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The flight of the Raven

Strategy Page:

The U.S. Army has struck gold with a four pound reconnaissance aircraft. Ordered twenty months ago, and entering service in late 2003, the Raven (RQ-11A) first went to Afghanistan, where infantry and Special Forces troops found the aircraft very useful and soon wanted more of these “micro UAVs” (ultralight unmanned aerial vehicles). The feedback was very enthusiastic, and the army ordered more, and sent them to Iraq as well. At 4.2 pounds, and costing $25,000 each, the Raven can stay in the air for 80 minutes at a time. It is battery powered, and carries a color day vidcam, or a two color infrared night camera. Both cameras broadcast real time video back to the operator, who controls the Raven via a laptop computer. The Raven can go as fast as 90 kilometers an hour, but usually cruises between 40 and 50. It can go as far as 15 kilometers from its controller on the ground, and usually flies a preprogrammed route, using GPS for navigation. Each Raven “unit” consists of three UAVs and one ground control station. It’s launched by turning on the motor, and throwing it into the air. It lands by coming back to ground at a designated GPS location (and bouncing around a bit.) The Raven is made of Kevlar, the same material used in helmets and protective vests. On average, Raven can survive about 200 landings before it breaks something.

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The army has over 200 Ravens in use, and the manufacturer is turning them out as fast as they can. The Special Forces are one of the most enthusiastic users, as the battery powered Raven is silent, and so small that most people on the ground don’t notice it. At night, it’s almost impossible to spot. The army wants every combat battalion, and eventually every company to have a Raven system. Commanders find the real time video of the area they are operating in to be invaluable when there’s a battle going on, and equally useful when preparing for combat.