General Atomics Avenger

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General Atomics Avenger
A Predator C Avenger unmanned aircraft system and inert ordnance sit on display on a tarmac at Palmdale, Calif., Aug. 8, 2012 120808-N-WL435-054.jpg
Type: drone
Design country:

United StatesUnited States United States

Manufacturer:

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

First flight:

April 4, 2009

Commissioning:

In flight testing

Number of pieces:

4 (as of February 2014)

The Avenger of General Atomics is a drone , consisting of -9 MQ Reaper has been developed. However, the propeller drive was replaced by a turbofan engine. Originally the Avenger was also called "Predator C".

description

After General Atomics had launched the Predator series models in the 1990s , the company rose to become the market leader in the field of propeller- powered UAVs with the start of the war on terror, and was able to compete against the three remaining large arms companies in the Aviation sector ( Boeing , Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman ) claim. They responded with the development of jet-powered drones with higher performance. In order to remain competitive, the development of the Avenger, which was initially called "Predator C", was a further development of the MQ-9 Reaper, which was equipped with a turbofan engine. During the selection process for the MQ-9, General Atomics offered the US Air Force the Reaper with a turbofan engine. However, they opted for a propeller-driven design in order to reduce development risk and costs. After Northrop Grumman achieved commercial success with the Global Hawk and was able to prevail in a US Navy selection process with the RQ-4N against the company's own models MQ-1C and MQ-9N , the plans for the Reaper with a turbofan engine were used, but without having a government development contract.

The “Predator C”, developed under great secrecy, completed its maiden flight on April 20, 2009. The turbofan engine used is the PW545B from Pratt & Whitney Canada , which is already used in the Cessna Citation XLS business jet . This enables a top speed of around 740 km / h at an operational altitude of 18,000 m, although a change in the wing geometry was necessary. Compared to the MQ-9 Reaper, which served as the basis, the wings were initially stretched to 20.12 m and now have a sweep of 17 degrees. In addition to the possibility of carrying weapons externally, there is now a 3 m long shaft in the central hull, in which reconnaissance and electronic equipment can also be used. The internal weapon bay serves to reduce the radar cross-section , which is also due to the change to a turbofan engine. In combination with the increased speed, the Avenger is basically better suited for combat missions in areas with strong air defenses than the previous Predator models. In order to further improve its survivability, the Avenger also has an optional FLIR system , which has so far been rather unusual for UAVs. The second prototype, which is currently under construction, will be slightly larger and heavier, with a unit cost of around US $ 12 to 15 million. This also has the EOTS sensor developed for the F-35 in the bow .

Under the name Sea Avenger, General Atomics presented a carrier-supported model on May 3, 2010, which General Atomics intends to send into the race as part of the UCLASS program. The wings should be able to be folded in order to save space on the deck of a carrier. At the same time, the materials used are adapted to the maritime environment. The Sea Avenger is a competing design for a possible production model of the X-47B Pegasus from Northrop Grumman .

Stage of development

On January 12, 2012, the second prototype (Tail 2), which has a fuselage lengthened by 1.20 m, made its maiden flight. The third prototype (Tail 3) followed in summer 2013, while the fourth machine (Tail 4) should fly for the first time in early 2014.

Users

The Indian armed forces are currently (as of February 2016) in negotiations about the procurement of the Avenger in order to be able to react to possible terrorist threats from outside the country's borders.

Technical specifications

Parameter Data 2nd prototype
length 13.41 m
span 20.11 m
Maximum take-off mass 8255 kg
payload 1588 kg (internal), 2948 kg (total)
Top speed 740 km / h
Service ceiling 15,240 m
Max. Flight time 18 hours
drive A Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B - turbofan engine
with a thrust from 17.7 to 21.3 kN (depending on source)
Weapon loading AGM-114 Hellfire , GBU-12/16/48/49 guided ammunition ,
GBU-31/32/38 JDAM , GBU-39 SDB

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Mark Broadbent: Avenger - General Atomics Predator C . In: AIR International February 2014, p. 20 f.
  2. ↑ Flightglobal.com - PICTURES: General Atomics reveals Predator C "Avenger" UAV , April 21, 2009
  3. ↑ Flightglobal.com - General Atomics offers Sea Avenger for unmanned, carrier-based strike , May 4, 2010
  4. ↑ Avenger for India? In: European Security & Technology 1/2016. P. 76.

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