Its been a busy week for unmanned systems news.
Contents
Watchkeeper
The Army will deploy the Watchkeeper UAV system to Afghanistan in April next year, nearly a year later than originally planned. Watchkeeper is a system based on the Hermes 450 air vehicle but includes many modifications and wide range of supporting infrastructure projects as well.
More information on the background and history of Watchkeeper here
Three systems will be deployed to Afghanistan in April to work alongside the the existing Hermes 450′s operated under the Project Lydian banner. The existing Hermes 450′s are operated under a contract from Thales and will be gradually replaced by the full fat Watchkeeper systems. The Army will deploy ISTAR tactical groups on Viking armoured vehicles which will support ISTAR and UAV planning.
Coinciding with this is the news that Watchkeeper has been placed on the naughty boys project list. Following the Australian example of having a publicly available ‘projects of concern’ list it will highlight those projects that are failing to deliver or costing more than planned. It is hoped that the shame of being on this list will force everyone concerned to sharpen their pencils by impacted on shareholder value. It’s an interesting idea and lets hope it works.
Various reports cite Watchkeeper as being discussed by the Major Projects Review Board because it is hundreds of millions of pounds over budget but although it was originally estimated at around £700million the NAO Major Projects Report lists the Main Gate approval cost of £907 million which would seem to put ot pretty much on budget.
It is certainly late though.
UAS Airspace
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) endorsed the Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) which will smooth the way to creating a unique environment within the UK for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to fly in segregated airspace. The revised airspace will become effective from 28 July 2011, allowing unmanned system development to proceed at a much quicker pace.
A few selected quotes from those involved…
“The ability to have dedicated airspace and facilities available in the UK is seen as key to ensuring that Wales and the UK are at the forefront of this new and growing sector. It provides Wales with a unique proposition to attract companies working in this sector and also has the potential to raise the profile of Wales in international markets. Our ultimate aim is to create sustainable employment opportunities in the region.”
Edwina Hart, Welsh Government Business Minister
“By working closely with the Welsh Government and other key stakeholders, the Wales UAS environment is unique in Europe and represents a world class facility for the development of unmanned aircraft systems and the critical sensors and technology they carry. Through the provision of managed airspace and QinetiQ’s safety oversight, we can support a range of operations that will enable manufacturers, users and potential customers to develop, demonstrate and train within an environment which the regulators have recognised as a focal point for UAS activity in the UK. This will support increased familiarity, awareness and understanding of UAS from a regulatory perspective, which in turn promotes informed development of UAS integration into the national airspace.”
Carl Davies, QinetiQ
Beyond Reaper, Scavenger and Telemos
Following the agreement between BAe and Dassault Aviation on a joint development of an autonomous medium altitude long endurance UAV to be called Telemos more information has been revealed on the shape of the Scavenger requirement (part of the wider SOLOMON project) that Telemos will be pitching for.
Background reading on Telemos here
These are certainly interesting times and the greater political and resulting military cooperation between France and the UK is being reflected in industry.
The gradual coming together of political will, industrial expediency and military requirements is pointing to a a system that just might pull off a successful collaborative project and create a decent system for both nations with decent export potential. Both BAe and Dassault have significant expertise, especially in systems integration and autonomous control systems and these are seen as key factors in reducing bandwidth requirements and flying in non segregated airpsace.
BAe and Dassault are not best friends in other areas of their businesses, with the Rafale and Typhoon going head to head in the Indian medium multrole fighter competition and things are complicated even more by the simple fact that Dassault are leading the European Neuron unmanned combat air system demonstrator. The alternative is the EADS Cassidian Talarion, EADS holds the French governments stake in Dassault.
The industrial permutations are enough to make your head spin but it should be obvious that the requirement is shaping up to signpost the future of European defence aviation. The winner of the MALE requirements will more or less be a shoe in for a future UCAV type designed to compliment Typhoon and Rafale.
The UK requirement is for a system with an initial operating capability of around 2018 that will replace the in service Reapers.
Reaper is said to satisfy approximately 80% of the Scavenger requirement with candidates likely to be the Predator C, the Talarion or Telemos.
