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Background
— Canadian Forces Trials UAV – CU-167 Silver Fox |
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A Vulpine Vehicle – the CF's Experimental CU-167 Silver Fox Mini UAV
In April 2004 DND awarded a contract to ACR (Advanced Ceramics Research) of Tuscon Arizona [1] for examples of the
firm's modular UAV, the Silver Fox. This drone is larger than the hand-launched FQM-151A Pointer tested by the CF at Suffield but still weighs
just 10kg due to a construction of plastic, foam, fiberglass, and advanced ceramic materials. The airframe [2]
disassembles into components small enough to fit into a container the size of a golf bag. When assembled,
the Silver Fox is under 2m long with a wingspan of around 2.5m.
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The Silver Fox sprang from a US Navy requirement for a semi-disposable UAV able to monitor whales
in exercise areas but it soon took on more bellicose roles. The Silver Fox first came to
public attention in Iraq while serving as the Marine Corps' chemical weapons 'sniffer' (and
company-level surveillance UAV). Although still considered developmental by US forces, the Silver Fox
has proven its ability to operate from small platforms on both land and sea.
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That operational flexibility appealed to DND which planned to share the Silver Fox fleet between air
force, navy, and army. The CU-167 is not an operational system. Rather it is a continuation of UAV tests
peformed by the Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre. The other UAVs tested by DND have been loaned by their
makers but the Silver Fox systems have been purchased (with a 2 year support and service package). The
Silver Fox vehicle is launched from a simple launch rail using compressed air. The launcher is compact
enough to be mounted on the back of the LUVW pickup truck or Kingston-class coastal patrol ship. Silver
Fox is assembled by a team of two and is self-contained. It flies at speeds up to 100km/h, operating at
300m with a 5 hour endurance (or a 240km range) carrying a modular sensor payload (weighing just under 2kg). Said to
be easier to fly than other UAVs, the Silver Fox can be flown by remote-control or with pre-programed flight
paths loaded into the ground-control lap-top, GPS is
then used to match the drone's flight path with the preprogramed map coordinates.
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"... covered with silver wings ..." – But Also a Very Communicative
Little 'Fox
Once Silver Fox is aloft, telemetry data – from either an infrared sensor or a video camera
– is beamed back to a portable tracking antenna (right). An onboard 2 watt transmitter gives the
system a range of 30km+. The CU-167 Silver Fox were tested by Defence Research and Development Canada at
CFB Suffield, Alberta beginning in mid-2004. The test were intended to enhance the CF's
"understanding about the potential use of mini UAVs in the modern battlespace". This included Army tactical situations, Air Force tests to gauge
the value of mini UAV overflights in reducing the vulnerability of airfields, and Navy over-water operations
during the Aug. 2005 ALIX tests in Atlantic Canada. However successful these tests may have been, the CF chose the
rival Elbit Systems Skylark as operational mini UAV in Nov. 2005. [3]
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[1] Thales Systems Canada acts as prime contractor for ACR. This contract covers the UAVs "plus associated
payloads, ground control stations, remote video terminal, spares support for 2 years, ground support equipment,
documentation, training and shipping containers".
[2] Despite its CF designation, no US MQM- (or BQM-) number has been applied to the Silver Fox at home, so
far. Initially, Silver Fox – which was begun by the US Office of Naval Research –
was known as SWARM (Smart Warfighting Array of Reconfigurable Modules).
[3] A $10M competition for 10 mini UAV systems to provide short range/low altitude reconnaissance and surveillance in
Afghanistan was announced by DND on 29 Nov 2005. After training, the Army was to deploy with the Elbit
Skylarks to Afghanistan in August 2006. Both Silver Fox (for CF Experimentation Centre) and as-yet undesignated
Skylark programs are managed by Thales Canada, Systems Division.
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