×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
DRONE TECHNOLOGY
Aviation / Aerospace

Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III


Compact Surveillance Drone [ 2006 ]



The Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III is a larger, lighter, and more robust development of the original Desert Hawk UAV of 2003.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Developed by Skunkworks of Lockheed Martin, the Desert Hawk III was first flown in 2006 and designed along the lines of a reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The Desert Hawk III system is a dimensionally larger, lighter upgrade of the original Desert Hawk UAV appearing in the early 2000s. The original system was used to good effect during the early stages of the War on Terror concerning Afghanistan primarily by the British Army for the tactical surveillance role. The model was superseded by the newer Desert Hawk III series which brought along several improvements to the line - including a flight time endurance increase.

The 8lb Desert Hawk III vehicle is powered by a single, low-signature electric motor driving a two-blade propeller unit fitted to the front of the fuselage. As a low-cost alternative to more feature-heavy, dimensionally larger UAVs, the Desert Hawk III is rather simply hand-launched by the operating crew to which control of the airborne is then managed through a briefcase-style Ground Control Station (GCS). Since the Desert Hawk III lacks a traditional wheeled undercarriage it is recovered by way of a belly landing and also features an inherent "break apart" design which allows for hard landings while preserving the critical components of the UAV. The UAV can reach speeds of up to 55 mph.

Outwardly, Desert Hawk III has been given a conventional aircraft layout with shoulder-mounted wing mainplanes, a single vertical tail fin, and a fuselage housing all applicable operating and mission-based components. The fuselage takes on a tear-drop shape from nose to tail and its wing mainplanes are straight appendages. A 360-degree traversing optics fit is located at the vehicle's center mass at the belly. The UAV's compact dimensions and lightweight, rugged construction allow for ease of transport - by way of a hard case or backpack.

The 15lb GCS allows for remote-piloting of the Desert Hawk III with full tracking support and control of up to four Desert Hawk III UAV vehicles through the single GCS. A hand-held controller is provided and operators are specially trained in the handling, operation, launching, and recovery of this UAV system. Waypoints can be preprogrammed into the unit and fed to the UAV which allows for automated flights over target areas - launching and landing actions are solely controlled by the operator. The GCS showcases in-flight retasking, a moving map display, mission playback feature, and other capabilities.

The Desert Hawk III series supports Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and can undertake SIGnals INTelligence (SIGINT) and COMmunications INTelligence (COMINT) sorties as well through a "Plug-and Playloads" design feature. It can be outfitted with InfraRed (IR) sensors, Electro-Optical (EO) sensors, Long Wave InfraRed Imager (LWIR) equipment, and a laser illuminator to provide the necessary surveillance capabilities required by modern warfighters in-the-field. Versatility is a plus as operations can be held in both day and night time environments.

At one point, the Lockheed Desert Hawk III made up nearly half of the UK UAV inventory. It has also seen service with American forces.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Lockheed Martin Unmanned Integrated Systems - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United Kingdom; United States
Operators National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States
2006
Service Year
United States
National Origin
Active
Project Status
0
(UNMANNED)
Crew
650
Units


UNMANNED
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.


4.5 ft
(1.37 meters)
Width/Span
4 lb
(2 kilograms)
Empty Weight
9 lb
(4 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+4 lb
(+2 kg)
Weight Difference


1 x Electric engine driving a two-blade propeller unit in the nose.
Propulsion
56 mph
(90 kph | 49 knots)
Max Speed
9 miles
(15 km | 8 nm)
Range


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


None. Payload reserved for mission equipment to support the surveillance role.


Desert Hawk III - Base Series Designation


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images



1 / 5
Image of the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III
Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.
2 / 5
Image of the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III
Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.
3 / 5
Image of the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III
Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.
4 / 5
Image of the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III
Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.
5 / 5
Image of the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III
Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

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; site is 100% curated by humans.

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.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)