NTS gets two drones

TWO UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS PURCHASED FOR USE AT THE NEVADA NATIONAL SECURITY SITE LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems

www.nv.energy.gov...

Two state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have been purchased as part of a research and development program at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

registry.faa.gov...

State of the art? That might be debatable.

“A UAS can be used in situations where manned aircraft may not be used safely. These small aerial platforms can be used at the NNSS for sensor development, as well as site security, environmental monitoring, radiological remote sensing and national security applications.”

wireless2.fcc.gov...

They have a video link, which is no shocker. Emission code 16M5F8W.
16.5MHz FM. That isn't a standard TV signal, but not too different from the old analog satellite (I think).

a reply to: gariac

The first link is "about blank"

Can a citizen pick up that tv signal?😊

a reply to: Bigburgh

For the missing link, I think I meant to use quote instead of link. Too late now.

That video is really wide band. Too wide for a old TV, plus those old TV are not FM. That is why I mentioned analog satellite TV. But if you do a search on that emission code, you will see there are old studio to transmitter links that used that format.

a reply to: gariac

Thanks for that info👍
S&F

Actually that might be standard FM video. I was thinking 6MHz for composite TV, but that is broadcast video, which is something like AM (really VSB). Security analog FM video is about 15MHz wide. Security video is low power so it needs the noise immunity of FM.

www.lasvegasnow.com...

KLAS article on the new drones. Too bad the photo is of the wrong aircraft. The fixed wing and helicopter mentioned in the article are at the Remote Sensing Laboratory at Nellis, somewhat segregated from the rest of the base.

Some people claim the location where the Remote Sensing Laboratory resides used to perform the function that the Janet terminal does now. That is flights to the TTR and Groom left from this corner of Nellis AFB. I never found proof of that, but if you check the area out on Google Earth, you can see why some people suspect it. The facility has its own private parking for instance.

The registration and airworthiness FAA documents for N468LU are found this page:

inplanesight.org...

The link RF has data on the radio used to control the UAV.

Reading the airworthiness document, there is considerable background on Unmanned Systems Inc. (USI). USI has been at Creech and Grey Butte, operating General Atomics UAVs. So it looks like they branched out and made a UAV of their own.