EMT Luna X-2000
The LUNA ( Unmanned Airborne Nahaufklärungs equipment ) is a reconnaissance drone. It is built by the company in the Bavarian EMT Penzberg and used by the army in operational areas to investigate.
Description
Through education within a radius of 65 kilometers, information is transmitted to the ground control station. The aircraft starts with the help of a catapult. The landing takes place on a parachute or by landing net with autonomous landing. The flight path is programmed before the start, but can also be changed during the course of the flight from the ground station.
The reconnaissance data are transmitted via a Two-way microwave link in real time. This can be entered via an uplink control commands for correcting the flight course. About a downlink the video signals are transmitted.
The LUNA has a military type certification of Category 2 With this approval, the drone may be used outside of restricted areas and sparsely populated areas. Use in normal air traffic is so, however, not permitted.
An improved version of the LUNA UAV is in EMT under the name Luna NG in development. The LUNA NG can accommodate more payload, fly longer and faster.
Program development
- October 1997: Study contract between the EMT and the Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement
- March 2000: First use of LUNA in Kosovo
- August 2002: procurement contract for 12 ground stations with 40 aircraft
- 2003: commissioning of systems LUNA
System elements
- Catapult
- Repair cabin
- Antenna
- Ground control station
- Drone
- Network landing system
Specifications
All data refer to the manufacturer's instructions: LUNA and LUNA NG
Sensors
For use following cameras and sensors are used:
Use
The drone is used by the Bundeswehr since March 2000 until today in various application areas such as Afghanistan, Macedonia and Kosovo with success and in early 2009 their 5000th operational flight. According to Ministry of Defence have been completed as of May 27, 2013 with around 7,000 flights.
In addition to the army and Pakistan uses the drone to monitor the hard to reach tribal areas in northwestern Pakistan.
Crashes / incidents
As of May 27, 2013 crashed, according to Defense Department 52 of the drones. The crash took place in the years 2004 to 2012 in Afghanistan ( 40) Kosovo (5) and on military training areas (7).
On the internet ( youtube) there for years consisting of only a few blurry images "Video". It is supposed to show the near- collision of a Luna UAV over Kabul with an Airbus Ariana Afghan airlines; the drone will then be crashed by the problems caused by the passenger Airbus air vortex.
End of June 2013, published by the Federal Ministry of Defence explanations of how many drones crashed, crash-landed or has been lost.