When a commander in the war zone needs a bird’s eye view, it often means grabbing a nearby rucksack and releasing a small unmanned aerial vehicle dubbed the Raven. Tossed to the skies and controlled from the ground, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are using the UAV for overhead observation.

The Raven has proven critical to the fight, and new advancements will be hitting the field starting in December, according to Program Executive Office Aviation. Here’s an overview of the UAV. The main uses of the Raven are surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition, said Max Mitchell, deputy product manager for the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems product office. The Raven functions in day and night, and it can send live video and still images.

• Wingspan: 4.6 feet
• Weight: 4.2 pounds for aircraft, about 14 pounds when adding a ground control station and battery power
• Range: More than six miles
• Altitude: 14,000 feet above sea level
• Airspeed: 30 mph, with 60 mph dash capability
• Battery life: 90 minutes

The Army began fielding the first Raven “A” systems in 2005. The current “B” system hit the field in 2006. The B system is lighter, has 30 minutes additional battery life and provides higher resolution optics, Mitchell said. There are about 1,400 B systems in use across the Army. Each system includes three air vehicles, a ground control station and a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition kit. The Raven is used by brigade combat teams and military police, engineer and field artillery units.

In December, the Army plans to begin fielding Ravens that have digital data link capabilities instead of analog. This will allow as many as 16 Ravens in the air using the same frequency, compared to only four using analog, Mitchell said. At year’s end, the first of more than 780 Ravens will be put to use, likely benefiting the current push in Afghanistan. In addition, the existing 1,400 in the field will be retrofitted with the digital benefit. Retrofitting could be complete as early as 2012, and all new Ravens should be fielded by 2015. The Army is also considering Ravens for detecting and identifying agents used in chemical warfare. At this time, it is considered an “emerging capability,” and the Army has not announced any fielding plans. (Source: Tony Lombardo, Army Times)