Don’t Just Call Them ‘Drones’ anymore: A Guide To Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Military Drones and its types & applications

                Drones, otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are air crafts which are remotely-piloted, eliminating the need for a pilot to be on board during a given flight. In the civilian life, drones are a common occurrence and hardly ever will a week pass before you set your eyes on one. In the armed services, there are many types of military drones in use. It is a fast-growing field of technology, and its impact on the world will likely continue to increase, whether we like it or not.

                Drones have an array of applications ranging from being mere hobby gadgets, to their increased use in aerial photography and cinematography, to intelligence, mapping, reconnaissance, rescue missions, and targeting destinations.

                However, it is their use in military operations that are of interest to us today. As a matter of fact, drone technology started in the military and nowadays there are several types of military drones that will blow your mind. In this article, we will provide an outline of this area of drone technology.

                UAVs can be used for autonomous flights, this being based on per-programmed flight plans, or through the help of more complex dynamic automation systems. It is important to appreciate the increasing role of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in solving certain conflicts. Also, the execution of high-profile attacks is a very important task for some modern-day military planners.
 

    This post we will explore a brief  history of the use of drones in military applications. The article will examine these military drones based on various categories, such as based on their size, their use, and their complexity.

History of drones in military operations:

                The idea of having an unmanned aircraft, was born during WWI when both the US and France were working on developing an automatic airplane. In the end, France was the one who actually managed to put together this sort of contraption.  The device was called the Voisin BN3 biplane and was able to fly for about 100km.

                The interest to develop unmanned aerial vehicles was further sparked during the WWII when various parties suffered big losses occasioned by the reconnaissance aircraft. A need to develop unmanned aerial vehicles that would do away with the pilot or an observer was necessitated by the bad turn of events. Basically, they wanted to save people’s lives, so that when planes were shot down no one had to perish.

                Although this technology was under development for many years, the first time when drones were actually used for observation was in 1973, during the Vietnam War.

    In the modern world, UAVs make a lot of sense, especially on the battlefield. They are highly convenient since you don’t have to worry about deploying people behind enemy lines since no one will be on board in case the device gets destroyed.

 

    However, these conveniences do not come without controversy. The ethics behind these aerial vehicles is often a cause of fierce political debate. Much of this debate revolves around the fact that these drones simply make it too easy to carry out military strikes. If military commanders can simply send a drone to do the work of their own troops, they may be blind to the actual consequences of their own warfare. This can lead to a type of attack where the ramifications and collateral damage are not fully known. In some cases, this can even include civilian casualties.

    The usage of drones in military operations will certainly continue to be a hot button issue for the foreseeable future. However, for the sake of this article, we will focus on providing an outline of this military technology, as opposed to debating the morals and ethics involved. This is surely a very important issue that will continue to receive a lot of attention from governments across the world.

It is good to appreciate that many people in the field prefer to use the term Unmanned Aircraft Systems since a UAV is usually part of a system made out of:

• One or more drones destined for observation – these are equipped with a series of sensors.
• Ground control stations – these are the bases where the drones are controlled. These stations control the drones and receive data from sensors.
• The radio connection that is established between the drones and the ground control stations.
  

The FAA has adopted the UAS – Unmanned Aircraft System acronym, to capture the complex systems which include ground stations and other elements, and not only the actual aerial vehicles.

Categories of the military drones

    UAVs in the military are usually categorized based on their weight, range, speed as well as their specific capabilities. As with drones in general, these tend to come in all shapes and sizes depending on the function they are intended to serve, and it can be quite interesting to examine different types of these aerial vehicles.

Categories of the military drones

 

NATO troupes have developed a classification system for drones, and they are as follows:

Class I (< 150 kg): micro, mini or small drones

    There are several types of Class I drones that can be used to perform Computerized Command, Control, Communication & Information solutions. These drones are very useful in the military as they can provide ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance).

Class I drones can include micro, mini or small drones.

    A good example of a micro drones in Class I is the FULMAR fixed wing micro-UAV which has a maximum takeoff weight of about 20 kg. It was developed by Thales and Wake engineering and it has an endurance of 12 hours and a range of about 90km.

    The top speed of this UAV is 100km/h and the maximum altitude it can get to is 4000m with a payload of 8 kilograms. You can readily integrate the Fulmar UAV with the Thales maritime as well as into land border surveillance solutions.

    This drone is usually launched by a small catapult with a recovery net and it can be deployed from the land or from a ship’s deck. You will be amazed by its short deployment time of only 30 minutes and its ability to land on water.

