Abraham Karem

Last updated
Abraham Karem
BornJune 27, 1937 (1937-06-27) (age 86)
Citizenship Israeli
Alma mater Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
OccupationEngineer
Known for Predator (Drone), Overair Butterfly eVTOL
TitleFounder of Karem Aircraft, Founder of Overair

Abraham Karem (born 1937) is a designer of fixed and rotary-wing unmanned aircraft. He is regarded as the founding father of UAV (drone) technology.

Contents

Biography

Abraham Karem was born in Baghdad, Iraq, to an Assyrian Jewish couple. His family moved to Israel in 1951, where he grew up. From an early age, he had an innate passion for aeronautics, and at the age of 14, he started building model aircraft. Karem is regarded as the founding father of UAV (drone) technology. He graduated as an aeronautical engineer from the Technion. He built his first drone during the Yom Kippur War for the Israeli Air Force. In the 1970s, he immigrated to the United States.

Engineering career

He founded Leading Systems Inc. in his home garage, where he started manufacturing his first drone, Albatross, and later on, the more sophisticated Amber, which eventually evolved into the famous General Atomics MQ-1 Predator drone, which brought him the title of "Drone father". [1]

Karem has been described by The Economist magazine as the man who "created the robotic plane that transformed the way modern warfare is waged and continues to pioneer other airborne innovations". [1] Leading Systems has since gone bankrupt and was bought up by the US defense contractor General Atomics, which employed Karem and his team for the development of ultra-high endurance UAVs. The new development resulted in the creation of the Predator, based on the previous model Amber. [2]

Awards and recognition

In 2010, Karem was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for the development of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles and variable rotor speed VTOL aircraft systems.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-1 Predator</span> Family of unmanned aerial vehicles

The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Conceived in the early 1990s for aerial reconnaissance and forward observation roles, the Predator carries cameras and other sensors. It was modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions. The aircraft entered service in 1995, and saw combat in the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the NATO intervention in Bosnia, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the Iraq War, Yemen, the 2011 Libyan civil war, the 2014 intervention in Syria, and Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned aerial vehicle</span> Aircraft without any human pilot on board

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs were originally developed through the twentieth century for military missions too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans, and by the twenty-first, they had become essential assets to most militaries. As control technologies improved and costs fell, their use expanded to many non-military applications. These include aerial photography, precision agriculture, forest fire monitoring, river monitoring, environmental monitoring, policing and surveillance, infrastructure inspections, smuggling, product deliveries, entertainment, and drone racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned combat aerial vehicle</span> Unmanned aerial vehicle that is usually armed

An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, colloquially shortened as drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircraft ordnance such as missiles, ATGMs, and/or bombs in hardpoints for drone strikes. These drones are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy. Unlike unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicles, UCAVs are used for both drone strikes and battlefield intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics Gnat</span> Aerial reconnaissance UAV designed in the 1980s

The General Atomics Gnat is an aerial reconnaissance UAV developed in the United States in the late 1980s and manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). As initially designed, it was a simplified version of the LSI Amber intended for foreign sales. The Gnat 750 made its first flight in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UAV ground control station</span> Control system for drones

UAV ground control station (GCS) is a land- or sea-based control centre that provides the facilities for human control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. It may also refer to a system for controlling rockets within or above the atmosphere, but this is typically described as a Mission Control Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of unmanned aerial vehicles</span>

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) include both autonomous drones and remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs). A UAV is capable of controlled, sustained level flight and is powered by a jet, reciprocating, or electric engine. In the twenty-first century, technology reached a point of sophistication that the UAV is now being given a greatly expanded role in many areas of aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper</span> American unmanned aerial vehicle

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate ground control by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeronautics Defense Systems</span> Israeli defense company

Aeronautics Ltd. is an Israeli company specializing in the manufacturing of Unmanned Aerial Systems for military uses. Since its establishment in 1997, the company has sold its products to more than 20 defense, military and homeland security customers in 15 countries. Its headquarters are in Yavne, Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle</span> Unmanned reconnaissance and strike aircraft system

The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the United States Army as an upgrade of the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.

Karem Aircraft, Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer company with offices in Lake Forest, California; York, Virginia; and Victorville, California, founded in 2004 by Abraham Karem as a rapid development firm specializing in advanced tiltrotor transport aircraft. Karem was the former chief designer for the Israeli Air Force — who built his first drone during 1973's Yom Kippur War — and has been described by The Economist as the man who "created the robotic plane that transformed the way modern warfare is waged — and continues to pioneer other airborne innovations". He emigrated to the United States in the late 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DRDO Rustom</span> Type of aircraft

The DRDO Rustom is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation for the three services, Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force of the Indian Armed Forces. Rustom is derived from the NAL's LCRA developed by a team under the leadership of late Prof Rustom Damania in the 1980s. The UAV will have structural changes and a new engine.

Linden Stanley Blue is an American aviation executive. He is the co-owner and vice chairman of General Atomics, the U.S. military contractor that manufactures the Predator drones used by the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He is also the managing director of the aircraft manufacturer Spectrum Aeronautical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger</span> Unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator built by General Atomics

The General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat aerial vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the U.S. military.

Kapothaka was a technology demonstrator mini-UAV for reconnaissance. The Kapothaka which means “dove” is believed to be a predecessor of Nishant UAV system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel</span> Unmanned aerial vehicle by Lockheed Martin

The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few details on the UAV's design or capabilities, defense analysts believe that it is a stealth aircraft fitted with aerial reconnaissance equipment. Introduced in 2007, it was deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007, and to South Korea two years later, in September 2009. Some images and details of the aircraft were released after Iran captured an RQ-170 in 2011. It has a flying wing design, and uses a single engine, speculated to be either a General Electric TF34 turbofan or a Garrett TFE731.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IAI Bird-Eye</span> Type of aircraft

IAI Bird-Eye is a family of mini-UAVs developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Malat division. Designed for military and paramilitary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States military</span> US industry information

As of January 2014, the United States military operates a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles : 7,362 RQ-11 Ravens; 990 AeroVironment Wasp IIIs; 1,137 AeroVironment RQ-20 Pumas; 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS systems; 246 MQ-1 Predators; MQ-1C Gray Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows; and 33 RQ-4 Global Hawk large systems.

The General Atomics Mojave is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of short takeoff and landing (STOL), being developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. First unveiled on December 9, 2021, General Atomics states that it is to fulfil the roles of reconnaissance, close air support and armed overwatch.

The General Atomics Sparrowhawk is an unmanned parasite aircraft currently being developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). First disclosed in 2019 and revealed to the public in September 2020, the Sparrowhawk is intended to offer the United States Air Force a Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) capable of SIGINT/ELINT, ISR, radar imaging, jamming and the possibility for future roles.

References

  1. 1 2 "The dronefather". The Economist. The Economist Newspaper Limited. December 1, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  2. Steve Coll, Ghost Wars (Penguin, 2005 edition), pp. 527-8 and 658 note 5.