MMIST CQ-10 SnowGoose

CQ-10 SnowGoose
CQ-10 SnowGoose
	UAV on a Humvee.
General information
Type	Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
National origin	Canada
Manufacturer	MMIST
Primary user	United States Special Operations Command
Number built	CQ-10A: 15 (49 planned)
History
Introduction date	January 2005
First flight	April 2001

The MMIST CQ-10A SnowGoose is a cargo delivery unmanned aerial vehicle that has reached IOC (Initial Operational Capability) with the United States Armed Forces with the delivery of 15 vehicles. The SnowGoose UAV is produced by the Canadian company Mist Mobility Integrated Systems Technology (MMIST). The SnowGoose UAV is an application of MMIST's Sherpa autonomous GPS-guided parafoil delivery system and is intended for pin-point delivery of small cargo items (ammunition, supplies) to special forces. A fully loaded Snowgoose can carry a total of 261 kg (575 lb).^[1] The SnowGoose was originally designed for leaflet dispensing for psychological warfare, but can support a variety of missions with its six modular cargo bays, each of which can carry pods for fuel, supplies, electronics (sensor or broadcasting) packages, and provide aerial surveillance and communications relay.^[1]

The CQ-10A uses a parafoil for lift; the CQ-10B uses an autogyro rotor for lift. The "B" version has twice the range of the "A" version. According to the manufacturer, the CQ-10B can carry 1088 kg (2400 lb) up to 150 km (93 mi) from a central base per day (24 h), placing the loads within 30 m (100 ft) of a predesignated point then performing near-vertical take-offs.^[2]

It is able to be launched from HMMWVs (or Humvees), but can also be launched from Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, and Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs. Its first flight was in April 2001 and it achieved initial operating capability in April 2005.^[1]

Variants

CQ-10A at March Field Air Museum, Riverside, CA

CQ-10A: Parafoil lift.
CQ-10B: Autogyro rotor lift with increased range, V/STOL.^{[citation needed]}

Operators

Canada
- Canadian Forces - testing 2007
United States
- United States Special Operations Command

Specifications (CQ-10A

Data from Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030, Office of the Security of Defense (p.24)

General characteristics

Capacity: 575 pounds (261 kg)
Length: 9.5 ft (2.9 m)
Wingspan: 6.8 ft (2.1 m)
Gross weight: 1,400 lb (635 kg)
Fuel capacity: 91 U.S. gallons (340 L)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 914 UL piston engine, 110 hp (82 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 38 mph (61 km/h, 33 kn)
Range: 180 mi (300 km, 160 nmi)
Endurance: 19 hr (Maximum), 9-11 hr with 200 lb cargo
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). Office of the Security of Defense. 2005. p. 24. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ "MMIST Inc". Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2010-07-18.

External links

DefenseLink - SnowGoose: UAVs Enter the Airlift Business
MMIST CQ-10 SnowGoose - Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles

[:0-1] "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). Office of the Security of Defense. 2005. p. 24. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[mmist_B-2] "MMIST Inc". Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2010-07-18.

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