Nuclear UAVs?

A means of helping unmanned aerial vehicles provide far more surveillance time and intelligence information per mission while reducing support costs has been successfully developed by industry -- but will not be employed, according to a project accomplishments summary by one of the companies.

The June 2011 summary, as reported today by Secrecy News, notes that Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation felt that the technical goals of the UAV ultra-persistence research projects were accomplished.“Overall, performance, specific power parameters, technical complexities, security safety and other operational features were successfully investigated,” the report states. Northrop "was quite pleased with the results of analysis and design, although it was disappointing to all that the political realities would not allow use of the results.”

According to the project accomplishments summary, Northrop Grumman Corporation Integrated Systems “requested support from Sandia to develop an ultra-persistent propulsion and power system (UP3S) for potential incorporation into next generation UAV systems. The team members tried to determine which energy storage and power generation concepts could most effectively push UAV propulsion and electrical power capabilities to increase UAV sortie duration from days to months while increasing available electrical power at least two-fold.”

So what is this technology? Secrecy News writes that it “seems clear that the Sandia-Northrop project contemplated the use of nuclear technology for onboard power and propulsion.” The project summary refers to “propulsion and power technologies that [go] well beyond existing hydrocarbon technologies,” the website reports. Secrecy News also notes that the lead investigator at Sandia, Steven Dron, specializes in nuclear propulsion.

The summary adds that the technology and systems designs considered "have previously never been applied to" UAVs. However, it adds, none of the results can be shared with the public "due to national security constraints."