Which UAV?
- Thread starter shimmy
- Start date
Different purpose in my opinion.
Global Hawk is a high-altitude radar/optical (stills) surveillance/recon system. For the USAF, Tier II+/III.
Predator is a medium-altitude optical (video) recon system (radars were removed early on). For the USAF, Tier II.
A Global Hawk would be used to collect ELINT recon about territory. Predator is more for time-sensitive live area surveillance. At least that's the gist i get.
Global Hawk is a high-altitude radar/optical (stills) surveillance/recon system. For the USAF, Tier II+/III.
Predator is a medium-altitude optical (video) recon system (radars were removed early on). For the USAF, Tier II.
A Global Hawk would be used to collect ELINT recon about territory. Predator is more for time-sensitive live area surveillance. At least that's the gist i get.
kato has basically summed it up.
wrt to a BAMS mission, mariner (marine mission predator) is under consideration for other mission profiles.
eg, Global Hawk cannot be used in a dirty weapons role. Mariner can.
as an australian example, the push is on for mariner for lower alt mission profiles as well as a poss weaps carrier.
initially (and this is really simplified) GH was regarded as superior as it is more of a top deck surveyor, whereas Mariner/Predator is better at rapidly changing altitude profiles and carriage. At least thats what someone from Coastwatch was promoting to me the other day. They were keen to see Mariners in their stable, and were hoping to see RAAF pick up the higher alt BAMs management role.
At a land based surveillance role, there has been talk of the P3 GTMI role being merged into GH and used as a vectoring hub for Predators etc...
The UAV profile has changed dramatically though even in the last 4 years. Again, as an example, the Coastwatch mission has changed a little, and there is a greater push for them having a solution that is more multi-tasking.
As such, both platforms fulfill designated requirements.
The Block 20 Global Hawk can carry weapons and the BAMS Global Hawk RQ-4N is designed for altitude flexibility, adding bird strike protection, de-icing, sense and avoid... Plus with the MFAS AESA radar will be able to do radar surviallence of small RCS targets with high revist rates... Of course if you had a RQ-4A Global Hawk you wouldn't want to do this or the RQ-4B USAF strategic recce sensor suite... But things change.
There's a big difference between a basic Predator & a Reaper or Mariner. Global Hawk may be 10 times the price of MQ-1 (fair enough - it's 10 times the weight), but Reaper or Mariner will be closer. MQ-9 is a very different vehicle from MQ-1.
Length/span/Max T/O weight
MQ-1 Predator 8.2m/14.8m/1020kg
MQ-9 Reaper 11.0m/20.1m/4760kg
Mariner 11m/26.5m/5900kg
http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=122
http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=6405
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...nveils-mariner-uav-proposed-for-us-navys.html
I think one of the problems with people being unfamiliar with UAV's is the the most common forms of the press lump all the different types together. The Predator family and Global Hawk is like comparing apples and oranges.
As UAV's and UCAV's become more common it be easier to tell all the different types that are in service.
As UAV's and UCAV's become more common it be easier to tell all the different types that are in service.
Current unit price for a MQ-9 reaper is ~$17-19 million including ground support equipment etc. Not included in the per-unit price of course is roughly ~$3-4 million for the ground control station, satcom etc.
Current unit price for a Global Hawk is ~$124 million, including support equipment and control/comm systems.
Still 5.6 times as much.
What's the price of the Israeli ones ?
India wants to buy hand launched ones, what price is that ?