Raven Industries has aided the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in the testing of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as part of the Autonomous Deployment Demonstration (ADD) program. The flight demonstration testing was conducted at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona.
high altitude balloon
For testing, eight high altitude balloons from Raven were used for launching the UAVs from a height of 57,000 ft. By using the balloons for testing the Close-In Cover Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA) were able to come to the rest position at a distance of 15 ft from their intended target locations.
Through the ADD program, small UAV’s were outfitted with sensor payloads and were launched from balloons or aircrafts. The ADD field trials are a testimony to CICADA’s precision in delivery when launched by a high altitude balloon. The Senior Aerospace Engineer at Aerostar explained that the operations such as pre-flight checks, inflating balloons and launching were carried out by two persons from a remote location. The tracking system for the balloon was a radio frequency (RF) system that was connected to a laptop. The UAV was lifted to a high altitude by hand launched balloons that were manufactured by Aerostar, these balloons were made of polyethylene and were capable of being flown in two modes, namely the free-floating mode and the sounding mode. Apart from UAV launching, these balloons are used in intelligence surveillance and data relay applications. The Tempest UAV housing two CICADA vehicles attached to the wing-mounted pythons was carried to an altitude of 60,000 ft and released from there. The two CICADAs were carried to the drop location and launched from there, which then flew towards their targeted positions. The balloons are capable of carrying loads from a few pounds to 6,000 lbs and can reach altitudes of upto 45 km.