NEXT GENERATION VERTICAL-TAKE-OFF-AND-LAND UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS FOR MODERN MILITARY OPERATIONS
Martin UAV has successfully participated in a number of recent demonstrations flying from unprepared land sites and impossibly small deck spaces
V-BAT LANDING ON A SMALL BOAT
horizontal attitude and more importantly, the ability to repeat the maneuver anytime during an operational mission. The ducted fan and V-Bat’s sophisticated control allows the V-Bat to hover and stare anytime it’s commanded to do so by the operator. This provides a unique flexibility in mission planning and execution. Martin UAV has successfully participated in a number of recent demonstrations flying from unprepared land sites and impossibly small deck spaces. The V-Bat is generating interest with several US and international military organizations with the VTOL capability, flexibility and safety offered by this new, disruptive design. VTOL UAV technology has evolved from its beginning as a ‘remoted’ manned helicopter to quad and multi rotor copters that dominate the commercial “drone” market. Fixed wing UAVs have come a long way since their first use in the early 1960s to widespread adoption on the battle fields of the Middle East. But for real utility, they still suffer from either dependence on launch and recovery equipment, large open spaces, or small payloads. Only a few systems have broken the technology barrier
6 | WWW.DEFENCEINDUSTRYREPORTS.COM
between VTOL and Fixed Wing and, of those, only the Martin UAV V-Bat appears to have focused on the operator’s need for operational flexibility, technical elegance, safety and providing the benefits of both vertical and wing borne operations.
What the Future Holds The next step in the evolution of vertical takeoff and landing will require an intense focus on the operator’s needs. New combinations of current technology, the addition of cutting edge technology or completely revolutionary approaches will be required to move the VTOL UAV technology ball. The limits of its utility have yet be explored and the application to markets beyond the military one are enticing – remote area power and pipeline inspection, fisheries, conservation sanctuary monitoring, precision delivery – all require austere operating bases and long endurance operations. A safe, economical, and practical VTOL UAV has been a long time coming – the next step in the field will require a carefully planned and executed implementation of today’s capability.