Lockheed Martin Stalker
In August 2007, Lockheed Martin unveiled a new special operations UAV named Stalker. Development of the vehicle began in early 2006, and first flight followed later that year. Stalker is being produced for a U.S. customer which is officially undisclosed, but is rumoured to be the U.S. forces' Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which is said to replace its RQ-11 Raven systems with Stalker.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Stalker |
The Stalker UAV has a wingspan of about 3 m (10 ft), weighs about 6.4 kg (14 lb), and is launched by hand. It can fly for up to two hours at altitudes of up to 4600 m (15000 ft). Stalker is powered by what Lockheed Martin calls a "hush drive" - a low-noise electric motor and a special quiet propeller. The UAV's sensor module is located in a two-axis gimballed turret. Available modules include daylight, low-light-level and infrared cameras, which can be combined with a laser designator. The turret is equipped with a "plug-and-play"-type interface, which allows quick change of the sensor module. For landing, the sensor turret is retracted into the vehicle's fuselage. The whole UAV system, including air vehicle, sensor modules and spare batteries, can be disassembled into several easily transportable components.
Specifications
Data for Stalker:
| Length | ? |
| Wingspan | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Weight | 6.4 kg (14 lb) |
| Speed | ? |
| Ceiling | 4600 m (15000 ft) |
| Endurance | 2 h |
| Propulsion | Electric motor |
Main Sources
[1] Peter La Franchi: "
Skunkworks unveils fast-track unmanned air vehicle job for special forces", FlightGlobal.Com, 14 August 2007
[2] "Stalker Replaces Raven", StrategyPage.Com, 14 August 2007
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4
Last Updated: 8 December 2007