The Sea Ferret was a submarine-launched aerial reconnaissance drone under development by the United States Navy, designed to be launched from within a Sub-Harpoon missile canister and controlled by a submerged submarine to provide covert surveillance, weapons targeting, choke point interdiction, and battle damage assessment.[1]
While its primary mission was reconnaissance, Sea Ferret was a weapon, carrying a nine-kilogram (20 lb) warhead, capable of destroying smaller targets like command centers and surface-to-air missile launchers.
Sea Ferret was under development by Northrop Grumman Corporation since 1991, and was successfully demonstrated onboard Asheville (SSN-758).[1]
General characteristics
edit- Weight: 68 kilograms (150 lb)[2]
- Wingspan: 183 centimetres (6.00 ft)
- Range: 600 kilometres (370 mi)
- Loiter: 3 hours
- Speed: 250 knots (290 mph)
- Warhead: 20 lb (9 kg)
References
edit- ^ a b Wertheim, E. (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 2005–2006: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World. Naval Institute Press. p. 940. ISBN 978-1-59114-934-7. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
... SSN 758 was used in trials with the Northrop Grumman Sea Ferret reconnaissance drone during 12-96; eventually, Sea Ferret may be launched from within a modified Sub-Harpoon missile canister and controlled by a submerged subma ...
- ^ Over 40 Publications / Studies Combined: UAS / UAV / Drone Swarm Technology Research. Jeffrey Frank Jones. p. 21-PA44. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
External links
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