To get the RAF to 2018 it is planning the ‘Additional Reaper Capacity’ or ARC that will comprise an additional 5 aircraft to be in service by the middle of next year. These additional aircraft will enable the RAF to fly three continuous orbits, using 44 crews. ARC is likely to cost approximately £135million, or £27 million each and this will coincide with the reconfiguration of 13 Squadron as the second Reaper unit, 39 Squadron being the first.
Mini and Micro
In order to provide dismounted infantry with information about what ‘is over the wall’ the MoD and Army are looking at options for mini and micro UAV’s. Because of the time it takes to task the Hermes 450 and Desert Hawk III’s in use with the Royal Artillery a requirement has opened up for something that is rapid and organic to the infantry patrol. It will allow them to identify firing points or simply look over the walls of a compound quickly and reliably.
The requirement is hoped to be fulfilled by the end of this year and leading contenders, trialled at last years URBEX, include the AeroVironment Wasp, Datron Scout, Cyberflight Maveric and the larger Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III already in service.
No doubt there is a bit of a bunfight between the Royal Artillery and Infantry about who will use these and the simple answer might be to buy more of what we already have and push them down the organisational structure but a smaller system will provide a step up in capability for the infantry. Combined with a smaller, lighter and more power efficient ground control station and improved battery technology the project will seek to reduce the carried load.
Talisman
Talisman is the collective name for a counter IED and route clearance capability, a collection of vehicles, sensors and other equipment in service with the Royal Engineers. I have followed the evolution of Talisman but always been a little reticent about publishing anything until it has been covered elsewhere, for obvious reasons, it is very sensitive stuff.
Reported this week is the experience if using unmanned Snatch Land Rovers mounting a range of sensors, likely to include ground penetrating radar, although details first emerged in summer last year.
For a full breakdown of Talisman including links to images of one of the remote control Snatch development models, click here
The final selected version was from MIRA using its MACE2 technology with additional system integration from others including Thales. The latest news from Shepard is that the Army still hasn’t quite worked out the best way of using the remote Snatch and a number of issues remain with Talisman as a whole but as ever, things will be worked out in due course.
“Because of the time it takes to task the Hermes 450 and Desert Hawk III’s in use with the Royal Artillery a requirement has opened up for something that is rapid and organic to the infantry patrol. It will allow them to identify firing points or simply look over the walls of a compound quickly and reliably”
This may be a stupid question, but could they not just put a camera on an extendable pole? Like a police ASP baton with a small camera on the end? Or a periscope?
Or do these things not cost enough for it to be worthwhile for a defence company?
Chris, there are no stupid questions but yes, that’s a stupid question
Macroswiss make pole mounted cameras but the requirement is more that just looking over a wall, which funnily enough, we bought a load of infantry periscopes for a while ago, it is a quick way to get some eyes in the sky to identify a firing point or look beyond where you are. I am sure a pole mounted camera would be handy in some situations but a UAV provides much more capability and flexibility
I’m just thinking that for it to be man portable, it’s not going to be huge. The camera is unlikely to be anything special. Its range of vision might be limited.
I think the RA have to be removed from the equation, as we discussed in a different thread. All ISTAR assets should be able to provide intel to a fire coordination cell, whether thats RAF Fixed wing, RAF medium UAV, RN helo, or a squaddie with binos and a cell phone (think of the beginning sequence of Transformers, which was ripped off from Heartbreak Ridge !)
So to me if its small enough and transmitting back to a backpackable, or vehicle mounted terminal, from 3 clicks away, showing literally what is on the other side of the hill (or round the corner of the next block, whatever….) then this is an infantry thing, or a combat engineer thing, special forces thing, whatever, but absolutely not the exclusive purview of the Royal Artillery.
how will this franco-british cooperation affect the scope, and the outcome, of the Taranis stealth demonstrator program?
This worries me, the UK (BAEs) have made much progress in this area, with Herti, Mantis, and Corax/Ravan development which has now become the bigger and much more capable TARANIS.
