Before the start of the NFL football game between top teams Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, a Navy SEAL and a paratrooper service dog rappelled down the AT&T Stadium scoreboard in order to deliver the game coin to officially start the game. The descent of the duo was smooth, except for an initial struggle from the dog. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Dallas Cowboys with a final score of 28 – 17.
Considered as one of the highlights of the game, this is a welcome moment especially after a controversial and stern memo from the Naval Special Warfare was sent to Navy SEALs about divulging information regarding the Osama Bin Laden raid.
Matt Bissonnette, published a book about how Bin Laden was shot, while Rob O’Neill claims to be the one who fired the fatal shot that killed Bin Laden. Both were members of the SEAL Team Six, a highly trained special group that was sent into secretive and highly-classified missions. With these conflicting reports, the two has broken the Navy SEALs’ tenet of confidentiality.
Nontheless, this video helped the NFL viewers focus on something light-hearted:
In March 2010, the Armed Aerial Scout program made a request for information for an advanced helicopter, and the result was the Sikorsky S-97 Raider as proposed by Sikorsky. Four years later, the company finally unveiled the first full production model of the groundbreaking scout and attack helicopter in the company’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The objective set for the new aircraft is to replace the army’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. However, specialists think that if the manufacturer’s claims about the Sikorsky S-97 Raider capabilities are true, it is almost certain that this helicopter’s reach will grow to cover a much wider audience. For instance, if the Sikorsky S-97 Raider proves useful, it might be used to replace other US Army military helicopters such as the MH-6 Little Bird used by the U.S. Special Operations Command. In addition to its expected military roles, The Sikorsky S-97 Raider could also be adapted to carry out civilian missions.
Sikorsky Raider at AUSA
Cost of the Sikorsky S-97 Raider
Up to now, Sikorsky and its various suppliers have invested in as much as $200 million on the two first prototypes of the helicopter. The company hopes to be able to produce this revolutionary helicopter at $15 million per unit.
The Sikorsky S-97 Raider is set to fly for the first time on December 2014. However, the aircraft’s first flight and its first demonstration of capabilities won’t take place until mid-2015.
Sikorsky S-97 Raider Design
Design is one of the most eye-catching attributes of the Sikorsky S-97 Raider. Being a compound helicopter, the Sikorsky S-97 Raider includes variable speed coaxial main rotors and a variable pitch pusher propeller. The helicopter is large enough for 6 passengers to fit in, and the side-by-side cockpit can contain two pilots. However, the S-97 is also designed so that it can fly autonomously.
Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk, Radom 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As far as the engine is concerned, it is based on the Sikorsky X2 demonstrator. Until now, The Sikorsky S-97 is equipped with the same engine used in the UH-60M Black Hawk. Nonetheless, the company foresees the development of an improved engine for its new helicopter.
Key Dates
Here is a timeline of the key dates since Sikorsky first launched its X2 Technology Demonstrator in August 2008. These key dates are in conformity with the information provided by Sikorsky on their Sikorsky S-97 Raider website.
August 2008: X2 Technology Demonstrator™first flight
September 2010: X2 Technology Demonstrator reaches 250 knots
October 2010: S97 Raider™ launched
July 2011: X2 Technology Demonstrator final flight
January 2012: Initial Raider supplier team announced
March 2013: Raider Critical Design Review completed
September 2013: Raider aircraft #1 delivered, airframe final assembly begun
January 2014:Raider Systems Integrations Lab (SIL) fully operational
May 2014: Raider electrical power on achieved
October 2014: Raider Rollout Ceremony
December 2014: Raider first flight
2015:Raider flight test and Raider capability demonstrations
General Characteristics
The Sikorsky S-97 Raider has a capacity for six troopers including up to two pilots. The space inside the helicopter can be adjusted according to needs. Thus, if need be, the space in the cockpit of the aircraft can be used to store additional equipment or ammunition.
According to the information disclosed by Sikorsky, the S-97 Raider is 36ft long and weighs 8,945 lb. Its maximum takeoff weight is 11,400 lb. It is equipped with one General Electric YT706 powerplant, and its main rotor diameter is of 34 ft. The aircraft is 6-bladed variable pitch and clutchable pusher propellers.
Sikorsky S-97 Raider Performance
The S-97 has a staggering Never exceed speed of 276 mph (240kn), and a cruising speed of 253 mph (200kn) external weapons included. The weapons include 50 cal guns w/500 rounds and a seven shot rockets pod, Hellfire missiles and 2.75” rockets. The range exceeds 600 km, and it has an endurance mean of 2.7 hours on standard fuel. In addition, the S-97 is also capable of aerial refueling.
An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior from 1st Battalion (ATTACK), 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (L), “Lightning Attack”, patrols the skies over , . Lightning Attack deployed from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii to Iraq in January and is conducting aerial reconnaissance, close combat attacks and security missions for the 1st Armored Division and the 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Original caption) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Comparisons
As a matter of fact, the new and futuristic Sikorsky S-97 Raider is produced in order to replace the army’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, an aircraft that has been in service since the 1960’s and which has been used in many wars by the US Army such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Thus, while, there are some similarities between the two helicopters, the Sikorsky S-97 Raider is clearly much more advanced at all levels.
In his article published in The Aviationist website, David Cenciotti compares the new Sikorsky S-97 Raider with the “mysterious stealth” aircraft that was used in the raid on Osama Bin Laden.
