The Pathfinder Raven Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the development of the Pathfinder Raven Small Unmanned Air Vehicle (SUAV) by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center and AeroVironment, Inc. The concept for this SUAV system was initially explored during the Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) and brought to fruition during the Pathfinder ACTD. The spiral development process, the associated operational requirements and guiding principles used to quantify vehicle performance, physical characteristics, and methods of operation, are taken from the conceptual design stage to the current production aircraft. The Pathfinder Raven aircraft has undergone numerous design refinements and improvements in its evolution from concept to production. The current production Pathfinder Raven SUAV meets or exceeds the initial design objectives that could be boiled down to "do what a Pointer UAV does at half the size, cost, and weight." The production Pathfinder Raven SUAV is currently being used by U.S. Army and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) forces in combat operations worldwide in the global war on terrorism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA432526
Entities
People
- Andrew Mawn
- Phillip Tokumaru
Organizations
- United States Army Soldier Systems Center