Bay have given EADS Defence and Security practical confirmation of the results of technology programmes it had already conducted on its own initiative. Moreover, the Barracuda is used for test flights in the 'Agile UAV in Network Centric Environment' technology programme commissioned by the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB + Bundesamt fur Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung).

"The successful flights by our unmanned aerial system + the largest ever yet built in Europe + underscore our competence in developing and offering market-driven solutions to meet the multifaceted requirements of our customers in one of the world's most promising future markets in our sector," commented Dr. Stefan Zoller, member of the EADS Executive Committee responsible for Defence and Security.

"This powerful demonstrator widens the technological UAV product portfolio from EADS Defence and Security within the scope of our own high-performance systems," Zoller stated.

"It enables us to offer a full range of UAV products from tactical systems to complex reconnaissance and surveillance systems."

Bernhard Gerwert, Head of the DS Business Unit Military Air Systems (MAS), emphasised: "We once again have a demonstrator for the autonomous and network-centric UAV mission systems of the future. The unmanned aerial system designed by EADS Defence and Security and manufactured in Germany and Spain can be used for a wide range of tasks in the development and risk minimisation of reconnaissance UAVS."

Gerwert went on to explain that the technology demonstrator had been built largely with EADS Defence and Security's own funds and with resources contributed by the German Army, the BWB and the supplier companies involved in the programme.

Even if this new version of the UAV demonstrator is not destined for series production, EADS will be able to gather fundamental insights for operationally mature next-generation UAV products + either alone or in cooperation with European partners.

With this demonstrator, EADS Defence and Security will gain practical experience in the interoperability of unmanned systems within Network-Centric Operations conducted in line with the latest NATO criteria and in autonomous operation involving interaction with other systems. This also makes it possible to reduce any risks involved in developing the planned new UAV Talarion.

"Arrested landings, catapult launches, high winds, pitching deck, subsonic speeds, you name it - the operating environment of the carrier air wing is unforgiving," said Scott Winship, vice president and program manager of the Navy UCAS program for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector. "The X-47B was built for these conditions, and as the results of the rigorous proof test show, the design of the aircraft is structurally sound for all aspects of carrier operations."

Conducted over a two-month period with NAVAIR involvement and oversight, the first X-47B underwent a series of progressive structural, functional proof and calibration tests to verify the integrity of all flight control surfaces, major structural load paths, main landing gear structure and tailhook assembly.

According to Northrop Grumman's air vehicle integrated product team lead, Tom Soard, "Past experience in the Navy shows these tests are the only way to verify the design and the tools used to estimate the load paths. This test proved that our latest finite element models are indeed very accurate. The results match our predictions very well."

To conduct the tests, over 200 electro-hydraulic assemblies were attached to the major components of the X-47B. Pressure was applied to simulate aircraft flight conditions. Each test condition was reviewed and the results approved by the X-47B airframe team before the next series of tests were initiated.

Reported results confirm that the X-47B meets the design requirements outlined by the U.S. Navy for a jet-powered, fighter-sized aircraft to demonstrate autonomous launches and recoveries from a carrier.

The X-47B aircraft, now designated with Navy Bureau Number 168063, will undergo engine integration and taxi tests through the fall in preparation for first flight and carrier trials. The second aircraft is currently being assembled and will begin proof load tests later this year.

On schedule and cost, the Northrop Grumman UCAS-D program is committed to maturing critical technologies, reducing unmanned air system carrier integration risks and providing necessary information to the U.S. Navy for a potential follow-on acquisition in support of the Naval Aviation Master Plan. The period of performance for the UCAS-D contract is through 2013.

Israel Aerospace Industries issued a release Monday saying it demonstrated its Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle last week in southern Brazil for the Brazilian Federal Police.

IAI said the testing was attended by Brazilian government ministers, officials of the country's armed forces, and military and civilian representatives of several other Latin American countries.

Brazilian authorities are investigation using UAVs to help control border security, smuggling and drug trafficking, IAI said.

