Unmanned Aircraft To Assist In Training For Missile Attacks

A  Miniature Radar Altimeter (MRA) supplied by UK-based Roke Manor Research (Roke) was used in in a successful flight test of a sea-skimming UAV designed to mimic the threat of an incoming missile.

UAV Navigation, a developer of flight-control avionics for unmanned aircraft, led the test on a range used by the Spanish Navy. Roke's MRA Type 1 was integrated into its LCAP autopilot system, enabling the aircraft to accurately determine its height above the sea. The flight test involved a SCRAB aerial target UAV, flying at cruise speeds only a few meters over the water which followed its flight path without the intervention of a human pilot.

"UAV Navigation chose Roke's MRA as it remains the most technologically capable in its class," said Paul Webb, Unmanned Systems Business Sector Manager at Roke. "It has been developed for easy installation into all major UAV platforms, and provides outstanding capability at low-cost. Importantly for this particular test, was that the MRA was developed to meet the IP67 rating, which is essential when recovering the UAV from the surface of the sea."
 
Roke's lightweight MRA maximizes payload and provides continuous accurate measurements in the most challenging flying situations such as misty or dusty conditions. This ensures missions can continue regardless of the environmental conditions.

(Image provided by Roke)

FMI: www.roke.co.uk