User:Jonnymoe1/sandbox/Black Knight(Vehicle)

Black Knight
 The Black Knight(Vehicle) is a prototype Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle(UGCV) designed by BAE Systems that weighs 12-tons and is C-130 deployable, which means that the Black Knight can be airlifted by military transport aircraft. Similar in size and shape to a tank, it is armed with a turret-mounted 30mm gun and a coaxial machine gun. The vehicle is fitted with a Caterpillar diesel engine, that goes up to 300 horsepower. Its high maximum speed allows it to keep up with other battle tanks. It is an early prototype, the vehicle is currently being tested and evaluated by the US Army. It was made to show how unmanned vehicles can be utilized to increase their chances in combat as well as protecting the soldier while in battle.

BAE
BAE Systems is a global arms company, which aims towards civilian avionics and engineering. BAE was first formed as a nationalized corporation in April 1977 and in 1981, the British government sold approximately 51.57% of its shares when becoming a public company. In 1985, the British government sold its remaining shares, keeping some of the shares to make to sure that the company was still under their control and soon after became a privately-owned company.

History
Before the tank was renamed the Black Knight it used to be called ARD or the Armed Robotic Demonstrator. It was created throughout the year of 2005-2006 and it's real purpose was to evaluate the performance of previous unmanned vehicles. In 2006, the ARD made its first public appearance at the Association of the United States Army in Washington D.C. The following year they added a remote operation capability because of all the interest it received during that same convention in Washington. They showcased the Black Knight's new attributes in an annual experiment named AAEF in Fort Benning, GA. It was during the AAEF or Air Assault Expeditionary Force field trials and as soon as the tank passed the safety conditions it underwent testing during the Fall of 2007, and after 200 hours of operation, the Black Knight was able to perform tasks successfully.

Characteristics
The Black Knight has many characteristics. It is capable of being used off-road meaning that it go through any type of terrain such as rocks or water. The vehicle is used in military tests that allows Soldiers to figure out the major roles of the tank in order to use it in a more advanced military force. Because of it's autonomous and semi-autonomous (being able to control itself and be controlled by someone else) components this helps operators plan an efficient plan of attack as well as avoiding obstacles while finding its way from point A to point B. It also consists of three modules: the Robotics Operator, the Mission Commander, and the Safety Officer each serving their own purpose. The Black Knight is basically operated through the Robotics Operator Control Station(ROCS) which is inside an armed vehicle. Meaning that it controls the remote and autonomous operations while the Mission Commander has the task of reading the data and then transferring it to the whole system allowing it to better direct the robotics operator. The Safety Officer controls the remote hand controller which is used when there's an unsafe situation and an emergency stop command is needed. It's main role is to insure the safety of those around the vehicle and after each task, it needs to be remotely parked in a certain location like a garage or onto a truck.

Advantages
UGCV's or Unmanned ground combat vehicles are beneficial on modern battlefields. The vehicle can be used during any time of the day and could be operated for combat missions that are too dangerous for manned ground vehicles, including forward scouting, RSTA,intelligence gathering, and investigating hazardous areas. Its biggest advantage is that the unmanned vehicle can investigate areas that are too hazardous for a group of soldiers to see or check and it can be controlled by a Dismounted Control Device. These advantages allow operators to receive data from unmanned forward positions and verify their plan of attack by utilizing the information they received from the map data to check for unsafe conditions or obstacles. The Black Knight can be controlled by soldiers safely from inside a manned fighting vehicle(Bradley Fighting Vehicle) giving them protection. The Black Knight's computer system allows it to perform a variety of functions by itself such as moving the turret,navigation, and planning a route.

Challenges
The technology used to create the Black Knight, however, is still a work-in-progress. All the components that the Black Knight consists of limitations such as in GPS, sensors, and wireless communication. However, the one with the most limitations is wireless communication. Technological limitations require solutions and workarounds which replaces difficult areas such as the computer software that is needed to create it.The biggest challenge is making sure that the vehicle is safe without affecting its capability to do certain functions. As well as, focusing on how to create the tank in a more efficient and easy way.