BattleHog Drone's Story Stinks

BattleHog Drone's Story Stinks
Could a home security consultant operating out of a Manhattan apartment have built the latest and greatest killer drone? That's what Flight International has reported, in a series of recent articles. According to the magazine, Stefan Amraly and his American Dynamics corporation have put together a new style of unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) – a vertical takeoff and landing machine designed to operate in ‘urban canyons’ and other close terrain. The BattleHog 100X demonstrator is, supposedly, a 3200-pound aircraft with a 17-foot wingspan, and a weapons load that can include two Hellfires or rocket pods and an M134 minigun. One of the unusual features is that it has no control surfaces: it is directed entirely by changing the speed and pitch of a ducted fan mounted in the fuselage, a patented item known as “High Torque Aerial Lift.” Toughness is a key selling point: the Kevlar-reinforced composite airframe is designed to withstand 7.62mm rounds from 50m (165ft), as well as near-misses from RPGs. With no moving parts to damage, this could make it an extremely difficult drone to bring down. (And if it does come down it’s specially strengthened to take heavy landings). Trial flights, including a hover test, allegedly took place in July. BattleHog 100X is claimed to have an endurance of above more than eight hours with a cruising speed of over 200 miles per hour. A bigger version is said to be scheduled for flights in 2008. This will have a 40 foot span and a maximum weight of 16,800kg, including 4,500kg of payload. Armament will include J-DAM guided bombs and AIM-120 AMRAAMs in internal bays, plus a 20mm cannon. That is, if the Flight International reports are on the money. The BattleHog's makers, American Dynamics, is previously known only from its work on high speed naval vessels, the magazine says. And its CEO, Stefan Amarly, has a business card that "cites a seventh floor office on Broadway in New York City. The same company name and address is identified in the current New York yellow pages business telephone directory as a home security and technology services consultancy." I couldn’t find any information at all about American Dynamics on the Internet. And their odd-ball construction techniques only add to the air of mystery: American Dynamics took the unusual step of assembling the vehicle inside a black cloth enclosure to prevent its being seen before exhibition opening. Those same screens were again erected to prevent viewing during its disassembly by three people after exhibition closure. It will be interesting to see how this one pans out. A tough UCAV built to survive in urban environments and engaging the enemy from very close range with a heavy load of weapons has a lot going for it. VTOL means that BattleHogs could be parked close to the battle area and called up when required at short notice – though the eight-hour endurance gives substantial loiter time too. On the other hand, you've got to wonder about something from an unknown supplier based on radical new technology... one that looks a little too much like the flying Hunter/Killer robots in the Terminator movies.

Questions Still Surround Mystery Drone

Questions Still Surround Mystery Drone
When I wrote with some skepticism about the BattleHog attack drone last week, American Dynamics -- the enigmatic makers of the unmanned combat aerial vehicle, or UCAV -- responded with a huffy comment, a link to their website, and an invitation to visit. After e-mailing and calling them, the drone-builders still remain as mysterious as before. The question remains: can an unknown outfit really come up with a world-beating UCAV? You don't have to be Boeing or Lockheed, of course, to dream up a brilliant design, or to build an advanced aircraft. But you have to be more than a mom-and-pop outfit, too. In their comments, "Mark K." from American Dynamics says the company is more substantial than it might initially appear. The fact that the phone company lists the business as a "home security and technology services consultancy" -- that's Verizon's description, not Mark & Co.'s. Further, the company has signed an agreement to buy Eagle’s Nest airport in April. The airport continues to serve Atlantic City and Long beach Island, but part of it is now used as a flight testing area for American Dynamics aircraft. This was apparently the site of the BattleHog’s debut flight - but we have not seen any photos yet. The company web site mentions American Dynamics' previous work on high-speed hull suspension systems for boats, as well as the BattleHog 100X drone and the WorkHog, a civil version for anyone wanting a 3,000 lb spy plane. But there’s more: an "advanced hybrid power platform" for ground vehicles, and an even more ambitious drone, the S1K UAS – "a large payload, deep strike Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle." Given that the larger BattleHog 350Xis a stealthy attack craft carrying 10,000 lb internally, the S1K must be a real monster. Even the sky is not the limit for American Dynamics. Since 2001 they have been working on a Single Stage Orbital Vehicle, inteded to repalce the multi-stage rockets used for putting satellites into orbit today. You couldn't accuse them of failing to think big. They have a down-to-earth side, too -- with "Integrated Smart Home Systems" which will help make your home into an active partner in managing your busy lifestyle through the use of automated lighting controls, environmental controls, auxiliary device controls, home theater controls, home security controls, home computer networking, and more. It’s quite a portfolio for a small and obscure company, but little of it has actually made it to the production stage. The only actual product is the suspension system, as far as we know, and the space rockets and stealth planes remain on the drawing board. As for BattleHog - we're still waiting to see the evidence. Over to you, American Dynamics...