Class II ( 150-600 kg ): tactical

    The tactical UAVs are specially designed to be used in the organic battalion level or in Special Forces. These UAVs are great assets for purposes of medium range surveillance.

                They have a vital role in filling the gap between the range of functions of the short-range micro-UAVs and the strategic UAVS, which comprise of the MALE and HALE. These drones achieve this by having a combination of flexibility, endurance as well as ruggedness. Basically, they are a good middle ground between small drones and strategic drones.

    These drones have been of use in situational analysis and awareness to offer protection and surveillance. They are also used in target acquisition and the assessment of some damage based on a given force. 

    The most sophisticated tactical ISTAR system on the whole globe right now is the Watchkeeper, which was developed by Thales. It is also the largest UAS programme in Europe. As a matter of fact, the Watchkeeper platform is the only large UAV in Europe that is certified to fly in civilian airspace, and this even includes urban areas.

Class III ( >600 kg ): strategic

    The Class III UAVs are usually referred to as Medium Altitude Long Endurance, MALE systems as well as High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs, HALEs. The MALEs are especially ideal for surveillance as well as reconnaissance on a non-threatening area.

    They have a wide range of applications. These include being used to determine the position of the enemy or the movement of certain populations that are not involved into a conflict. They have state of the art infrastructure and they have also been used to compile lists of targets. 

    Some renowned MALEs include the Reaper/Predator, and the family of drones called Anka and Heron just to name a few. One of the few HALEs available right now is the Global Hawk Family.

Classification based on functions

    UAVs can also be classified based on the specific roles they are meant to play in particular military operations. Based on these qualifications, we have the following UAVs:

1.       Target and decoy UAVs – these can be used to provide ground as well as aerial gunnery at a target, and can simulate an enemy missile or aircraft.

2.       Reconnaissance UAVs – these are used to provide intelligence on the battlefield.

3.       Combat UAVs – these have been used to provide attack capability for some high-risk missions.

4.       Research and Development UAVs – these have been used to further develop UAV technologies that can be integrated into UAVs that have been deployed in the field.

5.       Civil and Commercial UAVs – these are those that have been designed to be used in civil and commercial applications.

 Classification based on autonomy of the UAVs

                UAVs could also be classified based on their autonomy, with more advanced ones are aiming for total autonomy. This classification will result in UAVs being grouped into different generations based on their autonomic capabilities.

                Most of the early UAVs were referred to as drones since they were not as sophisticated being a mere radio controlled aircraft. They were controlled with the aid of a human pilot who was at times referred to as an operator. Some of the more sophisticated versions had built-in control and guidance systems to help them perform some low-level human pilot duties. Such duties included speed and flight path stabilization as well as simply prescribed navigation functions, just to name a few.

    Based on this, most of the early UAVs cannot be considered to be autonomous due to their total reliance on human control. As a matter of fact, the field of autonomy is an emerging field in the UAS and their crucial role in helping the military have battlefield-ready technology should be entertained. This autonomous technology is seen as something that is hoped to be included in the design of future military UAVs.

The following classifications exists for with UAVs that make use of autonomous technology:

1.       Sensor fusion – these UAVs combine information sourced from different sensors for use on board the vehicle.

2.       Communication UAVs – these help in the handling of communication and coordination between multiple agents in the presence of incomplete and imperfect information.

3.        Motion planning aka Path Planning – these UAVs help in the determination of an optimal path for the vehicle to go in case it encounters certain obstacles.

4.        Trajectory generation UAVs – these UAVs have the ability to determine an optimal control maneuver in order to take to follow a given path or to go to from a given location to another.

5.       Task allocation and scheduling – these UAVs have the ability to determine the optimal distribution of several tasks among a group of specified agents in the event that there are time and equipment constraints.

6.       Cooperative tactics UAVs – these have the ability to formulate an optimal sequence as well as a spatial distribution of some activities between various agents with the goal of optimizing or maximizing the chance of success for a particular mission.

    The level of autonomy opens the possibility of independent UAVs that would be able to reason like a human being – a smart UAV. This can be comparable to the development of artificial intelligence systems as witnessed in the 1980s and the early 1990s in various fields. Autonomy is continuing to develop now, and is hoped to continue as an extension of the control field.

The ultimate goal of autonomous technology is to develop a system that will replace the human pilot.

    This is a growing field. But ultimately, the growth of this field will depend not only technology, but also the political climate. The ethics and morals of autonomous technology is constantly called into question when referring to military applications. Thus, the advancements in this type of drone technology will be highly dependent on political factors.

