The RUAG Ranger tactically-minded UAV is the product of a mating between Swiss-based RUAG Aviation and IAI of Israel and based in the Scout design of the latter.
The RUAG "Ranger" is a Swiss-centric, tactical-level Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) developed with the help of Israeli-based Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and based on the company's own "Scout" UAV detailed elsewhere on this site. It is of conventional design arrangement and function, equipped for the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) over-battlefield role. The Ranger was operated by the 7th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron out of Emmen Air Base (under the local designations of ADS-90 and ADS-95) until 2017 and is currently (2022) only fielded by the nation of Finland.
The series entered formal service in 1999 following state trials for military use.
The aircraft has a traditional twin-boom arrangement which sees a centralized fuselage - housing pertinent operating components including avionics, the optics set, fuel, and engine - with booms emanating from the trailing edges of the wing mainplanes. The booms are conjoined at the rear by way of a single, shared horizontal plane straddled by vertical tail fins. The mainplanes themselves are of straight design and mounted high along the sides of the fuselage.
The Ranger does not have a conventional / traditional wheeled undercarriage for ground-running. Instead, it relies on a fixed tricycle skid arrangement allowing it to land in unprepared frontier areas. Take-off is by way of hydraulic launcher system.
The optics set consists of a traversing "blister" unit located at the belly just ahead of midships. This provides the onboard camera and sensor equipment with unfettered, 360-degree views of the terrain below. The optics set can be customized to suite the customer need and, therefore, allows the ranger to operate beyond military settings and into civilian market and industry-related sectors covering sorties such as humanitarian work, engineering review, and maritime / law enforcement / border patrol.
Structurally, the aircraft has a length of 15 feet with a wingspan of 18.7 feet and height of 3.7 feet. Propulsion power is by conventional means through a 2-cylinder, 2-stroke engine driving a two-bladed propeller at the rear of the fuselage (in "pusher" configuration). With a payload capacity of 100lb, the drone has a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 630lb.
Performance-wise, the UAV has a maximum speed of 130 knots and can fly up to altitudes of 18,000 feet out to a range of 110 miles. The vehicle sports a useful mission endurance window of 9 hours of flight time.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
Length
15.1 ft (4.61 m)
Width/Span
18.7 ft (5.71 m)
Height
3.8 ft (1.15 m)
Empty Wgt
386 lb (175 kg)
MTOW
628 lb (285 kg)
Wgt Diff
+243 lb (+110 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the RUAG Ranger production variant)
monoplane / high-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
High-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper-most position allowable along the dorsal line of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the RUAG Ranger production variant)
Installed:
1 x 2-cylidner, 2-stroke engine developing 42 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller unit in "pusher" configuration.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the RUAG Ranger 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.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Ranger - Base Series Name.
ADS-90 - Original operational Swiss Air Force form.
ADS-95 - Follow-up operational Swiss Air Force form.
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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Finland; Switzerland (former)
