×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
AIRCRAFT / AVIATION
MODERN AIR FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
DRONE TECHNOLOGY
Aviation / Aerospace

AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III


Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) [ 2007 ]



Introduced in 2007, the compact and portable AeroEnvironment Wasp III has served American special forces operatives well.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
Today's battlefield requirements push a massive - and growing - unmanned aircraft market. AeroVironment is a leader in design, development and production of Unmanned Air Systems (UASs) and their stable of competent aircraft added the "Wasp III" product in 2007. This miniature UAS was developed against a requirement by the United States Air Force special operations section. The project goal was to supply in-the-field operatives with a lightweight, portable, remote-controlled UAS unit for overhead scouting work and target designation. In this way the Wasp III has proved a success and its adoption has gone beyond the USAF - the governments of Australia (Army), France (Navy), Sweden (Air Force, Army, Navy), and Spain (Air Force) have all taken on the Wasp III into their various services.

The Wasp III system features a length of 1.25 feet and a wingspan of 2.4 feet. It weighs less than 1lb without its mission payload - which centers on stabilized cameras offering high-resolution, real-time video in both day and night operations. Full tilt, pan and zoom functionality is built into these units. The camera module is installed in the belly of the aircraft. Power for the aircraft is through a single electric motor powered by rechargeable batteries and this system drives a tw0-bladed propeller unit mounted to the nose. Maximum range is out to 5 kilometers with cruising speeds reaching 65 kmh.

Structurally, the Wasp III showcases a broad wingspan, slim nose section and single-finned tail unit. For transport, the Wasp III handily breaks down into major components and can fit in its travel bag. Set-up and take-down is relatively quick. Beyond its manual control scheme (operated through a basic hand-held controller), the aircraft can also be programmed and launched for autonomous service relying on GPS navigation.

The Wasp AE is an improved product form of the Wasp III series, introduced in mid-2012. Along with increased operational ranges and a built-in Infra-Red (IR) viewing capability, this mark brings about an amphibious capability that allows the unit to land on water surfaces for recovery. Because of this useful feature, various world navies have taken an interest in the variant.

The United Air Force and Marine Corps have both selected the Wasp III family for various over-battlefield roles. The U.S. military inventory designates the Wasp III as the "RQ-12A".©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.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
2007

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Status
ACTIVE
In Active Service.
Crew
0
UNMANNED
Production
550
UNITS


AeroEnvironment, Incorporated - USA
(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of Australia National flag of France National flag of Spain National flag of Sweden National flag of the United States Australia; France; Spain; Sweden; United States
(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
1.2 ft
(0.38 m)
Width/Span
2.4 ft
(0.72 m)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III production variant)
Installed: 1 x Electric motor with rechargeable ion battery pack driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Max Speed
40 mph
(65 kph | 35 kts)
Range
3 mi
(5 km | 9 nm)


♦ 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


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III 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. Mission payload consists of day/night high-resolution camera equipment.


Supported Types




(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
RQ-12A "Wasp 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 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


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the AeroVironment RQ-12A Wasp III
Image from AeroVironment marketing material.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 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.

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 all American military medals and ribbons.


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