Conclusion:

 
                The ultimate goal of a drone is to create a smart aircraft that will no longer require the human factor (AKA the drone pilots). However, for now, the technology has not reached this end goal. These hypothetical Unmanned Aircraft Systems have been predicted to play a vital role in the resolution of future conflicts. This is a fast-growing field of technology, and it shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

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Is flying drone legal in India ?

 

 

 Before buying or building or piloting the Drone in India, read these rules and regulations thoroughly

               By the public notice issued on 7.10.2014, the DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation) has prohibited the launch of any UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by any non-governmental agency or any individual. Therefore, yes flying of drones without prior approval from the governmental authorities is illegal in India.

               Further, Press Note No. 3 (2014) released by the Department of Industry Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry laid down a list of electronic aerospace and defense equipment which required an industrial license for manufacturing or production. This includes UAVs or commonly referred to as drones.

Reason behind making drones flight illegal in India

    The use of drones was mainly for military or defense purposes. Since gradually the purpose of its use shifted and drones were used for commercial purposes, the government saw a security threat from these UAVs thereby banning their flight without approval.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in India

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in India.

*    All drones except those in the Nano category must be registered and issued a Unique Identification Number (UIN).

*    A permit is required for commercial drone operations (except for those in the Nano category flown below 50 feet and those in the Micro category flown below 200 feet).

*    Drone pilots must maintain a direct visual line of sight at all times while flying.

*    Drones cannot be flown more than 400 feet vertically.

*    Drones cannot be flown in areas specified as “No Fly Zones”, which include areas near airports, international borders, Vijay Chowk in Delhi, State Secretariat Complex in State Capitals, strategic locations, and military installations.

*    Permission to fly in controlled airspace can be obtained by filing a flight plan and obtaining a unique Air Defense Clearance (ADC)/Flight Information Center (FIC) number.

Drone Categories in India

Registration is required for all but the Nano & Micro category.

*    Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams (.55 pounds)

*    Micro: From 250 grams (.55 pounds) to 2kg (4.4 pounds)

*    Small: From 2kg (4.4 pounds) to 25kg (55 pounds)

*    Medium: From 25kg (55 pounds) to 150kg (330 pounds)

*    Large: Greater than 150kg (33 pounds)

Required Drone Equipments in India

    Also worth noting is that India has specific requirements regarding the types of features a drone must have to be flown in India (excluding those in the Nano category). These mandatory requirements include:

*  GPS

 *   Return-to-home (RTH)

 *   Anti-collision light

 *   ID plate

 *   A flight controller with flight data logging capability
 

 *  RF ID and SIM/No Permission No Takeoff (NPNT)

    Before every single flight, drone pilots are required to request permission to fly via a mobile app, which will automatically process the request and grant or reject it. India is calling their system “No Permission, No Takeoff” (NPNT). If a drone pilot tries to fly without receiving permission from the Digital Sky Platform, he or she will simply not be able to takeoff.

    All drone operators will register their drone and request permission to fly for each flight through India’s Digital Sky Platform.

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How to build Drones part - 2 ( Step-by-Step Instructions )

 

    This article will take you through the basic steps of building a drone from scratch. As expected, this can be an extremely complicated project, depending on the type of drone you want to build, and the materials necessary.

  This article will take you through a general outline of what it looks like to make a DIY quad copter drone.. No one is saying it is going to be easy, but some people find that the end satisfaction is more than worth it!

  So for this step-by-step guide, i have focused on showing you how to build a quad copter with pieces that you can buy separately:

Step 1: Making the Frame

    No matter what your drone is going to be, it must have a frame. So, the first task is to make a frame. For this purpose, you can use different materials, such as metal, plastic, or wood. These materials will differ based on how sturdy you intend the drone to be.

    If you select wood for the frame, find a wood board that is longer than 60 cm and about 25-30 mm thick. Cut up this board in such a way to get two laths which are 60cm long and 30mm wide. These two lengths are required to make the structure of your future quad.

    Crossing these two laths you’ll make the X frame. Also, you will need a wooden sheet in order to make and add a rectangular piece in the central part of this frame. Its size should be 6×15 cm, and about 2mm thick.

    Of course, you can use other dimensions if you like, but these will get you a pretty nice quad. To connect these parts, you will need nails and glue. In case you decide to go with metal or plastic, the dimensions are similar but the way you connect the laths together is going to be different.

Step 2: Propellers, Electronic Speed Controllers, and Motors

    The ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers), the motors, and the propellers are among the most important elements of a functional drone. So, you should get these components from an authorized store to ensure quality and reliability. They must be in accordance with the size of your drone, so bare this in mind when buying them. Do not be afraid to ask for assistance from someone at the store.

