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Jan Zizka · 01-23-2006, 02:28 PM

Caslon,

Doubtful, the only real 'sense and avoid' that is present on unmannned platforms is on UCAVs which are different than UAVs. UCAVs are capable of classifying targets ahead of their flight path and altering their flight path if a given target is a threat. They will do this automatically as they fly without pilot intervention. Their avionics and software is much more advanced than most UAVs. UAVs could easily have a simple 'sense and avoid' based simply on taget type similar to UAVs but it would depend upon the UAV having a sensor capable of automatically classifying a target as a threat. The MQ-9 for instance (Predator B) has a Lynx SAR (synthetic Aperature Radar) that will search automatically and classify and identify targets automatically. So it wouldn;t be a stretch to say that you could program it to stay out of the enagement range of a SA-15 for example if it found one in the course of it's search.

Again, to me 'sense and avoid' if the ability to detect incoming fire and manuver to avoid that incoming fire and no unmanned system that I have seen posesses that. It is possible that UCAvs may posess that ability but UAVs typically rely on altitude and the fact that they are small and hard to detect to avoid fire.

01-23-2006, 02:28 PM	#30 (permalink)
Jan Zizka Private Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 81	UAVs Caslon, Doubtful, the only real 'sense and avoid' that is present on unmannned platforms is on UCAVs which are different than UAVs. UCAVs are capable of classifying targets ahead of their flight path and altering their flight path if a given target is a threat. They will do this automatically as they fly without pilot intervention. Their avionics and software is much more advanced than most UAVs. UAVs could easily have a simple 'sense and avoid' based simply on taget type similar to UAVs but it would depend upon the UAV having a sensor capable of automatically classifying a target as a threat. The MQ-9 for instance (Predator B) has a Lynx SAR (synthetic Aperature Radar) that will search automatically and classify and identify targets automatically. So it wouldn;t be a stretch to say that you could program it to stay out of the enagement range of a SA-15 for example if it found one in the course of it's search. Again, to me 'sense and avoid' if the ability to detect incoming fire and manuver to avoid that incoming fire and no unmanned system that I have seen posesses that. It is possible that UCAvs may posess that ability but UAVs typically rely on altitude and the fact that they are small and hard to detect to avoid fire.