Saab Quietly Plans Its Future UAV and UCAV Capabilities
Saab is quietly taking the next steps in its plan to develop Sweden's
future UAV and UCAV capabilities by preparing a highly stealthy
UCAV demonstrator for full development and production.
Under the Flying Innovative Low-Observable Unmanned Research (FILUR)
program, the company has designed an all-new air vehicle to demonstrate
ultra-low-observable flight performance, using a range of advanced
technologies. At the same time Saab has made significant progress
with its state-of-the-art UAV program, the SHARC (Swedish Highly
Advanced Research Configuration) air vehicle.
On top of all this Saab is deeply involved with the six-nation
European Technology Acquisition Program (ETAP) that will lead
to the fully-fledged UAV and UCAV platforms of the future. Saab
is also considering specific international collaborative efforts
to further develop its current UAV technology.
Since its unveiling in July 2002 (a secret maiden flight had taken
place on February 11, 2002) Saab has built four examples of the
SHARC, which has been redesigned and fitted with new avionics.
The vehicles are now capable of pre-programmed autonomous flight
and are expanding their primary role of network-centric sensor
operations. In a capability demonstration earlier this year video
imagery from a SHARC flying over northern Sweden was downlinked,
compressed, encrypted and transmitted via the internet over 2,000
km to Linköping, where it was viewed in almost real-time.
The next step for the SHARC team is to integrate some of the image
recognition and decision support technology already developed
for Saab missile systems, allowing the onboard sensors to recognize
specific targets such as columns of vehicles or buildings. According
to Saab the SHARC program could grow into a wider international
effort, on at least a bi-lateral basis, with a European or U.S.
partner. The strongest hints are towards French involvement, but
in any case Saab says the days of purely national programs are
over.
Experience with the SHARC is feeding directly into the FILUR,
which was revealed without fanfare late last year. A first flight
is planned for 2005. The FILUR will seek to achieve a very, very
low radar cross-section (RCS) that is maintained throughout all
stages of its tactical operations. Saab refuses to discuss what
target levels of RCS have been set for the FILUR, or whether it
will use active and/or passive signature management techniques.
However, the company does confirm that 'new materials' are being
developed for it.
The FILUR vehicle will weigh approximately 50 kg, with a wingspan
of 2.5 meters-essentially similar dimensions to those of the SHARC.
It will be powered by a yet-to-be-selected turbojet engine in
the 0.2 kN thrust class (the SHARC is powered by a Dutch-built
AMT Olympus, rated at 0.19 kN). Significantly, the FILUR will
incorporate an internal payload bay.
Saab is also about to begin testing an all-new electric engine,
which offers great weight-saving potential for future UAVs. Under
its More Electric Research Aircraft (MERA) program, Saab will
investigate electrical propulsion and electric vehicle systems
(replacing conventional hydraulics, for example) on a Swedish-built
Windex 1200C kitplane, with a first flight due by the autumn of
this year.
