×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow


Unpowered, Unmanned Tactical Cargo Delivery System Glider


United States | 2020



"The United States Marine Corps has shown an active interest in the Silent Arrow unmanned tactical delivery air system being offered by Yates Electrospace."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow Unpowered, Unmanned Tactical Cargo Delivery System Glider.
None. This air vehicle is air-launched and unpowered during its glide down to the surface of the earth.
Propulsion
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow Unpowered, Unmanned Tactical Cargo Delivery System Glider.
0
(UNMANNED)
Crew
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow Unpowered, Unmanned Tactical Cargo Delivery System Glider .
None. Payload consists of cargo loads up to 700lb.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow family line.
Silent Arrow - Base Series Name; unpowered glider form.
ER-700 - Electrically-powered, extended range model with inherent rough-field take-off and landing capability.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/30/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Few military services have invested as much in Research & Development (R&D) concerning unmanned delivery systems as has the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Its warfighters are often called to bring the fighting to the enemy from ship-to-shore and beyond. The result is that these elements can eventually find themselves far from their critical supply lines or cut-off from friendly forces altogether, requiring a rapid response, tactically-minded cargo delivery system for resupply. The New Battlefield, one driven by advanced processors, electronics, and unmanned systems, requires such vehicles as USMC forces advance towards victory.

Enter the "Silent Arrow", a low-cost unmanned glider-type air vehicle developed as a private venture by Yates Electrospace - the concern founded by electric motorcycle and electric aircraft record-setter Chip Yates. The vehicle has been in the works since 2014 and the United States Marine Corps has taken an interest in the unpowered, unmanned capabilities of this compact delivery system. The service has moved to commission for ten of the air vehicles under its Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) branch to conduct additional active testing under more-likely-encountered operational conditions.

The vehicle can be airdropped from the hold of a passing fixed-wing (C-130 or similar) or rotary-wing (CH-53 or similar) aircraft from altitudes as high up as 25,000 feet. Up to 700lb of cargo can be carried in the body of the vehicle whose boxy, slab-sided fuselage acts as its own hard shell shipping crate - further reducing manufacturing and procurement costs (each unit is set to sell for under $10,000 USD). The glider components are delivered within the fuselage itself and installed when the vehicle is readied for launching. This process involves the addition of a forward and aft wing mainplane pair as a pyramidal nosecone. The result is a "streamlined" - yet-wholly utilitarian-looking - twin-winged vehicle capable of gliding down to the earth's surface under complete silence.

The program has been advancing at a healthy pace with ground-based testing ongoing (as of 2018) and certification planned for a near-future date. In late-2018, the aircraft are expected to be dropped out of the hold of a USMC MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft to better simulate likely conditions expected by USMC warfighters in-the-field. The company is also investing in research related to an electrically-powered air vehicle that would act as a host ship to these unpowered cargo delivery systems - creating an entire family of related unmanned systems suitable for military service and fulfilling a critical role in USMC operational doctrine. Beyond its military scope, Silent Arrow could also branch into humanitarian initiatives by its ability to reach far-off, inaccessible areas following natural disasters.

The ER-700 designation covers an electrically-powered, extended range variant of Silent Arrow. This version can take-off and land from rough airfields which further broadens the tactical capabilities of this interesting product.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 10 Units

Contractor(s): Yates Electrospace Corporation - USA
National flag of the United States

[ United States (possible) ]
1 / 2
Image of the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow
Image from official Yates Electrospace press release.
2 / 2
Image of the Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow
Image from official Yates Electrospace press release.

Going Further...
The Yates Electrospace Silent Arrow Unpowered, Unmanned Tactical Cargo Delivery System Glider appears in the following collections:
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
DRONE TECHNOLOGY
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)