MQ-1C Warrior

infobox Aircraft
name = MQ-1C (Sky) Warrior
type = Remote controlled UAV
manufacturer = General Atomics

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caption = A photo of the US Army's MQ-1C Warrior UAV demo
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primary user = United States Army
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developed from = MQ-1 Predator
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The General Atomics MQ-1C Warrior (also called Sky Warrior by General Atomics) is an Extended-Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development by General Atomics (GA), funded by United States Army. It is an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator.

Development

The U.S. Army initiated the Extended-Range Multi-Purpose UAV competition in 2002, with the winning aircraft due to replace the MQ-5 Hunter. Two aircraft were entered, an upgraded version of the MQ-5 Hunter, and the Warrior. In August 2005, the Army announced the Warrior to be the winner and awarded a $214 million contract for system development and demonstration. The Army intends to procure 11 Warrior systems, each of these units has 12 UAVs and 5 ground control stations. With an expected total program cost of $1 billion, the aircraft is expected to become operational in 2009.

The Army sought to have the Warrior designated MQ-12, but the United States Department of Defense allocated the designation MQ-1C instead. [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app2/q-1.html Designation Systems article] ]

Design

A Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV, the Warrior has an increased wingspan and is powered by a Thielert "Centurion" Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE), which gives it better performance at high altitudes (it is essentially a piston/diesel engine which burns jet fuel). It will be capable of operating for 36 hours at altitudes up to convert|25000|ft|m|-2,cite news| title = Army awards ‘Warrior’ long-range UAV contract| date = 2005-08-05 | publisher = Army News Service | url = http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=7722] with an operating range of convert|200|nmi|km|-2.cite news | title = ERMP Extended-Range Multi-Purpose UAV | publisher = Defense Update | date = 2006-11-01 | url = http://www.defense-update.com/products/e/ermpUAV.htm]

The aircraft's nose fairing has been enlarged to house a Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR-GMTI) system, and targeting is also provided with a AN/AAS-52 Multi-spectral Targeting System (MTS) under the nose. The aircraft can carry a payload of 800 pounds and can be armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and GBU-44/B Viper Strike guided bombs.

pecifications

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
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ref=General Atomics Aeronautical Systems "Sky Warrior". [ [http://www.ga-asi.com/products/pdf/Sky_Warrior.pdf General Atomics Aeronautical Systems "Sky Warrior"] ]

crew=0
length main=28 ft
length alt=8 m
span main=56 ft
span alt=17 m
height main=6.9 ft
height alt=2.1 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=3,200 lbs
max takeoff weight alt=1,451 kg
engine (prop)= Thielert Heavy-Fuel Engine
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=135 HP
power alt=100 kW
power original=

max speed main=135 kts
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=29,000 ft
ceiling alt=8,840 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
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missiles=4 AGM-114 Hellfire
hardpoints=4

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* MQ-1 Predator
* MQ-9 Reaper

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of unmanned aerial vehicles
* List of active United States military aircraft

see also=
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
* Joint Direct Attack Munition

References

External links

* [http://www.defense-update.com/products/w/warriorUAV.htm US Army Warrior UAV]
* [http://www.defense-update.com/products/e/ermpUAV.htm US Army ERMP Program]
* [http://www.defense-update.com/features/du-2-05/feature-sensor.htm UAV Sensor Applications]
* [http://www.uav.com/home/index.html General Atomics Remotely Operated Aircraft Systems official website]