Ravens Receive OK For Flights In Italy

Italy has certified the U.S. Raven UAV (RQ-11B) for use by military and civilian operators in Italian air space.

Currently, Ravens are in the air more than 300,000 hours a year for combat missions (mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan). More than 9,000 Ravens have been delivered or are on order. The Raven B (RQ-11A), that was introduced this year, weighs a little more (4.3 pounds), but has much better sensors as well as the option of carrying a laser designator. The 4.2 pound Raven A is inexpensive (approximately $35,000 each) and can remain airborne for 80 minutes at a time. The UAV is also battery powered, silent, with either a color day vidcam or a two color infrared night camera payload. Both cameras broadcast real time video back to the operator, who controls the Raven via a laptop computer.

The Raven can travel as quickly as 90 kilometers an hour, but usually cruises at between 40 and 50 for distances as much as 15 kilometers from the craft's controller. The Raven is made of Kevlar, the same material used in helmets and protective vests. On average, Raven can survive about 200 landings before an element of the craft needs to be replaced. While some Ravens have been shot down, the most common cause of loss is the communications link failing (as the aircraft flies out of range, usually) or a software/hardware failure on the aircraft. The flight control software has a "failsafe" mode — when the radio link between aircraft and operator is lost, the aircraft will immediately head for the location from where it was launched. Raven B has a rescue beacon in the tail that transmits a location signal.

The big advantage with Raven is that the craft is simple, reliable, and it works. A complete system (controller, spare parts and three UAVs) costs $240,000. The UAV can be quickly disassembled and secured into a backpack. To take off, the operator starts the motor and then throws the Raven into the air. This can be accomplished from a moving vehicle. The controller allows the operator to capture video, or still pictures, and transmit them to other units or a headquarters. The operator often does this while the Raven is flying a pre-programmed pattern using GPS. The operator can also fly the Raven, which is often used when pursuing hostile gunmen.