Design of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Kinetic Attack Applications

Abstract

Recently, the world has seen a considerable growth in the number of utilized drones, with a global and ongoing increase in demand for their multi-purpose applications. Their use is not limited to reconnaissance, surveillance applications but UAVs can also be used as a suicide drone or kamikaze drone. The use of kinetic attack drones allows for quicker reaction times while dealing with concealed or hidden targets. This project aims to design an autonomous aerial vehicle for kinetic attack applications by conducting a thorough analysis of the literature to focus on the design implications for such drone systems. The objective is to design UAV based on mission requirements and to select a configuration which best suits to the case using a decision matrix. Predictive analysis is used to select performance and design parameters based on the visual inspection of data from more than 80 previously designed UAVs for attack applications. The design requirements include the capability of a UAV to be launched without much infrastructure requirement, easy to transport, ability to track and lock on to the target, detonate on target with impact, and cost-effectiveness. The selected design parameters include top speed, span, maximum take-off weight, range, payload weight, endurance, and other relevant parameters. This project's outcome will be a scaled drone for kinetic attack applications designed, fabricated, and evaluated using appropriate design specifications.