AeroVironment Wasp III
| |
| Role | Miniature UAV |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | AeroVironment Inc.
|
| Introduction | 2007 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
The AeroVironment Wasp III Small Unmanned Aircraft System is a
Design and development
The Wasp III is the result of a multi-year joint development effort between AeroVironment and the
In May 2012, AeroVironment introduced the Wasp AE, an improved version of the Wasp air vehicle that can land on ground or water. Although it is heavier at 2.8 lb (1.3 kg), it has 20 percent greater endurance and incorporates a miniature gimbal that gives operators both color and infrared video imagery from a single sensor package. Following the Air Force, the Marine Corps ordered the Wasp AE in September 2012.[7]
In January 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps revealed they had retired the RQ-12A Wasp IV SUAS in favor of the SkyDio X2D, a VTOL UAV that is easier to launch and recover and can provide a hover-and-stare surveillance capability.[8]
Operators
- Czech Army[10]
- Spanish Air Force[11]
Former operators
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: none
- Length: 1 ft 3.0 in (0.38 m)
- Wingspan: 2 ft 4.50 in (0.723 m)
- Empty weight: 0.95 lb (0.430 kg) (Land version)
- Gross weight: 14.4 lb (6.53 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Electric motor, rechargeable lithium ion batteries
Performance
- Maximum speed: 40 mph (65 km/h, 35 kn)
- Cruise speed: 25–40 mph (40–65 km/h, 22–35 kn)
- Range: 3.1 mi (5.0 km, 2.7 nmi)
- Endurance: 45 minutes
- Service ceiling: 50–1,000 ft (15–333 m) AGL; 10,000 ft (3,333 m) MSL
Avionics
High resolution, day/night cameras with
See also
- Unmanned aerial vehicle
- Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
Related lists
References
- ^ US Air Force Wasp III Fact Sheet Archived 2012-07-23 at archive.today
- ^ Air Force accepts Wasp AE Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine - sUASNews.com
- ^ AeroVironment Awarded $12 million Wasp AE Contract Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine - sUASNews.com, January 23, 2013
- ^ AeroVironment will provide US Marine Corps with new RQ-12 Wasp AE UAS Archived September 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 24 September 2014
- ^ U.S. Air Force approves full-scale production of Wasp III[dead link] - Defensenews.com, 3 January 2008
- ^ BATMAV System with AeroVironment's Wasp III Micro Air Vehicle achieves full rate production - Gizmag.com, 8 January 2008
- ^ Marines Buy Tiny Wasp UAVs - Defensetech.org, 23 January 2013
- ^ "Marine Corps Replacing Fixed-Wing Small UAS with VTOL Types". Seapower Magazine. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023.
- ^ Coyne, Allie (3 July 2015). "Australian Army tests out drones for surveillance". IT News. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ Grohmann, Jan. "Robotické a autonomní systémy v Armádě ČR" [Robotic and autonomous systems of the Czech Army]. Armádní noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Dos mini UAV de última tecnología para la unidad de élite del Ejército del Aire". elconfidencialdigital.com. 26 December 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- Parts of this article are taken from the Wasp III Fact Sheet