Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have been in development in the U.S. nearly as long as manned aircraft. A main theme is that the vehicles were intended to replace humans to accomplish missions that are dangerous. The following essay will analyze the Ryan Firebee variants and how they evolved over time.
Ryan Firebee
The Teledyne Ryan Firebee UAS includes a variety of jet-powered vehicles built from 1948 to 1982. The first model production model, the Q-2, was designed as an aerial target for the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy who needed to train for emerging jet fighter and cruise missile threats (Parsch, 2003). It could be launched from the air via an A-26 or C-130 host aircraft, or static launched from the ground with an expendable solid rocket motor. At the end of the mission, the vehicle would deploy a parachute and recovery trapeze that could be caught in mid-air by a suitably equipped helicopter, or splash down into water for pickup. By 1963 the Firebee had been redesigned the A/BQM-34 series, which included models that performed from 10 to 60,000 feet up to Mach 0.96 (Tarantola, 2013). Beginning in 1953, a supersonic Firebee II (BQM-34E) was developed to simulate high-speed fighter aircraft for anti-aircraft system testing. The typical Firebee endurance was 90 minutes, but most variants could be equipped with external drop tanks. They could be launched on pre-programmed missions or directly controlled using a line-of-sight link with a range of 300 miles, where operators set goals (ex. 7G level turn) and were provided basic vehicle state data.
Expanding Missions
Realizing that the Firebee line was capable of more, the Air Force began developing a reconnaissance version in 1963. Designated the AQM-34, they completed approximately 34,000 missions over the Vietnam conflict zone with optical sensors or electronic warfare packages (Tarantola, 2013). An advanced signals collection version was also deployed over North Korea from 1970-1973 that provided an unprecedented seven hours of loiter time at 75,000 feet.
Recent History
Although the Firebee production line was closed in 1983, the aircraft were the main target decoy until fielding of the BQM-167 in 2002. These later models featured towed flare decoys for heat-seeking missiles and emitters that simulated the radar signatures of a wide variety of threats (Parsch, 2003). Global Positioning System receivers were also installed to increase navigation accuracy. Of nearly 7,000 Firebees built, the remaining 250 were reserved for research, development, and special activities. In 2003, BGM-34Ls were used during the opening air attacks over Iraq, where they were used to dispense radar-spoofing chaff and employ jamming ahead of manned coalition aircraft (Tarantola, 2013). In 2005, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract to modify the remaining Firebee systems for advanced decoy and payload dispensing operations (Morris, 2005).
Conclusion
This short essay has analyzed the Ryan Firebee, from its inception as a simple aerial target drone to its role as a modern surveillance and electronic attack platform. While the variants shared generally the same airframe and physical performance, the models developed over 5 decades were significantly improved with state-of-the-art technology. Overall, the systems provided an impressive 83% recovery rate and ensured valuable capabilities were available to the U.S. military. The Firebee system represents a success story in the flexibility and capability of UAS.
References
Tarantola, A. (2013, August 27). The Ryan Firebee: Grandfather to the Modern UAV - Gizmodo. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://gizmodo.com/the-ryan-firebee-grandfather-to-the-modern-uav-1155938222
Morris, J. (2005, August 18). Firebee target has first flight with modernized avionics. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com
Parsch, A. (2003). Teledyne Ryan AQM/BQM/MQM-34 Firebee. Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-34.html
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