    When looking for the motors (or rotors), you should know that multi-rotor drones produce greater speed and ensure a stable flight, as each rotor works with other’s thrust points.

    For the propellers, we suggest you buy the metal 9-inch props you can find at a very affordable price on the market. These are durable and won’t bend so easily if the drone hits something during flight. However, if you want better performance, it would be better to get carbon props.    

    And finally, you need to pick up some ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers), if you don’t want 4 of these (keep in mind we’re talking about a quad here) you can buy the 4 in 1 controller.

Step 3: Assemble the Motors

    The next thing you need to do is drill the holes in the frame for the motors, according to the distance between the screws holes on the motors. It would be good to make another hole that will allow the clip and shaft of the motor to move freely.

    However, you may skip this action if the motors already came with mountings. Put the motor in the appropriate place and fix it to the frame using the screws and a screwdriver.

Step 4: Mount the Electronic Speed Controllers

    After mounting the motors, you also have to mount the speed controllers. How will you do this? It is recommended to connect the speed controllers on the bottom side of the frame due to several reasons which involve the functionality of the drone. These reasons, among others, include that it will “unload” the upper side of the drone where other components should be added.

    In order to fix the ESC very well to the frame, you need to use zip ties. This way, your ESCs are tied down and well secured while flying.

Step 5: Add the Landing Gear

    This gear is an important part when landing your UAV because it significantly reduces the shock when the drone lands on a solid ground. It can be made in different ways, but you should be creative and make it in your own, unique way.

    Here’s one idea: find a metal pipe (about 6 inches in diameter) and cut off (with the appropriate tools) 4 rings that will be 1-2 cm thick. Of course, the size of these rings should be in accordance with the general size of your drone. You can then use duct tape to fix these pieces to the frame.

    If you don’t like this metal pipe idea, you can also use other materials that are flexible but strong, such as some new plastics, or anything that will reduce shock.

Step 6: Flight Controller

    Every flying drone must have a control system. This electronic system allows a drone to be stable in the air while flying and processes all the shifts and changes in direction and the wind.

There are two options when it comes to this step:

    First, and the easier option, is to buy a ready-to-use controller. With the second option being that you make it yourself.

    If you want to make a controller yourself, you should opt for  projects that best suits your needs. Do some more research, and examine the individuals features of each in more detail. It is very complicated to construct such a device and requires an expert drone technician. But if you are able, your drone will be the ultimate “do-it-yourself” aerial vehicle.

Step 7: Choosing a Right RC Tx-Rx (Wireless Remote Control System)

    This is the remote control system that is needed to control a drone.

    There are various available RC control systems nowadays, like Futaba, Spektrum, Turnigy, FlySky, and so on.

    In addition to this system, you’ll also need a few channels for yaw, pitch, throttle, and roll, as well as the additional channels if you want to mount a camera control to your drone for some aerial photography.

Step 8: Mount the Flight Controller

    Once you choose the particular flight controller that is best for your needs, you need to mount it. There are several ways to mount it. For instance, you can place it on the top of the frame in a certain direction, but you need to make sure that all the components are fixed well before calibrating your drone. For this purpose, you can also use the zip ties which were mentioned above.

    It is recommended to put a small piece of sponge on the underside of the flight controller because it absorbs and reduces the vibrations from the motors. Thus, your drone will be more stable while flying, and stability is key to fly a drone.

Step 9: Connect the Open Pilot to Your Drone

    The next thing you have to do is to configure and connect the flight controller to the electronic speed controllers.

    Also, you have to connect it to the remote control. In order to see how to do this step, you will need to find an appropriate tutorial video on the web for the particular flight controller you have previously mounted.

Step 10: Check Out and Test Your Drone

    Before you finally use your drone, you must be sure that everything works well. Therefore, you have to check out all the functions before the first flight. You can test the sensors as well as other components of your drone using the special OpenPilot GCS.

    To make sure that everything works well, you need to take off the props and make a small experiment with the remote control. This ensures that you can test the drone without risking the potential of breaking it.

    For this test, you should find a suitable place and try to move your drone within its control distance. Pay attention to the zip ties and cables to make sure that they are connected well. When everything is okay, your drone is ready to fly!

    Be sure not to cut any corners in this step, it is imperative to test everything in detail before actually flying the drone. You would not want your drone’s first flight to be its last after all!

