Free Republic

<p>The 8-foot-long, sausage-shaped Silver Fox drone has a propeller in the front, and detachable wings and tail fins -- all of which fold neatly into a converted golf club bag. It isn't the only tactical UAV slated for testing during the second Gulf War.</p>

SECRET DESERT AIRSTRIP US army engineers have built a secret new airstrip in central Iraq to carry out aerial spying missions. The half-mile strip was fashioned from a patch of bumpy desert and scrub using giant earthmoving equipment and heavy rollers. At an unknown location, it will allow unmanned spy planes to patrol the skies around Baghdad and gather information for an assault. The remote-controlled UAVs will provide US military commanders with essential details on Iraqi force sizes, capabilities and movements. They are particularly keen to learn more about the Medina division of the Republican Guard. With around 120 tanks...

US Army's UAV-Related Efforts Gain Momentum While the US Air Force's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs--specifically, the Predator and the Global Hawk--have received a lot of attention over the past year, the US Army has quietly shifted the pace of its UAV efforts into higher gear. The Shadow 200, the Army's first tactical UAV (TUAV) system, successfully completed operational testing this past spring and is set for a full-rate production decision in September. It will fly surveillance missions in support of Army maneuver brigades. The Service's larger, longer-range Hunter, a division- and corps-level asset, has proven to be a reliable...

Aviation Week & Space Technology May 20, 2002 Pg. 24 Army Acquiring More UAVs To Explore New Technologies The U.S. Army is looking to expand its arsenal of UAVs through the addition of unmanned Cobra helicopters, Predator-Bs, A-160 Hummingbirds and other systems. Much of the flurry of UAV activity is focused on experimenting with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) systems and weaponizing the aircraft. But it also marks a change in the Army's attitude toward these systems from a cautious approach to a much more aggressive demeanor. One clear example is a move to more quickly gain control of the...