28 Dossier | Tekever AR3 a SAR [synthetic aperture radar] payload – optimised for altitude, and another using an optical payload with yet another requirement, all at the same time.” Fourth and, for the moment, last is communications. Here, the UAV systems are usually part of a bigger mission network, either acting as a relay or receiving comms. The need is to change communications setups easily, swapping out satcom and line-of-sight radios very quickly. Fractionated payloads “One of the things we’re working on right now is what we’re calling fractionated payloads – meaning, for example, complex radio frequency [RF] payloads where multiple aircraft together form a single node. A single aircraft, or even two or three, on their own can’t accomplish much. You need several systems in the air, communicating and exchanging RF data with each other, for the payload to function properly. The system is greater than the sum of its parts and each aircraft platform is just a part of that system,” Mendes explains. This kind of system might be used for the detection, identification and geolocation of hostile emitters, for example, and even what can be thought of as deception missions. “In some of them, you are shaping the RF perception of the enemy,” he says, “basically creating an RF image for the other side. And for that you need multiple nodes doing different things at the same time in a highly coordinated way.” Naturally, this means that each of several aircraft might have a very different configuration from each of the others with which it is operating, and all must be easy to manage from the same ground control station (GCS). In another example, it’s common to run missions using a SAR payload together with optical and infrared sensors. This involves using Group 3 sensors on a Group 2 platform, so the sensors must be distributed among multiple aircraft. For example, one aircraft might have a SAR and a smaller gimbal, while a second carries a larger gimbal, and a third machine serves as a relay linking the two, particularly if the mission requires them to work at long distances from the launch point, which can mean 200 km away or more, he says. “For us, this isn’t some future potential – this is daily reality! We’ve been adapting existing platforms like the AR3 and earlier versions to do this, even though they weren’t originally designed for it. The Mk9, however, was built from the ground up with this in mind, making everything much simpler for the operator.” The headline design goals for the aircraft were to increase endurance and payload while reducing the radar and acoustic signatures beyond those of its predecessor. They also wanted to speed up deployment, and now the machine can go ‘from box to air’ in five minutes once the operator is trained up; the latter process taking purportedly no more than five days. The VTOL capability, a removable option before, is now hot swappable. Finally, the entire system is transportable in a pick-up truck. Configuration changes One thing that is instantly noticeable is that the aircraft looks very different. The main engine and propeller have been moved from its predecessor’s rear-mounted pusher layout to a tractor configuration placed on the nose. The tail has also changed; where the previous AR3 had a horizontal stabiliser with a vertical surface on each end in a fixedwing configuration, and a V-tail in VTOL configuration, the Mk9 has an inverted V-tail in both configurations. The VTOL module attachment scheme has also changed from a hard-point under each wing to a plug between each end of the wing centre section and each outboard section, more of which we detail later. Much thought and input went into the design, but one of the key takeaways was that a more efficient powerplant installation was needed, leading them to the change from a pusher to a tractor configuration. “This gives the propeller less turbulent air, which increases efficiency and reduces the acoustic signature compared with the previous version,” Nunes explains. August/September 2025 | Uncrewed Systems Technology AR3’s mission equipment fit is flexible and quickly reconfigurable between flights. Here, an underwing antenna is being fitted. Note VTOL system battery packs on the ground
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