Reference News Network August 19 report: According to the U.S. "Defense" monthly magazine website on August 15, during a demonstration event held in the Pentagon courtyard, three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attracted attention, with their development from design drawings to operational prototypes taking less than one and a half years.

Emir Michael, the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, said that these three UAVs achieved the process from concept to development in an average of "18 months," which is much faster than the usual five to six years required for such projects.

"Valkyrie" UAV

Among the three UAVs, the largest one, the "Valkyrie," was developed by Kratos, a company based in California. According to its official website, the "Valkyrie" can "operate as a loyal wingman, perform single-mission tasks, or conduct operations as a drone swarm." Its maximum takeoff weight reaches 6,000 pounds (approximately 2,700 kilograms), and it can deploy lethal weapons or carry other payloads.

Steve Findley, President of Kratos' Unmanned Systems Division, said that the human-machine interface system of the "Valkyrie" is also customizable. This UAV can "execute fully autonomous missions and make all decisions independently," or be remotely controlled by a pilot.

Mike Lantry, an aviation advisor for the U.S. Marine Corps, said that the Marine Corps is working to integrate the "Valkyrie" into its key project of "manned/unmanned collaboration." He said, "The 'Valkyrie' will be used to enhance the F-35 fighter's 'survivability, lethality, and overall combat capability.'

Lantry also mentioned that through cooperation with other military branches and industry partners, "we will eventually develop a fully functional unmanned combat aircraft system."

"Vanilla" UAV

The "Vanilla" UAV may become part of this system. This UAV was developed by the U.S. "Platform" Aerospace Company and has an ultra-long endurance capability.

Jim Snow, Chief Growth Officer of the company, said that the current "Vanilla" UAV holds the world record for endurance of 8 days and 50 minutes. He said, "This is several days longer than any other UAV... and we will set a new record this year."

Snow said that the design of the "Vanilla" UAV is its core advantage. He said, "If you go to a glider airport and observe those planes, you'll find that the appearance of 'Vanilla' is very similar to them. It is equipped with a highly efficient diesel engine... and throughout the design process, we have always aimed to keep the fuselage drag at an extremely low level."

Snow introduced that the "Vanilla" UAV can be equipped with a wide range of devices, "from communication relay configurations (which allow other aircraft, ships, and high-altitude balloons to connect via 'Vanilla') to air-launched kinetic weapons configurations (which can drop munitions via 'Vanilla'), and of course including various equipment between the two, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance payloads."

Snow said, "Most people require UAVs to operate in all weather conditions. We will deploy another plane to replace the first one according to their needs," thus forming a "cyclic mechanism to ensure continuous monitoring of targets."

"Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System"

Among the three UAVs displayed, the "Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System" is the cheapest. This UAV was developed by "Ghost Factory," a company based in Arizona, and its small and lightweight body can be reconfigured to perform multiple tasks, including aerial reconnaissance or maritime strikes.

The prototype displayed at the Pentagon features a delta wing and a round nose cone. However, Dan Emmer, the head of the Rapid Prototyping and Testing Department under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, said that these technical parameters could still be adjusted as long as the cost remains low.

Emmer said, "Unlike traditional prototyping and capability development methods, we determined the price we were willing to pay for each system from the beginning."

The cost of each UAV varies depending on its model and purpose, ranging from $10,000 to $55,000. Emmer emphasized that reducing costs requires clearly identifying and retaining essential core functions. He said, "In many cases, these UAVs use 3D printing technology and low-cost composite materials."

Emmer also said that to achieve coordinated operations of the three UAVs, "Valkyrie," "Vanilla," and "Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System," across different battlefields, a platform is needed that allows multi-domain autonomous systems to work together.

This event demonstrated the "Multi-Domain Unmanned Secure Integrated Communications" (MUSIC) system, which may become a key capability to achieve this goal. Developed by Viasat, the system is a software-defined communications system that uses multiple transmission methods to build an architecture accessible to all UAVs. Emmer said that MUSIC is expected to become the "conductor" of autonomous systems' "wonderful symphony." (Translated by Liu Baiyun)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540105582997504547/

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