GB2377683A

GB2377683A - Composite of unmanned aerial vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2377683A
Application number: GB0117666A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard George Harrison; Terry Prendergast; Geoffrey Salkeld; Daren Holdcroft
Original assignee: BAE Systems PLC
Current assignee: BAE Systems PLC
Priority date: 2001-07-20
Filing date: 2001-07-20
Publication date: 2003-01-22
Also published as: GB0117666D0

Abstract

The aerial vehicle comprises a plurality of UAVs 10, 20 which are detachably connected to each other to form a single aerial vehicle 32 capable of flight without using the combined power of the entire plurality of UAVs. The UAV 10, such as a cruise missile, and the other UAVs 20 are separable during flight whereby at least one of the separated UAVs can thereafter fly under its own power and operate at a desired location. At least one of the UAVs may comprise swing wings. In one arrangement (figs. 7 and 8) a long-endurance UAV is mounted in a recess in a booster vehicle, a control link being provided between the control system of the booster vehicle and the control system of the long-endurance UAV.

Description

An Aerial Vehicle The invention relates to an aerial vehicle.

Traditionally, different aerial vehicles need to be used for strike and ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) roles. For example, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) such as a cruise missile may be used for deep strike purposes while a different form of UAV will be used for ISTAR purposes, each one needing to be launched separately.

An object of the present invention is to provide an aerial vehicle which will enable such roles to be performed without having to launch the individual UAVs separately.

According to the invention there is provided an aerial vehicle comprising a plurality of UAVs which are detachably connected to each other to form a single aerial vehicle capable of flight without using the combined power of the entire plurality of UAVs, the UAVs being separable during flight whereby at least one of the separated UAVs can thereafter fly under its own power and operate at a desired location With such an aerial vehicle, the plurality of UAVs can be launched as a single all-in-one vehicle thereby avoiding separate launching of the individual UAVs as required hitherto. Moreover, as the interconnected UAVs can travel as a single aerial vehicle along a flight path using the fuel of, say, only one of them, a fuel saving results which is clearly an advantage.

In one embodiment, one of the UAVs is a missile such as a cruise missile which may continue to its target after separation, leaving the or each remaining UAV to perform a required mission and then preferably return to base or other collection point. Advantageously, two UAVs can be carried by the missile.

In another embodiment, one of the UAVs is a booster in which the or each other UAV is carried prior to separation. Such an aerial vehicle is particularly useful where the or each UAV carried by the booster is of the kind which is intended to remain on station for a long period of time over enemy territory monitoring specific areas. Such UAVs are normally of a slow flying type and the use of a booster to carry the or each other UAV to the area of operation

using fuel from the booster enables the or each of the other UAVs to reach the operational area quickly and remain operational over the area for a longer period of time. After separation, the booster may simply be expendable. If desired, the aerial vehicle may use a flying surface such as a wing of the or one of the other UAVs to provide lift for the entire aerial vehicle.

Prior to separation, the booster may have a direct control link to the UAV which provides flight control. For example, the UAV may have swing wings controlled by the booster through the link, the wings providing the lift for the entire aerial vehicle.

For ease of separation, the UAVs may be connected to each other by a frangible connection which is arranged to break and allow separation of the UAVs.

At least one of the UAVs may carry a munition which can be launched or otherwise released therefrom.

At least one of the UAVs may have swing wings which can be folded prior to separation and deployed after separation.

An aerial vehicle in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :- Fig 1 is a plan view of a cruise missile of known kind, Figs 2 and 3 are plan views of an UAV of known kind showing swing wings thereon folded and deployed respectively, Fig 4 is an underplan view of the UAV shown in Fig 2 showing munitions carried beneath the wings, Fig 5 is a plan view of two UAVs of the kind shown in Figs 2 and 3 mounted on the cruise missile of Fig 1 to form an aerial vehicle in accordance with the invention, Fig 6 is an underplan view of the aerial vehicle shown in Fig 5,

Fig 7 is an elevation of an aerial vehicle in accordance with the invention comprising two UAVs, one of which is in the form of an expendable booster and Fig 8 is a plan view of the aerial vehicle of Fig 7 showing the way in which swing wings of the UAV on the booster can be deployed.

