UAV for Romania

I see that Romania has purchased the AAI 600 system as a UAV. Frankly, I would think Romania would pursue the production of their own UAV system, as the technology is available and the systems themselves are easier to develop than a production manned aircraft.

In fact, while special interests in the American military have fought the deployment of UAVs since their inception prior to WWII due to manning reasons, I don't see why Romania couldn't develop even armed UAVs as an affordability measure.

We are bassically not capable to produce any new thing.. Mostly because there are no funds for reaserch of UAV

If IAR can upgrade the IAR99, they can develop, design and build a UAV. As military equipment goes, a serviceable UAV can be put together from "off-the-shelf" items relatively cheaply. Exceedingly small and useful UAVs that can be deployed by light infantry are available for around $100 from ESTES rocket company for anyone to buy.

Blackwater security has developed a grenade-launcher UAV that is still being worked on, but shows promise.

Iraq had converted some of their L-39s into UAVs prior to 2003.

I bet you could build a UAV for $10,000 or less that would carry an ATGM or rockets, or even AAMs. I bet you could even make it somewhat stealthy, to boot.

I also bet you could rework an AT3 to fire ballistically, carry a digital camera in the nose and send digital signals down the (former) guidance wires to a laptop computer.

I guess it depends on what you think is necessary to make a UAV

As far as I know , IAR is a generic name for Aircraft Industries. IAR-99 upgrade is done by Avione Craiova together with Aerostar. But the design of the airplane is performed by INCAS Bucuresti.

A year or two ago a prototype of a light recon UAV was designed and built. It was called IAR-T. Unfortunately I don't have the magazine article at hand and cannot give too many details.

You guys are gems. Do you know how hard it is to find stuff like this without someone to find the correct keyword?

Here is a link to the story.

http://www.incas.ro/romanian/departamente/...iatie/iar-t.htm

I will have to get this translated, but just looking at it gives a general idea of capabilities.

Just check the supersonics project

Are you talking about the IAR-95?

I'm thinking an advanced fighter may be too much for Romania to develop. I would be thinking a composite light-weight attack aircraft based on a Very Light Jet airframe would be more relevant and affordable.

Aircraft assembly lines can be made to be "dual use" relatively easily. You just need compatible materials and the right jigs. Maybe even "dual use" jigs. You could finance your R&D and production by building and selling VLJs.

I'm not a big fans of small countries breaking the bank on advanced fighters. Every single defense decision Romania makes needs to be made with an eye on economy or commercial applications.

It will be very hard for us to restart the IAR 95 project, and... it is quite old programe. But, for UAVs we can do some things .

Iama

I think Romania must develope an UAV...or will loose an important occasion..., even if it will be only for recon..., small size UAV is important too in combat ...medium range UAV is important too..., is not a very exclusive technology ...we can do it..., we must do it !!!!

IAR 95 is not an option..., wasted money....

I've been doing "mind-experiments" and am tempted to do a UAV myself. It is possible for even a private individual to build a "stealth" UAV.



The Horten Flying Wing starts out nearly invisible to conventional to radar due to its shape. You could design and build it out of various composite materials, and then coat it with radar-absorbent materials. How do you develop radar-absorbent materials? Do test panels in front of a radar, of course.

You'd probably have to duct the fan, or even bury a jet engine in the body, but I bet some enterprising engineer could work the rest of this out.

You just have to look at the shapes of some of the successful American stealth aircraft to get an idea of how to make cheap, knock-off, semi-stealth aircraft. And if they are UAVs, who cares if they eventually get intercepted and shot down?

UAV is more like a toys for Big Boys ... of course we could do something if we had the will and the funds for it.

The reason that UAVs are limited in use (recon, limited strike) "toys" is for a couple reasons. First, officer pilots fear being replaced by "soldiers" who can replace them cheaply and with less risk. Second, there is an unreasoning fear that UAVs will cause unacceptable collateral damage (the machines will take over, maybe?) In addition, they are just too cheap to make, and that means the crooks who run the acquisition system cannot steal money as easily, or pad the budgets to employ friends, etc., because there isn't enough cost per unit.

A small country of modest means, like Romania, can use UAVs for more than recon. They can use them as strike, as well as Air-to-air platforms. Is Romanian acquisition as cumbersome as the US system, where it takes 30 years for even the most simple equipment upgrades to occur? As small as the Romanian military is, I'd think you'd be able to develop things like this quicker.

I think you could sell a semi-stealthy UAV on the world arms market, and make money on it.

The first UAV made in large number in Romania, by a group of entusiasts ( sold to a western country for military purpose).

See the link below (unfortunetly only in romanian)



http://www.rhc.ro/forumrhc2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=8820&st=0

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on July 23, 2006 06:36 pm