Army Aircraft Icing
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TRADOC System Manager Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Conference
Ongoing work at CRREL on icing remote sensing was presented at the 2000
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Conference at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The
UAV Conference provided the opportunity to learn how icing affects UAV
operations. This is particularly relevant because Army aviation's future doctrine,
as cited above, incorporates reliance on the use of UAVs to extend the range and
coverage of the Longbow Apache and Comanche helicopters that will be pro-
viding commanders with real-time intelligence and situational awareness in the
future battle space.
Army planning involves UAVs as the primary means of obtaining intelli-
gence to a radius of 50100 km (scouts conduct reconnaissance out to 50 km;
beyond 100 km it is covered by other assets). The number-one priority is the
development of the brigade commander's tactical UAV (TUAV), which will
operate line-of-sight with an electro-optical/infrared sensor payload, although
adverse-weather payloads are being developed. Other possibilities include a
micro-UAV for operation in urban environments, including building interiors; a
small unit UAV that would be organic to reconnaissance elements and operated
by a scout team; and an extended range/multipurpose UAV operated at division
or corps level to obtain dedicated, non-line-of-sight reconnaissance out to 200
300 km, and conduct communications and nuclear, biological, and chemical
(NBC) monitoring. Another priority is to establish manned/unmanned teaming
between Longbow Apache helicopters and UAVs for target development. The
12- to 27-km increase in standoff identification distance over using just the heli-
copter would result in a significant increase in lethality and survivability. The
Hunter (8.8-m wingspan) is the Army's interim TUAV for the brigade com-
mander until the Shadow 200 (4-m wingspan) UAV is available. The Hunter's
TUAV missions include reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition
(RSTA); target designation; battle damage assessment; communications relay;
jamming; and NBC detection. These missions serve to keep soldiers out of
harm's way, and to provide early warning, reaction time, and maneuver space.
UAVs also have the advantages of being faster than helicopters and being able to
spend more time on station. The main restrictions on UAVs are payload dimen-
sions and weight.
Eight Hunter UAVs were deployed to Macedonia in 1999/2000 in support
of NATO operations in Kosovo. They were operated in relay mode in order to
have line-of-sight communications out of Macedonia, i.e., a Hunter flying inside
Kosovo received/transmitted its communications with ground control via a
second Hunter flying in Macedonia. Hunters in Kosovo flew at 10,000- to12,000-
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