The test was conducted in the state of Parana and the San Miguel de Iguacu region, which is notable for challenging weather conditions. The area also has a good deal of commercial air traffic, and the Heron test was coordinated with Brazilian air traffic control.

IAI said its Heron was the first UAV system to fly over that part of Brazil.

"Despite this, the system performed flawlessly in all its tasks and was able to fulfill the customer's requests," the IAI release said.

The test in Brazil was one in a series in the region for IAI, which also worked with the U.S. military's Southern Command during exercises in El Salvador. That test, which also took place during adverse weather, was to demonstrate the Heron's value for maritime patrols.

IAI said the test in Brazil was ordered after a two-year study by the Brazilian federal police regarding UAV systems.

Officials said they specifically wanted aircraft able to provide data and intelligence in real time, carry a number of sensors simultaneously and that employ satellite communications and automatic takeoff and landing.

The Israeli company has established a venture called EAE with Brazil's Synergy Group, which has aerospace, shipyard and oil concerns. EAE was formed to develop markets in Latin America in aerospace, maritime and home security sectors.

"This joint company will provide an opportunity to expand the Brazilian technological base, will act as a hub for technology and expertise and will provide maintenance and customer support services for IAI's various systems in use in Latin America, including the UAV," the IAI release Monday said.

IAI's Heron is in use by several countries including India, which has 50 of the aircraft in service. India paid about $220 million in 2005 for the UAVs.

The Heron is about 29 feet long and has a wingspan of 54 feet, 5 inches. It has a range of about 2,000 miles and can stay aloft for more than 40 hours at a stretch.

The Euro Hawk is a derivative of the Block 20 Global Hawk, and will be equipped with a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Defence and Security (DS). The SIGINT system provides standoff capability to detect electronic intelligence radar and communications intelligence emitters.

EADS DS will also provide the ground stations that will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.

"This on-time assembly of the Euro Hawk demonstrator reinforces our commitment to providing ground-breaking technology to our customers and solidifies our transatlantic cooperation with Germany and EADS DS," said Jim Kohn, Northrop Grumman Euro Hawk program director.

"We're also on track for the Euro Hawk unveiling later this year at our Palmdale, Calif. manufacturing facility after additional checkout and systems testing, followed by first flight and delivery in 2010 in Germany."

Following successful testing and introduction in German operational service, Northrop Grumman anticipates subsequent systems will be delivered between 2016 and 2017. The Euro Hawk will replace the aging fleet of Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972.

"We're eager to receive the Euro Hawk and can't wait to have this unmatched capability flying high above European skies at more than 60,000 feet and improving our troops' safety during military deployments," said Heiko Weiss, Euro Hawk program manager of the German Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement.

"Developed to meet Germany's need for airborne wide-area surveillance and reconnaissance, this system will surely transform the region's situational awareness on land, air, and sea."

"This collaborative effort between Northrop Grumman and EADS DS on this first Euro Hawk is a great success and an excellent example of our transatlantic partnership," said Heinz-Juergen Rommel, chief executive officer of the EuroHawk GmbH. "We are excited to welcome this magnificent UAS here in Germany."

On Jan. 31, 2007, the German MoD awarded a $559 million contract to EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture company formed by Northrop Grumman and EADS, for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk unmanned SIGINT surveillance and reconnaissance system. Under the contract, EuroHawk GmbH will also provide aircraft modifications, mission control and launch and recovery ground segments, flight test and logistics support.

EuroHawk GmbH is the national prime contractor for the German MoD through the entire lifecycle of the Euro Hawk system. The limited liability company is based in Immenstaad, Germany.

The TYZX G2 EVS provides:

+ Enhanced Situational Awareness via 3D Visualization - Standard monocular cameras provide video footage that is "flat," sometimes making it difficult for a robot operator to judge distance. 3D visualization provides depth perception and a more detailed view of the environment. Using an operator control unit (OCU) integrated with TYZX stereo vision data, the robot operator can more easily manipulate objects such as unexploded ordnance.

