Boeing NightEagle, page 1

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Topic started on 13-10-2012 @ 08:09 AM by boomer135

I was looking on Boeing's Phantom Works webpage and came across a small UAV called the NightEagle, based off of the ScanEagle. I searched for it on ats but couldn't find anything. Now there's nothing special about the ScanEagle but the variant has an advanced night vision camera system installed on it. What caught my mind is this:

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations restricts the use of NightEagle’s advanced night vision technology. In the United States, NightEagle is only available to military and law enforcement. Export of NightEagle requires U.S. Government approval.

www.boeing.com...

Couple questions. First, what could the ITAR possibly restrict the use of night vision technology when we can do it whenever we want in the day with the drones? Second, it requires US government approval for export. That must mean that this system is so advanced that some of our allies won't even get it. It's been to combat already and it's only five feet in length with a ten foot wingspan. Kind of small for an aircraft with a flight ceiling of 19,500 feet and can fly 18 hours...

edit on 13-10-2012 by boomer135 because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 08:15 AM by Socrato

Originally posted by boomer135
Couple questions. First, what could the ITAR possibly restrict the use of night vision technology when we can do it whenever we want in the day with the drones?

I'm sorry what exactly are you asking here? The sentence is unclear because you used a pronoun "we can do it" when there was no implied "it."

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 08:43 AM by Zaphod58

reply to post by boomer135

www.flightglobal.com...
www.insitupacific.com...

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 08:48 AM by boomer135

reply to post by Socrato

yeah that didn't make sense. So what are they actually restricting?

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 08:56 AM by Zaphod58

reply to post by boomer135

The new nightvision camera technology. It's pretty impressive from the little I've read about it.

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 09:01 AM by boomer135

reply to post by Zaphod58

I can't find much on this particular system Zaphod but I've seen some impressive night vision technology from other companies. This one must be pretty damn impressive to be restricted from foriegn sale. Got any links for this application?

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 09:23 AM by Zaphod58

reply to post by boomer135

There are a few really technical .pdf files my phone won't let me link, but the dead pixel area compared to current systems is almost not measurable. It's going to make current systems look like first gen systems.

It's a cooled mid wave system, as opposed to the uncooled long wave systems in use now. The LWIR system can see through dust and clouds, which is why they like it so much. The MWIR2 being developed is supposed to be as good as the daytime optics on the Scaneagle.

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 02:50 PM by steppenwolf86

reply to post by Zaphod58

It was my impression that all military grade night vision devices are heavily controlled, since it is a major advantage in our current conflicts and in any future 3rd world war zone, or when facing irregular enemy combatants

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 06:29 PM by Zaphod58

reply to post by steppenwolf86

The newer equipment is. Older generation equipment is almost useless, because of depth perception and image quality.

reply posted on 13-10-2012 @ 07:59 PM by Aloysius the Gaul

US Govt approval required to export does not necessarily mean advanced technology - eg New Zealand needed it to resell it's ancient A-4K Skyhawks recently

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 01:30 AM by boomer135

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul
US Govt approval required to export does not necessarily mean advanced technology - eg New Zealand needed it to resell it's ancient A-4K Skyhawks recently

You got a point here. As I was looking at all these small UAV's, I see that some of them have been ok'd for export and some haven't. Guess it's all about control...

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 05:19 PM by Aloysius the Gaul

reply to post by boomer135

I think it is about technology - the US govt doesn't care if you sell a UAV that uses commercial equipment - but it likes to know where certain "sensitive" equipment goes.

In the case of the RNZAF A4K's IIRC the technology in question was essentially F-16 A/B grade attack systems that had been incorporated into the A4's in the 1980's as an upgrade. That technology is quite old now, but it would still be an advance for some countries that the US doesn't want to get hold of it - eg compare these a/c with the F-16A/B's that the US would not sell to Pakistan in 1989, but now they are happy to sell them C/D models.

So there is a considerable political element involved.

edit on 14-10-2012 by Aloysius the Gaul because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 08:35 PM by boomer135

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul

So what about the F-35? We have a version that can't be exported and a version that's going to other nations. I wonder what we can't give them? Never heard about what we are putting on that jet that's not exportable.

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:16 PM by Aloysius the Gaul

reply to post by boomer135

What version can't be exported?

the Israeli's want their own avioncs fitted to theres, and the Canucks have a drag chute on theirs.

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:38 PM by boomer135

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul

Oh since the beginning other countries weren't going to get the same version as us. The exported jets have to meet national disclosure policy. Actually Austrailia was getting the stealthiest version besides the United States. just a quick google search shows some sites:

www.military.com...
elpdefensenews.blogspot.com...

Things may have changed since then but I can't imagine that the US is going to export certain stealth technology to other countries. There's things on the F-22 that are not allowed to be exported that are going on the F-35 so I'm sure they won't export those parts. But I was just wondering what else it could be?

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:46 PM by Xtrozero

Originally posted by boomer135
Couple questions. First, what could the ITAR possibly restrict the use of night vision technology when we can do it whenever we want in the day with the drones?

ITAR restricts sales to foreign countries, So an off the shelf (high end) Sony camera is not restricted, but a high end IR can be...so can some EO (normal cameras). Also different communications are restricted.

Second, it requires US government approval for export. That must mean that this system is so advanced that some of our allies won't even get it. It's been to combat already and it's only five feet in length with a ten foot wingspan. Kind of small for an aircraft with a flight ceiling of 19,500 feet and can fly 18 hours

18 plus hours and typically below 5,000 feet AGL, and yes ITAR means Government approval to foreign sales. The system is not advance, just the camera....

edit on 14-10-2012 by Xtrozero because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:50 PM by Xtrozero

Originally posted by Zaphod58
MWIR2 being developed is supposed to be as good as the daytime optics on the Scaneagle.

MWIR2 is old...hehe

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:51 PM by Xtrozero

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul
What version can't be exported?

the Israeli's want their own avioncs fitted to theres, and the Canucks have a drag chute on theirs.

Israel makes their own crappy drone....

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 10:52 PM by Xtrozero

Originally posted by boomer135
So what about the F-35? We have a version that can't be exported and a version that's going to other nations. I wonder what we can't give them? Never heard about what we are putting on that jet that's not exportable.

Think of many platforms...some are restricted and our own military uses, others are good but not restricted.

reply posted on 14-10-2012 @ 11:16 PM by boomer135

Originally posted by Xtrozero

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul
What version can't be exported?

the Israeli's want their own avioncs fitted to theres, and the Canucks have a drag chute on theirs.

Israel makes their own crappy drone....

Thanks for the info Xtrozero. We were talking about the F-35 in this post though! Seems you know quite a bit about optics though. Anything you can share about this new system were talking about?

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