Cenciotti states, “it is safe to believe that Sikorsky has embedded some of the features developed for the secret, radar evading US Army Stealth Black Hawk used by the Navy SEALs at Abbottabad in May 2011,”
Future Plans for the Sikorsky S-97 Raider
Sikorsky seems to be leading the way and setting an example to other companies on how to get things done. Not only does Sikorsky build state-of-the-art machines, but it also invests in future development opportunities. For example, as recently as in May 2014, Sikorsky won a U.S. Navy deal for the President’s Marine One helicopters. According to Reuters, the company “won an initial $1.24 billion contract to develop and build six new U.S. presidential helicopters, the first step toward a fleet of 21 new aircraft by 2023.”
Other future plans of the company include teaming up with other leading companies such as Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences to manufacture new aircraft. In addition to all these recent successes, Sikorsky and Boeing have also been chosen to work hand in hand in order to produce the SB>1 Defiant, which is a “medium-lift-sized demonstrator.” The demonstrator is built for Future Vertical Lift and is expected to fly in 2017 as advanced by Sikorsky in a press release.
Final Thoughts
It is probably safe to say that during its 90 years of existence, Sikorsky is now stronger than ever. The rumors about the company’s divestiture have calmed down especially after the company was awarded a $1.24 billion deal to build the presidential helicopters. Therefore, although the Sikorsky S-97 Raider is one of the least revenue generating units belonging to United Technologies, the company isn’t thinking about selling it or spinning it off.
If Sikorsky continues its innovative efforts, it will eventually find more and more reliable customers than the US Army. This idea of using helicopters for civilian duties might be an interesting alternative, and selling the Sikorsky S-97 Raider to American allies could also help widen the company’s business opportunities.
The US Air Force and the Pentagon have been pursuing their drone development program since 1995, the most prominent drone series being the Predator series (A, B & C). Today, it is a full-fledged operation. One of the latest projects now being pursued is the US Air Force’s RQ-170 Sentinel Drone, manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The US Air Force has not released much information about this drone. However, this US drone is known to be a stealth aircraft, fitted with reconnaissance equipment for the purpose of gathering data from non-cooperative countries such as Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is being used since 2011, when it was launched during the ongoing war in Afghanistan, called “Operation Enduring Freedom”.
It is also worthwhile to note that this US drone was used quite effectively for tracking down Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. The system is believed to have been set up in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad where the terrorist was believed to have been hiding, in a heavily guarded compound, with the full knowledge of the Pakistani authorities. It was through the data fed to the Navy SEALs from the Sentinel system that they were able to penetrate the compound and terminate this dreaded terrorist on the spot.
The RQ-170 Sentinel has also been used in South Korean airspace, which would have been obviously for the purpose of spying on activities in North Korea.
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Duplication of the Sentinel
In December 2011, an RQ-170 Sentinel was sent into Iran on a reconnaissance mission. The Iranian armed forces intercepted the drone and hacked into its navigation systems, managing to capture it. They claimed that they had been able to duplicate it by decoding the software and using reverse engineering. Although, the claims were stated as being fake by a former Pentagon official, the Iranians stuck to their story and showed video footage of the drone.
The landing gear, however, was covered by a banner stating, “We’ll trample America underfoot” and “the US cannot do a damn thing.”
The RQ-170 Sentinel has also been copied by the Chinese who released pictures of the copied drone along with some other aircraft.
Specifications
The specifications the US drone described here are not official, as there are no official documents available, due to the highly classified nature of the RQ-170 Sentinel project, as it is being kept under wraps by the CIA and the Pentagon. However, what has been reproduced here, are as accurately-possible facts, which should give a fair picture about the Sentinel and its capabilities.
The RQ-170 Sentinel by Lockheed Martin is a rather new addition to the United States Air Force’s fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It is a stealth vehicle, which is supposed to be a cost-effective drone with added qualities put on to existing design features. The purpose of the Sentinel is for surveillance and reconnaissance of enemy territories from a high altitude. The drone is mostly connected to CIA missions, which is the reason most of the information on it remains classified by the Pentagon and unavailable to the general public.
A B-2 Spirit soars after a refueling mission over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, May 30, 2006. The B-2, from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., is part of a continuous bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Looks-wise, the Sentinel is more of wing, with less of vertical tail surfaces. The wing structures are swept towards the rear of the aircraft, giving it the appearance of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. It is powered by a single General Electric TF34 series turbofan engine. The payload region is also located in the central area. The abundant wings serve the purpose of offering extra fuel storage. The undercarriage is in a regular tricycle configuration with two main landing wheels and a single landing gear in the nose section.
The aircraft is equipped with a full suite of cameras and sensors. There are full motion real-time cameras and radioactive isotope-detecting sensors for locating nuclear material. It is assumed that the drone is also armed with missiles, in the same way that the Predator is. It is also understood to have the latest infra-red and other optical devices fitted.
The maximum altitude observed by this drone is at least 50,000 feet. The wingspan is estimated at 26 meters, with a height of 1.84 meters and a length of 4.5 meters.
Future Prospects of the Sentinel
It would seem that the Sentinel has had a rather big setback with the copying of its design by the Iranians. Although there is no information forthcoming from the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, US Air Force or the CIA, there is no dearth of information emanating from Iran regarding the Sentinel and future plans. RT.com News published an article in May 2014 quotes a statement made by Iranian leaders who said that their engineers have managed to decode the drone’s technology and copy it. There will soon be a test flight, they promised.
From what we see, the RQ-170 Sentinel is definitely here to stay, but if the US military is to keep the technology to itself, it is going to have to figure out how to keep its classified secrets from falling into enemy hands, as has been the case in the recent past.