Step 11: Takeoff

    This is the last (and dare I say, most important) step. Before taking off, the battery must be well connected and all the components must be fixed in place. For the test flight, you need to choose a location carefully, since this aircraft can cause serious damages and can be damaged as well. It is best to choose an open, flat area, so that you do not run the risk of damaging anything with your drone, or vice versa. Also, you will ensure that you can see your drone at all times

    Place your quad on the ground, put it into operation, take the flight controller, and get started with your first flight. It’s recommended that you slowly throttle up your drone, and fly it at low altitude for the very first time. Thus, if it starts coming down out of control, the damage won’t be that significant.

    If the drone starts drifting in one direction, you have to use the trims in order to make the necessary flight correction. Also, you should try out different PID values to see how your drone works in various inputs until you get exactly what you want.

    In this article, I managed to briefly cover the pieces and the steps to make in order to build a drone from scratch, but you should consider learning more. What’s more, there are also many “intermediate steps” in addition to the basic steps we just described. It is simply the fact that due to the multitude of types of drones, component, programs, and accessories, that there are many ways to build a drone depending on the complexity of drone you are planning to make.

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How to build Drones Part 1 - Basic Parts

Hello Geeks, welcome to my Blog. In this article you will learn how to built a Drone by yourself. Before you start to make this DIY drone, you need to know the components fully in detail by resourcing ; if you want it to fly, of course.

Frame:
There are two possibilities when it comes to a frame for your drone. You can make it yourself or buy it in an online store, and for a wide choice of high-quality frames. If you decide to build it yourself, the project is not that difficult, but you’ll need some engineering knowledge and knowledge of the materials you are going to use. For instance, you can use metal (something light), plastic, or even wood slats. If you opt for a wooden frame, you’ll need a wood board which is about 2.5 cm thick.

Motors:
For an ordinary quad, you will need 4 motors in total, but an octocopter requires eight motors to fly. The recommendation is to use brushless motors – they are lighter on the battery and, unless you are an engineer who completely understands how a motor works, these pieces should be bought from a store.

ESCs or electronic speed control :

These are also essential pieces of your drone as they are in charge of delivering power to the motors. Again, their number depends on the number of arms your drone is going to have.

Propellers:
When looking for the propellers, you must find the ones that match the frame of your drone. Pay attention to materials – you won’t find wooden propellers, but you must make sure the ones you choose are a good fit.

Connectors:
You will need 3.5 mm connectors to weld the motors and ESCs, as well as 4.5 mm connectors for the power distribution board.

The power distribution board
This board connects the electronic speed controls to the battery.

Batteries:
When purchasing the batteries for your drone, you need to consider the capacity of a battery and its type. The most used batteries for this purpose are Li-Po batteries and their power differs.

Battery monitor :
This is not an elementary item, but the monitor is quite useful in warning you when the batteries are close to finishing. This way you don’t risk having the drone remain out of juice in the air, over a pond. A battery monitor ensures that your aerial vehicle won’t die in the most inopportune place.

Mounting pad :
It reduces the vibrations, and thus improves the flight. This one is very useful especially if you are trying to take pictures or videos with your DIY drone.

Controller :
This device shares the power and commands the motors at the same time.

RC receiver :
Of course, if you have a transmitter (which is usually with you), you’ll also have a receiver mounted on the drone.

Camera :
If you want to take aerial photos and record the surroundings while flying your drone, you will need a camera. The best cameras are those that can take the quality 4K videos, but everyone will find one according to their needs. For high-quality aerial photography and videography, you might also need a gimbal for the camera.

USB key :
This is necessary to save the photos and videos.

Chargers​​​​​ :
Charging your lipo batteries will require a specialist charger. They need to be charged in such a way that their voltage is managed in order to prevent disaster. Luckily there are a lot of intelligent lipo chargers out there that take most of the hard work out for you with the key feature you need being balance charging.

Video Antennas :
The best way to improve your video range or clarity isn't necessarily increasing the VTX output power but is actually getting a good pair of antennas. Those black dipole antennas you get with cheap goggles or VTXs referred to as 'rubber duckies' really don't perform well and are often binned and replaced with a high end antenna. An FPV setup requires two antennas, one to send out the video and another to receive it.

Conclusion :

Aside from the above-mentioned parts, you will also need AWG silicone wires, Servo lead wire cables, zip ties, 3M command strips, thread locking compounds, etc. In addition to these components, you can also embed other accessories to your drone and make it more advanced.

In other words, there are many, many ways to build a drone, and depending how much of it you truly want to make DIY, these steps will vary and the necessary components will change.

Before you start to make this DIY drone, you need to know the components fully in detail by resourcing ; if you want it to fly, of course.

Thanks for your time. Second part of this article will be posted soon. Share to your friends who are all interested in building drones

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