Arthuristan Dynamics Lancer
| Arthuristan Dynamics Lancer | |
|---|---|
| <imgur w="300">u5EzPKK.png</imgur> | |
| Role | UAV |
| Manufacturer | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| First flight | 2001 |
| Introduction | 2014 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Commonwealth Army, Commonwealth Marines |
The Arthuristan Dynamics Lancer is an Arthuristan UAV, in service with the Commonwealth Army and the Commonwealth Marines. It was developed in the early-00's as a replacement for the Phoenix as the army's main brigade-level drone system (mainly deployed by the brigade's organic artillery ISTAR unit).
Design
The Lancer was intended to be relatively simple and mobile, albeit survivable platform. It may be deployed from lorries fitted with a special launch rack, and recovered by parachute. Constructed mostly out of lightweight composite and plastics, with very little metal content, and equipped with a low-signature propeller engine, the Lancer is very difficult to detect using radar or thermal-imaging equipment. Its endurance is more than 4 hours. It can communicate in real time with its control station via a jam-resistant, frequency-hopping Ku-band datalink.
Variants
<imgur thumb="yes" w="200" comment="The Lancer drone may be deployed from modified lorries.">3IVTbto.png</imgur>
Lancer R.1
The Lancer R.1 is the most common variant in Arthuristan service. It is a reconnaissance drone intended for intelligence-gathering and target designation for artillery or air attack. It is equipped with a stabilised thermal imaging system. Synthetic aperture radar systems may in addition be fitted.
Lancer ES.1
The ES.1 variant is intended for the electronic support role. It is equipped with systems capable of intercepting and acquiring enemy radars and radio communication transmissions. The data gathered may be transmitted to command staff in real time in order to rapidly locate the sources of such signals.
Lancer EW.1
The EW.1 variant is designed for electronic warfare. It is equipped with radio and radar jammers operating in the 20MHz to 110 MHz or in the 100 MHz to 500 MHz bands.
Lancer A.1
The A.1 variant is an armed version of the Lancer drone. Equipped with a Ka band millimeter-wave radar seeker and thermal imager, the A.1 may loiter above the battlefield and attack targets of opportunity autonomously or as directed by headquarters using its 8kg tandem shaped-charge warhead.
<imgur thumb="yes" w="200" comment="The Lancer may be recoverable using an on-board parachute and airbag system">S3EYF8u.png</imgur>
Specifications
- Wingspan: 3.42m
- Length: 2.28m
- Body diameter: 0.36m
- 2-blade propeller, 2-stroke engine featuring noise- and heat-signature reduction technology
- Speed: 220 km/h
- Endurance: 4 hours
- Sensor: Stabilised FLIR, synthetic aperture radar (optional)
- Digital data recorder for 10 minutes of video data
- Real-time frequency-hopping jam-resistant datalink
- Navigation: Inertial, datalink, SATNAV