Blogbat: The Cat’s Not Away

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July 25, 2006

The Cat’s Not Away

Get out your telescopes, kids

Blogbat was right, but I suppose it was just common sense. Remember the big fluff over the scrapping of what some hoped to be the next generation American spy plane? In my post “From Blackstar to New Constellations” I pointed to nascent UAV technology for part of the likely reason for dumping the manned surveillance craft. I recall mentioning this, at least, was not rocket science, and alas it wasn’t.

In a July 19 2006 article by Nick Cool at Jane’s, a first look at the latest Lockheed Martin (may they finally be getting their act together) Skunk Works division project points us to the heavens: A new flying-wingish UAV platform dubbed “Polecat”. The P-175 Polecat is designed not only to serve as a new, fast, and hard to see spy plane, but also may offer potential on missions requiring bigger teeth.

Polecat technology could lead to two operational vehicles, according to Cappuccio: an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) vehicle with a U-2-like (1,800 kg) sensor payload and a 24-hour endurance; or a long-range strike aircraft with a 6,800 kg payload and a 3,700 km operational radius. He added, however, that Lockheed Martin is still pushing the idea of a supersonic UCAS for the LRS mission, citing studies that show that it would be seven times more survivable than a subsonic UCAS and five times better than the FB-22 bomber derivative of the F-22 fighter.

High-res version

Cat out of the bag: Designed and built within three months’ time, the Polecat was unveiled to the public July 19. According to the Los Angeles Daily News (LexisNexis: polecat lockheed martin), the Polecat resembles a cross between the “B-2 stealth bomber and something like the DarkStar spyplane that Lockheed Martin built in the 1990s”. The Prototype composite craft “has a wingspan of 90 feet, weighs about 9,000 pounds and is capable of carrying 1,000 pounds of sensors.” “‘This UAV (unmanned air vehicle) is an effort to better understand the flight dynamics of (a) tailless unmanned air system in support of our ongoing research and development work for the U.S. Air Force's future long-range strike program as well as to field the next generation of structural composite concepts,’ Frank Cappuccio, executive vice president and general manager of Advanced Development Programs and Strategic Planning, said in statement announcing the aircraft's existence.” The Daily News may not be very good with names, but at least they covered it.

The Polecat does have its shortcomings. Most notably, its speed. It is a subsonic vehicle. It also is designed to cruise at 65,000 ft, which is good for not leaving contrails, but with its 90ft wingspan, it’s hardly the birdlike UAV’s we are beginning to see in some places; one would think given the extensive quality of present day imaging technology, it could stand to cruise a bit higher. If you plan to use it against the Chinese, Russians or any of their myriad of clients, it would seem best not to underestimate.

Capuccio agrees about the need for speed. According to today’s issue of Flight International, Capuccio “favours a Mach 2.5” version. Particularly in light of better tracking and surface-to-air options for countries such as Russia, China, Iran, Syria, and their proxies, it would seem any program sufficiently forward-looking will also include that feature in its list of must-haves. Whether this prototype is developed as is, and if so how quickly it is shared with allies, is entirely a different question though.

Regardless of which Lockheed Martin vehicle, or which vehicle from Northrop, Boeing, et al, makes the cut, the latest news out of Skunk Works seems only to reinforce the obvious: the UAV is at present the newest aerial recon paradigm.

Posted by Martin at July 25, 2006 01:38 PM

Comments

Impressive Martin!.. :)

Posted by: Angel at July 25, 2006 06:36 PM

Hubby will be interested in this. He loves airplanes and knows all about military ones. I'll forward this on to him.

Posted by: Debbie at July 25, 2006 07:53 PM