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AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III

2007 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

History of the AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III

Today's battlefield demands are driving a large and growing market for unmanned aerial vehicles. AeroVironment is a leader in the design, development and production of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and their inventory of capable aircraft was added to the Wasp III product in 2007.

This miniature UAS was developed at the request of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Branch. The goal of the project is to equip field personnel with lightweight, portable, remotely operated UAS units for aerial reconnaissance and targeting.

In this way, the Wasp III proved successful and its application extends beyond the US Air Force - the governments of Australia (Army), France (Navy), Sweden (Air Force, Army, Navy) and Spain (Air Force) Having Wasp III added to their various services.

The Wasp III system has a length of 1.25 feet and a wingspan of 2.4 feet. It weighs less than a pound without its mission payloadit focuses on a stabilized camera that provides high-resolution live video day and night. These devices have full tilt, pan and zoom capabilities. The camera module is mounted on the belly of the aircraft. Power for the aircraft is provided by a single electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery, and the system drives a two-bladed propeller unit mounted on the nose.

The maximum range is 5 km at a cruising speed of up to 65 km/h.

Structurally, the Wasp III had a wide wingspan, an elongated nose section and a single-blade tail. For transport, the Wasp III can be easily disassembled into its main components and placed in a travel bag. Setup and teardown are relatively quick.

In addition to the manual control scheme (operated by a simple manual controller), the aircraft can be programmed and activated for autonomous services that rely on GPS navigation.

Wasp AE is an improved product form of the Wasp III series introduced in mid-2012. In addition to the increased operating range and built-in infrared (IR) targeting capabilities, the marker is also amphibious, allowing the unit to land on water for recovery.

Due to this useful property, various world navies have become interested in this variant.

Both the Joint Air Force and Marine Corps have chosen the Wasp III series for a variety of roles on the battlefield. The U.S. military stockpile designated the Wasp III as "RQ-12A".