The NRL MITE Air Vehicle

Micro Air Vehicles MAVs offer the promise of affordably expendable, covert sensor platforms for a range of close-in situational awareness activities. Since 1996, the US Naval Research Laboratory NRL has been developing technologies that will enable Navy-relevant missions with the smallest practical MAVs. This effort includes the development and integration of sensors, avionics, and advanced intelligent autopilots for flight control, with aerodynamic technologies. The NRL Micro Tactical Expendable MITE air vehicle is a result of this research. The operational MITE is a hand-launched, dual-propeller, fixed-wing air vehicle, with a 9-inch chord and a wingspan of 8 to 18 inches, depending on payload weight. The 14-inch MITE 2 can carry a one-ounce analog camera payload for mission flight durations in excess of 20 minutes, at air speeds of 10-20 mileshour. While the MITE is presently a remote controlled air vehicle, both miniature traditional autopilots and also advanced autopilots, based on visual and spectral imaging techniques, are being developed. Autonomous MITEs will provide inexpensive, covert, highly portable sensor platforms for distribution and use in remote or urban environments. Multiple MITEs will provide distributed networks of roving and fixed sensor systems.