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2018-03-22

LUNA Aircraft Systems Offer Versatile Next-Gen UAV Solutions

LUNA is an all-weather, cost-effective and easy-to-operate unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system for real-time surveillance and reconnaissance.

Designed to accommodate multiple payloads, LUNA is a reliable solution for military and for civilian applications. It has successfully supported peacekeeping missions in countries like Kosovo and Afghanistan, where the systems operate in different climates under severe weather conditions and in difficult terrain.

By taking advantage of the rapid technical progress in sensor equipment, LUNA’s performance is superior to many conventional reconnaissance and surveillance drone systems. It achieves target location at 100+ km ranges with an endurance exceeding 6 (optional 8) hours and all its system components can be transported in and operated from small vehicles or portable shelters, allowing rapid deployment by medium transport helicopters.

Requiring no runway, LUNA is launched by a noiseless bungee catapult, which is light-weight and folded for transportation. Recovery is fully autonomous in a net or by parachute and is strongly supported by automated processes without requirement of personnel with aeronautical skills, while full crew training is accomplished within a few weeks.

LUNA Air Vehicle

The light-weight LUNA UAV is designed as a powered high-performance glider made of glass fiber composite material for long endurance and low acoustic, thermal and radar signatures. LUNA is unique in its ability to perform glides without engine power and, with no acoustic signature, it can restart its engine at any time.

LUNA’s microwave communication link transmits reconnaissance and system data in real-time from the UAV to the ground control station. LUNA can also perform fully automated reconnaissance and surveillance missions without the need of any radio emissions by the ground station. Another unique feature of LUNA is its inherent crash safety thanks to its glider performance and its reliable parachute release and landing system.

The LUNA UAV flight is permanently monitored by an autonomous terrain and obstacle collision avoidance system using 3D digital map data. It is simply equipped in the field with a data link relay payload, which transforms it into a relay drone and extends its reconnaissance operations to missions behind mountains.

The use of LUNA is not just limited to electro-optical observation missions. Due to its modular payload concept, LUNA can be fitted with future state-of-the-art payload. These include but are not limited to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), high resolution digital photo or video cameras, onboard data storage, meteorological sensors, radio relay equipment, sensors for land mine detection, EW payloads, gas and particle samplers, or radioactivity contamination sensors.

Ground Control Station

LUNA’s Ground Control Station can be installed in any vehicle or shelter with a modular system designed to complete mission playback for post-mission evaluation, simulation and training. It is fitted with several work stations equipped with high-resolution color monitors for real-time aerial image evaluation, mission planning and air vehicle control.

In mountainous terrain and on long distance missions, LUNA has the advantage of being handed over from ground station to ground station. Mission programs can be altered in flight, with several planning tools available to the operator including 2D or 3D allegation of standard maps, satellite or aerial images.

Its modular system design means that the LUNA Ground Control Station (GCS) can be installed in any vehicle or container/shelter with the GCS concept of operations (CONOPS) based on a user-friendly Human-Machine-Interface (HMI).

LUNA NG Tactical UAS

The LUNA NG Tactical UAS is based on the combat-proven LUNA TUAS with both vehicles providing all-weather, easy to operate tactical unmanned aircraft systems (TUAS) for real-time, day and night, command and control surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR).

Three complementary aircraft platforms (the LUNA, LUNA NG and the MUSECO helicopter) provide each commander with the possibility of choosing the best aircraft for his fast changing, specific mission needs.

The versatile LUNA TUAS has successfully supported peacekeeping missions in several countries since 2000. The system has been upgraded several times and is now combat proven in different climates under severe weather conditions in difficult terrain (Arctic, desert or jungle) producing legendary operational effectiveness.

The performance of the LUNA NG TUAS is superior to many bigger and more expensive unmanned aircraft systems due to its modular system structure. All its system components can be transported in and operated from protected vehicles or portable shelters by a small crew, allowing rapid deployment by medium transport helicopters.

As the system is heavily supported by easy to use automated processes, the LUNA NG TUAS benefits from quick handling and does not require personnel with aeronautical skills, while full crew training is accomplished within very short timeframes. Meanwhile, the new fixed-wing LUNA NG and the new MUSECO helicopter represent a significant leap in capability.

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