The AAI Aerosonde is described as a modular, long endurance unmanned aerial system (UAS) which intends to fulfill the primary roles of unarmed reconnaissance, data collection and surveillance. The UAS is marketed to budget-conscious shoppers requiring the capabilities of a true UAV system without the exorbitant procurement and operating costs that go along with full-sized systems such as the popular "Predator" series. The Aerosonde was originally developed by Insitu of Washington, USA (part of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems) and produced by Australian-based Aerosonde Ltd. As of June 22nd, 2006, Aerosonde was acquired by AAI Corporation under which its name is now marketed by as the "AAI Aerosonde".
Externally, the Aerosonde UAS shares a configuration of many other modern UAV systems. The main internal components (payload, engine, fuel, sensors and avionics) are all held in a centralized nacelle. To this is affixed a straight wing assembly running over the top of the rear of the fuselage. From each wing trailing edge exists thin boom stalks that connect the aft tailplanes used for stabilization. The engine is fitted to the extreme end of the fuselage nacelle and arranged in a "pusher" setup powering a simple two-bladed propeller system. The base Aerosonde is powered by a J-Type, four-stroke, fuel-injected gasoline engine which provides the system with a cruise speed of up to 60 knots (maximum dash speed of up to 80 knots) and a service ceiling of 15,000 feet. An optional engine upgrade to a K-Twin, dual-cylinder four-stroke electronic fuel-injection engine is noted. Either powerplant makes use of aviation gasoline or 93 premium octane. With a standard surveillance loadout in place, the Aerosonde is capable of 10 hours flight time endurance. The Aerosonde is designed to be launched via a catapult-type rail system and is recovered via a two-post net structure. As such, there is no fixed or jettisonable undercarriage in the Aerosonde's design.
As with most UAV systems, the Aerosonde UAS is delivered in a complete "kit" which includes three Aerosonde UAS aircraft (with associated surveillance payloads for each), the launch/recovery trailer system and Ground Control Station.
The Aerosonde UAS was in design, development and testing into the late 1990s and finalized under various evaluation phases. The aircraft was credited with the first-ever cross by a UAV of the Atlantic Ocean in 1998 - reaching Scotland from Newfoundland, Canada in under 27 hours (26.45 hours) while under completely autonomous control.
As of this writing (2013), the Aerosonde maintains a very active presence in the world. The United States military is evaluating the Aerosonde Mark 4.4 series model to possibly add to its growing stable of capable UAVs in service. In this role, the Mark 4.4 production model is recognized as the "XMQ-19A". Upon acceptance, the vehicle will be assigned the formal designation of "MQ-19A".
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April 2018 - The Aerosonde is in contention to become the standard SUAS system of the United States Coast Guard. It is competing with an offering from Boeing Insitu. These are set to be carried on National Security Cutter vessels.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Special Forces
Serving Special Forces / Special Operations elements and missions.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
Length
5.6 ft (1.70 m)
Width/Span
9.5 ft (2.90 m)
Height
2.0 ft (0.60 m)
Empty Wgt
55 lb (25 kg)
MTOW
55 lb (25 kg)
Wgt Diff
+0 lb (+0 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base AAI MQ-19 Aerosonde production variant)
Installed:
1 x Aerosonde K-twin (Enya R120) engine in pusher configuration.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base AAI MQ-19 Aerosonde production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None. Data collection equipment installed.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Aerosonde - Base Series Designation
Aerosonde Mark 4.4
Aerosonde Mark 4.7 - Latest (2013) offering; NATO compliant.
XMQ-19A - Developmental US military designation under evaluation (Mark 4.4).
MQ-19A - Formal US military designation of production quality models.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Australia; United States
