RUAG Ranger
| RUAG Ranger | |
|---|---|
 ADS-90 prototype |
|
| Type: | drone |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 21, 1988 |
The Ranger (also known as reconnaissance drone system 95 , or ADS 95 for short ) is a drone produced by the Swiss arms company RUAG Aviation , Oerlikon-Contraves and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). It was developed by the two companies since the 1980s.
function
The Ranger drone is started fully automatically via the Archer catapult , also from RUAG .
It is controlled via the (unmanned) Remote Communication Terminal (RCT) of the Ground Control Station (GCS), which is connected via a fiber optic cable. The RCT provides two uplink connections for commands, a primary and a secondary as a backup. In contrast to the stationary control centers of, for example, American Predator drones , the ranger control units are located on trucks and are therefore mobile.
In addition, there are so-called Mobile Receiving Units (MRU), which enable the data supplied by the Ranger drone to be received in the transmission area and do not require mounting on vehicles.
The Ranger drone is equipped with a MOSP Mark III multifunction camera, which provides daytime vision, infrared images and a combination of both.
The ranger also lands automatically: this requires a so-called Autoland Position Sensor (RAPS: Ranger Autoland Position Sensor), which is also connected to the GCS via optical cables. There are two versions of this to measure the data required for landing such as azimuth , elevation angle and distance: One uses an infrared laser transmitter and receiver. The impulses sent by the transmitter are reflected by a reflector on the drone in the direction of the receiver and thus enable the calculation of all required information. The other variant measures using microwave radar.
The ranger's landing system is a skid system, which allows landing on unpaved runways. But there is also a version with a wheeled chassis.
commitment
The ranger drone was in use by the Swiss Air Force and the Finnish armed forces .
The drone was also used more and more for civilian tasks in Switzerland. So has z. For example, during the Alpine flood in 2005 in Central Switzerland , the Swiss Air Force carried out explorations for the benefit of the crisis team, or has been supporting the Border Guard Corps since mid-2006 in monitoring the Swiss border. In the city of Zurich , the use of drones during the European Football Championship 2008 to monitor the traffic and security situation was approved. The fuel tank of four of these Swiss Air Force drones has been increased by 10 liters, which enables the duration of use to be increased.
Due to the small silhouette and the associated reduced visibility for other pilots, the drone in Switzerland is accompanied by a small aircraft (usually Pilatus PC-6 ) or a helicopter ( Aérospatiale SA-319 Alouette III) in peacetime by day in civil VFR airspace . These accompanying missions are called "OMBRA" flights; "Ombra" is also the nickname of the escort aircraft. According to the 2015 armaments program, the 14 Ruag Rangers still in use are to be replaced by six Elbit Hermes 900s . The reconnaissance drone system 95 (ADS 95) was decommissioned by the Swiss Air Force on November 27, 2019.
Technical specifications
- Type : Tactical Drone
- Crew : 0
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Dimensions
- Length: 4.61 m
- Height: 1.13 m
- Span: 5.71 m
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Masses and payload
- maximum take-off weight: 275 kg
- Payload: 40 kg
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drive
- Number, type: 1 × two-cylinder two-stroke engine Göbler-Hirthmotoren F-31
- Power: 45 HP / 31.5 kW
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Flight performance
- Speed: 60–130 kt / 90–220 km / h
- Service ceiling: 15,000 ft / 4,500 m
- Operational range: 100 km from the leading ground control station (systems of the Finnish armed forces up to 150 km)
- Flight duration
- approx. 4 hours with a rescue parachute
- approx. 6 hours without a rescue parachute
Web links
- RUAG: UAS - unmanned aerial vehicles
- Command reconnaissance drone of the Swiss Air Force
- Ranger on the Swiss Air Force website
- IAI: Type description
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Swiss Air Force : ADS 95 Ranger ( memento from August 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 3, 2016
- ↑ NZZ of February 11, 2015, accessed on May 15, 2015