Luna X 2000 is a German

unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle An unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle, is an unarmed military unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR). Unlike Unmanned combat aerial vehicle, ...

in service with the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

(

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

) and produced by EMT Penzberg of Germany. It is intended for close reconnaissance (''over the hill'', up to away), transmitting live video data (visual or

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

) or taking higher resolution still images, but it can also perform other tasks such as particle sampling, ESM/

Electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...

(

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

radar jamming Radar jamming and deception is a form of electronic countermeasures that intentionally sends out radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information. Concepts that blanket the ...

), depending on its payload. The UAV is launched with a simple bungee

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

and then follows a preprogrammed course, that can be altered in flight if necessary. After its mission it automatically lands with the help of a

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

and impact dampers. ''Luna X'' UAVs are in use by German

KFOR KFOR may refer to: * KFOR (AM), a radio station (1240 AM) licensed to Lincoln, Nebraska, United States * KFOR-TV, a television station (channel 4 analog/27 digital) licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States * KFOR-TV (Nebraska), a defunct ...

forces since 2000 and are also used by German troops in Afghanistan. In mid-2009 the German Army ordered another 4 systems with a total of 40 UAVs. The

Pakistan Navy ur, ہمارے لیے اللّٰہ کافی ہے اور وہ بہترین کارساز ہے۔ English language, English: Allah is Sufficient for us - and what an excellent (reliable) Trustee (of affairs) is He!(''Quran, Qur'an, Al Imran, 3:173' ...

signed a contract on the 27 June 2012 with EMT for purchase of LUNA UAV Systems. Houthi fighters reportedly shot down a Luna drone in

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

around February 12, 2019. In 2019 the German Army began the replacement of Luna and

Rheinmetall KZO KZO (''Kleinflugzeug für Zielortung'', German for ''small aircraft for target acquisition'') is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with stealth characteristics manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions GmbH of Germany. Airbus De ...

with the new Luna NG, which has much increased capabilities.

Specifications

* Propulsion: two

cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...

two stroke engine, driving pusher

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

* Typical speed: * Service ceiling:

AMSL Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

* Endurance: 6 hours (8 hours optional) * Length: * Wingspan: * Take-off weight: < * Data Link range: > (dependent on line of sight) Luna: Technical Specifications 01.2010
, downloaded 2010-04-14

References

External links

Luna UAV System
@ EMT (manufacturer)
Nahaufklärungs-Austattung LUNA X
(in German) @ deutschesheer.de (Official homepage of the German Army)

@ defense update
LUNA Aerial Reconnaissance and Surveillance UAV
Luna UAS for Pakistan Navy. Unmanned military aircraft of Germany German military reconnaissance aircraft Aircraft manufactured in Germany {{Germany-mil-stub