RUAG Ranger (ADS-90 / ADS-95)

History

The RUAG "Ranger" was developed with the help of the Israeli company Israel Aerospace, a Swiss-focused tactical Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Industries (IAI) and based on the company's "Scout" drone, which is described elsewhere on this site. It has a conventional layout and function and is equipped for intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR) missions on the battlefield.

The Ranger was operated by the 7th UAV Squadron (locally known as ADS-90 and ADS-95) at Emmen Air Force Base until 2017 and is currently (2022) used only by the Finnish state.

Following a state court case, the series entered military use in 1999.

The aircraft uses a traditional two-arm layout, with the fuselage centralizing the relevant operational components such as avionics, optics, fuel and engines, with the arms extending from the trailing edge of the wing main aircraft. The cantilevers are connected at the stern by a common horizontal plane spanned by the vertical tail.

The structure of the main aircraft itself is straight and mounted high on the side of the fuselage.

The Ranger does not have conventional/traditional wheeled landing gear for ground operations. Instead, it relied on a fixed tricycle glide that allowed it to land in unprepared frontier areas. Start-up takes place via a hydraulic load-bearing system.

The optics consist of a transverse "blister" unit located on the belly in front of the midship. This provides onboard cameras and sensor equipment with an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the terrain below.

The optics can be customized to customer needs, thus enabling the Ranger to intervene in civilian markets and industrial-related fields outside the military environment, including humanitarian work, technology reviews, and deployments such as maritime/law enforcement/border protection.

Structurally, the aircraft is 15 feet long, with a wingspan of 18.7 feet and a height of 3.7 feet. Propulsion has traditionally been provided by a 2-cylinder, 2-stroke engine that drives a two-bladed propeller at the rear of the fuselage ("thrust" configuration).

The drone has a payload capacity of 100 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 630 pounds.

In terms of performance, the drone has a top speed of 130 knots and can fly to an altitude of 18,000 feet and a range of 110 miles. The vehicle has a useful mission duration window of 9 hours of flight time.

The Swiss Air Force also transitioned from the Ranger to another Israeli-made drone, the Hermes 900 series from Elbit Systems.

Specification

BASICS

Year of Service

1999

Origins

Switzerland

Status

Active.

Limited service.

Crew

0

Production

50

Manufacturer

RUAG Aviation - Switzerland / Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) - Israel

Carrier

Finland;Switzerland (formerly)

Roles

Navigation/Navy

Water mobility capability for a variety of land-based or ship-based maritime missions, supported by Allied Naval Surface Forces.

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), reconnaissance

Monitor ground targets/target areas to assess surrounding threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Unmanned ability

Aircraft designed (or later developed) have inherent unmanned capabilities and can fill a variety of battlefield roles.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

15. 1 ft

(4.61m)

Width/span

18.7 feet

(5.71m)

Height

3.8 feet

(1.15m)

Cured weight

386 lbs

(175kg)

MTOW

628 lbs

(285kg)

Wgt Difference

+243 lbs

(+110 kg)

Main Program Structure

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

install high

The main aircraft is installed at the highest permissible position along the fuselage topline.

Straight

Floor plans involve the use of simple, straight main plan elements.

(Structural descriptors pertain to the RUAG Ranger production variant)

POWER & PERFORMANCE

Installed:

1 x 2-cylidner, 2-stroke engine developing 42 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller unit in "pusher" configuration.

Max Speed

149 mph

(240 kph | 130 kts)

Cruise Speed

112 mph

(180 kph | 97 kts)

Maximum Speed Diff

+37 mph

(+60 kph | 32 kts)

Ceiling

18,045 ft

(5,500 m | 3 mi)

Range

112 mi

(180 km | 333 nm)

RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: < 614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

ARMAMENT

None.

VARIANTS

Ranger - Base Series Name. ADS-90 - Original operational Swiss Air Force form. ADS-95 - Follow-up operational Swiss Air Force form.