BAE Systems Phoenix

BAE Systems Phoenix

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=Phoenix


caption=British Army Phoenix
type=Reconnaissance UAV
national origin=United Kingdom
manufacturer=BAE Systems
designer=
first flight=avyear|1986
introduced=
retired=avyear|2006
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=
variants with their own articles=

The BAE Systems Phoenix is an all weather, day or night, real time surveillance Unmanned Air Vehicle. It is a twin boom UAV with a surveillance pod, from which the imagery is data linked to a ground control station (GCS).

The Phoenix is a fairly typical combat surveillance UAV, powered by a 20 kW (26 hp) piston engine, but is distinctive in that it is a "tractor" aircraft, with the propeller in the front. This tends to obstruct a sensor turret, and so the sensor payload, built around an infrared imager, is carried in a pod slung well under the fuselage. The Phoenix is recovered by parachute, landing on its back, with a crushable "hump" on the back taking up the impact. The Phoenix is mostly made of Kevlar and other plastics.

For the British Army, Phoenix provides intelligence direct to artillery forces, to command level, or to a Phoenix troop command post. The principle method of communication from the GCS to artillery on the ground is via the Battlefield Artillery Targeting System (BATES). The UAV can be launched within an hour of reaching launch site. A second UAV can be launched within a further eight minutes and up to two UAVs can be controlled from the same ground station.

The British Army took longer to field a tactical UAV than the US Army, but finally settled on a solution, the BAE Systems Phoenix. First flight was in 1986, but introduction of the Phoenix was painfully delayed and the program attracted a good deal of criticism. The Phoenix saw limited operational use as part of the British contribution to Kosovo Force (KFOR) and in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Phoenix attrition was high during the Iraq campaign, though British Army officials say it gave excellent service for artillery spotting, stating that some of the losses were due to deliberate sacrifices, in which the UAV was kept on station beyond the time it could be recovered rather than let targets get away. The system was operated by the 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

The final operational flight of the Phoenix was conducted by in May 2006. [ [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/UnmannedAirVehicleRegimentBidsFarewellToThePhoenix.htm Unmanned Air Vehicle Regiment bids farewell to the Phoenix - UK MoD] ] The Phoenix was originally supposed to remain in service until 2013, but the British felt they need something better, and set up an international competition designated "Watchkeeper" for a next-generation UAV system in 2002. A group led by Thales Group of France won the competition in late 2004, with the system built around the Elbit Hermes 180 tactical UAV and Elbit Hermes 450 endurance UAV. The Watchkeeper WK450 system is expected to be fielded in 2008. It began operational trials with British forces in Iraq in 2007. [ [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/UnmannedAerialVehiclesOnTheLookoutOverIraq.htm Unmanned aerial vehicles on the lookout over Iraq - UK MoD] ] The 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery also uses the Desert Hawk UAV.

pecifications

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?= eng

crew=None
capacity=110 lb (50 kg) payload
length m=
length ft=
length in=
span m=5.6
span ft=18
span in=0
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=
height ft=
height in=
wing area sqm=
wing area sqft=
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=
empty weight lb=
gross weight kg=175
gross weight lb=386
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Weslake Aero Engines WAE 342
eng1 kw= 19
eng1 hp= 25
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=

max speed kmh=166
max speed mph=104
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h= 5
endurance min=
ceiling m=2,800
ceiling ft=9,000
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/cs/aad_phnx.htm Phoenix - British Army]
* [http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/phoenix/ Phoenix - Air Force Technology]
* [http://www.armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/l0101.html Phoenix – Armed Forces]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 — Nimrod MRA4 Nimrod MRA4 during a test flight Role Maritime patrol aircraft Manufacturer …   Wikipedia

  • BAE Systems Mantis — Mantis Mock up of BAE Systems Mantis at Farnborough Airshow 2008 Role Remote controlled UAV …   Wikipedia

  • BAE Systems Demon — Demon Role Unmanned aerial vehicle Manufacturer BAE Systems First flight 17 September 2010 The Demon is a UAV designed by BAE Systems, as part of its FLAVIIR project. It has a novel aerodynamic control system which uses engine exhaust and bleed… …   Wikipedia

  • List of operating systems — Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap.Early, and historically important*CTSS (The Compatible Timeshare… …   Wikipedia

  • List of aircraft of the Army Air Corps — This is a list of aircraft of the Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom.From its founding in 1942: *Taylorcraft Auster *Auster AOP6 *General Aircraft Hotspur *General Aircraft Hamilcar *Airspeed Horsa *Waco HadrianSince its separation from the… …   Wikipedia

  • British Aerospace 146 — BAe 146 / Avro RJ Buzz BAe 146 300 Role Airliner First flight …   Wikipedia

  • Зонд Феникс — Phoenix Аппарат «Феникс» (рис. художника) Организация НАСА Производитель Lockheed Martin Задачи спускаемый аппарат Ракета носитель Delta II 7925 NSSDC ID 2007 …   Википедия

  • Феникс (КА) — Phoenix Аппарат «Феникс» (рис. художника) Организация НАСА Производитель Lockheed Martin Задачи спускаемый аппарат Ракета носитель Delta II 7925 NSSDC ID 2007 …   Википедия

  • Феникс (зонд) — Phoenix Аппарат «Феникс» (рис. художника) Организация НАСА Производитель Lockheed Martin Задачи спускаемый аппарат Ракета носитель Delta II 7925 NSSDC ID 2007 …   Википедия

  • British Aerospace 125 — BAe 125/Dominie Hawker 1000 A Dominie navigation trainer of the Royal Air Force Role Mid size …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”