TIHA

TIHA, from the Turkish words "Türk İnsansız Hava Aracı" (Turkish Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV program developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries for the Turkish Armed Forces.

Background of the project

The contract regarding the development of an indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system for the reconnaissance requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces became effective on 24 December 2004. Within the framework of the program, a total of three prototypes and ground systems will be designed, developed, manufactured and flight tested by mid 2011 as part of the prototype development phase. Subsequently, the production phase will be launched.

Description of the system

The Turkish Indigenous MALE UAV (TIHA) system will consist of air vehicles (A/V), Ground Control Station (GCS), Ground Data Terminal (GDT), Automatic Take-off and Landing System (ATOLS), Transportable Image Exploitation System (TIES), Remote Video Terminal (RVT) and various Ground Support Equipment (GSE).

The TIHA system, which is designed for night and day missions including adverse weather conditions, performs real time image intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, moving/stationery target detection, recognition, identification and tracking missions.

While the TIHA system has an open architecture to support other potential payloads and missions, within the context of the existing project the air vehicle is configured to carry the following payloads onboard:

* Electro-optic Color Day Camera (ASELFLIR-300T EO),
* Electro-optic/Infrared/Laser Camera (EO/IR/LRF/LD/Spotter) (ASELFLIR-300T),
* SAR/GMTI, ISAR Payload.

The whole composite airframe is composed of a monoblock fuselage, detachable wing and V-Tail, retractable landing gear, redundant control surfaces, avionics and payload bays and service doors. The sandwich skin structure is reinforced by composite or metallic frames, ribs and supports. Propelled by a pusher type heavy fuel engine, the aircraft is furnished with fuselage fuel tanks and fuel system, ice protection system, environmental control system, lighting system, redundant electrical system with battery backup and harness system.

The platform is also equipped with a digital flight control system, electro-mechanical actuators, and flight control sensor systems such as pitot-static, air data computer, navigation sensor, transducers, temperature, pressure, displacement sensors, etc. Various tasks are distributed along flight management computers and auxiliary control boxes. Identification and communication units and interface computers are employed in order to establish real time wide band communication and provide test and diagnostics functions. An air traffic radio is also integrated in the communication system for the integration of the aircraft into the civilian airspace. All flight critical equipment are dual or triple redundant and emergency modes of operational scenarios are taken into consideration for fail safe design.

All flight software configuration items embedded on both the air and ground equipment are being developed indigenously by TAI. In a similar manner, all mission hardware and software are aimed to be developed by national sub-contractors, such as Aselsan.

TIHA operations are supported by highly sophisticated ground systems. Whole mission segments of the air vehicle can be managed, monitored and controlled by a GCS. A pre-programmed mission plan can be loaded before the flight begins or can be altered during the flight. All the imagery stream of the payloads can be displayed and recorded in real time and all the payloads can be controlled from the GCS. ATOLS allows the air vehicle to perform its operation without operator intervention, including the most critical phases which are landing and take-off.

In TIES, valuable intelligence information can be obtained by the analysis of bulky imagery data. TIES operators can initiate intelligence missions prior to or during flight. Refined information flows to the upper command layer in order to assist the headquarters to monitor a network of TIHA systems and benefit from the gathered intelligence information. Another interface of the TIHA system is the RVT, with which other friend unions who are close to the target area can utilize the real time imagery that TIHA air vehicle broadcasts.

Technical specifications

The basic performance specifications of the TIHA system released by TAI are as follows:

* Service ceiling: 30,000 ft
* Endurance: 24 hours
* Cruise speed: >75 kts
* LOS communication range: >200 km

During the initial development phase which is scheduled to be completed within 51 months, until mid 2011, three prototype air vehicles will be built under the programme; along with ground control and mobile imagery exploitation stations, two ground data terminals and two remote video terminals. Subsequently in the production phase, at least six systems with 18 UAVs will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces.

The UAV will have a 10m (33ft) all-composite fuselage, detachable low-mounted wing with a span of 17.3m and a detachable V-tail with a span of 4.5m.

Maximum take-off weight is 1,500kg (3,300lb) including provision for a 200kg payload and 250kg of fuel.

Initial payload elements will comprise a daylight camera, thermal imager, laser designator, and synthetic-aperture radar with ground moving-target identification capability. Weaponization will be studied in the production phase.

The TIHA will have a pusher propeller configuration and a cruise speed of around 75kt (140km/h), service ceiling of 30,000ft and 24h endurance.

Comparable systems

* [http://www.ga-asi.com/products/er-mp-uas.php Sky Warrior]
* [http://www.ga-asi.com/products/predator.php Predator]
* [http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/uav/heron/Heron.html Heron]

See also

* Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
* Turkish Air Force

External links

* [http://www.dcc.com.tr/tr/media/movies/DC_TAI_MALE.html Video of TIHA]
* [http://www.dirisoft.com/tr/media/animations/male.html Video of TIHA]
* [http://www.tai.com.tr Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)]
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2006/08/01/208209/turkey-reveals-male-uav-details.html Fight Global: Turkey reveals MALE UAV details]
* [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=6466 Turkish Daily News: Turkey pushes button for national UAV program]
* [http://www.eastweststudies.org/makale_detail.php?tur=100&makale=40 East West Studies: Turkish Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA) Program]