Raytheon's SilentEyes: Slave microUAV Concept Still Reverberates

In an August 2004 story, Space Daily reported a successful test of the Raytheon SilentEyes microUAV. In the test conducted at Edwards AFB,  SilentEyes prototypes were "ejected from an MQ-9 Predator." The goal of the SilentEyes project was to enable a high-altitude UAV such as the Predator, to extend its reach by using a lower-cost UAV. The slave UAV could be used to provide high resolution images or other sensor data from lower altitudes. It flew autonomously, but relayed its data stream through the MQ-9 to MQ-9 ground control stations. 

SilentEyes was cancelled, but the project was one of several that has contemplated the use of multiple, networked small and lower-cost UAVs to coordinate data gathering for intelligence, mapping and other applications. Slave microUAVs could be launched individual or as a swarm from air or ground platforms. A goal of these projects has been to leverage R&D in networked robotics.

Raytheon SilentEyes via Space Daily (2004)

Great Britain, India Going Micro and Nano (Respectively)

Its future in the U.S. UAS arsenal may be unclear, considering the large investments being made in devices with single unit costs in the millions, but smaller unmanned flying machines are being given serious consideration in India and Great Britain. According to posts by sUAS News, India is looking at purchasing a UAS weighing less than 2 kilograms, and Great Britain is considering, even in its austere budget era, "swarm"-style devices weighing even less at 200 grams. The swarm application is being considered for deployment in Afghanistan. 

Commercial applications cannot be far behind.