I just don’t want the Britsh government to squander all that development away and basically give it all to the French! Thus country has a habit of developing really great kit but not seeing it through to production. With the defence budget the way it is, I can see some bran counter cutting the funds abs the French jumping in and grabbing the technology and calling it their own. Then selling it back to us a few years down the road.
Jed, with you on making sure UAVs are avilable to all. However, taking kit away from the RA, might lead to it ALL going to the bloody RAF!!!
re: cameras on poles … wasn’t there an MoD science competition a while back to come up with an infantry-deployed innovative sensor/observation system, eg: that could be used prior to entering a compound / village, that sort of thing? there seems to be loads of off-the-shelf stuff that could be fairly easily adapted, like RC helicopters and similar (i saw one on the interwebs recently modified to carry a pistol!) – or are we talking a bit more range in the UAV? as for collaboration with france etc., i’m afraid i’d rather we collaborate and get semi-decent kit at a semi-decent price, than do it alone and pay the usual Bae tax so we get a third of what we need at twice the price … even if it means working with the frog-legged ones
Seems a good idea in theory but I would say there are a lot of practical problems with it such as how do you recover the small UAV when it has done its job or runs out of batteries? What kind of optics will it have and how will they be flown? I can see this “organic” patrol capability turning into specialist UAV teams like the CIED teams that you end up having to protect and worry about with the result these teams become resource hungry little things.
The Desert Chicken is very useful, reliable and handy enough to use if you have them and integrate your planning with the UAV teams. Yeah its good to look over walls but Desert Chicken can do that as can a variety of other ISTAR sensors – sometimes you have just got to get someone with balls to look over the wall the old fashioned way. Im sure there is a niche for such platforms in certain scenario’s but I can’t see things being quite as “organic” as they might at first seem. Especially since you’re looking at a team of at least 2-3 to operate it and thats all you need to run Desert Chicken.
Taranis is still a concept demonstrator that remains in the black world. It is not I believe part of the initial agreement with france which is more for MALE a/c. First we try then we trust! The RAF dont expect a taranis type ucav in service for another 20 years around 2030.
I would also caution the UAV tech is still immature Global Hawk is having a number of issue and the US have been quite scathing of late reducing order. Watchkeeper is now close to 20% over budget and also not meeting its performance goals. This is very new tech with significant problems to overcome we should be learning to walk before we run.
cheers mark.
i take the MALE requirement is more of a UAV(c) rather than a UCAV….?
ie. an istar bird that can launch a few hell-fires, rather than a dedicated combat platform as is the aim for taranis.
Jedi yep the MALE a/c is the Mantis type a/c even that platform is still under concept with type of power plant ect still up for discussion. This is in effect a European reaper with reduced pilot workload/inputs.
I would expect more information to come out about UAV programs over the next week at the paris airshow.
Don’t forget the whirlybird UAVs – the launch of the French Adroit-class OPV (1000t, 87m member of the Gowind family) means that we’re now in the age of ships built from the start to host a permanent UAV – in this case a Scheibel Camcopter.
Offical page : http://en.dcnsgroup.com/naval/programme/opv-gowind/technologie/
Some pics from Aviation Week
Getting off-topic, AW also have an article on an MPA based on a C-130, proposed by Marshalls – dangle Searchwater off a modified back ramp, that kind of thing.
Gareth J pointed me to this and it is worth sharing,
http://www.warrioraero.com/GULL/index.htm
I have been thinking about seaplane UAVs for a bit. Though I have been thinking about something a bit bigger. My thinking being prompted by the overall size of Merlin; even folded it is huge. And my odd obsession that modern escorts over 5000 tonnes should really have two hangers.
@ X – I have a strange obsession that ships over 6k tons should be carriers – of FAC (mothership) or helicopters/UAV’s (escort carrier). ;p
Helicopters are important. Just because there are two hangers it doesn’t mean always having two airframes. But anything that facilitates easier helicopters operation should be encouraged. (In GW1 they were flying multiple Lynx off T42s.)
Who knows now T45 is finally getting Phalanx we may be lucky and get the bit and bobs to allow them to fly Merlin?