UAV Research Report (2) United States: Mini UAV, RQ-11 Raven, Cougar (Puma
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**Part III: Drone Research Report**
**[Depth] UAV Research Report (1) Development and Evolution of Drones**
**(Two)**
**Development of Drones in Countries Around the World**
**United States: Mini Drone, RQ-11 Raven, Cougar (Puma)**
The United States has been utilizing **drones** in military operations for many years. Today, it has developed a vast fleet of drones, including models like the RQ-11 Raven, Wasp, Puma, RQ-16T, Scanning Eagle, Silver Fox, Aviation Detector, RQ-7 Shadow, Man-Machine, small tactical drone, XPV, Predator/Greyhawk, MQ-5 Hunter, MQ-8 Fire Scout, MQ1-A, A160, MQ-9 Harvester, RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ4C Poseidon, and more than 120 types in total, with over 10,000 units in service. In terms of both performance and quantity, U.S. drones hold a significant advantage.
Drones play a critical role in various military fields, such as weapon launch, target indication, surveillance, psychological and information warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), precision strikes, force protection, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, mine detection, air combat, electronic warfare, maritime mapping, communication, navigation, search and rescue (SAR), mass casualty operations, chemical and biological threats, offshore bases, naval blockades, explosive ordnance disposal, and more.
During the Iraq War, the U.S. military used the Air Force's "Global Hawk" and "Predator," the Marine Corps' "Longan" and "Pioneer," and the Army's "Hound," "Pointer," and "Shadow 200." The number of drones deployed during this conflict was unprecedented in U.S. military history. In Afghanistan and other counterterrorism operations, the use of drones has increased significantly. According to incomplete data, the U.S. military launched 506 unmanned aircraft in 2012, a 72% increase from 294 in 2011.
Drones are categorized into five groups based on weight, altitude, and speed, as shown in the table below.
**UAV System Grouping**
*Note: 1 foot = 0.30048 meters; 1 pound = 0.45359 kg; 1 knot = 1.852 km/h.*
Here is a brief introduction to some representative drones.
**Micro Drone**
According to the requirements of the U.S. National Defense Research Institute, micro air vehicles must have a maximum size of no more than 15 cm in all directions, an endurance of 20–60 minutes, a range of over 10 km, a flight speed of 22–45 km/h, and the ability to carry a payload to complete specific tasks.
On the military side, micro-UAVs can be equipped at the soldier level for low-altitude reconnaissance, battlefield damage assessment, and surveillance. They can also serve as anti-radiation and micro-attack weapons to destroy enemy radars and other electronic facilities, or act as communication relays and perform biochemical detection in dangerous areas.
In intelligence operations, they can be used for indoor reconnaissance, cyber attacks, network cracking, eavesdropping, and capturing video through high-definition cameras. For example, the Wasp drone runs BackTrack Linux and can crack Wi-Fi passwords, store up to 32GB of data, and even function as a GSM antenna to intercept mobile phone calls and messages. It provides real-time aerial video and is used by the U.S. Marine Corps in the Battlefield Air Target Micro Air Vehicle (BATMAV) system.
**Wasp III Drone**
Length: 38cm; Wingspan: 72.3cm; Empty Weight: 430g (ground version); Load Capacity: 6.53kg; Power Unit: 1 rechargeable lithium battery; Maximum Speed: 65km/h; Range: 5km.
The University of California has developed a 5mm-long micro-aircraft equipped with a miniature sensor and laser communication transceiver for tasks like intelligence gathering, target location, and communication relay. The U.S. National Defense Research Institute is researching nano-bionic micro-UAVs, such as the "Nano Hummingbird" flapping drone, which weighs less than a battery, flies at 20–40 flaps per second, and can hover for over 11 minutes. It is equipped with a mini camera and can fly through windows for indoor and outdoor reconnaissance.
**RQ-11 Raven**
The RQ-11 Raven, produced by American Aviation Environment Corporation, is a small UAV introduced in 2003. It can be carried in a backpack, launched by hand, and controlled remotely or via GPS. It has a compact design, good stealth capabilities, and can operate for up to 90 minutes. It is popular among troops for its ease of use and reliability.
**Cougar (Puma)**
The Cougar (Puma) is another UAV from American Aviation Environment Corporation, designed based on the Doberman. It can be launched by hand, operates in both land and sea environments, and has a 2-hour battery life. It carries multiple cameras and has been adopted by the U.S. Special Operations Command. An improved version, the Puma AE, uses solar power and can stay airborne for over 9 hours.
**Part I:** **US Aircraft Research Report**
**Part II:** **Foreign AWACS Research Report**
Foreign AWACS Research Report (1): Development History + Early Warning Aircraft Map
Foreign AWACS Research Report (II): US E-3 Series "Wanglou" Early Warning Aircraft