In Fig 1, a UAV in the form of a cruise missile 10 has a body 12 carrying swing wings 14, the wings 14 being shown deployed in Fig 1. The body 12 has recesses 16 which receive the wings 14 when folded for launch. The cruise missile 10 has tail fins 18. Such a missile has its own propulsion system of known kind generally indicated at 19 and provides a fast moving munition intended for deep strike into enemy territory, and can be air, ground or sea launched.

In Figs 2,3 and 4 a UAV 20 has its own propulsion system generally indicated at 22, its own flight control system and a datalink to a controlling station. The UAV has two roles namely : 1 ISTAR via an electro-optical payload (e. g. cameras) and 2 Ground Attack, using a munition using explosives in its nose 24, and/or externally mounted munitions 2B and/or cannon (not shown) or the like.

The role of the UAV 20 would be aided by the use of an electro-optical payload for target acquisition. The UAV is intended to travel at a range of speeds (loiter for ISTAR or fast for strike purposes) and has swing wings 26 to enable the speed of the UAV to be matched to its role. Figs 2 and 3 show the wings 26 folded and deployed respectively. The UAV has a tail fin 27.

As shown in Fig 4, the UAV is capable of carrying external munitions 28 under each wing 26. A range of munitions can be used such as air-to-air missiles, airto-ground missiles and bombs. The missiles shown are for illustrative purposes only.

Looking now at Figs 5 and 6, two of the UAVs 20 are attached to the cruise missile 10 by respective mountings 30 to form an aerial vehicle 32 in accordance with the invention. The mountings 30 may be frangible. It will be seen that the UAVs are arranged symmetrically alongside the body 12 of the cruise missile 10 and in Fig 6, it can be seen that the UAV is carrying the

external munitions 28. The wings 14 of the cruise missile 10 and the wings 26 of each UAV are shown folded in Figs 5 and 6. Fig 6 also shows an air intake 34 for the cruise missile.

In use, the aerial vehicle 32 is launched from the ground or from a carrier aircraft and while flying as a single unit as shown in Figs 5 and 6, the aerial vehicle is powered by the engine 19 and fuel of the cruise missile 10. When the aerial vehicle 32 reaches a specified position, each of the UAVs 20 separates from the cruise missile 10. The specified position is likely to be where the two UAVs have to travel, for example, in different directions or where the fuel remaining in the cruise missile 10 is sufficient only to carry the missile to its primary target and can no longer support the load of the two UAVs. The frangible mountings 30 are intended to break from the UAVs 20 and missile 10 during separation and would not be retrieved (any residual part of the frangible mounting remaining would have less adverse aerodynamic effect if it were mounted to the larger of the UAV or the missile, and preferably the frangible mount is designed to break in this manner). Once separated, the UAVs 20 would continue flying to their area of operation under their own power using their own fuel and engines 22 and the cruise missile 10 would continue flying under its own power to the intended target. Therefore, following the separation, the cruise missile 10 and UAVs 20 can perform their respective roles independently.

The munitions 28 can be launched or released from the UAVs 20 while the UAVs are still part of the aerial vehicle 32, i. e. while still attached to the cruise missile 10. Alternatively, the munitions 28 can be launched or released after each UAV 20 separates from the missile 10 and before the wings 26 are deployed.

The aerial vehicle 32 in accordance with the invention offers a deep strike potential for a number of geographically distributed targets using a range of munitions 28. Following launch, the aerial vehicle 32 can fly to and penetrate the perimeter of enemy airspace as a single unit. That offers a number of advantages to the user. In particular only a single ground/air launch is required and while the UAVs 20 are flying as part of the complete aerial vehicle 32 they are saving their own fuel for their own later deployment which effectively gives the UAVs an increased range.

Instead of providing the two UAVs with munitions 28, the UAVs may be arranged to perform an ISTAR role and then return to base or other collection point. The absence of munitions 28 may enable three or more UAVs 20 to be mounted on the cruise missile 10.

Looking now at Figs 7 and 8, an aerial vehicle 40 comprises a UAV 42 having swing wings 44 and flight control surfaces 46 and another UAV in the form of a booster aerial vehicle 48 on which the UAV 42 is mounted.

