Missileer
Active member
Friday, there was a Predator set up on our site for a show and tell. Raytheon had shipped the 100th FLIR system for it and this was a celebration I guess. Anyhow, I was surprised when the presenter told us that the present payload is being increased.
PAYLOAD
The surveillance and reconnaissance payload capacity is 450lb and the vehicle carries electro-optical and infrared cameras and a synthetic aperture radar. The two-colour DLTV television is equipped with a variable zoom and 955mm Spotter. The high resolution FLIR has six fields of view, 19mm to 560mm.
The Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) is fitted on the MQ-1 Predator. The MTS provides real-time imagery selectable between infrared and day TV as well as a laser designation capability. MQ-1 can employ two laser-guided Hellfire anti-armour missiles with the MTS.
The Northrop Grumman TESAR synthetic aperture radar which provides all-weather surveillance capability, has a resolution of 1ft. Other payload options, which can be selected to meet mission requirements, include a laser designator and rangefinder, electronic support and countermeasures and a moving target indicator (MTI).
The Predator B has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft and a maximum internal payload of 800lb and external payload of over 3,000lb. Predator B has been flight tested with Hellfire II anti-armour missiles and can carry up to 14 missiles. Flight trials have also taken place with the General Atomics Lynx SAR (synthetic aperture radar) payload. Lynx also features ground moving target indicator technology. The USAF has also ordered two versions of Predator B with turbofan jet engines. The Predator is to be flight tested with a L-3 Communications Tactical Common Datalink (TCDL). In August 2004, Predator B successfully dropped a Paveway II (GBU-12) laser-guided bomb on a stationary ground target.
A version of Predator B, called Warrior, is one of two systems chosen for the System Capability Demonstration (SCD) phase of the US Army's Extended Range / Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) program. One system will be chosen for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) in mid-2005.
PAYLOAD
The surveillance and reconnaissance payload capacity is 450lb and the vehicle carries electro-optical and infrared cameras and a synthetic aperture radar. The two-colour DLTV television is equipped with a variable zoom and 955mm Spotter. The high resolution FLIR has six fields of view, 19mm to 560mm.
The Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) is fitted on the MQ-1 Predator. The MTS provides real-time imagery selectable between infrared and day TV as well as a laser designation capability. MQ-1 can employ two laser-guided Hellfire anti-armour missiles with the MTS.
The Northrop Grumman TESAR synthetic aperture radar which provides all-weather surveillance capability, has a resolution of 1ft. Other payload options, which can be selected to meet mission requirements, include a laser designator and rangefinder, electronic support and countermeasures and a moving target indicator (MTI).
The Predator B has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft and a maximum internal payload of 800lb and external payload of over 3,000lb. Predator B has been flight tested with Hellfire II anti-armour missiles and can carry up to 14 missiles. Flight trials have also taken place with the General Atomics Lynx SAR (synthetic aperture radar) payload. Lynx also features ground moving target indicator technology. The USAF has also ordered two versions of Predator B with turbofan jet engines. The Predator is to be flight tested with a L-3 Communications Tactical Common Datalink (TCDL). In August 2004, Predator B successfully dropped a Paveway II (GBU-12) laser-guided bomb on a stationary ground target.
A version of Predator B, called Warrior, is one of two systems chosen for the System Capability Demonstration (SCD) phase of the US Army's Extended Range / Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) program. One system will be chosen for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) in mid-2005.
