UAV diciembre

The term UAV is increasingly on everyone’s lips but really, what is meant by UAV?

UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, also known as dron.

There are two features that define the UAVs. The first is their ability to be reused because, unlike missiles, these may have more than one use. The second feature, and probably the most defining UAVs, is the autonomy they have to maintain a controlled and sustained flight.

You’ve probably heard a lot about UAVs, because use of drones has exploded in recent years. Whether for business and commercial purposes, more and more users surrender to the benefits that can be obtained with the use of UAVs, but the truth is that there is a field in which its use is fundamental: the field of Defense and security.

In this broad field of defense and security of a State, all help is always well received. It is here where UAVs can reach their full potential, achieving many safety benefits. Its utilities are multiple, but some of the most used are:

  • Assistance in the fight of illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, illegal immigration
  • Aid in humanitarian missions
  • Border control and infrastructure.
  • Support in surveillance and search missions.
  • Traffic control.
  • Improvements in terrain recognition.
  • Surveillance in the security of multitudinous events.
  • Even now, it is being tested that some types of UAVs can fire in case it may be required in certain situations.

These are some of the activities that UAVs can perform for the security and order of a state. In order to do all this without any problem and with the best accuracy, the UAVs have to be developed with materials and systems tested to the millimeter that can give the aircraft a great reliability. For this, the best thing to do is to have the best service providers, in at least three key aspects: optical sensors, power supplies and communications, three points that we will analyze below.

Optical sensors

The optical sensors, or payloads of the UAVs, are responsible for taking, storing and transmitting the images that are captured from the UAVs. Its importance is very high, thanks to them; the UAVs can perform tasks that have to do with search, security and recognition. One of the companies that stands out in this field is Controp.

Controp has designed camera payloads that allow focusing on short, medium and long distance, thus adapting to the needs that each UAV should cover. In addition, these payloads are different from the rest because of their low weight and high effectiveness, two features that make them essential to be part of a UAV. Quite recently, Controp used these payloads in a UAV for monitoring the Olympic Games in Rio.

Power supplies

A UAV is obviously autonomous but, despite this autonomy, it is necessary to recharge energy and for it, nothing better than a power source. In charge of giving enough energy, power supplies are another of the main points to consider in a UAV. To be really efficient, power supplies must allow charging anywhere and in any situation, even if it is complicated. A benchmark company in this field is Bren-Tronics, a company which specializes in power supplies in difficult situations. Besides, Bren-Tronics is a trusted supplier for defense departments, so it meets all the standards expected to include its batteries in UAVs for defense.

Communications

All that we have mentioned is not very useful if you cannot get reliable communications that manage to transport all the information quickly and, most importantly, without errors. For this, it is necessary a powerful data link that transports the information collected by the UAVs to a control point where this information is studied. Currently, one of the most recognized and reliable manufacturers in Data Link is Commtact. Its Data Link solutions are specially designed for the military sector and border surveillance, among others and they can be used in UAVs. To ensure that communication is fully effective, they have everything you need: x / Rx, RF modules and antennas.