+ Person Detection and Person Following Capabilities - Using the TYZX system for person detection, iRobot researchers are developing advanced autonomous navigation algorithms to demonstrate person following capabilities. Using onboard sensing from the TYZX system, iRobot's tactical mobile robots have demonstrated the ability to detect, recognize, track, and follow specific persons of interest.

+ Obstacle Detection and Obstacle Avoidance (ODOA) Capabilities for Increased Autonomy - TYZX G2 technology has enabled iRobot's SEER payload for its PackBot and Warrior platforms to support autonomous ODOA for complex vertical structures. Whereas traditional planar LIDARs provide only a 1D horizontal sweep of obstacles, TYZX technology provides range details in 2D. This allows the robot to sense how high an obstacle is and to determine if it can overcome that obstacle.

"The TYZX G2 EVS provides our robots with the ability to sense and assess the surrounding environment," said Tom Wagner, Vice President and Technical Director for iRobot.

"The G2's onboard processing capability, as well as its lack of moving parts, makes it a fitting sensor for our PackBot and Warrior platforms. Our robots are used in complex terrains and the G2 system provides sensor data needed to enable advanced capabilities on our platforms."

"UGV platforms such as the iRobot PackBot have proven to be indispensable for warfighters and first responders," said Ron Buck, President and CEO of TYZX.

"Even in challenging lighting conditions, TYZX 3D vision systems provide the rich, real-time visual data, 3D data, and post-processed data (such as TYZX ProjectionSpace) these systems require for improved situational awareness and increased levels of autonomy."

Standing 58 centimetres (23 inches) tall and with a plastic shell for a body, a humanoid robot called Nao drew a crowd at the Campus Party in Valencia as it danced to Jackson's "Billie Jean" with a black hat on its head.

"I am thrilled to be at the Campus Party!" it said in in a mechanical voice in English.

The robot can recognize voices and faces and be instructed to turn on a personal computer, read e-mails or an online newspaper as well as be used to stimulate sufferers of Alzheimer's disease with memory exercises.

"It is a companion robot; at the same time it is a robot that can help with day to day tasks," said Romain Daros of French firm Aldebaran Robotics which designed Nao.

The company plans to start selling the robot in 2011 for between 3,000 and 3,500 euros (4,200 and 4,900 dollars).

Another star at the week-long event which wraps up on Sunday is a robot covered in artificial white fur called Paro that resembles a seal pup which can perceive people and its environment.

The cuddly robot has a diurnal rhythm, being active during the day but getting sleepy at night and reacts when it is spoken to or stroked.

It was designed by Japan's largest public research organization, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, with the aim of helping people with cognitive problems like autism or dementia.

People with severe memory loss can be prone to psychiatric disturbances, including hallucinations and personality changes, and the robot can provide a way to calm them or at least shift their mood.

It is also useful in engaging children in pediatric wards and can help people with autism, who struggle to communicate socially and have trouble understanding facial expressions, learn how to interact better with others.

"A seal was chosen because it does not arouse any emotional memories, like a dog or a cat would," said Ignacio Villoch, the marketing director of Spanish bank BBVA's innovation centre which is presenting the robot in Spain.

Paro is already available for sale in Japan and several northern European nations.

Just several metres (yards) away Sylvain Calinon of Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology presented his robot, a "chef" that can cook.

Calinon said that unlike other robots, his "learns new gestures by imitation, by observation, without needing an intermediary" like a computer programmer.

The robot has already learned how to beat eggs and cut ham to make an omelet.

"We can imagine for example that it could feed people who can't feed themselves with their own hands," said Calinon.

The gathering at the futuristic "City of Arts and Sciences" also provided space for non-professionals to display their creations and many were also designed to aid ill or handicapped people even if they were more rudimentary.

One of them, Jose Alberto Garcia, proudly showed off his three-legged robot called Invigbot which emits a sound when it approaches an obstacle.

"He was conceived to serve as a guide for the blind," the 22-year-old said.

Around 6,000 people are expected to attend the Campus Party, which unites participants from all over the world to share ideas, experiences and all types of activities related to computers, communications and new technology.

The annual event began in Spain in 1997. Editions of the event have since been held in Brazil and Colombia.