The booster 48 has a body 50 formed with a location recess 52 in which the UAV 42 is detachably mounted, for example by means of frangible mountings (not shown). The booster 48 has an engine 54 powered by suitably stored fuel 56 indicated by broken cross hatching. A control system 58 for the booster 48 is provided in the nose of the booster and a direct physical control link 60 is provided between the control system 58 of the booster 48 and a control system 62 of the UAV 42. The control link 60 enables the control system 58 of the booster 48 to control at least some features of the control system 62 of the UAV 42. For example in the embodiment shown, the control system 58 of the booster 48 can control the deployment of the swing wings 44 enabling them to be moved from a folded position shown in full lines in Fig 8 to a deployed position shown in broken lines. The deployed wings 44 provide lift for the entire aerial vehicle 40 when in flight, flight control being provided by means of control surfaces 66 at the tail end of the booster body 50.

Once launched, the aerial vehicle 40 is powered by the booster 48 with the wings 44 suitably deployed to provide the required lift. The booster 48 has sufficient fuel to carry the UAV 42 deep into enemy territory to a position close to the area of operation. Once the required position has been reached, the UAV 42 separates from the booster 48, for example by fracture of the frangible mountings, and thereafter flies under its own power. The booster 48 is expendable and descends to earth under the force of gravity.

Typically, the type of UAV 42 carried by the booster 48 is a high altitude long endurance INSTAR type which is intended to remain on station over enemy territory monitoring specified areas. It can be equipped with a payload depending on the required task and area of operation and may include camera systems (television, infra red etc). A propellor of a propulsion unit (not shown) of the UAV 42 is suitably stowed when the UAV is carried by the booster 48

and is deployed on separation of the UAV from the booster. It will be appreciated, however, that the booster 48 may carry other types of UAV, such as those described above in connection with Figures 2,3 and 4.

Long endurance UAVs typically travel at slow speeds compared to other types.

Therefore where the area of operation is deep in enemy territory a considerable distance from a launch site, the UAV 42 would normally take a significant length of time to reach the area of operation using a considerable quantity of fuel and, therefore, reducing the time it can spend in the area. By using the booster 48 as a UAV to carry the UAV 42 to the area of operation, fuel in the UAV 42 is conserved thereby enabling it to remain in operation over the area for much longer; the booster 48 being more in the way of a rocket, the UAV 42 is delivered to the area of operation much more quickly than it could get there under its own steam.

The complete ground or air launched aerial vehicle 40 preferably has dimensions similar to a conventional cruise missile of the kind shown in Fig 1.

It will be appreciated that the booster 48 of Figures 7 and 8 can equally be used with the UAV 20 of Figures 2,3 and 4 and that the booster 48 could be adapted to carry more than one UAV.

Claims

1 An aerial vehicle comprising a plurality of UAVs which are detachably connected to each other to form a single aerial vehicle capable of flight without using the combined power of the entire plurality of UAVs, the UAVs being separable during flight whereby at least one of the separated UAVs can thereafter fly under its own power and operate at a desired location

2 An aerial vehicle according to claim 1 which is powered by one of the UAVs.

3 An aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 in which one of the UAVs is a missile such as a cruise missile which powers the entire vehicle prior to separation.

4 An aerial vehicle according to claim 4 in which the missile continues to its target after separation.

5 An aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 in which one of the UAVs is a booster which powers the entire aerial vehicle prior to separation.

6 An aerial vehicle according to claim 4 which uses a flying surface of a UAV carried by the booster to provide lift for the entire aerial vehicle in flight.

7 An aerial vehicle according to claim 5 or 6 in which prior to separation the booster has a direct control link to the or each UAV connected thereto.

8 An aerial vehicle according to any preceding claim in which the UAVS are connected to each other by a frangible connection which is arranged to break and allow separation of the UAVS.

9 An aerial vehicle according to any preceding claim in which at least of the UAVS carries a munition which can be launched or otherwise released therefrom.

10 An aerial vehicle according to any preceding claim in which at least one of the UAVS has swing wings which are folded prior to separation from the other UAV and deployed after separation.

11 An aerial vehicle constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to Figs 1 to 6 or Figs 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.