Raven UAV Keeps A Lookout Over Iraq

UK Ministry of Defence, British military personnel in southern Iraq have taken delivery of a cutting edge new surveillance device which it is hoped will greatly assist their efforts to reconstruct the country. 
 
Raven, a sophisticated airborne “eye in the sky”, is a Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) capable of flying up to 10 km from the operator, utilising GPS, and can fly at altitudes of up to 1,000 feet (305 m). Weighing only 1.8 kg and measuring 1.2 m in length, Raven will be integrated into the force protection for troops in theatre and used in the support of patrols on the ground. 
 
The aircraft helps foot patrols detect improvised explosive devices and insurgent firing points. TV images are fed back to both the operator on the ground and if needed, to a remote unit held by the patrol. Its infrared, thermal imaging and video cameras can operate during night or day and broadcast astonishingly clear pictures in real-time. 
 
The robust device has a range of front and side-mounted cameras for different views, and the Kevlar coating ensures rugged performance; on one occasion a drone suffered four AK-47 bullet holes that the operator had not detected until the craft landed. 
 
Due to its work with patrols in the field, the aircraft needs to be man-portable. It packs away into three containers, so the Ground Control Unit and monitors can be deployed to the most remote locations. With a range of four frequencies several can be used in the same theatre, and each small battery powers the electric motor for an hour. 
 
One handy facility is the ability of the aircraft to return to its point of launch at a fixed height in the event it gets 'lost', ensuring that the planes do not fall into enemy hands. 
 
An American invention, the MUAV has been heavily utilised in southern Iraq for a year, and the loan to the British Forces of five further systems will see its deployment throughout the theatre. Each package retails for $240,000 (