UAV to Look inside Volcanic Crater The latest thermal imagery from the crater indicates that in certain areas the temperature is up to 570 degrees Celsius, and there are signs that the magma is continuing to rise. There have also been significant increases in the emission of carbon dioxide and other gases. Under these conditions Silver Fox has been suggested as the ideal tool to take a look inside the crater on behalf of researchers. Another UAV that has undertaken similar operations is Yamaha?s RMAX helicopter, which carried out inspections of (Source: AP)
Altair and Silver Fox UAVs to Take Part in ALIX Trial
From the 22nd to 31st August 2004, this initiative by the Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre (CFEC) in Ottawa, the Atlantic Littoral Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Experiment, or ?ALIX?, will be the most recent live trial to be conducted as part of Canadian research into the potential military uses of UAVs.
The ALIX is designed to address recognised CF deficiencies in the areas of ISR and command and control. Its three phases will each feature a flight by the Altair UAV. One phase will also include a flight by a new CF asset, the Silver Fox mini UAV.
Each Altair flight will last about 23 hours, and involve use of an exercise scenario:
- a domestic emergency in the southern sector of Baffin Island,
coinciding with a major training exercise with Canadian Forces
Northern Area;
- a peace-support operation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the
Gagetown area of New Brunswick area, coinciding with the annual
concentration exercise of the Army Reserve units of Land Forces
Atlantic Area and involving the Silver Fox; and
- a domestic security or defence of Canada operation in the waters of
the Grand Banks, east of Newfoundland.
All three flights will be launched from and recovered at 5 Wing Goose Bay
in Labrador.
(Source: National Defence)
Canada Buys mini-UAV
The Canadian Forces (CF) have bought the Silver Fox miniature unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. Thales Systems Canada is the prime contractor in the acquisition of this system, which is for a two-year period of combined concept development and experimentation.
The contract for C$ 649K was awarded to Thales on 5th April, and the system is expected to be delivered to the CF by mid-July 2004.